Ed Kless joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about what he and his Threshold co-founder Ron Baker think is the next big thing (spoiler alert: transformations). Talking Points The Concept of the Experience Economy Progression of Economic Value Transformations and Their Impact Threshold: Guiding Transformations Transitioning from Service to Transformation Economy Skipping the Experience Stage Charging for Transformation Subscription Model as a Solution Value-Based Pricing vs. Hourly Billing The R...
Jun 17, 2025•55 min•Ep. 367
Geraldine Carter joined me on Ditching Hourly to give us a behind-the-scenes recap of what went into her pivot from selling one-time $9,500 mastermind programs to selling a $995/mo ongoing subscription model. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:34) - Defining 'Melting the Pyramid' (04:38) - Transitioning Business Models (08:54) - Challenges and Key Changes (14:00) - New Program Structure and Benefits (24:41) - Launch Phase and Simplification (27:52) - Navigating the Launch Transition (2...
Jun 03, 2025•54 min•Ep. 366
Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the current state and potential future of podcasting as a medium for building trust with your audience. AI Summary In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark speaks with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, about the evolving landscape of podcasting. They discuss the shifting definitions and formats of podcasts, the importance of different content strategies, including private and hybrid podcasting, and the impact of ne...
May 20, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 365
Jason Lengstorf, founder of Code TV, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he is successfully navigating the transformation of the video production business. Jason's Links: https://jason.energy/ https://codetv.dev/ AI Summary: In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark is joined by Jason Lengstorf, founder of Code TV, to explore the current landscape of the video production industry, especially within the tech sector. Jason shares insights into his career journey from being a web eng...
May 06, 2025•57 min•Ep. 364
Author/creator of Sales for Nice People, Martin Stellar, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about sticking to your guns in a sales meeting and how to build the confidence to do so. Martin's Links: https://martinstellar.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinstellar/ https://salesfornicepeople.com/academy ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing ...
Apr 29, 2025•27 min•Ep. 363
Yuval Yeret, founder of Yeret Agility and OG Agile expert, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the current state of Agile as a platform, how it has evolved over the years, and what practitioners should consider when pivoting their careers as the platform matures. About Yuval Yuval Yeret is a Product/Scaling/Agility Coach focused on helping product/tech leaders scale their organizations without slowing down, improving outcomes by leveraging flow, agility, and product orientation. (while avoid...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 362
Ex-java developer and CoffeeSprout founder Barry van Someren joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the surprising alignment between “Ditcherville ethos” and the government of the Netherlands. LINKS MENTIONED Barry’s website Barry’s LinkedIn California Law AB 5 AI SUMMARY In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark speaks with Barry Van Someren about his transition from hourly work to value-based services, the implications of new tax laws in the Netherlands for independent contractors...
Jan 28, 2025•35 min•Ep. 361
The handsome and talented Louis Grenier joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the strategy behind writing, publishing, and launching his new book, Stand The F*ck Out . Links: Stand The F*ck Out Bonuses for Ditching Hourly Listeners AI Summary: In this conversation, Jonathan Stark interviews Louis Grenier about his journey in marketing, the insights from his new book, and the strategies behind its launch. Louis discusses the importance of standing out in a crowded market, the principles of e...
Jan 21, 2025•48 min•Ep. 360
The author of “Going 1099: How To Become Solo Federal Sub-Contractor”, Dale Davidson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the journey of becoming a solo federal subcontractor. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:17) - Dale Davidson's Background (00:49) - Navigating Hourly Billing in Government Contracts (01:39) - Transitioning to 1099 Subcontracting (04:01) - Importance of Security Clearance (05:51) - Client Relationships and Consulting (07:06) - Understanding Government Contracting...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 359
Advisory CFO, daily emailer, and podcast host Lauren Pearl joined me on Ditching Hourly to unpack the nuances of the pricing framework she uses with her start-up and small business clients. CHAPTERS (00:00) - DH358 Lauren Pearl - The Daily CFO Pricing Framework (00:09) - Lauren Pearl's Background and Role (02:08) - Client Types and Fit (04:18) - The Origin of the Pricing Framework (07:23) - Step-by-Step Pricing Framework (08:01) - Setting the Floor Price (20:47) - Setting the Ceiling Price (38:5...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 358
Andrew Croasdale, a former police officer turned consultant, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his transition from policing to consulting. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:18) - Andrew's Background in Policing (01:05) - Transition to Consulting (05:11) - First Steps in Business (06:06) - First Client Experience (09:37) - Challenges of Small Business Owners (17:38) - Defining Governance and Leadership (26:25) - Diagnostic Approach in Consulting (29:10) - Cross-Referencing in Pol...
Dec 31, 2024•53 min•Ep. 357
Author, founder, and CEO Barry LaBov joined me on Ditching Hourly to geek out about niching down - while walking me through the five-step process he describes in his book The Power of Differentiation . Barry's Bio: Barry LaBov is the founder and CEO of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training. He is a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient and an inductee into the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame. He is also a Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Ethics recipien...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 356
Guest Russ Waddell joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he successfully went out on his own for the first time after more than a decade as a full-time employee. Guest Links: https://www.russwaddell.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-waddell/ ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course. Hope to see you there!...
Oct 08, 2024•56 min•Ep. 355
Zach Stevens, co-founder of Conversion Factory, came back on Ditching Hourly to give an update about how things are going with his “all-you-can-eat” subscription-based service business after two years in business. Zach's Links Conversion Factory Zach's LinkedIn Zach's Twitter Other Links MicroConf Tiny Seed FreePik Visual Electric Somewhere ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to...
Sep 24, 2024•49 min•Ep. 354
Author of Ditch The Billable Hour! , Shaun Jardine, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he transitioned his 240-person law firm off the billable hour. Shaun's Links Shaun's Book Shaun's Website Shaun's LinkedIn Shaun's Twitter The book Shaun mentioned: Our Iceberg Is Melting by John Kotter ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email cou...
Sep 17, 2024•39 min•Ep. 353
The author of No Bullsh*t Strategy and founder of Basic Arts, Alex M H Smith, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss what business strategy is, why it matters, and how to get started. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:00 Defining Strategy and the Importance of Unique Value 07:53 Trade-Offs: Creating Space for Unique Value 13:36 Strategy vs. Being Better than the Competition 19:26 Applying Strategy at Different Levels 33:32 Creating Unique Value: Double Down on Your Strengths 36:22 T...
Sep 10, 2024•53 min•Ep. 352
LinkedIn Ghostwriter Pranav Kale joined me on Ditching Hourly to do a reverse interview about what I've learned during my recent experiment of posting daily on LinkedIn. Pranav’s Links: Website: https://www.pranavkale.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavkale120/ ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course. Hope to see you th...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 351
Matt Kerbis, also known as the Subscription Attorney, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his novel approach to ditching hourly billing in the legal space with a subscription model. Matt's bio from his website: ”My name is Mathew Kerbis, I’m The Subscription Attorney, and I believe subscriptions can help bridge the access to justice gap and incentivize attorneys to modernize and scale their practice like never before.” Matt's links: Website: https://www.lawsubscribed.com/about LinkedIn: https:...
Aug 13, 2024•51 min•Ep. 350
Ben Zettler, owner and founder of Zettler Digital, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss pricing tactics for agencies. Ben's Links: Zettler Digital Ben's LinkedIn AI-Generated Stuff: SUMMARY Ben Zettler, owner and founder of Zettler Digital, joins Jonathan Stark to discuss value pricing for agencies. Ben shares his background in sports and how he transitioned into building his agency. They discuss the initial conversations with potential clients, the importance of understanding their needs and...
Jul 23, 2024•55 min•Ep. 349
Strategic lawyer and IP expert Erin Austin joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the intersection of plagiarism, copyright infringement, and generative AI. Erin's Bio A graduate of Harvard Law School, Erin Austin is a strategic lawyer and consultant who uses her 25+ years of practicing law, including roles as COO and general counsel at large and small IP-driven companies, including Warner Brothers, Lionsgate (formerly known as Artisan), MGM, Teaching Strategies, and M3 USA Corp, to help fem...
Jul 09, 2024•52 min•Ep. 348
Co-founder and Head of Design at Under, Eden Vidal, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about productizing design sprints, optimizing your business to suit your personality, and convincing contractors to ditch hourly billing. Eden's Links: https://edenvidal.com/ https://weareunder.design/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/edenvidal/ AI Summary: Eden Vidal, a designer and developer, shares his success with value-based concepts for his design studio. He specializes in brand sprints, a niche methodology...
Jul 02, 2024•53 min•Ep. 347
Sam Browne, lifestyle entrepreneur and LinkedIn expert with more than 100k followers joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his insights on growing your audience on LinkedIn. Sam’s Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-browne/ Gumroad: https://sambrowne.gumroad.com/ Takeaways Know what you want to be known for on LinkedIn and focus on educational content to build authority. Map out a series of questions to answer in your content and use case studies and testimonials to showcase the val...
Jun 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 346
Long-time friend-of-the-show Kevin Freidberg joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he helps freelancers and consultants create effective websites by starting with email conversations. Kevin's Links: https://marketyourselffirst.com/ AI-Generated Info: Summary Kevin Friedberg shares his approach to helping freelancers and consultants create effective websites by starting with email conversations. He suggests that instead of focusing on building a website, which can be overwhelming and time-con...
Jun 04, 2024•26 min•Ep. 345
Residential architect Jason Comer joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm how he might migrate from commodity labor to productized leverage with his expertise in home design. Even if you're not an architect, I think you'll find the discussion useful. Jason’s Website: https://www.jasoncomerarchitect.com/ ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing ...
May 07, 2024•55 min•Ep. 344
WP Engine founder Jason Cohen joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why AI is different from other big tech advancements. We also discussed why niching down in a single ideal customer profile will bring you 10x more customers than you expect and how a regular writing practice makes the world a better place (and maybe even builds a legacy). Jason’s Links: A Smart Bear AI is Different Selling to Carol WP Engine Twitter ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I...
May 01, 2024•34 min•Ep. 343
Corey Quinn joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his excellent new book, “Anyone, Not Everyone.” In it, Corey shares insights on deep specialization, selecting a target vertical market, and using gifts like cookies to transform outbound marketing. Corey's Links: Anyone, Not Everyone by Corey Quinn Deep Specialization podcast by Corey Quinn Corey's Website 0:00 - Episode intro 0:17 - About Corey Quinn and his background 1:30 - Corey's ideal client: agency founders doing $1-5M and looking to sp...
Apr 09, 2024•51 min•Ep. 342
Geraldine Carter and I swapped interviews about why niching down doesn't lead to boredom. Geraldine's Links: Geraldine's website Geraldine's newsletter Geraldine's podcast ---- Before you go! The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course. Hope to see you there!...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 341
Tim Dietrich and Eric Grubaugh invited me to join them on SuiteScript Stories to talk about the pros and cons of a platform specialization, the paradox of positioning, and, of course, the horrors of hourly billing. Tim and Eric were kind enough to let me post the interview here on Ditching Hourly, but if you're a NetSuite developer, you should check out their podcast at https://suitescriptstories.com/ We discuss: Jonathan's and Tim's shared history in the FileMaker Pro space Jonathan's AHA momen...
Mar 19, 2024•59 min•Ep. 340
Indie game consultant Joe Quadara (aka Joe Q) joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from putting out fires for indie game studios to advising them to accurately scope and fund their projects. Joe's Links: Joe's website: Recurver Joe on LinkedIn AI Summary: In this episode, game developer turned consultant Joe Quidara shares his journey from putting out fires for game studios to helping studios accurately scope and fund their projects. He explains how developing deep expertise about t...
Jan 30, 2024•47 min•Ep. 339
Bryghtpath CEO and Ditcherville lifetime resident Bryan Strawser joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the secrets behind his huge business wins in 2023. Bryan's Links: Website: https://bryghtpath.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Bryghtpath Podcast: https://bryghtpath.com/resources/managing-uncertainty-podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanstrawser/ Summary (ai generated): In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark interviews Bryan Strausser of BrightPath about how p...
Jan 10, 2024•57 min•Ep. 338
