Fri, 8 March 2019
Do you ever get so busy that you forget to invest in yourself? It’s one of the pitfalls of being self-employed. There’s only so much time every week., right? Then again, if you don’t take time to “feed the goose,” you’ll soon have no golden eggs. My guest for today’s podcast has seen both sides of this problem. Liz Sheffield is a freelance writer with a background in human resources. As an HR professional, she understands the benefits of taking time to improve your knowledge and skills. And as a freelancer, she understands the challenges we face in finding the time and resources to do this consistently. In this episode, she explains why she’s a huge proponent of investing in yourself and your freelance business, and how you can do it without wasting your time or money. |
Fri, 22 February 2019
I’m just going to come right out and say it. Search engine optimization (SEO) has a horrible reputation. For years, SEO companies scammed clients with big promises of boosting their search engine rankings, only to fall short or fail altogether. Even now, information on this subject continues to be confusing, contradictory and misleading. For this episode, to learn what SEO best practices you should implement for your own website, I wanted to talk to someone who doesn’t do SEO for a living, but who’s had good success with SEO nonetheless. And I found that person in Matt Olpinski. Matt is a freelance UX designer who boosted his own search engine rankings like crazy with some simple adjustments. Adjustments you can make on your own website, even if you don’t have a lot of technical knowledge. Listen in to find out how... |
Fri, 8 February 2019
Casey Hibbard is one of the best case study writers in North America. She’s literally written hundreds of case studies for dozens of companies. Many of them big names you’d recognize. On the occasion of her 20-year business anniversary, I asked Casey to come on the show and share some of the most important lessons she’s learned about writing powerful case studies. In this interview, she shares 5 specific tips that will make you a stronger case study writer… and help you command higher fees for these projects. |
Fri, 25 January 2019
#170: How to Grow Your Business and Command Higher Fees by Packaging What You Offer in a Different Way
Most commercial writers see themselves as just that: a commercial writer. They describe themselves as writers. And they pitch themselves as writers. Nothing wrong with that! But that’s not the only way to make a living as a freelance commercial writer or copywriter. In this episode, you’ll hear from Maureen Farmer, founder of Word Right Executive Career Management. Much of what she does for clients involves writing, but she packages her services differently. As a result, her clients view her more as a strategic resource than a writer — and are willing to pay her accordingly. Find out why... |
Fri, 11 January 2019
I firmly believe that habits are the key to successful execution. Execution is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to making positive changes in our lives. And habits are THE most important element in execution. A few months ago, I had James Clear on the show to talk about his new book Atomic Habits. And one of the things that really stood out for me is his discussion of identity. Specifically, how your habits shape your identity — and how your identity shapes your habits.
In this episode, I take a closer look at this concept … and explain how you can leverage your identity to make new habits stick. |
Fri, 28 December 2018
When you’re in a leadership position, the people you lead sometimes put you on a pedestal. They think you have everything figured out. That you have no flaws. No struggles. I’m in a leadership position in that people often look to me for ideas, advice and mentorship. But let me tell you ... I’m not perfect by any means. I have my own struggles and imperfections. And in this episode, I come clean on 9 of those things... |
Fri, 14 December 2018
This is an exciting time to be alive. The opportunity to make a great living as a self-employed professional has never been better. Changing economic trends, shifting attitudes toward self-employment, cheap technology, and the ability to leverage talent from around the world have all combined to make this opportunity possible. My guest for this week’s podcast has been tracking these changes for years. Her name is Elaine Pofeldt, and she’s the author of the book The Million-Dollar One-Person Business (Random House, 2018). In this episode, Elaine introduces us to some of the people behind these million-dollar solo businesses. |
Fri, 30 November 2018
I’ve found that maintaining a high level of productivity is one of the top challenges we face as self-employed professionals. Chris Bailey is an expert who will share a different take on the topic. In this episode, Chris brings some fresh perspectives to this discussion. Perspectives I don’t often hear. He also describes how to drastically reduce distractions and improve your productivity with a few simple changes... |
Fri, 16 November 2018
November 2017, I dedicated a podcast episode to the topic of alternative healthcare insurance options. A year later, in this episode, I circle back to the topic. I asked my listeners to share their experiences with healthy indemnity plans and/or medical cost sharing over the past 12 months — both good and bad. The feedback I received was enlightening … and might help you with your own healthcare coverage decision making... |
Fri, 2 November 2018
One of the things I focus on with my coaching clients is improving their productivity. Because if you can’t get your work done efficiently, you’re going to struggle. You won’t meet your full earning potential. And you’ll be stressed and unhappy. My guest for this podcast episode is Jordan Baker, a personal productivity expert and the creator of Focuster, an auto-scheduling calendar app. You’ll walk away from this conversation with practical ideas that will help you get your most important things done—without stress or drama... |