In today’s podcast episode, I explain why your hesitation to go after bigger clients probably isn’t about a lack of qualifications—and has to do with giving yourself permission.

Discover what the movie Moneyball can teach you about how to succeed as a freelance writer, copywriter, or marketing consultant.

In today’s short podcast episode, I’ll explain why you can’t escape the fundamentals—and where you should put your efforts instead.

In today’s podcast episode, you’ll hear how and why Austin transformed his business to make it more profitable by going deeper with his clients.

In today’s podcast episode, I walk you through my process for brainstorming solutions to big, complex problems. 

In this podcast episode, I’ll describe when it does—and doesn’t—make sense to post your fees on your website.

In today’s podcast episode, my guest Will Henshall, CEO, and founder of Focus@Will, explains what we can do to get and stay focused.

In today’s podcast episode, I share how you can open yourself up to transformative ideas, practice detachment, and take inspired action.

In today’s podcast episode, I detail three important ways to set expectations and boundaries with your new clients.

Stefan Georgi, one of the top direct response copywriters in the world, shares his story of landing better clients, raising his fees, and multiplying his options.

In today’s podcast episode, I talk about why—and how— to dig deeper before responding to common requests and questions from clients and prospects.

Ask yourself these three big questions to change the way you think about the problem of how to scale your business.

In today’s podcast episode, I talk about the importance of trusting your gut.  

In today’s podcast episode, I brainstorm ideas to syndicate one of your current services.

In this podcast episode, Gordon Graham (That White Paper Guy) and I discuss the six main reasons why white paper projects fail.

In today’s podcast episode, I explain the difference between a custom and productized service using a surprising metaphor.

In today’s podcast episode, writer Kaleigh Moore gives four concrete reasons why she commands strong fees for her blog posts

Barbara Huson, financial therapist and wealth coach, joins us for today’s podcast episode.

In today’s podcast episode, I make the case for not nickel and diming your clients—and I describe where you should put your energy instead.

In today’s podcast episode, I boil down the thousands of ways you can grow your income into five core factors.

The lessons I’ve learned through my complex relationship with money—lessons you can draw from to improve your own financial health.

In this podcast episode, I delve into how we should think about the year ahead—and whether we can still set goals when the future looks so uncertain.

In this short podcast episode, I relay Josh Groban’s story—and explain what it can teach us about the role preparation plays in “lucky breaks.”

In today’s podcast episode, Karen gives simple tips and ideas we can all implement to reduce stress and anxiety and have more effective video calls.

In today’s short podcast episode, I talk about the dangers of making business decisions based on what your writing colleagues say about the market.

In this podcast episode, legendary marketer Brian Kurtz describes the seven critical success factors used by direct marketing legends — and how those principles still apply today.

In today’s short podcast episode, I talk about the power of exclusivity—and how you can leverage it to attain higher fees and book your schedule as a writer or content marketer.

In this podcast episode, learn how to lead sales conversations with confidence — and land more projects — by following Nikki Rausch’s five-step selling process.

In today’s short podcast episode, I explore why you’re better off improving what you’ve already built than building something entirely new. 

In today’s short podcast episode, I give a different way of making decisions that will help you come up with better, smarter solutions—with a lot less drama.

In today’s short podcast episode, I share how to overcome shyness and fear by taking smart, calculated risks.

In today’s short podcast episode, I explain how to approach projects where the scope of work or solution isn’t immediately evident.

Discover how you can harness the power of video storytelling to differentiate yourself from competitors, with guest filmmaker, Jude Charles.

In today’s short podcast episode, I review four critical success factors you MUST have in place for email prospecting.

In this short podcast episode, a comparison between music producers and content marketers or writers and the lessons it holds for how we perceive the value of our work.

In this short podcast episode, I reveal the dangers of letting preconceived notions about what’s “reasonable” set the parameters for pricing client projects.

In this short podcast episode, I explain how shifting your mindset from working for yourself to working for your clients can get you what want.

In this podcast episode, I walk through an exercise that can help you recognize your value and approach prospects and clients with greater confidence.

In this episode, I share two ways to get prospects to respond to your final follow up attempt by creating a pattern interrupt.

In this podcast episode, I outline my new approach to project pricing — and how a simple mindset shift can make all the difference in the growth of your income and business.

In today’s podcast episode, Danielle Hughes gives you the tools you need to create content that sounds like YOU and stands out in a world of sameness.

In this podcast episode, I tell the story of the 17th-century Dutch painter, Sir Peter Lely to see what it can teach us a lot about outsourcing — and where we bring the greatest value.

In today’s podcast episode, my guest Tony Steuer and I reveal a simple, 12-month financial action plan you can use to get your financial house in order.

In this short podcast episode, I relate the story of our washing machine repairs — and what it can teach us about pricing our services and understanding our value.

In today’s podcast episode, my guest Romi Neustadt describes how you can have it all by setting priorities and figuring out where to put your focus.

In today’s podcast episode, I’m joined by Mike McDerment, co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks, who has a message about pricing that we all need to here.  

In this podcast episode, I reveal what you can to stop prospects from “ghosting” you.

In this podcast episode, I describe three levers you can pull to become an indispensable resource to your clients and foster long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.

In today’s short podcast episode, I share two imperatives that you can use to guide your thinking about finding and acquiring clients.  

In today’s podcast episode, PR powerhouse Kelly Glover reveals how writers can use podcasting to get more clients and build their brand.

In this podcast episode, we have a father who explains why he wrote a letter to his son in the midst of the pandemic.

In this podcast episode, freelance writer Kaleigh Moore reveals how she minimizes stress while keeping work fun and rewarding.

In this short podcast episode, I encourage freelance writers to take a chance and rewrite their own rulebook.

In this podcast episode, Cole Shafer describes how he landed clients such as Google, FreshBooks, and other brand name companies — and how he did it in less than three years.

In this short podcast episode, I talk about why it’s important to emotionally detach from the outcome of your project proposals. And what can happen when you don’t.

In today’s podcast episode, my guest Laura Khalil discusses how women in tech can succeed with the help of courageous leadership.

In this short podcast episode, I use the restaurant industry to illustrate that even when commoditization has taken hold of a market, you can still separate yourself from the pack.

In this podcast episode, I bring in two experts from the Professional Independent Consultants of America to shed light on California’s AB5 law.

In this short podcast episode, I relate how Tony Robbins expresses the value he brings to his clients and how we can apply the same technique to our own businesses.

In this podcast episode, Pamela Wilson of Big Brand System explains how to create your own content faster, more consistently and with less stress.

How to Work at Home with Kids During the Coronavirus Lockdown ... Without Completely Losing Your Sanity

In this podcast episode, Jessica Abel addresses how to create the freedom you need to work on non-urgent endeavors and overcome procrastination and self-doubt.

In this short podcast episode, I reveal an easy way to get more prospects to say “yes” to your proposals — and how to follow up when they don’t.

In this podcast episode, you’ll learn why public speaking is such a valuable skill to have and why you do NOT need to be extroverted to do it well.

In this podcast episode, I examine a different way of framing the services you offer to clients — and what you can learn from how a fast-growing nationwide wellness franchise.

In this podcast episode, Diane Gardner, a certified tax coach, shares how to maximize your tax deductions, make your tax planning easier, and minimize your tax liability.

I’ve rarely seen equity arrangements or payment by the percentage of profits work out for the writer. Here’s what you can do instead.

In this podcast episode, my guest is bestselling author Joanna Penn. Our conversation will expand your thinking about passive income streams and spark ideas about assets that could pay you dividends for decades.

In this short podcast episode, I discuss what you need to consider when deciding whether to let go of a client — and the best way to do it.

In this episode, Sarah Greensonbach explains what original research is, what clients can do with it, and how you can pitch it as a service.

In this podcast episode, I discuss a cash management strategy I’ve been using that’s completely revolutionized my finances — and the way I feel about my business.

In this episode, I'm delving into this topic of survivor bias — and how we can use the study of failures and struggles to avoid it and gain deeper insights.

Complaining at length about low rates is fruitless (and dangerous). In this episode, I explain why low rates aren’t the problem you think they are. And how you should start thinking about them instead.

In today’s episode, Daphne Gray-Grant explains why you need a crummy first draft, how to use mind mapping for inspiration and tips to stop editing as you write.

In this episode, personal trainer Steve Beck describes how to get started with a simple exercise program if you’re currently at “zero,” and how to build on your current fitness routine if you already have one.

In this podcast episode, I explore a variety of ideas and approaches to drive higher quality leads to your website.

When a qualified prospect asks to meet you in person, respond with “yes, and…” to get the most out of your time.

In this interview, Chris Orzechowski explains why he decided to write a book, how he settled on a topic, and how he got it done quickly. He also shares the massive results he’s enjoyed from the effort.

In this mini-podcast episode, I explain how a recent scare in my business proved the importance of clearly communicating your value to prospects when presenting your pricing.

Many writers will hire another writer when they’re ready to scale their business. But often, a better first step is to hire a virtual assistant.

In our culture, we sometimes think that if we’re not scaling our business, we’re failing in our business. I dispel that myth in this episode.

Clients and prospects will sometimes toss you a problem to solve. But that doesn’t automatically mean you have to deal with it. Sometimes you should toss the problem back to them.

In this episode, guest Ross Simmonds explains what Fortune 500 clients look for in a writer, how you can generate a steady stream of high-quality corporate leads, and how you can command higher fees.

If you want to work more productively — and feel less overwhelmed — you have to make real changes to your business. In this podcast episode, I’m looking at actions you can take to work more efficiently and reduce feelings of overwhelm.

Hilary Jastram was forced into entrepreneurship when she became chronically ill a few years ago. In today’s podcast episode, she explains how she’s built a successful business and used her illness as a motivation to keep going.

To overcome procrastination, you have to admit that you do it and find ways of dealing with it. In today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn why procrastination is a serious problem and what you can do turn things around.

Hannah Bower is a content marketer with a background in PR. In this conversation, you’ll learn what freelance PR work entails, how it’s changed and why Hannah decided to get out of it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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...

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.