As freelancers, many of us crave the freedom to explore new places without the financial burden that travel can bring.

But what if you could fly in luxury without spending a fortune? That's where points travel comes in, and today's guest is a true expert in this game.

Spencer Howard, the mastermind behind Straight to the Points, has helped countless people book premium travel with points instead of cash—making dreams of business and first-class travel a reality.

In this episode, Spencer shares his journey from a political career to building a freelance writing business to becoming a full-time freelancer in the world of points and miles. He dives deep into the strategies freelancers can use to leverage credit card rewards and optimize points for travel, breaking down complex topics like transferable points and airline-specific credit cards.

And he explains how to do this without getting into debt or paying credit card fees that don’t make sense.

I learned a lot from this conversation. I realized that many of my hang ups about points travel were unfounded. And I discovered that I’m actually making some pretty big mistakes with a strategy I assumed was getting me huge travel perks (but it’s really not a great value!).

If you love to travel, you’re going to find several actionable tips on how to maximize your points, avoid common pitfalls and plan your next dream trip—all without breaking the bank or getting into debt.

Enjoy!

Have you ever had a client, prospect—or even an acquaintance—ask to "pick your brain"?

At first, it might feel flattering. But after the fourth or fifth time, it starts to feel like a burden.

You feel taken advantage of.

In this short episode, I talk about how I changed my approach to these requests. Instead of making excuses or feeling resentment, I started charging for “brain picking” sessions—and it completely transformed how I handle these situations.

I walk you through how I reframed these requests into a structured offer, how I set the price, and how you can do the same to ensure that clients and prospects value your time and expertise.

It doesn’t matter what type of work you do as a solo professional. If you get these requests regularly, this episode will give you practical tips on how to handle them with confidence.