Read This If You’re Refreshing Job Boards and Still Broke
Still hitting “refresh” like it’s a job in itself?
I used to spend hours scrolling job boards, convinced the next listing would be the one that changed everything.
Most days, I’d end up with nothing but open tabs and anxiety.
I wasn’t lazy. I was desperate, chasing scraps, hoping someone would notice me. What I didn’t realize was…
You’re not broke because you’re a bad freelancer.
You’re not even broke because there are no jobs.
You’re broke because you don’t know how to get recurring jobs that keep you afloat.
If you’re tired of being broke, burned out, and begging for work, this might be the wake-up call you need.
Why Your Hustle Is Keeping You Broke
When you don’t know better, you think “hustling” means opening 3 job boards before your eyes even adjust to daylight.
You check Fiverr. Upwork. Reddit. Slack channels. You send a few proposals, lower your rates, tweak your portfolio, and hope someone bites.
You tell yourself you’re working. But deep down, you know it’s all just spinning in place.
You’re stuck in the freelance casino, pulling the slot machine, hoping your lucky gig shows up.
It feels like you’re doing everything right. But your bank account says otherwise.
If You’re Always Hustling, Why Are You Still Broke?
Let’s talk outcomes.
You’re constantly on edge.
You land the occasional gig, but they ghost you after the first job.
You do great work, but you’re treated like a replaceable temp.
You check your email 17 times a day, hoping someone says, “Hey, got more work for you!”
You keep thinking: “If I could just get one more client…”
But then that one job ends, and you’re back to square one, broke again, applying again, waiting again.
And yeah, that’s when the joint comes out. Or the bottle. Or both. Because being broke when you’re trying this hard? That’s a special kind of pain.
The Real Mistake: You’re Building Nothing
Refreshing job boards is not building a business.
It’s reacting. It’s gambling. It’s outsourcing your survival to someone else’s platform and timeline.
You’re broke not because you’re untalented, you’re broke because you haven’t built a system that brings clients back. You haven’t built anything that runs without you being in panic mode 24/7.
One-off gigs feel good in the moment, but they keep you poor.
Job boards might get you in the door once, but if you don’t know how to turn those one-off gigs into a system that compounds, you’re not freelancing.
You’re freelancing on borrowed time. You’d be better off with a paycheck.
You don’t need more gigs, tou need recurring, reliable work.
And no job board teaches you how to get that.
So I failed, tested, designed, and redesigned my service offer so stupidly clear, it practically sells itself.
You don’t have to guess anything. Grab my 100-Point Productized Checklist, it’s the exact breakdown I use to turn messy custom services into clean, scalable offers clients actually understand (and buy).
No vague packages, just a repeatable, client-ready service you can confidently market in 15 minutes a day.
The Game-Changer: Sell a System, Not Yourself
Here’s the shift that saved me from quitting entirely:
Stop selling yourself. Start selling a system.
Freelancers who don’t constantly beg for gigs didn’t just get “lucky.”
They built a repeatable offer that solves a clear problem for a specific type of client.
Instead of “I do graphic design,” it became:
“I help coaches turn their ideas into polished lead magnets that convert, in 5 days.”
That specificity gets remembered.
That clarity gets shared.
That positioning turns one-time clients into repeat clients.
And most importantly? It makes YOU easier to trust.
Why This Works Even If You’re Burnt Out and Baked
This system works because it replaces panic with predictability.
No more starting from scratch with every inquiry.
No more explaining your value over and over.
No more “custom everything” that burns all your brain fuel.
When you build a repeatable offer:
Clients know exactly what they’re buying
You know exactly what to deliver
You can improve it, automate it, and scale it
You stop surviving on hope.
You start building a machine that feeds you, even when you’re not at your best.
What You Can Do Today to Start Turning It Around
Even if your life feels messy right now, even if you’re hungover, behind on bills, and sick of it all, you can start small.
Here’s how:
1. Pick one real problem you solve.
No more vague services. Get specific. Instead of “web design,” say “I build simple, one-page portfolios for freelance writers.”
2. Package it up.
Make it a productized offer with clear scope, timeline, and flat rate. No more haggling. No more “what’s your budget?” games.
3. Set up a simple landing page or Notion doc.
Include: What you do, who it’s for, how much it costs, and how to buy it. Bonus: Add 1–2 testimonials if you’ve got them.
4. Post content 3x a week.
Share before/after work. Talk about common client mistakes. Share client wins or tips. This builds trust and visibility over time.
5. Reconnect with past clients.
Send a message like:
“Hey! Just re-launching my [Offer]. Let me know if you or someone you know needs it.”
That’s it. Don’t overthink it.
If You Apply This, You’ll Finally Get Free
Here’s what starts to happen when you stop scrolling and start building:
Clients start finding you
You stop relying on friends and favors
Your income stabilizes
Your confidence comes back
The guilt and shame start to lift
And when that happens, you’ll start needing the weed and the booze less.
Because what you were escaping from wasn’t freelancing.
It was the feeling of not being in control.
You don’t need to grind harder.
You don’t need to “get lucky.”
You just need to stop gambling on job boards and start building a real system that brings the gigs to you.
Still refreshing job boards? Still broke?
That’s not your fate.
That’s just the old system talking.
Build your own, and never beg again.
Ready to Make This Your New Normal?
If this post hit home, if you’re done with guessing, haggling, and custom everything, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
I have the exact course I wish I had back when I was stuck in the proposal loop, burning time I didn’t have. It’s called The ProductizedKit.
Inside, I’ll walk you through building one crystal-clear offer you can sell on repeat, no scope creep, no endless revisions, no second-guessing your price.
Whether you’re juggling toddlers or drowning in client work, this course gives you a repeatable, scalable way to get paid without rewriting another proposal ever again.
Your shortcut to clarity, clients, and consistent income.
“Stop selling yourself. Start selling a system.” 👏 That’s the mindset shift no job board ever teaches. We’ve been too busy reacting instead of architecting.