Many of us spend time at the end of the year setting goals for the months and year ahead.

But have you ever sat down to figure out what you value most in your business and personal life?

And more specifically, the values, criteria or rules that will guide most of your decisions?

In this episode, you’re going to hear from Trevor Mauch, a very successful entrepreneur who started just a few years ago like many of us did: as a freelancer.

He eventually founded a software company that’s grown into a multi-million dollar business. Along the way he had a series of challenges and epiphanies that changed the course of his life. Listen in as he explains how clarifying his own set of non-negotiables made all the difference in the world.

Given the choice between prospecting for clients or having prequalified prospects come to YOU, I’ll take the latter any day.

Prospecting is an essential part of marketing your writing business. But getting prequalified prospects to come to you via attraction marketing is much more efficient in the long run.

In this episode you’ll hear from my good friend and colleague Derek Lewis. Derek is a very successful book ghostwriter who commands $50,000 to $75,000 per book. And one of the many things I love about his story is the fact that he relies 100% on attraction marketing.

He explains how he does this so well, and how you can start implementing some elements of attraction marketing in your own writing business.

I remember the blank stares I got in 2006 when I told friends and relatives that I quit my day job to go freelance.

Back then, very few people understood what freelancing was ... or that anyone could earn a living writing from home.

Boy, has that’s changed!

Over the past 10 years, there has been a ton of information published about the freelance economy. Freelancing and consulting no longer mean “I’m between jobs.” And experts and economists are finally recognizing that we’re a real (and growing) segment of the labor force—not a temporary fluke.

But exactly how many people are freelancing? Are the big numbers we’re reading an accurate representation of the freelance workforce? And what do these numbers and projections mean for us?

That’s the topic of this episode. My guest, Robert McGuire, is going to pull apart these numbers and predictions and give us his take on what’s really happening in the gig economy.

Today we’re talking health insurance for freelancers. More specifically, we’re exploring two unconventional options to traditional health insurance.

This is an extremely hot topic given our current political environment. But I don’t want to give you the same information everyone else is publishing.

“Where can I get affordable health insurance?” is the wrong question to ask right now. The better question is, “What are my options?”

For many of us, getting the same coverage from a different source (and for the same price) isn’t a real solution. If your premiums are no longer sustainable—or if you have pre-existing conditions that you’re concerned about—you should look beyond the usual offerings.

In this episode, I’m focusing on two options most people don’t even know exist...

I think every freelancer should work on building a secondary income stream.

Doing so diversifies your income and takes some of the pressure off your client work.

It can also help fund some really important things in your life...

Your kids’ college tuition ... your parents’ long-term care ... or even nicer vacations and experiences (the bucket list beckons!).

In this episode, I detail two different approaches to doing this with an info product (such as an online course or training program).

Freaking out about your niche and how to pick the right industry or topic? Or even basically how to position yourself for success?

While I have a very specific process for making the best possible decision about your niche, specialty or target market, there comes a point where you just have to go with what you’ve got and start taking action!

In this interview you’ll hear from writer Holly Helscher, a coaching client of mine and a fabulous writer and all-around super person.

In our chat, Holly opens up about how she made her “niche” decision, and how she changed and refined that idea once she got out there and started knocking on doors.

It’s a fun, inspirational and very helpful conversation for anyone who’s struggling with this “niche” decision.

Without an attraction marketing strategy in place, you’re missing out on a proven way to generate quality prospects—one that can work for you 24/7 and help position you as the obvious choice.

Denise Kiernan transitioned from journalism and commercial writing into writing books for a living.

Denise is the New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, as well as a number of other books.

In this interview, Denise gives us a behind-the-scenes look into what it’s like transitioning from a freelance writer to a full-time author. She explains what it’s really like to come up with book ideas, pitch the best ones, land a book deal, research and write that book for months ... and deal with far-off deadlines, procrastination and negative self-talk.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into the habits, rituals and challenges of a successful author.  

Prospecting for clients is not on the list of things most of us love to do.

We want to do it. We know we should do it.

But we just don’t do it as consistently as we should.

Sound familiar?

If so, I have some very practical and simple ideas today for getting your prospecting DONE...

Freelancing continues to grow like crazy.

More and more professionals are choosing to leave traditional employment for a more flexible work arrangement.

And platforms like Upwork have enabled millions to offer their talents to anyone around the globe.

So you have to wonder...

Is this influx of new freelancers making it harder to command professional-level fees?

The short answer: yes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re doomed to work for less.

The key to maintaining and growing your income as a freelancer is to be very deliberate about how you differentiate yourself. And that’s the topic of this week’s episode.

My guest is freelance copywriter and business coach Steve Roller. Steve is the author of the upcoming book The Freelancer Manifesto: 11 Big Ideas to Stand Out and Thrive in the New Economy.

And in this interview he shares several smart ways you can sustainably differentiate yourself in this increasingly competitive marketplace.

All of us are born with a great sense of wonder, courage and boldness. 

As toddlers, we have tremendous curiosity. And we’re not afraid to explore and to express our creative spirit.

But somewhere along the way, fear begins to rule our lives.

Fear of looking stupid. Fear of rejection. Fear of criticism. Fear of failing.

We begin to lose our confidence. We stop taking chances. We start playing small.

At times, we may even start to feel like a fraud.

Fortunately, there are many things we can do to turn this tide and regain our confidence. And one of them is to get into the habit of doing more of what scares us.

In this podcast episode, you’ll hear from writer and copywriter Leilani Haywood.

Leilani explains how she deliberately does things that scare her in order to grow personally and professionally. And she talks about how this practice has enabled her to launch and grow a thriving freelance business.  

Over the past few years LinkedIn has become an incredibly powerful lead-generating and prospecting tool for freelancers.

We’ve talked about it before on the show.

And for Steve Maurer, LinkedIn has been an indispensable business-generating tool.

Steve is an industrial manufacturing and safety copywriter. And he’s figured out how to turn LinkedIn into his most productive and reliable lead generating vehicle. 

In this podcast episode you’ll hear exactly how Steve does this...

Ever go weeks prospecting for clients without something to show for it?

You “knock” on what seems like a ton of doors. But no one seems to be interested.

And when you finally get a response, it’s something along the lines of “I’ll keep your information on file...”

It’s exhausting, isn’t it?

In this week’s episode I explain why this happens... and what you can do about it.

Millennials tend to get a bad rap.

The stereotype is that of a spoiled, unemployed and highly educated 25-year-old living in mom and dad’s basement... playing video games, spending inordinate amounts of time on social media, binge-watching Netflix and just trying to “find their way.”

Sure, they may not have the spending power and wealth of Boomers. But it’s also unfair to lump them all into one category and assume they don’t matter.

Because they do!

And as a writer and copywriter, there’s a good chance that you’ll soon have to write for this demographic.

In this episode you’ll hear from my friend and colleague Kelly King of the 80-20 Agency. Kelly is a talented marketing strategist who has built a marketing firm that helps companies connect with Millennials.

She’ll explain how Millennials think differently... what their attitudes and values are... what they look for in a product or service... four common myths about this generation... and what writers and copywriters need to understand if they want their message to connect with them.

My guest this week is Jeanne Noorman.

Jeanne faced a number of challenges when she decided to start her freelance writing business after being a stay-at-home mom since 1985.

She had little in the way of a career she could draw from—and no professional network.

Yet she overcame the odds and today is a thriving freelance writer.

This is Jeanne’s uncut story. You’ll hear about her struggles... the number of times she thought about giving up... what she did to push through all the obstacles... and the five recommendations she has for new freelancers...

If you’re starting out as a freelance writer or copywriter, you’re going to love this podcast interview.

My guest is Hannah Glenn, a Los Angeles–based freelance writer.

Hannah went through my B2B Biz Launcher 2.0 coaching program a while back. And she’s a perfect of example of someone who didn’t rely on luck to get ahead.

She had to work. And she had to work hard.

A few important points you’ll hear in this interview:

• You don’t necessarily need to have a previous career in a specific field in order to work in that field as a freelance writer or copywriter.

• You will make changes and adjustments to your positioning and your niche once you get out there—even if you spend months pre-planning.

• Steady and deliberate action are key. So are baby steps. Serendipity only happens when you start taking action.

• Don’t have samples? Or may your samples are not that impressive? That’s OK, start where you are with what you’ve got! And get creative. Be resourceful! (You’ll see what Hannah did.)

And much, much more...

I’ve been fascinated by why some people do consistently well and why others seem to struggle. And why so many fail despite the fact that they’re smarter than average... have more financial resources than the average person... have better skills... a great personality... or great looks.

After working with more than 300 freelancers at all levels (from newbies to six-figure earners), I’ve reached some very interesting conclusions...

Writing sales pages, landing pages, long-form content or detailed articles is not easy.

Getting started can be a drag. Writer’s block is often a problem. And even when you get going, it’s difficult to get and maintain momentum.

But what if you started writing the piece from the bottom up? What if that bottom-up method helped you create a quicker and far superior product?

In this episode, New Zealand-based marketing and persuasion expert Sean D’Souza explains his bottom-up method of writing... and why it’s more effective than the traditional top-to-bottom approach many of us use.

There’s no denying that smart creative professionals are finding unique ways to drum up quality leads and build trust with good prospects online.

My guest this week is a perfect example of this. Her name is Kaleigh Moore. She’s a freelance writer, and she’s experienced great success as a freelancer in a very short amount of time.

In this interview she explains how she generates prospects online. How she builds relationships and trust by adding value. And how she leverages these wins to create a positive domino effect in her business.

In this week’s episode we’re going to talk about crappy clients — or “clients from hell,” as my guest calls them. ;-)

My guest is Bryce Bladon. Bryce is an award-winning writer, creative consultant and strategist, and editor-in-chief of Clients From Hell, a blog that collects anonymously contributed client horror stories from the front lines of the freelancing industry. He also hosts a podcast of the same name.

Yes, we’ll vent a little. But we’ll also talk about how you can identify these “problem children” before they unleash hell. More specifically, how to handle these difficult situations with grace and professionalism.

Engaging with freelancer professionals (across different industries) brings many benefits to freelance writers. Designer and freelancer Emily Leach explains in the HIBW podcast.

Many authors, speakers and coaches are great at what they do.

They often teach life-changing strategies and ideas.

But most of them can’t write copy to save their lives.

Worse yet, they don’t even know where to find a good copywriter.

In this eye-opening interview with my friend and colleague Casey Demchak, you’ll learn:

• Who these people are
• What they need from copywriters
• How you can find the best-quality clients
• What you can charge

And much more...

Have you ever tracked your prospect inquiries over a period of time? You’d be surprised how many insights you can get out of this simple exercise!

In this interview, my good friend Dianna Huff shares her results from her own inquiry-tracking effort. And she details the eye-opening insights that came out of this.

If you’re planning your marketing efforts for the year, you don’t want to miss this episode.

I’ve brought back my friend and colleague Ilise Benun to talk about how you can market your business more effectively this year.

I love how Ilise has broken this down into six tools or strategies to focus on. And how she’s grouped those strategies into:

1. Things you should deploy or refine
2. Things you should do a regular basis

These interviews with Ilise are some of our most popular on the show. And this will be no exception...

If you struggle with productivity, this episode is for you.

First of all, you’re not alone. Productivity is a big challenge for creative professionals. Working from home means that you’re exposed to a ridiculous number of distractions. And when you’re in front of a computer all day long, the temptation to check email, social media or crazy cat videos can be paralyzing.

Yet if we’re ever going to do great work, we have to be productive. We know that intellectually. Making it work on a day-by-day and minute-by-minute basis, however, is challenging.

So as we kick off the New Year, I wanted to bring in my friend and colleague Mark McGuinness to the show. Mark has a number of very practical and tactical tips for improving your productivity very quickly...