We were lucky to catch up with Tracy Raftl recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tracy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

I started this business after having great success with an online-course based business. Since this wasn’t my first rodeo, I thought building it would be easy but I was shocked by the sheer amount of time it takes to deliver a strategic, top-tier brand & website. A service business was a whole ‘nother ball game I wasn’t prepared for.

When each project takes up so much time, it limits the amount of projects you can do, and therefore limits profitability. When you factor in expenses, I found myself barely scraping by while working long hours and burning myself out.

I was in business for freedom, and this didn’t feel like freedom. I knew there had to be a better way.

I tried what felt like a million things to solve the equation of how to make more and work less, and spent thousands of dollars on mentors and courses to figure it out. I put myself majorly in debt.

Most people think “I need more money, so I need more clients”. Seems obvious, right? I thought that too.

So the first thing I did was try to stuff my calendar with projects. I also hired team members so I could spend more of my time marketing to ensure I had that calendar full. There was enormous stress if a client delayed getting their content back to me, pushing their project dates back and creating a gap in the schedule. If we came in behind our target revenue that month, I still had to pay my team, so I ended up not even being able to pay myself.

I tried creating courses, website templates to sell, and template customization packages that were less expensive because they were meant to take less time. They ended up taking almost as long as the custom packages to deliver. So I had a lot of clients at this low price, but was completely run of my feet and still making very little money. I was stressed and constantly anxious that everything was just going to implode at any minute.

Eventually it became clear that the only thing that was going to get me more income while working less was paring back my team and offers, and significantly raising my prices.

Raising my prices was the thing I had been desperately trying to avoid. I was terrified no one would pay for 10K+ packages. All sorts of money blocks came up telling me not to do it, but I knew I had to.

So I nearly doubled my prices overnight, and you know what? I still got clients. Clients who were happy to pay while also being easier to work with. Sure, I got fewer clients, but I didn’t need as many!

This was it. I finally found the answer.

Fewer clients at higher prices mean I have the energy to give my clients my full love and attention without burning out. I don’t need to sign as many clients, so that means I have more free time between projects and have to spend less time marketing to fill in the calendar. There’s less time onboarding and offboarding clients too, since there’s fewer of them.

And my bank account is much happier too — I’m now making 3 times as much for half as much time spent working. I get to spend way more time with my family, and I have better control of my schedule.

So instead of more clients more money, my motto is: “Less clients, more money!”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a brand and web designer for women ready to own their unique genius. They’re purpose-fueled coaches, experts, or service providers ready for the next level of business with a top-tier brand that makes them look like the badass they are.

How’d I get into this?

It all started in 2010, when I came down with a sudden, severe attack of adult acne, which just CRUSHED my self esteem. Seriously, it was bad times. Do not recommend.

But, I got through it and I decided to get in on the front end of the online courses boom teaching women how to heal their skin like I had.

I built my own website (of course). But the more important thing I built was the authentic, personality-based brand behind it all, which was the foundation for my success. I had my dream business and was featured in places like Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, and numerous podcasts.

Getting to be myself in my career, make a difference in people’s lives, while creating the exact lifestyle I wanted – what more could I ask for?

However, as time went on, the sun set on that business and I felt like I needed a change of direction. I wanted to lean more into my visual creativity while still getting to be strategic on the business side of things. Pivoting to brand and web design to help fellow women create their life-changing businesses felt like the right next step.

I love building unique brands that perfectly represent my clients. I love seeing these women being showcased the way they’re meant to be — ie. looking so dang credible with an aligned message that speaks to the core of the people they’re trying to attract.

And then? This gives them the confidence to go out and market at a higher level and reach all their business and life dreams. I love it.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

One thing I really wish I had done in the beginning was get a mentor that was actually a brand and web designer. In other words, someone who was successful doing the exact thing that I was trying to do. I had invested a lot of resources into mentors and courses that were broadly targeting service providers or coaches. They missed the nuance of my industry, and as a result, I wasn’t able to trust their expertise as much.

For example, when I doubled my prices, that was the first time I got coached by an actual brand & web designer who was successfully selling 10K+ packages (which was what I wanted to do). I know that if she had just been a coach or some other kind of service provider, I would have been able to tell myself “Oh, well, she might be able to charge that much in her industry, but not in mine” and then chicken out. I realized how powerful this was and my business has flown ever since. Now I will never go back to being mentored by someone who isn’t actually successful in my specific industry.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

When I was in 5th grade, I really wanted to be one of the “cool” kids. I did everything I could to sidle up to them and worm my way into their clique. It seemed to be working. One day, I was out on the field, playing a game with the popular crowd, feeling on top of the world. YES! I had made it! And then… disaster struck. The coolest girl in school snuck up behind me and pantsed me. Down went my Nike track shorts (the peak of fashion at the time). Everyone laughed.

To be fair, she was known for her pranks, and I don’t think she meant any harm. Still, I burst into tears, which was probably even more embarrassing than the pantsing itself.

After that incident, I stopped trying so hard to be accepted by them. I focused on doing my own thing and hanging out with my own friends. Eventually, by just being myself and not trying so hard, I ended up becoming “cool” all on my own.

The lesson here isn’t that the be-all-end-all goal of life is to be friends with the cool kids. It’s that instead of changing who you are to fit in, being yourself is much easier. It feels freer and lighter. Plus, people are drawn to authenticity. They get turned off when you try to be someone you’re not and chase after their acceptance.

That’s why I find one of the most rewarding things about business, especially personal branding, is creating something that’s 100% you, based on your values and personality. Your brand is like a beacon that attracts like-minded clients to you. You don’t have to chase after people. The goal is to put yourself out there—with your website or social media—and if someone likes what you’re offering, they’ll be eager to work with you. Not the other way around.

So that’s a big part of what drives me. I love helping women create their authentic brands, empowering them to stop hiding and start embracing what makes them unique. I love that this authenticity becomes the foundation of their business success. It leads to freedom in the form of purpose-driven work, financial abundance, and the time and flexibility to do what makes them happy. What’s better than that?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tracyraftl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyraftl/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyraftl/