By Huy

A year ago, I was stuck at $3k/months, overworked and underpaid.
Now I'm at $20k/months as a solo founder.

Here are the 5 steps I took to move the needle:

1) I learned fundamental sales skills

One of the hardest skills in my opinion. Most designers avoid sales because it feels pushy.

I reframed it: sales is just helping someone make a decision that's right for them.

I learned to ask better questions, actively listen for real problems, and present solutions that felt like you're genuinely trying to help them instead of trying to close the deal.

Once I could sell with confidence and truly believed in what I did, everything changed.

Better clients. Higher prices. Faster closes.

2) I learned to sell the transformation, not hours

Early on, I priced based on scope: hourly rates, pages, deliverables.

Then I shifted to pricing based on value and outcomes. (i.e attract more high quality leads, shift brand perception, save time, etc.)

The work I delivered stayed the same. But the framing changed everything.
Premium clients don't pay for your time. They pay for clarity, results, and the problem you solve.

Once I understood that, conversations changed. So did my revenue.

The work became more enjoyable. And clients got better results because they were invested in the outcome, not just the output.

3) Leverage results and showcase authority

You don't need to flex to build authority.

I made it easy for clients to see I'd been through the trenches: case studies, process transparency, real client results.

I always thought it was too egoistical to show proof but it's about making the decision easy for people who need what you offer.

4) I got comfortable with endless trial and erroring

Scaling wasn't a straight line.

I repositioned multiple times, lost a lot of prospects, rebuilt my systems, missed deadlines and went through endless micro-failures.

Most people quit when it gets messy. I leaned into the discomfort.
There's no perfect plan, only iteration and commitment.

5) I built systems so growth didn't break me

$20k/month with chaos = burnout.

$20k/month with systems = freedom.

I created repeatable processes (client onboarding, delivery, communication) so I could scale without working more hours.

Revenue is vanity. Systems are sanity.

Scaling to $20k seriously didn't require talent or luck.

It required learning skills most creatives avoid, staying uncomfortable, and building systems that let me grow without burning out.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 118

By Huy

We added status banners to our Figma files recently.

Green = ready for feedback.
Orange = still working on it.

Sounds simple, but seems like it's been quietly helpful.

Before, clients would ask "Is this final?" or hesitate on what to comment on but know it's much clearer which one is ready for feedback.

We also record a quick Loom to walk clients through the design decisions for each page and what kind of feedback would actually move things forward.

Small change and recent addition, but so far it's making the process feel clearer for both sides.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 32

By Huy

There's a common misconception that award-winning websites don't convert.

That beautiful design = bad business.

I call BS.

Work that we did earlier this year for OH Architecture (oharchitecture.com.au) won Site of the Day on Awwwards, FWA, and CSSDA.

It also generated $1-3 million AUD in new project work in the first 3 months and saved them 10+ hours every week.

Here's why the 'awards vs. results' debate is backwards:

1) Not all websites exist to drive direct sales

Some are built to boost brand perception, save time, support campaigns, or attract higher value clients.

Awards aren't the enemy, poor execution and strategy is.

If your "award-winning" site doesn't generate results, you didn't understand the brief.

2) Beautiful design can absolutely drive business outcomes

For Mammoth Murals (mammothmurals.com), the team mainly targets enterprise clients, who are time-poor, not tech-savvy.

We didn't dumb it down. We made it inspiring and much more intuitive to book a discovery call which led to $100k in pipeline within 30 days.

Premium clients don't want soulless websites. They want clarity wrapped in craft.

3) Constraints breed creativity, not compromise

Every project has goals, user needs, and problems to solve.

Great designers don't ignore those, they create within them.

I could've gone wild with animations and complexity for every client project. But context mattered more.

The best work isn't unrestricted freedom. It's intentional restraint, knowing when to hold back and knowing when to lean in and channel your creativity into the work.

Award-winning design and business results aren't enemies.

Bad strategy is.

If you want a website that looks exceptional and drives outcomes, the answer isn't choosing between the two.

It's working with someone who understands both.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 22

By Huy

Cosy vibes in the office space 🔆

Our plans for the rest of 2025:

- Wrap up client projects with a bang
- Launch new studio website
- Continuous refinement of internal systems for better client and team experience
- Publish 2 more YT Content
- Leads pipeline work for 2026

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 34

By Huy

Last week I spent the weekend updating how we deliver an exceptional customer experience.

It’s one of those things that doesn’t sound exciting but makes a huge difference.

When I first started freelancing, my delivery process was honestly awful.

Clients liked the work, but the experience felt off.

The feedback loops were messy. Clients didn’t really know what to expect next or confused along the way.

And after launch, things just... ended.

It never sat right with me. I wanted people to walk away feeling cared for, not confused.

Two years later, we’ve been refining every touchpoint of our process, from the first email to the final handoff.

The goal was to make the whole journey feel clear, smooth, and personal.

Some of the updates we’ve added recently to our systems at MONOLOG

1. A Feedback Guide so clients know how to give clear, useful input.
2. A Website Care Guide and Loom videos so they can manage their site confidently.
3. Three months of post-launch support to track performance and results together.
4. And my favorite — a small gift box with local goodies from Vietnam and a handwritten note to celebrate the launch.

Seeing their photos and messages after receiving it always reminds me why I love what I do.

I realized good work isn’t enough anymore. The way you deliver it is what people remember, it should feel like staying at a 5-star hotel.

If you’re in the early stages and still figuring out your client process, I put together a free Proposal Template that helps you set the right expectations from day one.

lnkd.in/gxGBBTJP

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 48

By Huy

I used to overthink every single social media post.

And it took me a full year to get "ready" before making my first video or post.

"What if people judged me?"
"What if it came off wrong?"
"What if no one cares?"

As an introvert, the idea of showing up online felt unnatural and scary as hell. I’d rather stay behind the screen, quietly doing my work.

But after growing my audience to over 42,000 on YouTube and Linkedin here’s what I learned.

There are far more people who want to support you than you think.

They just can’t if they NEVER see your work or your idea.

When I finally started sharing my process, my lessons, and even my failures... everything changed.

Clients started reaching out on their own.

Opportunities came from places I didn’t expect, one even found me through ChatGPT.

And most importantly, I started connecting with people who think the same way I do and it's the best feeling ever.

Creating content stopped being about “growing an audience.”

It became about documenting growth.
About connecting through ideas.
About helping the version of me who used to be lost and uncertain.

Social media can be noisy especially now with AI flooding the feed and even the comments section.

But that’s exactly where the opportunity lies. Real, honest voices stand out more than ever.

If you’re an introvert, you already have an advantage.

You think deeply.
You notice details.
You care about substance.

That’s what people crave.

So don’t let fear hold you back. Start small. Write one sentence.

Share one piece of the work that you're so proud of.
Share one insight that you believe in so much.

Your first post might not change your life overnight but it will change you.

So what else is holding you back?

2 months ago | [YT] | 111

By Huy

New vlog video is up : )

3 months ago | [YT] | 12

By Huy

I couldn't believe the amount of positive responses to my latest video in just 2 days...

I've been reading through the comments and it's really amazing to see how many of you share the same obsession and love for web design and development as I do.

I'm really grateful for all the positive comments and feedback on the latest video. Really appreciate it guys.

More to come soon.

3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 73

By Huy

I just dropped a short film about web design.

Well... kind of.

Almost a year ago, I thought winning awards was the path to success.

That it would make me legit. That respect came from trophies.

But then one client project flipped everything I believed about design.

Much love to Webflow for partnering with me on this video.

3 months ago | [YT] | 21

By Huy

We just crossed the 30,000 subscribers mark.

That's 30,046 of you. I'm beyond grateful and humbled to be able share parts of my life with the community.

More videos are coming, stay tuned. You wouldn't want to miss out on what's coming next 👀

4 months ago | [YT] | 28