Unemployable: Advice For Freelancers And Entrepreneurs

The dream of plucking ideas out of your head and turning it into an information product is pretty compelling. And it s more doable now than ever. That said, you re still designing a product. Information alone can often be less-than-engaging, and even downright useless. In order to connect with customers, you ve got to connect with them... Listen to episode

You could be blogging, podcasting, working YouTube, or creating any other type of content. Or … you might just be looking to craft the perfect message to land more customers and clients. You may have heard of creating personas or avatars as a smart way to better understand how to communicate with your prospects, but... Listen to episode

In today s media climate of irrational entrepreneurial exuberance, it s all about raising that venture capital. Reality, however, is much different. Most businesses, especially of the freelance and solopreneur variety, will never raise money from investors, nor should they. Bootstrapping is even making a comeback that resembles a movement in reaction to the silliness of the... Listen to episode

Most people get started "on the side" before going solo or founding a startup. More and more people have a side hustle going on just to make ends meet. Fact is, once you're on your own, you're likely doing one thing in order to do the next bigger and better thing. Even larger companies leverage... Listen to episode

It s no secret that I m not a fan of Facebook when it comes to so-called "social media marketing." I'm even less of a fan of those who think of it as a "website substitute." That said, Facebook groups are popular for their apparent ease of use. But is it a good idea to build a... Listen to episode

Marketing is simply, and literally, "bringing your products to market." And sales is making the right offer to the right person. And yet, research shows that "selling" immediately brings to mind negative word associations. It s as if the world hadn t dramatically changed since the release of Glengarry, Glen Ross. But the world has changed, and... Listen to episode

Let s face it client work can be demanding and even frustrating. But the level of suck goes up exponentially when you aren t getting paid enough … or at all. Today we re chatting with Brennan Dunn about how to get paid faster, get paid more reliably, and never need to worry about whether or not... Listen to episode

Tara Gentile is a very smart entrepreneur who s just published a short, affordable book on one of my favorite topics listening. It's a critical skill for developing products and services. Once I got into the product and software game, I started with an audience, rather than the product or service. This gave me a... Listen to episode

If you're familiar with the term onboarding, it s likely in the context of software as a service ( SaaS ). It s all the rage in the growth hacker world. The term actually originates from the world of human resources. When large enterprises need to ramp a new employee into the processes, procedures, and culture of the organization,... Listen to episode

Your brand isn t what you say it is … it s what your customers and clients say it is. That doesn t mean you can t influence the space you occupy in the minds of your intended audience, as long as you understand the role you re playing. Beyond your logo, and your site design, and your copy, your... Listen to episode

You may know Michael Port as the author of the small business classic Book Yourself Solid. But did you know that he was once a professional actor, with roles on Third Watch, Law and Order, and Sex and The City? Given his unique mix of business savvy and acting skills, it makes sense that Michael... Listen to episode

When I started my first business in 1998, it turns out I did a lot of things right. It wasn t until May of 1999 when I read a book called Permission Marketing that I realized what I was missing, which led to my first successful business. Since that time, Seth Godin has written several other... Listen to episode

In 1997, a young man quit his job to become a writer. In January 1998, an article he wrote entitled Free Agent Nation appeared in a young magazine called Fast Company, and a career was launched. That article proved viable demand, and led to a book deal. The interesting intersection here is that another young... Listen to episode

Online courses are a great way to build a business. They re also a great way to get better-qualified clients, or build an additional revenue stream by providing an alternative to your services. But sometimes, things don t go as planned. Your course isn t selling as much as you d like, or worse, it s not selling at all.... Listen to episode

There are over 26 million companies in the United States with fewer than 20 employees. The vast majority of those businesses have fewer than five employees, and often only one. There are about to be a whole lot more of these very small businesses. Interestingly, it s because big businesses are also going to become radically... Listen to episode

Everyone s fixated on getting traffic, whether paid or organic. As if, somehow, this will unlock the door to a flood of new clients. Truth is, traffic should be the last thing on your mind. Sure, you need it, but if you don t have the right marketing system in place that attracts leads and properly nurtures... Listen to episode

Most professional marketers don t understand the FTC rules that apply to online marketing. So as a busy freelancer or small business owner, it s certainly understandable if this isn t on your radar. But this is a critically important thing, as new guidelines are being released that you need to understand. The FTC is about to make... Listen to episode

We're all in the intellectual property business now. But as business people, how much do we enforce our rights when others infringe on them? Creative freelancers are thought of as service providers, but what they re really selling is their copyright in the work product they create for clients. This has special implications on both sides... Listen to episode

When we think about personal development in terms of our business, we re thinking of continuing education, or professional development. Maybe it s a leadership seminar, or some kind of motivational training. Those things are great, and necessary. But some of the most important things we can do in terms of personal development might seem like they... Listen to episode

You create a successful product when you deliver something people want to buy, simple as that. Is there a way to figure out what people want before spending a ton of time and money? There is a way, and it s becoming more and more popular due to the lean startup movement. It s called the minimum... Listen to episode