Sarah went from $3K to $30K months in 6 months using one AI prompt. Here's the exact prompt, the strategy, and how you can copy it.
The Email That Changed Everything
Sarah Martinez sent me this in March:
"I'm done. Eighteen months freelancing. Still making less than my old job. Working more hours. I'm going back to corporate."
She's a copywriter. Good one, from what I could see. But she was stuck.
Then in September, this:
"Remember when I said I was quitting? I just had my first $30K month. Want to know what changed?"
Yeah. I wanted to know.
What Actually Happened
Sarah didn't take some course. Didn't hire a coach. Didn't rebrand.
She found one prompt that transformed how she worked. Then she built a system around it.
The prompt isn't magic. But what she did with it? That's the interesting part.
Let me show you.
The Problem Sarah Had
She was doing what everyone tells freelancers to do:
- Great portfolio
- Active on LinkedIn
- Decent rates ($100/hr)
- Solid client work
But she was stuck in the feast-or-famine cycle.
Land a client. Do the work. Deliver. Get paid.
Then scramble to find the next one.
And here's the killer: She spent more time finding clients than serving them.
Every hour pitching was an hour not billing. Every proposal was a gamble. Most didn't convert.
She was exhausted. Not from the work. From the grind of finding work.
The Shift
She realized something. Her best clients—the ones who paid well and came back—all had the same problem.
They needed copy, yeah. But what they really needed was someone who could think strategically about their whole message.
They weren't buying words. They were buying clarity.
So Sarah stopped selling copywriting. Started selling messaging strategy.
Same skills. Different packaging. Way higher value.
But here's the thing: Creating messaging strategies from scratch took forever. She'd spend hours analyzing a business, their market, their competitors.
Hours she couldn't bill for. Hours that ate into profits.
That's where the prompt came in.
The Prompt
Here it is. Word for word.
I'm developing a messaging strategy for a [industry] business. Here's what I know:
Business Overview:
- Company: [name and what they do]
- Target audience: [specific description]
- Current positioning: [how they describe themselves]
- Main competitors: [top 3 competitors]
Challenge:
- [the core problem they're trying to solve]
Research I've done:
- [key insight 1]
- [key insight 2]
- [key insight 3]
Based on this, generate:
1. **Core Message Framework**
- Primary value proposition (one sentence)
- Three supporting pillars
- Key differentiator from competitors
2. **Audience Insights**
- Main pain point we're addressing
- Emotional driver behind the purchase
- Common objections and how to address them
3. **Message Hierarchy**
- Headline approach (3 options)
- Supporting tagline
- Proof points to emphasize
4. **Tone and Voice Guidelines**
- Overall tone (and why it works for this audience)
- Words to use
- Words to avoid
5. **Red Flags to Watch For**
- Where this strategy could fail
- What we need to test first
- Alternative angles if this doesn't resonate
For each section, explain your reasoning. Don't just give me the output—tell me why these choices make sense for this specific business and audience.Why This Prompt Prints Money
Look at what it does:
It creates deliverables. Not ideas. Not suggestions. A complete strategic framework clients will pay thousands for.
It shows the thinking. The "explain your reasoning" part means Sarah doesn't just copy-paste. She understands the strategy. She can defend it. She can adapt it.
It catches problems early. The "red flags" section? That's gold. She spots issues before the client does. Looks like a genius.
It's customizable. Same prompt. Different inputs. Works for any industry, any business size.
Sarah takes the output from this prompt, adds her expertise, packages it into a deck, and charges $3,000-$5,000 for it.
Takes her about 4 hours total. That's $750-$1,250 per hour.
Do that twice a week? You're at $30K months.
The System She Built
The prompt is just the foundation. Here's the full system:
Step 1: The Discovery Call (1 hour)
Sarah gets all the info she needs to fill in the prompt. But she's not just collecting facts.
She's listening for:
- What keeps the founder up at night
- What they've tried that failed
- What they believe about their market
- Where they're stuck
This becomes context for the prompt. Better context = better output.
Step 2: The Research Sprint (1 hour)
She looks at:
- Competitor websites and messaging
- Customer reviews (theirs and competitors')
- Reddit/forums where target customers talk
- Social media comments
She's finding the language real people use. The problems they describe in their own words.
This fills the "key insights" section of the prompt.
Step 3: Run the Prompt (30 minutes)
She runs the prompt. Usually on Claude—she found it gives more nuanced strategic thinking.
She doesn't just accept the first output. She runs it 2-3 times with slight variations in the insights section.
Looks for patterns. What shows up every time? That's probably right.
Step 4: The Value Add (90 minutes)
Here's where Sarah's expertise comes in. She takes the AI output and:
- Pressure-tests the strategy against her market knowledge
- Adds specific examples from the research
- Identifies the highest-leverage implementation opportunities
- Creates a prioritized action plan
AI gave her the structure. She adds the judgment.
Step 5: The Delivery (30 minutes)
Sarah packages it in a clean deck:
- Executive summary (the core message framework)
- Full strategy breakdown
- Implementation roadmap
- Quick-win opportunities they can execute this week
Professional. Actionable. Worth every penny of that $3-5K.
What Made This Work
It's not just the prompt. Lots of people have good prompts and don't make money.
Sarah did three things that most people miss:
1. She Charged for the Outcome, Not the Time
She stopped saying "I charge $100/hr for copywriting."
Started saying "I charge $4,000 for a messaging strategy that clarifies your position and gives you everything you need for your website, sales deck, and marketing."
Same work. Different frame. Higher perceived value.
2. She Made It Repeatable
One client at a time? That's a job. A system you can repeat? That's a business.
The prompt made her process repeatable. She could deliver quality consistently. That built trust. Trust led to referrals.
3. She Stayed in the Room
She didn't position AI as doing the work. She positioned herself as the strategist who uses every tool available—including AI.
Clients don't care if you use AI. They care if you solve their problem.
Sarah solves problems. AI is just one of her tools.
The Numbers Breakdown
Let's get specific. How did she go from $3K to $30K?
Before AI (January):
- 5 copywriting projects at $600 each = $3,000
- Working 6 days a week
- Always hustling for the next project
After AI (September):
- 2 messaging strategy projects at $4,000 each = $8,000
- 4 smaller strategy projects at $2,500 each = $10,000
- 3 ongoing retainers for messaging support at $4,000/month each = $12,000
- Total: $30,000
- Working 4 days a week
The retainers are key. Once clients see the strategy work, they want help implementing. That's recurring revenue.
The Mistakes She Made (So You Don't Have To)
Sarah didn't figure this out overnight. She made every mistake. Here's what to avoid:
Mistake 1: Thinking the Prompt Was Enough
First month, she just ran the prompt and sent the output. Client was underwhelmed.
The prompt creates a foundation. You have to build on it.
Mistake 2: Underpricing
She started at $1,500 per strategy. Clients took her less seriously at that price.
When she raised to $4,000, conversions improved. Higher price = higher perceived value.
Mistake 3: Offering Too Many Revisions
"Unlimited revisions" sounds client-friendly. It's a trap.
Now she offers one round of revisions. Anything beyond that is a new project. Protects her time.
Mistake 4: Not Documenting Her Process
She winged it for months. Every project felt like starting from scratch.
Once she documented the system, everything got easier. And she could eventually hire someone to help.
How You Can Copy This
You don't have to be a copywriter. This approach works for any service business where strategy matters.
Here's how to adapt it:
If You're a Designer
Replace "messaging strategy" with "brand strategy" or "design system strategy."
Your prompt generates brand positioning, visual direction, and style guidelines.
Charge $3-5K for the strategy. Then charge for execution.
If You're a Developer
Replace "messaging strategy" with "technical architecture strategy" or "automation strategy."
Your prompt generates system design, tech stack recommendations, and implementation roadmap.
Charge for strategy first. Build after they approve it.
If You're a Consultant
You're already selling strategy. You just might not be using AI to accelerate it.
Your prompt generates market analysis, competitive positioning, and growth recommendations.
Cut your research time in half. Double your output.
If You're a Coach
Replace "messaging strategy" with "positioning strategy" for your clients' businesses.
Help them clarify their offer, message, and market position.
Your prompt generates the framework. You provide the accountability and implementation support.
The Template for Any Industry
Here's the universal version:
I'm developing a [type of strategy] for a [type of client] in the [industry] space.
Client Overview:
- [who they are and what they do]
- [who they serve]
- [where they are now]
- [where they want to be]
Core Challenge:
- [the main problem we're solving]
Research Findings:
- [insight 1]
- [insight 2]
- [insight 3]
Based on this, generate:
1. **Strategic Framework**
[What they need to understand about their situation]
2. **Recommended Approach**
[The specific strategy you're proposing]
3. **Implementation Roadmap**
[How to execute this strategy]
4. **Success Metrics**
[How to measure if it's working]
5. **Risk Assessment**
[What could go wrong and how to mitigate it]
For each section, explain your reasoning. Show me why this makes sense for this specific client and situation.Fill in the brackets for your niche. You've got a money-printing machine.
The Real Secret
The prompt is powerful. The system is smart. But neither matters without this:
You have to deliver value.
Sarah's income didn't 10x because she found a clever AI trick. It 10x'd because she solved bigger problems for clients.
AI let her solve those problems faster. But she still had to:
- Understand the client's real issue
- Apply good judgment
- Deliver professional work
- Stand behind her recommendations
The prompt is the accelerator. Your expertise is the engine.
What Happens Next
You're probably in one of two camps right now:
Camp 1: "This sounds too good to be true."
It's not too good to be true. It's just unusual. Most people aren't using AI strategically. They're using it tactically. Sarah found a strategic application.
You can too.
Camp 2: "I'm going to try this."
Good. But don't just try it. Commit to it for 30 days.
Use the prompt for every strategic project. Refine your process. Raise your prices.
See what happens.
Your Next Move
Here's what you do today:
- Take the prompt (either Sarah's version or the universal template)
- Adapt it to your industry
- Run it for a current or past client just to see the output
- Refine it based on what you learn
- Use it for your next project
Don't wait until you have it perfect. Sarah didn't. She figured it out by doing.
You can copy her system. You can adapt her prompt. You can use her pricing strategy.
But you can't copy her action. That's on you.
The $10,000 prompt is sitting right here. The question is what you'll do with it.
Sarah went from quitting to thriving. Not because she's special. Because she tried something new.
Your turn.