Thu, 30 July 2015
Over the past three years, I've worked with hundreds of new freelance writers and copywriters. I enjoy mentoring and coaching these new and ambitious freelance professionals, helping them build and grow their businesses. But through this process, I've uncovered a disturbing trend. This is not something I enjoy talking about. Mainly because it requires that I be blunt about some issues.
But it's time to shine a light on this painful truth — and what you can do about it if you find yourself in one of these situations. |
Thu, 16 July 2015
If you've been freelancing for a few years, chances are you've had trouble getting paid at some point. The client was slow to pay. Or they lost your invoice. Or they held your payment for some weird and unfair reason. When that happens, you have a choice. You can rant about it. Foam at the mouth. Call Tony Soprano. Lose sleep. Or you can use that as a learning experience. And change what you do in order to prevent that from happening again (or at least to prevent it from happening as frequently). As passionate as I about my business and as much energy as I put into my clients' work, I've chosen to focus on the latter.
Not only has it been more effective, but it has also enabled me to retain my sanity and peace of mind. And in this episode my guest, Katie Lane will share some very practical ideas for preventing these nightmares from happening. |
Thu, 2 July 2015
The process of picking a niche can be extremely stressful. But I've found that most of that stress and frustration is the result of bad advice. In fact, most of what I read and hear on the topic of picking a niche is misguided. It treats the issue as a simple, one-dimensional decision. But in reality, this is a complex, multi-faceted topic that requires you to think about your business at a deeper level. At the same time, it requires you to take action, even before you feel 100 percent comfortable with you decision. Because in most cases, your best niche ends up finding YOU.
I've addressed this topic before. But in this episode, we're going deeper. My guest is Ilise Benun from marketing-mentor.com. Ilise is a frequent guest in my podcasts and classes. And in this interview, she'll share some practical ideas to help you solve your niche puzzle. |
Thu, 18 June 2015
Do you use a creative brief when working with clients? Have you thought about using one but not sure what to include? Do you even need one? You'll get direct answers to these important questions in this week's show. My guest is Pam Foster from Content Clear Marketing and Petcopywriter.com. Pam is a seasoned marketer with extensive corporate communications experience. She's a big believer in using a creative brief when working on client projects. In this episode, she explains:
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Thu, 4 June 2015
Email is dying. Not really. But that's what some social media pundits are claiming. Fact is, it really doesn't matter how much texting, tweeting and "Facebooking" people are doing these days ... email is not going anywhere. Love it or hate it, email is a wonderful tool. It's convenient and dependable. It's ubiquitous. The trick, however, is knowing how to keep it under control. In this week's session, we'll address the issue head on. You'll hear from Twyla LaPointe, a productivity expert and an email management consultant. Twyla will share a mix of strategy, workflow and simple tools to help you tame the email beast |
Thu, 21 May 2015
Growing your income as a freelancer doesn't need to be that difficult. In fact, there's a very simple way to do that. I've used it for years to multiply my income. And I've taught it to many of my coaching clients who have used it successfully. But there's a problem. The idea is so simple, it's often dismissed and never put to use.
So before I reveal too much, I'd like to give you some context. |
Thu, 7 May 2015
As a freelancer, there are few things more frustrating than a prospect who suddenly disappears for no apparent reason. He reached out to get some information, indicated a high level of interest, was fine with your ballpark fee — maybe even gave you a verbal confirmation that he was going to move forward.
But then ... nothing! You can't get him to return calls or emails.
You have no idea why. And now you're wondering if you said or did the wrong thing.
Sound familiar?
In this week's episode, my friend and colleague Ilise Benun and I tackle this common issue head on. We look at the different flavors of this problem. We examine why this happens so frequently. And we offer some concrete advice for how to deal with these frustrating situations.
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Thu, 23 April 2015
Many of us have been brought up to believe that talent and hard work are the keys to success in business. But as competition stiffens and clients find it harder to distinguish freelancers from each other, you need a different strategy. You need to capitalize on (and communicate) your unique perspective and knowledge. My guest for this episode is Dorie Clark, author of two business books, a consultant and speaker. Dorie worked as a journalist, so she knows our world very well. When she lost her job in a round of layoffs, she had to reinvent herself. Since then, she’s worked as a spokesperson for gubernatorial and presidential campaigns and executive director of a nonprofit.
In this interview, she explains why hard work and talent are no longer enough. And how you can position yourself as a trusted expert to set yourself apart—even if you don't quite feel like an "expert" in your field. |
Thu, 9 April 2015
There's plenty of advice about what you should do when starting and growing a freelance writing business. But not too many people are openly talking about things you should avoid at this critical early stage. My guest this week is Diana Scheidman, a freelance writer and researcher specializing in the insurance and asset management industries. Diana has developed a reputation for helping people who want to land well-paid freelance and consulting work quickly. And she recently wrote a book on the subject titled Real Skills, Real Income: A Proven Marketing System to Land Well-Paid Freelance and Consulting Work in 30 Days or Less. In this episode, Diana shares 10 things new freelance business writers must avoid if they want to get their freelance business off the ground faster. |
Thu, 26 March 2015
One of the things that I've tried to be very mindful of is painting a very realistic picture of what it's like to launch and grow a freelance writing and copywriting business today. In fact, I take great pride in being transparent about the hard work required. You'll hear that in most of my interviews, as well as in shows such as:
Today is no exception. My guest is Mark Stone, a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada. Mark is still in the early stages of growing his business, and he has an interesting story to tell about finding his way through this business. You're not going to hear a talk about rainbows and sunshine. Instead, you'll get more of a status report from Mark. You'll hear how Mark is landing progressively better and higher-paying clients. And how he's pushing past fears and insecurities to improve his business and his income. If you're just starting out or are in the first two or three years of your freelance venture, I think you'll get a lot out of this interview. |