May 2025

A week in the life of a 6-figure freelancer

A week in the life of a boutique design agency owner is anything but dull.

Wrapping Up

A week in the life of a boutique design agency owner is anything but dull.

There are never-ending emails to reply to, crises to be handled, a whole lot of project work to do…

And, of course, a sprinkle of self-care to keep me balanced.

Because, let’s face it, entrepreneurship can feel really lonely when you’re the one making all the decisions, wearing all the hats, and hoping your dog doesn’t get sick of being your only coworker.

Sharing the behind-the-scenes of my week is a way I can feel less alone. And hopefully you can, too.

Because the chaos, curveballs, client spirals, and the snacks (who could forget about the snacks?!) are all just part of the journey.

So here’s what a real week looks like inside my 6-figure Minnesota-based design business.

Entrepreneurship can feel really lonely when you’re the one making all the decisions, wearing all the hats, and hoping your dog doesn’t get sick of being your only coworker.

Monday

When I was employed by a “big-box agency,” I was very much in my sad, corporate, worker-bee era.

You can imagine how often the Sunday Scaries led to the Monday Blues.

But that’s a distant memory, because now I get to sneak in mental-health breaks for things like lunch with favourite friends and walks with my doggo, Flossy.

- 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM: Worked on a proposal for a potential client I met last week. (It’s a big one!)

Full-service project with branding, web design, SEO, video editing, web hosting and web maintenance.

- 12:30 – 2:00 PM: Lunch with a friend at Lakes Tavern in Pequot Lakes. A much-needed midday break!
- 2:15 – 2:30 PM: Revisions for a new branding project.
- 2:30 PM: Got client feedback on a first proof we sent last week. Spiraled for a while (it happens), chatted with the subcontractors on the project, processed the feedback…

Let’s call this time an unaccounted loss. HA!

- 4:30 PM: Flossy’s walk! Aka her favorite part of the day.

Okay, it’s mine, too, to be totally honest.

- 5:30 – 6:30 PM: Back to revisions.
- 6:30 – 7:15 PM: Dinner (grilled steak, twice baked potatoes, and wild rice stuffed mushrooms), paired with an episode of The Righteous Gemstones on HBO.
- 7:30 – 8:45 PM: Wrapped up branding revisions and sent the updated proof.
- 8:45 – 9:30 PM: Admin hour.

I updated my to-do list, expense spreadsheet, and newsletter outline.

- 9:30 – 10:45 PM: Designed the first proof of a brochure for a retainer client.

3.75 billable hours • 2 non-billable hours

Tuesday

Some days, I feel like my real title should be “professional email responder,” I swear. This was definitely one of those days.

But, on the plus side, the level of “unhinged” I can handle since becoming a business owner is immeasurable.

When I was an employee, one negative or maybe-sorta-threatening email would work me up beyond reason.

Now I just deal with it and move on.

(It’s amazing how being the CEO, CMO, CFO, COO, and all the other C-suite execs for your business in one human-sized package can really change your perspective, isn’t it?!)

- 10:00 – 10:45 AM: Quick replies to emails and a LinkedIn post!

(I don’t know about you but I’m one of those people who needs to have a plan in place if I want to keep my posting schedule consistent.)

- 11:00 AM: Discovery call with a potential branding client which went really well.
- 12:00 – 12:30 PM: Lunch at my desk.

I kicked off watching a new course called “SEO Like A Pro” to up my SEO game, because even though I always call in SEO experts for client projects, I want to make sure I know enough about the services my boutique agency provides.

- 12:30 PM: You guessed it…more emails.

(Thankfully, no unhinged ones).

- 1:00 – 2:30 PM: Edited website copy for a current client.
- 2:30 – 3:30 PM: Logo library revisions.

(New tagline + brand elements.)

- 3:30 – 3:45 PM: Created and scheduled social posts for my own biz.

Again, scheduling is the consistency key.

- 3:45 – 4:00 PM: Sent contract, invoice, and onboarding questionnaire to a new branding client!
- 4:00 – 5:00 PM: Flossy’s favorite time of day (aka her walk).
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM: Admin catch-up, social check-ins, newsletter outline updates.

3.75 billable hours • 3 non-billable hours

Wednesday

I always feel more prepared to tackle whatever the day throws at me if I’m feeling my best – and that definitely includes looking my best.

And while I love the flexibility to make appointments in the middle of the “work day,” said work still has to get done.

Thankfully, I work remotely with most of my clients and my laptop is highly portable 😉

- 10:30 AM: Project check-in with our white-label social media contractor.
- 11:00 AM: Email reply block (of course).
- 11:30 AM: Lunch (grilled chicken Caesar salad with tomato + olives. YUM!) and SEO course continues.
- 12:30 – 3:30 PM: Hair appointment (laptop in tow).

There’s nothing like being forced to sit still with no distractions! I knocked out a brand style guide + logo library edits before I left feeling fresh.

- 4:00 – 4:30 PM: Picked up a DQ Blizzard for myself + my husband, Bobby.

Time to sit and enjoy some of our lovely weather on the deck.

- 4:30 – 5:30 PM: Reviewed white-label designer applications.
- 5:45 – 6:45 PM: Walked Flossy.
- 6:45 – 9:00 PM: Shower, dinner (steak burrito bowls + queso), watching What We Do In The Shadows, and a mindless IG scroll session.
- 9:15 – 9:30 PM: Super quick admin sprint before bed – emails + social replies.

2.5 billable hours • 2 non-billable hours

I do some of my best work on the weekends, when there are no emails to respond to or other distractions to get in the way.

Thursday

This is usually the part of the week where I can feel my social battery getting a bit drained, so it’s a great choice for date night for my husband and I.

Knowing I have something to look forward to at the end of the day usually helps me power through all my tasks with a lot more enthusiasm.

That and the amazing clients I get to work with!

- 11:00 – 11:30 AM: Responded to emails + did some quick website maintenance for a client that came in overnight.
- 11:30 – 12:15 PM: Reviewed and edited copy for my upcoming blog + newsletter.
- 12:15 – 1:30 PM: Designed the next two months of Grace Built’s newsletters in Flodesk

(Flodesk is my go-to email management system, in case you were wondering!)

- 1:30 – 2:00 PM: Lunch – the same Caesar salad as yesterday.

Hey, no judgement, it’s called meal prepping in some circles!

- 2:00 – 2:30 PM: Walk to the mailbox with Flossy.
- 2:30 – 3:00 PM: Next month’s social media planning.
- 3:00 – 3:30 PM: Client meeting prep (this is why context switching is so tough!

I have to prep for the meeting, have the actual meeting, then debrief from the meeting. It’s a whole thing. IYKYK.

- 3:30 – 4:30 PM: Client meeting to make marketing plans for next quarter.
- 4:30 – 5:15 PM: Scheduled social content.
- 5:30 – 8:00 PM: Finally! It’s date night time.

Dinner at On The Rocks at Grand View Lodge.

- 8:15 – 8:30 PM: Super quick admin cleanup time to make the start of my Friday easy-peasy.

2 billable hours • 3.5 non-billable hours

Friday

Friday is the Holy Grail of weekdays when you’re working a corporate 9-5 type of job.

Just like I dreaded the Sunday Scaries, I lived for Fridays.

These days, I’m in much less of a rush to get to the end of the week, and I don’t always work a regular schedule like I’ve laid out here. In fact, I do some of my best work on the weekends, when there are no emails to respond to or other distractions to get in the way.

So I’m ending this “week in the life of a 6-figure freelancer” on Friday, but I want to leave you with the caveat that I don’t restrict myself.

I’m happy to allow inspiration to take me where it needs me to go even if that’s outside my prescribed “working schedule.”

- 10:00 – 10:30 AM: Responded to emails, posted on social, and got ready for my next client meeting.
- 10:30 – 11:00 AM: Client meeting.
- 11:15 – 11:45 AM: Website theme research.

I like to poke around and see how other people in my client’s spaces are presenting their business. Mostly so we can do something outside of the box without getting too far outside of what’s expected for that industry.

- 11:45 – 12:30 PM: Lunch break.
- 12:30 – 1:00 PM: Interview with a potential white-label designer.
- 1:00 – 1:30 PM: Admin block.
- 1:30 – 2:00 PM: Reviewed a product spreadsheet and attempted to work on a variable product import for a client project.

I gave up promptly and emailed my web developer for help!

- 2:00 – 4:45 PM: Designed a workbook to go with one of my regular “challenges” I send email subscribers.
- 4:45 – 5:00 PM: Final email check.
- 8:30 – 9:30 PM: An inspired newsletter + blog content draft session to end the week.

4 billable hours • 3 non-billable hours

I start working for the day when I feel like it, and though this week didn’t show it, some days that time is literally never.

Wrapping up the week

You might have noticed my Friday caveat above.

That’s one of the things I don’t do as a business owner (that most people definitely think I SHOULD do).

I rarely stick to a regular work schedule.

I start working for the day when I feel like it, and though this week didn’t show it, some days that time is literally never.

And sometimes you’ll catch me working at 1:00 AM because I can. And because I don’t have set “working hours.”

Another thing I’m “guilty of” is not answering my phone.

I know some people love to talk on the phone, but if we don’t have a call scheduled, I’m probably not answering an impromptu call.

(Especially because, let’s face it, most of them could have just been an email, anyway, right?)

And you may already realize it (given this blog post is a prime example), but I don’t just talk about business – on my blog, with my clients, in my newsletters, or on social media.

I share a LOT of my personal life in my content.

I talk about what products I’m loving, what books I’m reading, I talk about my home life, and I share my vacation photos.

I don’t know how much “revenue” that’s generating, but I enjoy it, so I’m gonna keep doing it.

Because, when you work for yourself, you’re allowed to break the rules!

So whether you aspire to be a “6-figure freelancer” or you have some other goal in mind, if you’re meeting your goals, you’re living proof – to the world, and more importantly, yourself – that the rules are superfluous anyways.