Hi Creative,

This week, I was catching up with a friend, Lisa. Like many creatives a few years ago, she thought contracts were something only “official” businesses had.

When I finally convinced her to work with a lawyer to build one, she was convinced it would scare her fellow creative clients away. For a while, she dreaded sending it, waiting for someone to question her terms or decide not to move forward.

But that never happened. Not once.

She told me, “I’ve never had a single client refuse to sign. In fact, I think the contract makes them take me more seriously. It helps them trust me.”

She sends contracts as a matter of course now. She knows what the language means, when it needs to change, and what it protects.

If you’re tired of adjusting your contract on the fly or worrying that your contract doesn’t really protect you, then it’s time to build a client contract that works.

That’s where Shield Your Studio comes in. It’s a summer workshop series designed to help you write a client contract you can stand behind, without legalese, burnout, or second-guessing.

Between now and August 25th, each workshop will take on one of the most common contract challenges creative business owners face.

• On Monday, you’ll receive a pre-recorded workshop, slides, transcript, and related resources.
• On Friday, we’ll meet for a live session to answer any questions that cropped up when implementing the materials, and some lucky volunteers will get hot seat coaching. If you can’t attend live, you can submit questions ahead of time and watch the recording on your own schedule.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Week of June 9: The essential sections your contract should include, why they are there, and how the format can fix some client misunderstandings.
• Week of June 23: How to write clear payment terms that protect your cash flow and reduce ambiguity.
• Week of July 7: How to use your contract to reinforce timelines, protect you from over-delivering, and maintain momentum on every project.
• Week of July 21: Learn how to write refund and reschedule clauses that are clear, enforceable, and reflective of how you actually work.
• Week of August 4: How to define IP ownership rights clearly and confidently, without unnecessarily giving up control.
• Week of August 25: How to structure your business for growth, including what legal systems and support you need as your workload increases.

You’re invited to join Shield Your Studio at a limited-time early bird rate:

• $33 per workshop (normally $39)
• $150 for the full series (normally $165)

No code is needed. Early bird pricing expires Sunday at midnight (PDT).

If your contract still feels like something you’re hoping your clients don’t look at too closely, this series will help you create something stronger. And not just stronger on paper, stronger in how you show up in your business.

Let me know if you have questions or if you need help deciding which of these is right for the challenges you are facing in your business.

What parts of your contract don't work for you (or your clients)? I'm providing some on-the-spot coaching on Facebook and LinkedIn to help you figure out what tweaks might make things better.

Chat soon,

P.S. The first workshop on how to structure your contract and fix common client misunderstandings drops on Monday. If you want in, now’s the time to grab early bird pricing. Register here.

Do I have to give clients a formal written contract?

You don't have to give your client a long, legalese-heavy, formal contract for it to be valid. But that doesn't mean you can skip it either. Read more about what your contract could look like.​

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❤️ Easy to understand legal resources should be available to every creative, regardless of their financial situation. If one of my resources has helped you and you would like to say “thank you”, you can make a contribution here. ❤️