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CREATIVE

SUCCESSFUL

ENTREPRENEURS

Turn your creative passion into a thriving business.

How we can help

Helping Creatives for Over 20 Years

Our business coaches teach creative freelancers and aspiring entrepreneurs on using proven business strategies that enable them to  transform their creative pursuits into lucrative ventures. Our comprehensive guidance includes selecting a target demographic, effective marketing strategies tailored to that audience, optimizing product/service packaging and pricing for optimal profitability, crafting irresistible premium offers to ensure consistent revenue streams, and more. Joining our community connects you with a diverse network of individuals driven by similar aspirations to thrive personally and positively impact society. Gain exclusive access to one on one group coaching sessions on business development, a team of seasoned marketing professionals, and numerous other resources aimed at fostering your success and growth.

WHO WE ARE

World Class Coaches

Melissa McFarlane, the founder of CSE, boasts a rich legacy as a distinguished business coach, acknowledged globally for her expertise spanning over 25 years in executive, business, and personal coaching, specifically tailored for creative minds. Together with her team, she possesses an innate ability to discern and dismantle obstacles, effectively clearing paths through personal and organizational challenges, facilitating genuine emotional, mental, and practical advancements.

Schedule Your FREE Strategy Call Now!

Just Some of Our Happy Creatives

Melissa’s coaching has allowed me to shift my perspective on business and financial success from one of passive observer to active participant. The ability to direct and decide my own income flow has freed me creatively in ways I never imagined possible. My business supports my creative endeavors. My creative projects inform my work with the business. I am on track toward my first independent 100k year and am winning awards with my new series at the same time. CSE has made all the difference.

Dylan Brody

Award-Winning Writer, The Tonight Show/David Sedaris

Before Melissa’s coaching, I’d experienced a lot of success as a writer and had a good practice teaching and coaching motherless daughters in groups. But enrollment was exhausting and spotty, income was unreliable, and I felt nervous to hire more support. After working together in just one year I experienced a $12K more/month in income, 54% increase in subscribers and a new income stream that netted over $40K in additional revenue to boot. Now my company has over 10K followers and 100+ clients.

Hope Edelman

New York Notable Book Award Winner, Motherless Daughters: A Legacy of Loss

I’ve been the executive director of my company for over 20 years, and I’ve been looking for ways to leverage and monetize the professional knowledge and expertise in my nonprofit organization. We like to help other organizations and we can do more when we build alternative revenue streams. CSE’s coaching program is clear, proven, and challenges some of the cherished beliefs held by “givers.” Melissa and her team of coaches model the very content they teach and I am already making the mental leaps necessary to bring profits to my organization.

Marina Preed

Executive Director/CEO, Mosaic Georgia

CSE helped me understand the nuts and bolts of building a business from scratch – what that looks like, a timetable, and the kind of people I need to work with…but also how to find within myself a commitment and motivation and values that I can bring to the world through my business.

Daniel Raim

Academy Award Nominated Filmaker, Writer

I didn’t have a business, name, packages, offers or anything else before CSE. Just an idea. 2 years later I can support myself (through a pandemic) and it’s incredible. I hit my first income goal and I’m on my way to the next. I’m incredibly fulfilled because I can help people, see their results and make others around me build a business.

Kristina Kury

CEO & Founder, Sprout Creative

Working with CSE’s business coaches has allowed me to streamline my sales cycle and build a confident sales plan that even I could follow. I wouldn’t be moving forward this fast or this productively without her! Signing up for CSE’s business coaching was the best thing I ever did.

Erin Smilkstein, MA.Ed.

Author: Your Amazing Itty Bitty Prospect-to-Profit Lead Generation Book

CSE showed me how to build the entire foundation of my 7 figure business, I became a 6 figure in business in 2 years and developed all of my programs and came up with my name for my company. I learned how to sell my courses, I started to price my packages at a rate that scared me, and I set up the business systems that I am still using 8 years later! Because of CSE’s business coaches for creatives, I have made well over 7 figures in revenue, I have an amazing brand, I am attracting high-end clients.

Valorie Hubbard

Professional Actress and Founder, The Actor's Fasttrack

“In TWO MONTHS since beginning my work with Melissa & CSE I have:

    • Increased my income by 75% from mid 5 figures to over 6 figures.
    • Learned a reliable, repeatable, step-by-step procedure for closing sales with clients I love and a schedule I control.
    • Tripled my income within 8 months (from mid 5 figures to 6 figures.)
      Gotten a clear picture of the number one obstacle holding me back from achieving what I want professionally and how to overcome it.
    • Gained an incredible network of like-minded entrepreneurs through my access to the CSE online community and events.
    • Broken my cycle of hesitation and lack of confidence, and turned it into a cycle of action and determination.
    • Learned a reliable, repeatable, step-by-step procedure for closing sales with the clients I know I can serve best.
    • Embraced the full extent of the impact I want to have on the world, and reset all of my goals to make that happen.

To say it plainly –
Now I love what I do.
Now I know what I do.
Now I know why I do it, and who I’m doing it for.

And I love leaning into it all, while I make more money than I ever have.

Andreas Kraemer

CEO, Business and Life

“I run my business so completely differently than I did last year – I can’t stress that enough. I used to NEVER have a plan for anything. I just flew by the seat of my pants, hoping for the next client to come along. I couldn’t predict income. I had no control over anything. And I was often broke. Now, I feel like a different person. I created packages that put me in the driver’s seat of my business, I streamlined my services and processes, I nailed my sales call ability (easily selling $5k packages over the phone), and I started charging literally TRIPLE what I used to charge. So now I work with fewer clients who are all the most amazing people, and I feel 100% centered in my zone of genius. My goal this year is to surpass 6 figures… and guess what? I have a plan that makes that a goal a ‘when’ not an ‘if’. I wholeheartedly recommend CSE to anyone who wants to build a successful creative business.”

Krista Walsh

Founder and President, Krista Walsh Copywriting, LLC

Before I joined Melissa’s Inner Circle program I had taken my “You Should Do Voiceover” training classes from the germ of an idea to successful weekend workshops in LA, NY and Chicago… but I was putting in massive effort for a fairly small return. After working with CSE, my income increased 5x to just under 6 figures in the next year.

Tish Hicks

Owner, The Voice Over Dojo

I’ve been bragging about you and your workshops to anyone who will listen! I wanted you to know that I made over $6000 on my business over the last few days. I credit you with really helping me change the way I think about, brand, and how to market my business. Your company has made all the difference for me. Thank you!

Laura Lundy-Paine

CEO, Blue Panther Productions

I really do believe in the power of Melissa – I think I am a bit uncoachable; she always has me see the possibility; every time I speak with her I create a win – I just upsold a client into a 12K program – Paid in Full! Before CSE I was only getting trickles of income. Now, cash upfront!

Giavanni Washington, PhD

UCLA, Department of World Arts & Cultures