Marko, how do we attract high-paying clients—without chasing them?

A year ago, I met a guy at a design conference. Ran a great studio. Talented, sharp, full plate of projects.

We grabbed dinner. He took a sip of his drink, looked me dead in the eye, and said:

“Man, we just need bigger clients, better work, higher budgets. We need to be seen!”

Sound familiar?

I leaned in and asked him:

“Why would someone pay you more?”

He blinked. Thought about it. Came up empty.

I replied:

Look, your work is good. Damn good. But at the level you are playing, clients aren’t paying for the work anymore—they are paying for value

And at the highest level?

They’re not even paying for value.

They’re paying for relevance.

Let’s break this down.

This Is Why You Feel Stuck!

There are three levels in this game. Three floors in the building.

Ground floor: The Craftsman.

You get projects by proving your skills. You’re in the world of who can do this? Hustle, grind, portfolio-building. The work matters. The price matters.

Middle floor: The Businessman.

Now you’ve got a studio, a team, a system. But you’re hungry for better clients, bigger budgets. Now, it’s not about who can do this?—it’s about who can make this work? You gotta prove you can think, not just execute.

How?

• Write a book
• Start a podcast
• Talk to people
• Show that you don’t just have skills—you’ve got ideas

Top floor: The Artist.

This is where you stop chasing clients—because now, they’re chasing you. At this level, they’re not hiring you for the work. They’re hiring you for who you are.

Steve Jobs. Jony Ive. Warren Buffett. Different industries, same thing.

You’re no longer an option.

You’re the only choice.

The Two Ceilings You Have to Break

The jump from one level to the next? It ain’t automatic.

It’s blocked by two glass ceilings:

• The Value Ceiling (Craftsman → Businessman) → The shift from getting paid for work to getting paid for results.
• The Innovation Ceiling (Businessman → Artist) → The shift from getting paid for results to getting paid for relevance.

Most people? They get stuck selling what worked at the last level.

• Craftsmen think better work gets them better clients. It doesn’t. Clients don’t want better—they want ROI.
• Businessmen think better systems get them bigger budgets. It doesn’t. Clients don’t want efficiency—they want innovation.
• Artists? They don’t compete at all. They define the game.

So the question isn’t: How do you get better clients?

It’s: How do you prove you belong at the next level?

A few weeks back, the studio owner called me.

“You were right,” he said. “I was waiting for someone to notice me. But I had to prove I could think. I started writing. I started speaking. Have a podcast. Now? We work with our dream clients.

Yet the best is…

…they find us!”

So now I’ll ask you the same thing I asked him before we paid and left that restaurant two years ago:

What if in 10 years, you’re still where you are today?

Would you be happy?

Or is it time to break through?

You have the vision, we show you the map!

Let's talk.