Dan Mall

I’m so proud of my Make More Money students that have been stacking wins in such a short amount of time. Some of last week’s highlights in our Slack #wins channel: 🚀 One member landed their biggest client since May ($30K in one deal). 💡 Another walked away from a $4K repeat client to protect their energy, and felt better than ever after. 🤝 Someone hired and paid their first team members and realized their business is now creating opportunities for others. 💰 Another secured $10K for a single project… a milestone they once thought was impossible. Different numbers. Different stories. But the same pattern: When you commit to growth, your wins multiply. What’s the biggest win you’re chasing right now?

@danmall Sounds like the core issue isn't discovery itself, but billing discovery as a diagnosis that removes risk instead of just informing it.

@OthmaneHerri Too much to say in one tweet (will explain more over the next 2 articles), but the short version is: • Build discovery into your project and/or sales process • Invest in becoming so much of an expert in your space that even your hypotheses are valuable to your clients

@danmall so how should we replace discovery ?

@marcomezzavilla You’re welcome! Has it been useful?

Seven smaller clients usually create a lot more headaches than one big one, which is another part of the equation people often overlook. Really useful perspective, anyway. It may not apply perfectly in every situation, but it definitely gives you something to think about. (And while I’m here, thanks for The Money Maker Map!)

You pitch a website redesign to 10 clients. Which scenario would you rather have: 1️⃣ Win 7 projects (out of 10 pitched) at $10K each 2️⃣ Win 1 project (out of 10 pitched) at $80K On paper, most agency owners would choose option 2. Obviously. It’s more money overall: $80K over $70K. In practice, most agency owners don’t commit to the actions and behaviors that come with option 2. To win higher-priced projects, you have to propose higher-priced options. Most are too scared to do this. Option 2 also comes with a lower win rate: 10%, as opposed to option 1’s 70%. Most agency owners feel better about higher win rates, even if it means making and keeping less money. The year my agency did $2M in revenue, we had a 12% win rate. Pitch bigger and stop worrying so much about your win rate.

@KeatonMTaylor Totally get it. Definitely super hard. What if the few hundred dollars unlocked the ability to make a few thousand extra?

@danmall Man, I get it but it’s really hard to want to squeeze a few hundred dollars out when things are 3x the price they were and you have kids and you’re fighting just to get by even on a higher salary, because life fucking rocked you one too many times. You know?

Poor people: “Tell me how to get rich.” Rich people: “Don’t do valuable things for free. Pay me and I’ll teach you how to do valuable things for money so you can get rich too.” Poor people: “How dare you, you grifter.”

@Nojadesignss @theChrisDo Me too!

@danmall @theChrisDo These are the kind of rooms I want to be at and learn from folks like these 👏🏽

I’m @theChrisDo’ing something very cool this week.

@jonasleupe One of my favorites!

@danmall @theChrisDo You actually wearing the sneakers is the biggest compliment 🫶🏻

@danmall The second I hit "reply" I thought about that too. I think the best would be a mix of both worlds two $40K projects. Instead of 8 $10K or one $80K. That would be higher ticket, and more "fun"

@fabionobile_ Totally understandable! A reframe for you: if a client paid you $80K, would you want to design as much as possible for them?

@danmall I'm honest: my business brain would want option 2. My designer brain would love to design more and prefer option 1.

Almost 10 years ago I made a documentary series about freelancers. Drove 10,000 miles across the US interviewing designers about how they actually work. Hardest thing I've ever made. Feels right to share on Independence Day. Thinking about bringing it back.

@DannPetty So many good memories from this. My favorite parts were eating burritos and you showing me how to ride a OneWheel.

@sarah_edo Thank you!

@danmall Wow, your site refresh is gorgeous, Dan. Love the typography.

@Joshua_Ariza Aw man. I’m sorry to hear it. I think it’s sad for all the people that could be learning from you 😢

@danmall The ones you’re talking about in your tweet.

@Joshua_Ariza What optics?

@danmall I used to sell a mentorship meeting where folks could book time w me for advice and portfolio reviews. [it was cheap] Folks valued it. I only stopped because of optics.

I’m not a pen and notebook guy. I’m an “outcomes” guy. As far as writing goes, the cheap stuff is usually fine for me. At The Summit in Belize, @studioneat sponsored the event and sent every founder a Mark One pen + Keepbook notebook. Phones went face down. Pens stayed in hands. People mapped offers, funnels, and hires that will turn into real money over the next 12 months. All‑metal body, stupid‑satisfying click, smooth refillable ink. It actually made it easier to get ideas out of their heads and onto paper where they can’t be ignored. I’m a believer. Back at my office, it’s now the only pen I keep at my desk, and I have one in every travel bag. If you want the same setup we used in Belize, Studio Neat gave my audience 10% off: use code MALL checkout. #ad

“It’s the least favorite part of my day,” I said. My eavesdropping 14-year-old: “I can do it… for $10 more per week.” Genius. Need cash? Ask your clients about the least favorite part of their day. The best revenue comes from what people can’t or won’t do themselves.

Design & creative agency owners doing $1M+ a year: I quietly opened a new room yesterday. We ran the very first Vanguard session. Here’s how it worked: → A small group of founders → One owner in the hot seat at a time → Everyone else asking sharp questions and helping them decide, learn, and commit to a concrete next move for the next 30 days We didn’t record anything. You were either in the room or you weren’t. Vanguard is a private, founder-only room for design / creative agency owners doing $1M+ per year who want: ↳ A place to talk through high-stakes decisions (clients, team, pricing, partnerships) with true peers ↳ Clear thinking and accountability on “what do I do next month,” not more abstract theory ↳ A space that’s off the record so you can share real numbers and real problems We meet live once a month. You bring the most important decision on your plate. The room exists to help you decide, learn, and do. It’s only for owners, not the entire team. You gotta be doing $1M+ in annual revenue; everyone is already running an agency at scale. This is the room I wish I had when I was scaling my own agency and felt like I was making every big call without guidance or a sounding board. We’re in beta. I opened Vanguard quietly, filled the first call, and now I’m adding a small handful of founders as we shape this with the group. After that, I’ll close it for a bit to focus on the people inside. If you run an agency doing $1M+, and you want a seat in this room: 👉 Comment VANGUARD and I’ll DM you the details or 👉 DM me VANGUARD and I’ll send you the link Don’t wait to read the recap from the next call wishing you’d been there.