Leroy Hite founded Cutting Edge Firewood in 2013 with one truck and maxed-out credit cards, built the world's first luxury firewood company, and sold it eleven years later. I interviewed him on The Price and Value Journey podcast and I draw on that conversation here to explore the premium pricing strategy that shaped his brand, his customer experience, and ultimately his exit value.

Most professional service providers do not have a sorting problem on paper. They have one in practice. They keep the wrong clients, chase the wrong opportunities, spend time in the wrong places, and stay tied to relationships that quietly drain them. Better sorting is not complicated, but it is expensive to ignore.

Many solo and small-firm professionals undervalue their work because their expertise feels ordinary to them. This piece explains why clients often see far more value than the provider does, and how better discovery conversations help uncover the intangible benefits that justify stronger pricing.

John Ray was a panelist, addressing pricing strategy, on what business owners should be addressing three to five years prior to a business sale.

When buyers see a price they judge too good to be true, they immediately hunt for the catch, not their wallet.

Why do professional service providers discount their fee before clients even ask? It's not humility. It's ego protecting itself. Here's how pricing anxiety keeps you from charging what you're worth.

Professional services trains a lot of us the same way. We become excellent "put-the-vase-away" people who are accurate and dependable, when what our clients highly value is filling the vase with "flowers."

The primary challenges AI poses for professional services firms billing by the hour don't just rest with the fact that machines work faster. AI presents thornier challenges that require attention.

This guide represents investments in others and yourself as well. Instead of gifts that depreciate, investments that enhance your reputation as a professional of value. Some you give to others, and yes, some you give to yourself.

It's the season to post about gratitude for clients and others who have helped you in your business. When you sell your expertise, however, I think gratitude needs to move beyond what can sound like a greeting card and into how you run your business, especially how you price. Here are four kinds of gratitude I see expert service providers miss.