October 22, 2025
Why You’re Still Underpaid (and What No One Tells You About Pricing)
Brand strategist and recent Ditching Hourly guest Diane Whiddon interviewed me for her Youtube channel a few weeks ago and the video went live yesterday:
Here’s the description from Diane’s announcement:
I recently interviewed Jonathan Stark on my YouTube channel, and he’s famous for saying what most “experts” won’t: hourly billing is a trap. It’s a hamster wheel built for burnout. If you want real freedom, time, and higher profit, you need to price on value—not time or effort.
Want real freedom? Ditch the clock. Start charging for value, not minutes. Suddenly, your schedule opens up, your rates make sense, and your best clients stick around for the long haul.
Here’s what changed for me:
When I made the switch to value-based pricing, it was like a minor miracle happened in my business. My clients suddenly respected my boundaries. They paid for results (and they paid early) not for hours on a stopwatch. And everything in my business slowed down so I could finally b r e a t h e.
In our interview, Jonathan and I dig into this mindset shift, how to approach sales calls, and what to say to a prospective client’s obligations (spoiler: you let the client deal with them). Plus we get into how AI is changing the game.
Sharing is caring!
If you find this talk useful, please consider sharing with a friend who you think might benefit. TIA!
Yours,
—J