More clients, more problems

If you’re drowning in cheap work and calendar invites, it’s time to flip the model—and build a business that funds your life, not eats it.

1. Here’s a truth that stings:

More clients doesn’t mean more freedom. It means more meetings, more churn, and more admin.

That’s why I ditched the subscription model and stopped taking on a bunch of small design clients. Instead, I work with one company at a time as a contract consultant—and I’ve never felt freer or earned more.

This is how I went from employee to freelancer to high-paid consultant—and why I think most freelance designers are chasing the wrong thing.

2. The paycheck isn’t the problem. the setup is.

As an employee, I made a good salary.

At one point I was earning $175K a year, which sounds solid… until you see how much I kept after taxes. Between state and federal, I lost over 35%. My actual take-home? Just under $10K/month.

And I was still chained to my Slack window.

Compare that to my best month as a contract consultant:

$22K earned, 6% taxes. I kept almost $20K.

That’s not magic—it’s math. Consultants get paid like businesses. Employees get taxed like paychecks.

3. The real flex: freedom of time

Employees, even remote ones, are still on company time.

They’re expected to be “available” 9–5.

Open calendar. Open Slack. Constant meetings.

That’s not remote work—that’s just work.

As a consultant, I get paid for results, not presence.

I work in focused sprints. I take long breaks. I structure my day around what makes me sharp—gym, walks, naps, whatever.

I don’t chase balance. I control my rhythm.

4. Subscription model: the hidden trap

I’ve done subscription design too—multiple clients on recurring retainers. It sounds like freedom. But here’s what it really means:

• high churn
• constant sales
• global price competition
• lower-quality work
• no real ownership

You’re just doing random design tasks for random people you barely know. You get stuck in the same repetitive loop—landing pages, mockups, logos—on autopilot. AI is already sniffing around that territory.

If you’re a great designer, you don’t want to be in that race. Because it’s a race to the bottom.

5. Real relationships, real results

Working with one company as a consultant means:

• stable income
• deep collaboration
• real portfolio projects
• low stress
• room to travel, think, and breathe

You’re embedded, but not trapped.

You’re independent, but still impactful.

This is the business model most designers overlook—because it’s not as sexy as “freelancer” or as secure as “employee.” But it’s better than both.

6. Title ≠ freedom

Let’s talk corporate ladder.

Yes, climbing up to Design Lead or Head of Product looks cool on LinkedIn. But the higher you go, the more meetings you have—and the less work you actually do. And for what? A few grand more a year?

I’ve done that. And I’ve done this.

Trust me: freedom beats title.

7. The final word

Here’s what I’ve learned after 20 years in the game:

The way you set up your work is just as important as the work itself.

If you want real freedom, higher income, and more energy for your life:

Stop collecting clients. Start building leverage.

Be a high-value consultant. Work deep, not wide.

The fewer the clients, the better the life.