For most freelancers, the concept of taking an extended break—be it for maternity leave, personal health, or a sabbatical—has been shrouded in trepidation. We love the idea of a long break, especially if we’re experiencing burnout. But we imm

#343: What to Do When a Client Wants You to Work with Their Existing Draft

15 days ago 6m 48s

What do you do when a client or prospect has a piece of long-form content they’ve written internally and they want your help finishing it? What do you quote? What’s the right way to frame your fee for the client? And how do you approach this

#342: Futurist Kevin Surace on Why Writers Must Jump on the AI Bandwagon (and Why the Future Is Bright)

29 days ago 52m 21s

As I record this episode in March of 2024, we’ve yet to feel the effects of generative AI in our solo businesses. So why are so many writers, copywriters, and solo marketers losing business? Everything that I’m hearing and seeing points to

#341: Crossing Paths: Lindy Alexander’s Secrets to Succeeding with Journalism and Content Marketing

Mar 13th, 2024 42m 52s

For many years there has been a myth among journalists that journalism and content marketing can’t coexist. You either have to focus on journalism work or on content marketing, but not on both. But this belief is based on false assumptions

#340: Ed Gandia and Sarah Greesonbach Get Raw and Real About Their Inner Battles, Fears, Aspirations—and What It’s Like to Be a Coach

Feb 28th, 2024 1h 30m

This episode is very different from what I typically do on this show. It’s a candid conversation between Sarah Greesonbach and me on a number of random topics. Sarah is not only a very talented B2B writer, she’s also the founder of the , an

#339: How to Identify the Best Services to Offer Your Market in 2024

Feb 14th, 2024 47m 45s

2023 has not been a great year for many writers and solo marketing professionals. And when business is not great, one of the first things we ask ourselves is, Should I change or modify my offerings? Will that make a difference? It’s a great

#338: Four Ways to Earn More in Less Time

Jan 31st, 2024 5m 58s

Freelancing is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because you’re in charge. You call the shots — not some overpaid and incompetent boss who has no business managing people. But freelancing is also a curse ... because you’re on you

#337: Austin L. Church on Money Mindset, Living Well and Using Pricing as a Key Lever for Financial Prosperity as a Freelance Professional

Jan 17th, 2024 1h 8m

We truly don’t talk enough about money and prosperity in the freelancing community. And that’s too bad, because the more we talk about this issue in positive and productive ways, the greater the chances our businesses will succeed. I mean...

#336: A Four-Phase Framework for Onboarding a Writer or Virtual Assistant

Jan 3rd, 2024 6m 5s

How do you feel about outsourcing some of your work? Most writers I talk with are either completely against this idea. Or they tell me that they’ve tried it and it didn’t work out. Or that they like the concept, but it just wouldn’t work for

#335: Marjorie Turner Hollman’s Journey from Memoir Writer to Book Coach to Author of a Nonfiction Book Series

Dec 31st, 2023 48m 16s

One of the most important capabilities you can develop as a self-employed professional is the ability to pivot and adapt as your business grows and your life situation evolves. Not only is life full of surprises, but what worked for you 5 yea

#334: Is the Grass Actually Greener on the Other Side?

Dec 6th, 2023 4m 33s

When your business gets really challenging, it’s very common to feel like you need to make a drastic move. Like pivoting to a different target market. Or offering a totally different set of services. Or moving out of freelancing and into a tr

#333: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Writers Make When They Edit

Nov 22nd, 2023 40m

Earning more in less time is not just about getting higher fees for your work. It’s also about being more productive and approaching client projects more efficiently. And a key part of writing productivity is effective editing. Editing is o

#332: Yes, You Should Still Raise Your Fees (Even in This Economy)

Nov 7th, 2023 7m 9s

When we’re in a challenging economy, most of us operate from a place of fear. And fear causes us to either keep our fees the same or to lower them. But I have a different recommendation for you today. I’m going to challenge you to RAISE your

#331: Marketing Strategies of a Digital Nomad Ghostwriter Earning $750 per Hour

Oct 25th, 2023 48m 38s

The real test of the strength of your own positioning, messaging and marketing is when the economy is challenging. Not when clients are flush with cash and enjoying overinflated marketing budgets — as they were over the past three years. That’s

#330: Big Takeaways from The Content Byte Summit, with Jennifer Goforth Gregory

Oct 11th, 2023 53m 25s

Last month I had the pleasure and honor to keynote The Content Byte Summit in Sydney, Australia, along with my friend and colleague Jennifer Goforth Gregory. The conference was top-notch. And by the end of the first day of the two day event, Je

#329: Pricing Is Mostly Arbitrary

Sep 27th, 2023 6m 38s

How do you know if (or when) you’re pricing yourself beyond what the overall market can bear? That’s the question I address in today’s short podcast episode. I talk about this idea of “what the market can bear,” ... and why that shouldn’t be yo

#328: Can You Be Your Own Business Coach?

Sep 12th, 2023 32m 2s

In this episode, I explore this idea further and offer advice for how to be a more effective coach to yourself. And I include examples of what I do in between engagements with my own coach.

#327: Raising Your Fees In a Recession

Aug 29th, 2023 6m 58s

In this week’s short podcast episode, I detail 3 ways to raise your fees effectively ... even in a difficult economy. It’s all about thinking of the challenge differently and in a more creative way.

#326: The Real Nature of Breakthroughs in Your Business and Your Work

Aug 15th, 2023 4m 26s

In this week’s short podcast episode I share some powerful insights from a world-renowned music producer on how to have more breakthroughs in your business and personal life.

#322: Diversifying Your Freelance Income

Aug 15th, 2023 50m 31s

In this conversation, Shane details how he and his wife have built and grown a very reliable income stream in the span of a couple of years. He talks openly about all the mistakes they made and how they learned from them. And he details the bes

EP325 - Rob Marsh on Leveraging AI to Grow Your Freelance Business

Aug 1st, 2023 51m 9s

#324: When Your Work Pipeline Is Dry

Jul 18th, 2023 4m 32s

In this week’s episode, I discuss this all-too-common scenario. And I share some ideas for how to turn things around... starting with your mindset.

#323: Gordon Graham on Writing a White Paper with ChatGPT, Predictions for AI’s Impact on Writers, and How to Pivot as the Technology Improves

Jul 4th, 2023 1h 17m

This week’s episode is the next installment in this series on AI. We focus on the impact of this technology is having (and will have) on the business of content marketing and copywriting.

#321: Easing In and Easing Out

Jun 6th, 2023 5m 49s

Have you given thought to what weekly and daily rhythm works best for YOU? That’s what we’re discussing in this week’s podcast episode. I’ll share how I structure my week and how you cand find your own natural flow.

#320: The Resilient Mindset—What It Takes to Thrive in the Face of AI and Economic Uncertainty

May 24th, 2023 52m 35s

In this week’s podcast episode, I discuss the four different scenarios you might be in right now, and what each of them asks of you. I then lay out three high-level strategies for shoring up your business and becoming stronger, better and more