What’s the best way to incentivize referrals that are sent your way--and should you pay referral fees (or acknowledge those with a gift of some sort?) We’re diving into our opinions on the topic, sharing what we do to drive referrals, and talking about how we thank the people who sent opportunities our way.

There's a very real feel for online creators around being seen as a "spammy marketer." Paul and I both wrestle with this, so in this episode, we're talking about whether or not people who sell things online (and run their own businesses) are really the enemy. https://creativeclass.co

Do you have to be crazy passionate about your freelance work? Maybe not. In this episode, we're talking about the reality of freelance work and the fact that you're probably not going to be in love with it year-round, even if it does offer some serious perks. https://creativeclass.co

Having an internet-based job and personal brand entails more work that you'd think--so how do you handle the emotional labor of considering what people will do or how they'll react to your presence? We're going into this in detail. https://creativeclass.co

Modern #growthhacking culture says we all need to be experts at what we do professionally--but is that really true? In this episode, we're talking about being experts vs. just being people who share things online. https://creativeclass.co

It sucks when you have to deal with rejections and unhappy clients, but it's important to remember it's business--not personal. We'll explore how freelancers can get better at handling these situations and not letting it reflect on their skills as a whole. https://creativeclass.co

Should you call yourself a "freelancer"? Some feel that this term has negative connotations professionally, so in this episode, we're diving into our own answers to this question. https://creativeclass.co

Freelancers are notoriously bad at taking vacations--and this happens for a variety of reasons. In this episode, we're making a case for taking real time off so you can rest and reset your business brain (and going over some of the silly reasons freelancers don't take vacations). https://creativeclass.co

Therapy is a good thing! That's why we're talking about our own experiences going to therapy in this episode, as well as its impact on our business lives. If nothing else, we hope it'll offer some background as you consider whether or not it's right for you.

Maintaining your mental health as a freelancer is no easy task. In this episode, we're talking about some of the common obstacles that get in the way of good mental health for freelancers as well as our personal practices that keep us healthy and sane.

Kaleigh and Paul preparing the fifth season of Creative Class! This season will be released every other week, all year. They are talking about mental health, vacations, expertise, and everything that's involved with living and working online. Stay tuned for this season, starting in November!

If you’re considering offering retainers in your freelance business, this episode is for you. We’ll go over some of the things you’ll want to consider before offering this type of service and some of the best practices for structuring and pricing them. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

Newsletters offer a great way for you to connect with your audience--and there are several different ways you can approach them. We’ll take a look at different approaches and share our best tips from firsthand experience. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

Do you spend too much time sitting at your desk? Don’t drink enough water during the day? Suck at raising your rates? You’re not alone. We’ll go over some of the more common freelancer bad habits and share some tips on getting rid of them. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

Some freelancers lean into an alter-ego or a ‘schtick’ when it comes to their personal branding. But does that mean you need to do that too? Maybe not. We’ll talk about how to decide and what it means to brand your business both with and without a persona. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

Having a stance when it comes to certain issues means people will come to associate you and your business with your personal values. We’ll cover the topic of having a ‘take’ online and what that means, as well as things to be aware of when you speak up on the internet. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

If you’re not a conference person, that’s okay. Learn some different ways you can get a sense of community in your business without traveling and investing in top-dollar, far-flung conferences. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

There are always red flags that hint at when a client isn’t a good fit--but they’re hard to spot when you’re just starting out. In this episode, we’ll share our best tips for spotting no-go clients and share some stories around what can go wrong when you try to forge ahead. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

Social media can open new doors for your freelance business if you approach it the right way (and participate.) We’ll talk about how we use Twitter for this purpose and give you some fresh perspective on the hours you spend scrolling the feed. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

It feels good to talk about goals, but it feels even better to crush them. We’ll talk about how to set realistic goals for your freelance business and how to make even the most daunting task feel less intimidating. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

Phone calls have a reputation for being a time-suck (especially when you don’t have a roadmap that guides the conversation.) We dive into how to streamline your processes so that you spend less time on meandering phone calls and more time getting actual work done. Season 4 is sponsored by our friends at FlyWheel, a amazing WordPress hosting platform built for freelancers. https://getflywheel.com/friends/cc/

As a person with an internet-based freelance business, it can be tough to know where to draw the lines around what you share online. In this episode, we talk about our personal boundaries and how we navigate the modern world that’s dominated by social media.

Paul and Kaleigh have been hard at work producing the fourth season of the Creative Class Podcast, a podcast about the business side of freelancing. They get down to the nitty gritty about retainers, online privacy, developing an email newsletter, how to use social media, and lots more. Tune in to Season 4, starting on March 27, 2019!

In this special episode, we tackle questions from listeners on topics ranging from proposals to niche-picking (and a lot in between.) Get insights into some of the most common questions that pop up around freelancing.

Short answer: Yes. But there's some science to it! Hear more about how to build sustainability into your freelance business so you can earn a steady amount month after month (and not go insane with worry).