Want to know the biggest sticking point in a freelancer's career? It's when you run out of friends and family to sell your services to. The moment you move into the world of getting strangers to hire you is the moment you find out what you're made of. It's honestly a scary place to be, but most people don't have large enough personal networks to stay booked solid with friends and family alone. Enter The Complete Client Journey: this is the 7 stages you need to walk someone through as they...

Ah, freelancing, my friend! Let's talk about the art of nurturing relations in this wild, wonderful, sometimes impossibly difficult world. You see, it's a bit like trying to find love on a dating app (which is where I met my wife 8 years ago). You don't just swipe right and immediately pop the big question, do you? No, no. It all begins with that elusive, deep connection. In the dating world, you chat, you laugh, and you get to know each other. You share stories, experiences, and maybe even a...

And on September 29th, someone played dirty and swiped access to my ads account. 19 days, folks. Nineteen. That's how long I was locked out, twiddling my thumbs while some hacker ran ads for elderly women’s bras on MY dime. As hilarious as that sounds, they threw a huge wrench into my marketing machine that cranks out thousands of leads monthly. Now, I’m no mathematician, but those 19 days of darkness cost me. We're not just talking about the pocket change of $3,000 they blew on those bra...

Raise your hand if you suck at self-promotion... 🙋🏻‍♂️ 🙋🏼 🙋🏿‍♂️ 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️ (←that's probably you.) Sadly, self-promotion is where most freelancers hit a wall. It's one thing to create an amazing service or irresistible lead magnet, but it's entirely another to promote it effectively. If your calendar isn't booked solid with projects from ideal clients, then you likely suck at self-promotion. (just being real with you 🤷🏻‍♂️) For those naysayers who think, "self-promotion!? You shouldn't have...

Let’s dive into a crucial piece of the freelancer's marketing toolkit: The Lead Magnet. Imagine your lead magnet as an introductory handshake in the online world. It's your first impression, and we all know how vital that is. Your lead magnet isn’t merely a "hello"... it’s an "I understand your problems and I know how to help." Every lead is a person looking for a solution, and your lead magnet is the first step in proving that YOU are that solution. What we’re crafting isn’t just a freebie...

Listen, I've heard it a hundred times, and I bet you have, too... "If you're good enough, you can just wait for clients to come to you." They say. "Word of mouth is all you need." They say. But here's the deal: sitting on your hands and hoping for that magical email notification of a new client isn't a strategy—it's a death trap. Let me paint a picture... You're a talented freelancer. You've had some good months, even great ones. But then there's that one sobering month. The inquiries dry up,...

How much is an average client worth to you? Whatever that number is, imagine how much more they'd be worth to you and your freelance business if they were paying you that amount every single year. Now imagine how successful you'd be if every single client you've ever had was paying you the amount every year for the rest of your career. That's the reality for those who run recurring subscription businesses, however, most freelancers only offer one-and-done packages. Whether you call it a...

Hey, you... The one out there juggling a thousand tasks, feeling overwhelmed by how much needs to be done, all while trying to meet client expectations — let's chat. You've probably heard a topic as mundane sounding as "time management" and just tuned out. That's fair because this topic is usually boring as hell. "Time management" can feel like something invented by spreadsheet nerds who want to crush your creativity. There's some truth to that. The problem is is, what seems boring is usually...

Have you ever taken a pause and really thought about the significance of being willing to “suck” at something? We creatives often find ourselves cocooned in this small world of what we're already good at. We spend our time in areas that come naturally to us. The zone where our creative juices flow and your hands complete the task with ease. It's our safe space, and damn, doesn't it feel good to be there? But... here's the twist – this very zone, this "comfort bubble" is also our biggest...

We often look up to the biggest names in our field and think, "Wow, I want to be just like them", but we rarely consider the consequences. While it can be great to take inspiration from others, it can also backfire... Why? Because the top 1% in our field are really, really good at some things (like taking the perfect photo or creating a memorable logo), but that doesn't mean they're experts at EVERYTHING. In this episode, we dig into what I call "inbred businesses." This is when everyone...

Last week we did a deep dive into the world of automation and talked about how it can help take care of boring, tedious, and repetitive tasks. Well, this week, we're taking it a step further and discussing how to automate some of the client acquisition and marketing tasks in your freelance business. In this episode, we'll explore the three core areas of marketing: lead generation, lead nurture, and sales, and discuss the numerous opportunities within these areas where you can implement...

You know those tedious, terrible tasks you keep putting off? Yeah, we all have those. 🙄 Imagine if they could get done without you lifting a finger. Sounds magical, right? Well, in our latest episode, I dive deep into the magic world of automation. 🪄 No, it's not as scary as it sounds. In fact, many of us are doing it without even realizing it! Ever wondered what automation actually is? I've broken it down into three simple steps: a trigger, an action, and a result. 🔄 Curious about how...

Feeling like you've hit a ceiling in your freelancing career? Ready to take the leap into True Entrepreneurship but unsure where to begin? You're not alone, and I've got the perfect resource for you! I recently recorded a podcast episode all about what it means to graduate from freelancing. This episode is tailored for creative freelancers like you who might feel stagnant or limited in their current roles and are seeking new challenges, broader impact, and diversified income streams. In this...

In today's episode, I'm dedicating the entire discussion to the creative versus the entrepreneur. We'll explore the pros and cons of each side, helping you navigate the battle within and find that sweet spot in the middle—the balance that leads to a happier, healthier, and more prosperous freelance career. First, let's really understand your creative side. As freelancers, most of us start as creatives at heart. We stumble upon a skill or a passion that sparks our imagination, ignites our...

I get how it feels when your website doesn't bring those sought-after leads. It's frustrating to spend so much time and care building a beautiful site, only to be greeted with crickets. The thing is, your website is likely more like a confusing labyrinth for potential clients... All those options, paths, and choices can be overwhelming. It's like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, where you're never quite sure if you're heading for the jackpot or a dead end. So what happens when your clients...

Here's a concept that will make you more money - everything in business is based on inputs and outputs. Yes, this sounds soulless, and yes this seems to take away the creativity, but stick with me. It's all about understanding how your freelance business operates, just like any other machine out there. Picture this: When you work a regular job, you know your input is your time, and the output is your hard-earned cash, right? It's simple. Similarly, with a car, you put in gasoline, and you get...

Have you ever had an amazing potential client reach out to you? They seem really interested and they look perfect for you... But then, poof! They just vanish. Time goes by, the job doesn't happen, and you're left scratching your head, wondering, "wtf did I do wrong?" This can be really frustrating, but guess what? We can fix it! If this sounds like something that's happened to you, here's how you fix it: Be impossible to ignore. The truth is, if this part is hard for you, you're likely only...

In any freelance business, there are two ways to increase your income: Get more clients Make each client worth more. While most freelancers focus on the first method, most of us ignore blatantly obvious ways you can make each and every client worth more $$$ to your business. The beauty of focusing on how you can make each and every client worth more is that the improvements you make here can have a massive impact for the rest of your life. Despite this, few freelancers spend time thinking...

On today's podcast episode, I wanted to have a candid chat about something critical to your success as a freelancer... It's a topic that's often glossed over, but it's the backbone of your entire business: Fulfilling the services you're paid for as a freelancer. Have you ever wondered why some clients never return, or why they don't refer your services to others? Maybe you're finding that more and more of your clients and projects are becoming a pain in the 🍑? If so, it might be time to take...

Today, we're kickstarting a new podcast series. We're calling it the "Freelance F*ckups" series - because, let's be real, we all have those moments. This series is special because it aims to address one of the main issues we face when listening to advice-rich podcasts - information overload. Picture it as an "Advice Buffet" where you're trying to juggle countless pieces of advice, strategies, and tips. It's overwhelming, isn't it? For a lot of us, this all-you-can-eat Advice Buffet leaves us...

I've been talking to a lot of freelancers recently, and I'm a bit troubled by their underwhelming financial goals. It's not about being greedy, it's about being realistic... This is why I am presenting a bold idea: $100k should be the new minimum wage for freelancers. Many freelancers look at $100k as their most ambitious goal, while I look at it as merely the start. Hear me out. Gross income as a freelancer is vastly different from a salary in a day job. The reason is simple: expenses....

We all know the life of a freelancer isn't easy. There's an unending list of tasks to tackle, clients to please, and portfolios to build. On top of that, we juggle personal commitments and the oh-so-precious "me time" that often gets squeezed out. So, it's no surprise that we often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, the creativity squashed out of us, and, at times, a sense of exhaustion that doesn't seem to let up. Sound familiar? It does to me. In our latest episode, I dove headfirst into...

Here's a wild guess: I bet you've never set a real marketing goal for your business. Since most freelancers struggle to consider themselves a "business", this really isn't a big surprise. When it comes to the 10th episode of this "Back to Basics" series, marketing goals are about as basic as things get when it comes to marketing. How are you going to put together any sort of marketing plan without setting marketing goals? Now, I get it. I'm sure you have plenty of ideas fluttering around in...

In the latest installment of our Back to Basics series, we're diving headfirst into an often overlooked yet vital subject: carving out your unique niche as a freelancer. Today's exploration centers on what I term "The Copycat Freelancer" dilemma. Don't get me wrong... I’m not here to criticize. Instead, I want to guide you past this hurdle that's probably been holding you back for years. Imagine I asked you, 'Why should a client choose you over your competitor?' What would your response...

Today we're continuing with our "Back to Basics" journey by focusing on something that's often overlooked by freelancers - promotion. Promotion is super important to keep the clients coming in, but a lot of freelancers think they just need to be good at what they do. They admire those who seem to have endless work, thinking it all comes from word-of-mouth alone. But, in the early days of freelancing, just relying on referrals can be risky, leading to the scary "feast or famine" cycle. This...