Brennan Dunn dreams in the dots, backslashes, and brackets of software code. To him, code made sense; the underlying mix of numbers and symbols transformed into software and websites that help people live and work more effectively. After working for a decade in programming, he was bit by the freelance bug and began to take on clients in his spare time.

Soon, his client roster grew into a brick-and-mortar agency with 11 employees, a lux office, and a worldwide roster of popular brands. Agency life, however, was difficult. Brennan was bogged down in the day-to-day of running a business, and although it was successful, it was pulling him away from precious time with his family. Something had to give.

From Consultancy to Product Developer

One thing was clear: an agency wasn’t his dream, and working for others wasn’t either. He began to dial into what he loved most about working: product creation and the lifestyle it afforded him and his family. Brennan started doing what he did best – creating products and learning as he went.

He decided to step down from his company to build software. After some research on what the market needed, Brennan landed on what came to be Planscope, a project management software for freelancers. Unfortunately, SaaS takes a few years to become profitable, and Brennan had a mortgage and two young children. Did he want to go back to working 50 hours a week as a consultant?

Brennan was determined to find a way to earn a high income, balance his family life, help others, and build his products.

Diversifying a Dream

Brennan’s first step in this new journey was to become an author. His book about how to double your freelancing rate collected $6,000 in product and pre-sales before it was completed, and another $25,000 since publication.

Next, he recognized that many others were hungry to learn how to freelance, and his first recurring course product was born in the form of an interactive workshop, Double Your Freelance Rate. But like many other parts of Brennan’s story, his book and workshop launch had some trial and error. One of the most profound mistakes was letting his initial software mailing list grow cold – they didn’t appreciate a book promotion in their inbox after months of silence.

Time to Launch

Brennan learned from his mistakes and kept the mailing list from his book warm by sending regular advice and tips for freelancers. After he announced the workshop, the list was abuzz with excitement, mainly because they already trusted Brennan and, through the book, knew he was an expert in the field of growing a consultancy.

Brennan chalks it up to a learning opportunity and the power of relationships with your email list.

His first course was a huge success. Brennan charged $1,000 per seat and sold 25 seats, bringing in $25,000 for the workshop alone.

In 2016, Brennan sold Planscope to double down on the course and books. By putting everything online, he can minimize his time involvement and make far more money with less effort than before.

Charting the Future Course

Brennan continues to grow his course, software, and writing by working slowly on a funnel that aligns all the products together. His future goal is to live entirely off a combination of products and workshops so he can stop consultancy for good. He continues to ask his audience questions and gather ideas for more products and books down the road. But for now, Brennan is enjoying the success and freedom of living life on his terms.