No Mo PTO

No Mo PTO

The best perk of running my own business.

The best perk of running my own business.

If you’re reading this as soon as it hit your inbox, I’m not around.

I’m currently driving from my house just outside Philadelphia to West Virginia for my 4-day annual photography trip to capture fall foliage. (Last year was Stowe, and the year before was the Adirondacks.)

I didn’t have to check in with a boss. I didn’t have to file for PTO (paid time off). I just picked dates when the color was forecasted to peak, blocked them off on my calendar, and invited some friends.

Some couldn’t come. They were out of vacation days. Or work was too busy.

That’s when it hit me again: the biggest benefit of running my own business isn’t the money. It’s freedom.

Freedom to take time off without asking permission. Freedom to decide what “busy” looks like. Freedom to build my work around my life, not the other way around.

That’s also the #1 reason I created Make More Money. That’s my 3-month group coaching program for freelancers and agency owners ready to niche down, raise prices, and build a design business that runs on purpose.

Yes, I help my students increase revenue. But the real goal is helping you design a business that gives you choices.

One of my students decided to join me on this photo trip. They decided this yesterday. I love that they could.

If you want the freedom to take a 4-day trip whenever you want—or whatever version of freedom matters to you—this program is for you.

Apply to join here.

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Helping designers get their flowers.

45,601 followers

15,979 connections

45,100 followers

6,458 subscribers

79 videos

6,296 followers

221 posts

This site is typeset in Bueno by Rajesh Rajput, Thermal by Reset Type Studio, Mark by Hannes von Döhren and Christoph Koeberlin, Manteca by Emyself Design, and Inter by Rasmus Andersson.


This is version 6.0.2 of my personal website. Older versions: v5, v4, v3, v2 (no longer online), v1 (no longer online).


Black lives matter.

© Dan Mall Teaches 2005–2026. All rights reserved.

Made proudly in Philly. Thou shalt not steal—but feel free to remix.

Privacy policy.

Dan Mall

Helping designers get their flowers.

45,601 followers

15,979 connections

45,100 followers

6,458 subscribers

79 videos

6,296 followers

221 posts

This site is typeset in Bueno by Rajesh Rajput, Thermal by Reset Type Studio, Mark by Hannes von Döhren and Christoph Koeberlin, Manteca by Emyself Design, and Inter by Rasmus Andersson.


This is version 6.0.2 of my personal website. Older versions: v5, v4, v3, v2 (no longer online), v1 (no longer online).


Black lives matter.

© Dan Mall Teaches 2005–2026. All rights reserved.

Made proudly in Philly. Thou shalt not steal—but feel free to remix.

Privacy policy.

Dan Mall

Helping designers get their flowers.

45,601 followers

15,979 connections

45,100 followers

6,458 subscribers

79 videos

6,296 followers

221 posts

This site is typeset in Bueno by Rajesh Rajput, Thermal by Reset Type Studio, Mark by Hannes von Döhren and Christoph Koeberlin, Manteca by Emyself Design, and Inter by Rasmus Andersson.


This is version 6.0.2 of my personal website. Older versions: v5, v4, v3, v2 (no longer online), v1 (no longer online).


Black lives matter.

© Dan Mall Teaches 2005–2026. All rights reserved.

Made proudly in Philly. Thou shalt not steal—but feel free to remix.

Privacy policy.

Dan Mall