Wed, 13 March 2024
For many years there has been a myth among journalists that journalism and content marketing can’t coexist.
You either have to focus on journalism work or on content marketing, but not on both.
But this belief is based on false assumptions and outdated beliefs. And in this week’s episode, you’ll hear why you can do both very successfully as a freelance writer.
And, in fact, why you may actually WANT to focus on both.
My guest is Lindy Alexander, an award-winning freelance food, travel, and lifestyle writer and content creator living in the vibrant goldfields town of Castlemaine in central Victoria, Australia.
Her work has been published in numerous digital and print publications including Sunday Life, The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, Travel + Indulgence, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, delicious, Good Food, The Saturday Paper, SBS Life, Dumbo Feather, Peppermint, Essential Kids, Essential Baby, Modern Farmer, Jetstar magazine and Homes+.
I had Lindy on the show a few years ago, where we discussed how to grow your income by going deeper with clients and leveraging key relationships. This time, we're directly tackling the age-old myth that content marketing and journalism are incompatible.
You’ll hear exactly how Lindy has navigated these waters like a champ. How’s she maintained solid journalistic standards and ethics throughout. And how you can combine both to create real synergies in your business.
Direct download: 341_-_Crossing_Paths_Lindy_Alexanders_Secrets.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Wed, 28 February 2024
#340: Ed Gandia and Sarah Greesonbach Get Raw and Real About Their Inner Battles, Fears, Aspirations—and What It’s Like to Be a Coach
This episode is very different from what I typically do on this show.
It’s a candid conversation between Sarah Greesonbach and me on a number of random topics.
Sarah is not only a very talented B2B writer, she’s also the founder of the B2B Writing Institute, an excellent coach to other B2B writers, a coaching client of mine, and a friend.
We get into a number of topics, including where and how we face resistance ... where we fall short ... life experiences that shaped who we are today ... how we make big decisions ... fear ... being kind to yourself ... our pet peeves about the freelance industry ...
And even the songs we have on our playlists that we’re embarrassed to admit to. What we love. And what we feel is overrated.
After our interview, I then share a raw and open account of my business struggles last year—what happened, why, and what I’ve done to navigate these challenges.
If you’re only looking for straight up advice for your business, this is not really that kind of episode. So feel free to skip it.
But if you’re curious about how Sarah and I have struggled. What we’ve learned. And what makes us who we are, give this one a listen.
It’s a long episode. The longest, in fact, of any episode I’ve created in my 11 years doing this show.
But I didn’t want to hold back. I wanted this to be exactly the kind of conversation Sarah and I might have at a Starbucks. And I wanted you to have an opportunity to listen to us talk with no filter.
Hope you enjoy it! |
Wed, 14 February 2024
2023 has not been a great year for many writers and solo marketing professionals.
And when business is not great, one of the first things we ask ourselves is, Should I change or modify my offerings? Will that make a difference?
It’s a great question to ask yourself. But it’s important that you go about your decision in a more methodical way. So rather than just go with your gut, you’ll make better decisions if you take a more analytical approach to this challenge.
In this episode, we’re addressing this question head on. My guest is Nikki Rausch. Nikki is a selling coach and the CEO of Sales Maven. She has over 25 years of selling experience. And her specialty is helping entrepreneurs, small business owners and solo professionals sell successfully and authentically.
This is Nikki’s third appearance in the podcast. She and I are very well aligned in our marketing and sales philosophies, and I love having these important conversations with her. I always walk away with a bit more wisdom and lots of new ideas to think about and implement.
We not only address the issue of service offerings in this conversation, we also get into the importance of lifetime client value, tracking and doubling down on your best marketing strategies, and the biggest mistakes solo professionals make in their sales process when they’re facing a difficult economy.
I hope you enjoy our conversation!
Direct download: 339_-_How_to_Identify_the_Best_Services_to_Offer_Your_Market_in_2024.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Wed, 31 January 2024
Freelancing is both a blessing and a curse.
It’s a blessing because you’re in charge. You call the shots — not some overpaid and incompetent boss who has no business managing people.
But freelancing is also a curse ... because you’re on your own. Which means that you have to wear all the hats. And when you’re pulled in so many directions, your income can suffer.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to help offset this. And one of the most important is to lower your cost of project acquisition.
When you lower the cost and effort required to land that next project, you can spend more time on billable activities and less time wearing all those other hats I mentioned earlier.
Or less time doing client work and more with your family or working on interesting personal projects—without negatively impacting your income.
How can you do that? That’s the topic of this week’s short podcast episode, where I walk you through 4 specific and practical ideas for earning more in less time.
Enjoy!
Direct download: 338_-_Four_Ways_to_Earn_More_in_Less_Time.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Wed, 17 January 2024
#337: Austin L. Church on Money Mindset, Living Well and Using Pricing as a Key Lever for Financial Prosperity as a Freelance Professional
We truly don’t talk enough about money and prosperity in the freelancing community. And that’s too bad, because the more we talk about this issue in positive and productive ways, the greater the chances our businesses will succeed.
I mean... imagine companies like Microsoft, Apple, Walmart or Ford Motor Company ignoring money discussions and decisions. It would spell disaster!
Many solo professionals avoid the topic because they were raised to believe that money is a taboo topic. Or because of other long-held beliefs about money that no longer serve them (and perhaps never have).
Or because they’re overwhelmed and not sure where or how to even start to address the issue of earning more (and more consistently), keeping more of what they earn, and giving more to causes they care about.
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by my good friend Austin L. Church, founder of FreelanceCake.com, a freelance marketing strategist and copywriter, and author of the brand new book, Free Money: 9 Counterintuitive Moves for Life-changing Freelance Income
We dive deep into the topic of financial prosperity and how to achieve it. Among other things, we discuss:
The episode is packed with useful ideas and powerful reframing. I think you’ll really enjoy it.
Direct download: 337_-_Austin_L._Church_on_Money_Mindset_Living_Well_and_Using_Pricing_as_a_Key_Lever_for_Financial_Prosperity_as_a_Freelance_Professional.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Wed, 3 January 2024
How do you feel about outsourcing some of your work?
Most writers I talk with are either completely against this idea. Or they tell me that they’ve tried it and it didn’t work out. Or that they like the concept, but it just wouldn’t work for them.
I get it. I used to feel the same way.
But there’s a big problem with that kind of thinking: it’s one-dimensional. It’s a “yes or no” thing. Purely binary.
I’ve seen enough successful outsourcing examples in the world of freelancing to know that there are many different ways of solving the problem.
And in this week’s short podcast episode, I walk through a four-phase framework for making it work.
Enjoy!
Direct download: 336_-_A_Four-Phase_Framework_for_Onboarding_a_Writer_or_Virtual_Assistant.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Sun, 31 December 2023
#335: Marjorie Turner Hollman’s Journey from Memoir Writer to Book Coach to Author of a Nonfiction Book Series
One of the most important capabilities you can develop as a self-employed professional is the ability to pivot and adapt as your business grows and your life situation evolves.
Not only is life full of surprises, but what worked for you 5 years ago may not be as palatable today. Whether it's the types of clients you work with, the type of work you pursue, or the side projects you take on.
Marjorie Turner Hollman is an excellent example of this. A long-time writer, Marjorie has faced a number of challenges in her life—including some physical disabilities—that have forced her to reinvent herself and what she offers.
Her work has evolved from freelance writer to personal historian to book coach for struggling authors to the author of a nonfiction book series.
There are many things I love about Marjorie’s story, but I find her resilience, resourcefulness, and adaptability inspiring. And I think you will too.
The topic of accessibility and how we all use adaptive aids in everyday life is a concept Marjorie learned from Kam Redlawsk. She is a remarkable, articulate advocate for those with disabilities.
I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Direct download: 335_Marjorie_Turner_Hollmans_Journey_from_Memoir_Writer_to_Book_Coach_to_Author_of_a_Nonfiction_Book_Series.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Wed, 6 December 2023
When your business gets really challenging, it’s very common to feel like you need to make a drastic move.
Like pivoting to a different target market. Or offering a totally different set of services. Or moving out of freelancing and into a traditional job.
These are very common feelings. And let me tell you ... I feel this way at least two or three times a year.
Yes, I really do.
In today’s short episode, I share my thoughts and reflections on this dilemma. Whether you’re happy where you are or you feel like a big change is in order, I think you’ll find it useful.
Direct download: 334_Is_the_Grass_Actually_Greener_on_the_Other_Side.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Wed, 22 November 2023
Earning more in less time is not just about getting higher fees for your work. It’s also about being more productive and approaching client projects more efficiently.
And a key part of writing productivity is effective editing.
Editing is one of the key phases of any writing assignment. Yet I find that most of us don’t have a step-by-step process for the editing phase. We tend to approach editing in a somewhat haphazard manner. And don’t always know when we’re truly done making the piece as good as it can be.
My guest today is writing coach Daphne Gray-Grant, author of Your Happy First Draft: A Practical and Painless Guide to Obliterating Writer’s Block. Daphne is no stranger to this podcast. She was one of my first guests on the show over 10 years ago, and she came on again in 2019 to discuss strategies for banishing writer’s block.
In this episode, Daphne shares the 5 biggest editing mistakes she sees writers make—and why avoiding them is so important. She shares some really practical strategies and tips for avoiding those mistakes and making your editing much stronger and effective.
Direct download: 333_The_5_Biggest_Mistakes_Writers_Make_When_They_Edit.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Tue, 7 November 2023
When we’re in a challenging economy, most of us operate from a place of fear. And fear causes us to either keep our fees the same or to lower them. But I have a different recommendation for you today. I’m going to challenge you to RAISE your fees—starting today! Now, before you start thinking I’m crazy and out of touch, hear me out. Because there are many ways to do this wrong ... and only a few ways to do it right. The way most writers attempt to raise their fees is by going to existing clients and telling them that their fees are about to go up across the board. And yes, if you do it that way, you probably won’t get very far. I’m not suggesting you completely avoid this approach. But I’m suggesting that this method has the most risk and the most limited upside. You may get a few clients to agree to the increase. But it’s a very stressful process to go through. And frankly, there are much better ways. What do I recommend instead? I’ll share my specific recommendations in today’s short episode below.
Direct download: FINAL_EP332_-_Monlogue_Episode_Audio_Revised110723.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:44pm EDT |