Fri, 26 July 2019
Running a freelance business becomes exponentially more challenging when you don’t have the support of your friends and family. In this episode, I share 10 practical tips that will help you if you’re in this situation. |
Fri, 12 July 2019
Podcast guest Alex Nerney explains why adding a blog to your freelance writing business is a great way to supplement your writing income and add more predictability to your business. |
Fri, 28 June 2019
Following up with prospects is the activity writers dread the most — topped only by prospecting. It feels odd and unnatural. We worry that we’re bothering people or being disrespectful. And then we start crafting crazy stories in our head. We imagine that the prospect is mad at us or shocked at our fees. “They think we’re a fraud!” “They never want to speak with us again!” But the vast majority of time, this isn’t what’s going on with prospects at all. I spent years in corporate sales and following up with prospects was a big part of my job. It wasn’t easy, and I never particularly enjoyed it. So I understand why you don’t like it much either. I never completely perfected the art of following up in those years. But I do have some ideas that will make the whole process a lot easier. |
Thu, 13 June 2019
#180: Liz Farr on Writing Bylined Articles to Generate Hot Client Leads and Attract New Opportunities
For the past two years, Liz Farr has been writing bylined articles for trade publications and content platforms to generate inbound leads and land great new clients — while also getting paid. |
Fri, 31 May 2019
It’s hard to find businesses that don’t use some form of content marketing. That’s a big shift from even five years ago. But as its popularity has grown, the fees for content marketing projects have suffered. Upwork and other job platforms have gotten better and more popular. You even have AI technology entering the writing fray. All these factors have combined to create a situation where many clients want content NOW... and they want it cheap! Does that mean that we all need to start looking for a new way to make a living? Not at all! In this week’s podcast, I address one element of the solution: bundling and productizing your service offerings. |
Fri, 17 May 2019
Most of us leave a ton of money on the table when quoting client work. This is no small thing! Commanding 20-40% more per project could have a huge impact on your business and your life. Think of the freedom it would give you! So what’s stopping us from asking for more? In this episode, I’m going to show you how to put your value on the table. Because by providing context for your quote, you can greatly influence the prospect’s response. |
Fri, 3 May 2019
Many introverted writers resist marketing their services and avoid doing what they need to do to grow their businesses. Does that mean you’re doomed to fail as a self-employed writer if you’re an introvert? Not at all. My guest this week is Winnie Anderson, a coach for introverted service-based professionals, as well as the host of The Courageous Entrepreneur podcast. She teaches people how to resolve the tug-of-war between needing to stand out but not wanting to stand out. In this episode, she explains why so many writers resist taking consistent action to stand out, and to do it in a way that feels good to them. |
Fri, 19 April 2019
Content marketing has officially gone mainstream. It’s a “must do” for most businesses in today’s trust economy. While this increased demand has created huge opportunities for writers, it has also commoditized a lot of our work and given rise to content mills and rock-bottom fees. We’re not doomed. But to succeed, writers have to become a higher-value resource for their clients. In this episode, I speak with Sonia Simone, founding partner of Copyblogger Media (now Rainmaker Digital) and seasoned content marketer. In the course of our conversation, she shares how you can position yourself as a strategic partner and build stronger relationships with clients. |
Fri, 5 April 2019
Have you ever had a prospect ask for an in-person coffee meeting shortly after connecting? You’ve barely gotten past “hello” and they already want to put something in your calendar! This raises a red flag for me. In this podcast, I reveal a two-stage process you can use to evaluate requests for face-to-face meetings. This process is a great way to protect your time and energy — without discouraging good clients. |
Fri, 22 March 2019
Today’s podcast guest provides a classic illustration of the benefits of going deeper with existing clients. Her name is Lindy Alexander. Lindy started freelancing full time in 2017. By the end of that year, she grossed more than $100,000 in income! Even more remarkable: in 2018 she scaled back her hours to part-time and maintained the same income level. In this episode, she explains how she did it. It’s an amazing story I think you’ll really enjoy, regardless of where you are in your journey. |