I’d just quoted $14,000 for a full website build. Months of design, rounds of revisions, coordination, a full presentation to their leadership team. I put the number in the proposal, held my breath, and sent it over.
They didn’t pause. They just said... yes.
I remember that moment now and it tells me everything I needed to know at the time, but didn’t. Because $14,000 was not a number I arrived at by understanding what the work was worth. It was a number that felt serious enough to be real but not so large that it felt like a risk. I priced it based on what I thought I could ask for.
That’s guessing, not pricing.
I worked that project hard. Long hours, careful design, a launch I was proud of. They kept that website for years. And when I look back at what I charged, I want to sit my younger self down and have a very direct conversation.
The number I quoted was probably 5x too low. Not because I was being humble. Because I was calibrated to my own discomfort instead of to the actual value of the work. Those are not the same thing, and confusing them cost me real money for a long time.
What I know now (and what I try to help studio owners see) is that clients aren’t comparing your number to some fair market rate in their head. They’re looking at it trying to figure out if they trust you. A number that’s too low raises questions. A number clearly tied to outcomes and value builds confidence.
That organization paid $14,000 for a website that represented them to the world for the next several years. What was that actually worth to them? More than $14,000. Quite a bit more.
I’ve sat with owners who have been doing this for a decade and still price the same way I did in 2009. They add up their hours, attach a rate that feels defensible, and hand it over hoping for the best. Every proposal is a small act of anxiety. They’re not pricing, they’re just guessing and calling it a process.
You’re allowed to price for what you’re actually providing.
The number feeling big to you is not evidence that it’s too big. Most of the time, Learning to tell the difference is one of the most important things you can do for your business.
👋 I’m Clint. I help your right-hand person step into confident decision-making, freeing up space for you to focus on your agency.👋 I’m Clint. I help your right-hand person step into confident decision-making, freeing up space for you to focus on your agency.
Work with me!