The Freelance Podclass

How do you leverage traditional and digital PR to land new clients and to grow your opportunities? Today thought leader Brittney Lynn shares important insights on how you can leverage PR to build your freelance business and add clients. Join us as we discuss tips for overcoming imposter syndrome and ways you can offer services in the PR space!   Podcast Outline: [0:48] Introduction to Brittney Lynn and the topic of leveraging PR to build your freelance business and add clients [1:47] Brittney shares her story - how she got involved in the PR space. [5:40] What PR looks like for a freelancer in a digital age - recommendations for when you’re just getting started and building your client list. [9:54] How to overcome imposter syndrome - how it’s common with successful entrepreneurs and steps you can take to lessen it. [13:22] How PR could be a launching pad that leads to other opportunities that diversify your business and provide a more lasting, organic reach than paid advertising.   Steps to Move Forward with

Today we're talking about personal branding for freelancers — how do we brand ourselves in a way that attracts our ideal clients? Join us as Christine Lieu explains how to cultivate a distinctive and compelling personal brand for our freelance business. And discover how quirks are actually superpowers that help you stand out and define the key characteristics of your brand!   Podcast Outline: [0:45] Introduction to Christine Lieu and the topic of personal branding [2:24] Christine tells her freedom story - how she got started and built her own freelance branding business.  [4:55] The challenge of trading a corporate lifestyle for a lifestyle business - how it’s not easy, but the benefits are immeasurable. [5:41] The definition of a personal brand and why it’s important for freelancers - how it’s a process, but it takes refinement to make yourself distinctive. [7:37] The benefits of freelancers spending time on their branding - Christine shares a list of intangible aspects that are often overlooked but should

How do you turn a side hustle into a full-time VA or freelance business? Today Shannon Mattern shares her journey from side hustle to self-employed. She explains the mindset she needed to carry her forth and the skills that helped her diversify her income. Join us as we help you discover the traits that will set you apart and make the pivot to freelance freedom!   Podcast Outline: [0:45] Introduction to Shannon Mattern and the topic of turning a side hustle into a full-time business [2:15] Shannon tells her freedom story - how she started to build her own path and provide freelance work for clients. [5:37] How working a regular day job sometimes serves as motivation to pivot back to the freedom of full-time freelancing. [8:38] The mindset needed to shift from part-time to full-time as a self-employed entrepreneur - Shannon shares the mindset shift and boundaries she needed when she was transitioning to freelance work. [12:48] The importance of having a positive attitude towards your day job - how it provides

How do you make your self-introductions memorable in the context of a virtual world? Today I'm joined by Cynthia Trevino, who'll teach you a framework for making a good first impression. Join us as we explore five steps to creating a memorable self-introduction that stands out, repels non-ideal clients, and attracts your dream clients through online networking!   Podcast Outline: [0:49] Introduction to Cynthia Trevino and the topic of making self-introductions memorable in a virtual world [2:39] Cynthia's backstory and how she serves her clients right now [5:11] Craig shares a story that illustrates the importance of preparing an introduction so people can grasp the business concept you're introducing. [6:34] How to speak directly to the people you want to serve [8:03] How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people network to find their ideal clients   Five Steps to Making a Memorable Self-Introduction [9:53] #1 Decide what you want to accomplish with your self-intro - how to stand out to the right peop

Today I’m joined by Sandra Booker, who shares her knowledge about running teams, managing teams, and teaching others how to build virtual teams. Especially in light of COVID, where almost every organization around the world has moved to remote teams, this topic has suddenly become even more relevant. We’ll discuss how to build virtual teams well, so you can start thinking about building your own team or providing this as an in-demand service to clients!   Podcast Outline: [0:42] Introduction to Sandra Booker and the topic of virtual teams - Sandra explains how she got started in the freelance and virtual assistant space. [3:39] Why Sandra built a team - how bringing on more talent helped her expand her services and at the same time train virtual assistants to refer to other business owners. [4:51] Indicators that it’s time to build a team - Sandra and Craig give some important examples and explain why people may feel hesitant to hire a team. [7:46] The growth opportunity - how spending money to hire people ca

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen digital content consumption increase like never before, leading to significant growth in freelance opportunities. Today I’m joined by Julia McCoy, who will teach you a 4-step process for building a content marketing system in your freelance business. We’ll share important content marketing strategies so you can grow your influence, client base, and income streams!   Podcast Outline: [0:47] Introduction to Julia McCoy and the topic of content marketing - Julia describes how she started her freelance journey and where she is today. [5:40] How Julia’s book Skip the Degree illustrates how passion and opportunities led to an important pivot in her career and freelance journey. [7:02] How the freelance movement is growing exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic  with increased digital content consumption - Julia and Craig discuss how this trend will continue with remote work going mainstream. [12:25] How picking a content channel allows freelancers to leverage their exper

How do you package your services into a product you can sell over and over again? Today I’m joined by Brad Hussey, who explains what productizing is and how it can benefit your freelance business. Whether you’re new or have been freelancing for a while, the idea of productizing your services might be perfect timing right now. Join us as we share examples and quick steps for how you can begin the process in your own business!   Podcast Outline: [0:38] Introduction to Brad Hussey - Brad shares how he got started in the freelance space and began teaching freelancers. [7:06] Encouragement from Craig’s and Brad’s stories - how you’re never too young or old to begin an entrepreneurial journey, even without an entrepreneurial background. [10:02] Introduction to the topic of productizing your services - Brad explains the difference between products and services and how productizing relates to freelancing. [13:08] The definition of a “productized service” - what it means and how you can apply it in your freelance busi

One of the greatest challenges that most freelancers face, or will face, is the ability to sell their services and sell themselves. This can be a daunting challenge. We may love a lot of facets of freelancing, but many of us don’t enjoy the sales process. Today I’m joined by Jay Clouse, who shares some effective strategies for selling your services without being salesy. Join us as we discuss how to negotiate and have genuine conversations with potential clients, especially during this global pandemic.   Podcast Outline [0:51] Introduction to Jay Clouse - Jay tells the story of how he got into the freelancing space. [5:17] How freelancers need to have an entrepreneurial mindset - the importance of treating your craft as a business to make it lucrative and successful. [7:05] How do you sell your services without being salesy - reasons why the average freelancer dreads the sales and marketing piece of their business. [9:58] Stereotypes we’ve seen around salespeople and top mistakes people make when selling their

It’s fair to say that we have not had a year like we had in 2020. It was unprecedented on every scale. And I would imagine that 2020 has not been your only difficult year. You may have lost clients, you may have had spouses who lost jobs, and you may have dealt with health crises or economic crises. So, today we’re going to discuss 10 tips to prepare your freelance business for a New Year. Join us and be encouraged as we get ready to welcome new opportunities with a sense of hope and gratitude!   Podcast Outline: [0:35] Introduction to the topic of preparing our freelance business for the new year - how 2020 was an unprecedented year with adversity. Craig shares an example illustrating the importance of gratitude.   10 Ways to Prepare Your Freelance Business for 2021   [4:01] #1 Update Your Freelance Website - how to assess where it’s at by auditing certain aspects that may or may not appeal to your target audience. Craig suggests important parts that should be updated and/or changed. [6:22] #2 Leverage List-

Today’s topic is of the utmost importance in these unprecedented times. I’m joined by Carol Tice, who shares insights about what it takes to become a recession-proof freelancer. Carol knows a lot about how to build a thriving freelance business in the midst of a major recession. She shares key strategies that you can employ right now to make sure you're building the best business, even in the midst of a global pandemic!   Podcast Outline: [0:46] Introduction to Carol Tice and the topic of building a recession-proof business [2:17] How Carol started freelance writing and became passionate about teaching writers to make a living online [8:29] The lack of community and online training years ago - how Carol recognized and addressed that gap [9:15] How many writers have a poverty mentality - what’s necessary to overcome that vision. Carol explains how stasis is the bad scenario, but change brings opportunity. [10:57] Introduction to the topic: How are we thriving as freelancers in the midst of an unprecedented glo

Today’s topic is of utmost importance to anyone who has a website. If you’re selling courses, products, or services, you’re going to sometimes have a “traffic problem.” Many of you struggle with this and feel that no one is coming to your website or reading your blog posts. So, how do you consistently bring targeted people to your website and attract the right kind of audience? Join us as I share three common types of traffic that you can leverage to grow your freelance business and get more visitors to your website!   Podcast Outline: [0:43] Introduction to the topic of traffic problems and the importance of driving consistent traffic to your website  [1:53] How the movie We Bought a Zoo illustrates the idea of traffic problems and how we’re always looking for the right kind of traffic to come to our freelance websites   Three Common Types of Traffic that You Can Leverage to Grow Your Freelance Business [4:23] #1 Owned Traffic (Warmed Traffic) How to nurture these people who are connected to you by having a

Because of COVID-19, everything has gone online, but virtual conferences aren’t the same as networking with potential clients in person. So, in today’s podclass we focus on how to attract clients by leveraging social media. This is a longer term strategy, but over time it can bear incredible fruit, and you can build a thriving client base just using social media marketing. Join us as I provide core principles and practical strategies for each social media platform so you can find your next ideal client!   Podcast Outline: [0:42] Introduction to the topic of using social media to attract clients - how social media marketing is a long game, not a short game.    Timeless Social Media Principles to Be Mindful of When Marketing Your Business [3:55] #1 Create and share educational, informative, and interesting content - examples of different media you can post. [4:44] #2 Start conversations on social media - how to build relationships and be available. [5:06] #3 Practice social listening and monitoring - how conver

In today’s podclass Craig shares some highlights from our recently-released annual Freelancer Report. We discuss how COVID-19 has affected actively working freelancers and share the top technical and soft skills that are most important today. We also reveal the most requested services for freelance businesses during this global pandemic and the most effective ways to find new clients. These important findings that will be both beneficial and impactful to your business moving forward!   Podcast Outline: [1:07] How the freelance industry is growing by leaps and bounds - Craig shares some reasons why this is happening and how the way people work has changed.   Highlights and Trends from the Annual Report  [3:03] The primary motivation for being a freelancer or virtual assistant and why respondents started their businesses in the first place [4:00] The business impact of COVID-19 - some encouraging results from respondents about how their businesses have been affected [4:58] The top five technical skills that are

How do you discover your passion and figure out what work you actually love to do? How does that process work out? When entering the freelance space, we often aren’t clear on what niche to pursue. In this episode, Craig debunks myths around following your passion and shares valuable insights to help you start the process of cultivating skills and passions that will lead you to work you’ll enjoy.   Podcast Outline: [0:54] Introduction to the topic of passion - how some people know what they want to do, while others are unsure. [1:52] Debunking some myths around the idea of discovering work that you’d love to do [3:34] Discussion Question - True or False: “Follow your passion and you’ll find the work you love?” Craig unpacks this and shares some interesting examples of how passion relates to skill sets. [8:03] The Tale of Two Bookkeepers - an example of how other conditions can make you passionate about a specific niche.   Three Things that Determine Whether You’re Going to Enjoy the Work You Do [10:34] #1 The

Today I’m joined by Lindsay Marsh, a prolific course creator, who has transformed her freelance business into an online education empire. Online education is experiencing massive exponential growth and providing exciting opportunities to set up a new income stream. Lindsay shares her story and outlines the steps that can help you get started as a course creator in 2020!   Guest Biography:   I have had many self-made titles over the years: Brand Manager, Digital Architect, Interactive Designer, Graphic Designer, Web Developer and Social Media Expert, to name a few. My name is Lindsay Marsh, and I have been creating brand experiences for my clients for over 15 years. As a freelance graphic designer, I have worked on a wide variety of projects both in the digital and print space. I have had the wonderful opportunity of taking classes at some of the top design schools in the world: Parsons at The New School, The Pratt Institute and NYU. I have had the pleasure of teaching over 200,000+ students globally online. I

Where is the virtual assistant industry trending right now, and what are the most popular niches to pursue? Today I’m joined by Tawnya Sutherland, a thought leader and pioneer in the VA industry. She shares valuable insights and practical tips to help you build a VA business from scratch and find your first clients. With remote work becoming more of a norm, now is the perfect time to begin a fulfilling career in this thriving industry! Podcast Outline:   [0:48] Introduction to Tawnya Sutherland and how the VA industry has grown in the last 20 years [3:45] How Tawnya broke into the VA field and positioned herself as a thought leader in this space [5:02] “The Epidemic of Loneliness” - how our culture is more lonely than ever before and how it’s led communities like VA Networking to thrive [6:32] Where Tawnya sees the VA industry trending now and how working remotely is becoming more of a norm [9:27] The most popular VA niches right now - how many types of online marketing are now in demand because of COVID [12:

How do you land your first client when you’re just starting out as a freelancer? And if you have an established business, how do you continue to approach and attract clients? Today I’m joined by Hugo Finkelstein, co-founder and CEO of Rise. He’ll teach us some unique and effective ways to reach out to clients, add value, and attract them to our businesses and services! Guest Biography: Hugo Finkelstein is the co-founder and CEO of Rise, an independent talent network and service marketplace for designers and writers. He was previously at LGO Launch, a marketing and consulting agency for blockchain-based projects. Podcast Outline: [0:48] Introduction to Hugo Finkelstein [1:30] How Hugo got started as a freelancer and why he’s passionate about serving the freelance community [3:42] In light of the global pandemic, why this is an ideal time to become a freelancer - Hugo and Craig share examples of how businesses need help from freelancers and how the interest in remote work is growing. [6:35] How the freelancer’s

In the midst of the global pandemic, people are consuming digital content more than ever before. Today I’m joined by Sarah Mikutel, podcast expert and founder of the online course Podcast Launch Academy. She’ll share her insights on how to set up an in-demand podcast production service. What are the different types of services you can offer? And how can you make money doing this? The downloads on podcasts are at an all-time high, and this presents a unique opportunity for freelancers to position themselves as podcast producers for a whole variety of businesses!   Guest Biography:   Sarah Mikutel is a globetrotting podcast consultant and founder of the online course Podcast Launch Academy. Her podcasts Podcasting Step by Step and the Postcard Academy, have been named best podcast about podcasting and best travel podcast, respectively. Born and raised in the U.S., Sarah’s spent nearly a decade living the expat life in Europe and believes that true independence means the freedom to choose where, when, and how yo

The concept of remote work has suddenly come to the forefront, with more of us working from home than ever before. But how do we work from home well? How do we do it in a way that allows us to be more productive and purpose-filled, as opposed to being apathetic and distracted? That is our focus today as we unpack 10 ways to work, and thrive, from home!   Podcast Outline: [1:02] Craig introduces the topic of thriving in the midst of unprecedented circumstances while working from home. He stresses the importance of using this time well to help move our businesses forward. [2:19] Craig shares his story and his experience of working from home for 17 years and adapting to the new normal. [3:59] Craig lists a number of pain points you might relate to as you transition to working from home. Some pain points may create apathy, while others can be leveraged for good! Craig shares an interesting example of Parkinson’s Law from his college experience.   10 Ways to Work and Thrive from Home [8:57] #1 Shower and groom you

While going through a crisis, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. We don’t realize how a difficult time can grow and change us and our business in positive ways. In this podclass, we’ll share 10 ways to thrive in your freelance business during the current coronavirus crisis (and at any time). Join me as I support and encourage you to embrace the resilience and innovation borne out of adversity.   Podcast Outline: [0:00] Craig introduces the topic of thriving during a crisis. He shares how the strategies in this podclass will be helpful for any crisis you may face, including the current coronavirus crisis.   10 Ways to Thrive in Your Freelance Business During a Crisis   [2:21] #1 Take a pause - The benefits of pausing and a personal story about a time when Craig needed to take a pause and consider his next steps. [5:09] #2 Launch a new plan - a tangible example from Craig’s life when he changed how he worked and shifted the timeline for his business. [6:20] #3 Innovate and adapt - ho