Ask Rezzz

Ask Rezzz

Jason Resnick

You ask, I answer your web development and design business questions. 🚀 Struggling with a client? Want to build recurring revenue but unsure where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Have a client that's always late? Want to get clients who respect you? This is the show for you 2 times a week.

A263 - How to onboard a new client?

A263 - How to onboard a new client?

Today is going to be all about a process that I put into my business years ago that I reap the benefits from over and over again. That's onboarding for new clients.If you want to get my own Onboarding Email Sequence which is 8 emails with the delays I put in between. Along with instructions on how to use them too, head to rezzz.com/a263 and pick them up.What is onboardingOnboarding is a term that's thrown around quite often and it has a few different meanings. In the context of this sho

Mar 19, 2019 • 8:29

A262 - A podcast for freelancers

A262 - A podcast for freelancers

As we embark on the second year of Ask Rezzz, the format will change up slightly.The reason for this is so that you can take action. I'm all about that action taking as you know. Having a show each and every single day without a doubt can be overwhelming. You may already have a backlog of shows that you want to listen to. Maybe there's a bunch that you don't have any interest in hearing as well.With that, the new format will be this.Every Friday, you'll be a fly on the wall for a one-on

Mar 13, 2019 • 7:00

A261 - One year in, what's the next 5 look like?

A261 - One year in, what's the next 5 look like?

Chris Bintliff from Not Really Rocket Science, is someone who I met through Twitter, but someone I consider a friend. Chris appeared on Live In The Feast and we geeked out about marketing and creating delight for clients.Not only that, but if you want to know anything about home automation, he's the guy to talk with.During a conversation one day, Chris mentioned that if there was ever an opportunity in which I myself could be interviewed, rather than me doing the interviewing, he wanted

Mar 11, 2019 • 18:58

A260 - How to unexpectedly delight clients?

A260 - How to unexpectedly delight clients?

I was introduced to Chris Martin through a friend of mine Joe Workman.How do I know Chris?I've heard a few of his shows before in the past and when Joe mentioned that I should reach out to Chris to be on his podcast, Getting Work to Work, for me it was a no brainer.Chris was a great interviewer, genuinely curious, asking things that to be honest, I hadn't been asked about before.One topic that we talked about most was personalization and delight. I talk about personalization a lot, it i

Mar 8, 2019 • 7:27

A259 - What 3 things do you grab in the zombie apocalypse?

A259 - What 3 things do you grab in the zombie apocalypse?

Janelle Allen of zencourses.co is an Instructional Designer who specialized in custom online course that improve student results invited me to her podcast.I thought that I'd share an answer to a question that she asked me on the show.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------She asks all her guests this question."The zombie apocalypse has hit. You have 6 minutes to grab 3 essential items and your family is fine. What do you

Mar 7, 2019 • 5:15

A258 - Is Instagram a better vehicle for visibility? Sales?

A258 - Is Instagram a better vehicle for visibility? Sales?

Inside of the Sustainable Freelancer someone asked a question that I've never answered directly in the previous 257 episodes of the show.This is a great question for a lot of people thinking about how to use social media for their business.Simply put, I don't like saying this, but it applies. The answer is, it depends.I'm going to put aside the paid ads on the platform because that's a different game altogether and really just stick to answering the question in the context of organic en

Mar 6, 2019 • 9:30

A257 - What kind of content should I promote to potential clients?

A257 - What kind of content should I promote to potential clients?

In A256 - Where do you find freelance clients? we talked about the watering holes, those places where your clients come together to talk business.Today's episode goes a little deeper into that topic to talk about the context and intent of your client at these watering holes.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------The human behavior part of this equation is what I'm fascinated most with.I'm not the first, nor the last pers

Mar 5, 2019 • 8:53

A256 - Where do you find freelance clients?

A256 - Where do you find freelance clients?

Where you find your clients out in the world is a big question.I held an open door session inside the Sustainable Freelancer FB Group last Friday where I put the webcam on and anyone could pop in to talk about anything they want.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------Resulting from that was a conversation around location of potential clients. Not necessarily any strategy about getting them, but more of where to look for

Mar 4, 2019 • 7:33

A255 - Finding Clients Lesson #11: Group Coaching for Leads

A255 - Finding Clients Lesson #11: Group Coaching for Leads

I'm continuing here today with the eleventh and final lesson in the "Finding clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Group coaching for leads. WHAT?!? 🤔-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------You've heard about group coaching before in the context for your business.I met Lauren Pawell, founder of BixaMedia, a m

Mar 1, 2019 • 7:37

A254 - Finding Clients Lesson #10: Who do you hang with?

A254 - Finding Clients Lesson #10: Who do you hang with?

I'm continuing here today with the tenth lesson in the "Finding clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Who are you surrounding yourself with? Who do you hang with?And I'm not talking about your family and friends either. That you are on your own (although support matters so choose wisely).What I mean is the group of business colleagues and friends you can trust. That you can

Feb 28, 2019 • 6:20

A253 - Finding Clients Lesson #9: Look at your pricing

A253 - Finding Clients Lesson #9: Look at your pricing

I'm continuing here today with the eighth lesson in the "Finding clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson will introduce the phrase "You get what you're paid for."Yes, I said "you're paid" not "you pay".-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you-------------------I walked to the office every single day back in 1999-2001

Feb 27, 2019 • 6:56

A252 - Finding Clients Lesson #8: Brag about your clients

A252 - Finding Clients Lesson #8: Brag about your clients

I'm continuing here today with the eighth lesson in the "Finding clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson will help leads relate to your existing clients. It will also give your clients a boost. Can I share with you 2 ways to do this so easily and so effectively that doesn't require you to build out a new page on your site or take hours to put together?----------

Feb 26, 2019 • 7:30

A251 - Finding Clients Lesson #7: Your Up Level Skills

A251 - Finding Clients Lesson #7: Your Up Level Skills

I'm continuing here today with the seventh lesson in the "Finding Clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson will help you work with clients you had in the past with things that you now know because it's the future.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------In lesson #4, you learned about the Sneak Peek

Feb 25, 2019 • 5:56

A250 - Finding Clients Lesson #6: Get Yourself On A Podcast

A250 - Finding Clients Lesson #6: Get Yourself On A Podcast

I'm continuing here today with the sixth lesson in the "How to Find Clients" series.This is the no nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson is something that will have you stand out above all others to your market by going onto a podcast that has the ears of your potential clients.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------Podcasti

Feb 22, 2019 • 6:47

A249 - Finding Clients Lesson #5: Buy a cup of coffee

A249 - Finding Clients Lesson #5: Buy a cup of coffee

I'm continuing here today with the fifth lesson in the "How to Find Clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson will help you stay front of mind 2 different ways.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------We are all busy and there's only so much time in any given day.Business though is all about the peop

Feb 21, 2019 • 5:27

A248 - Finding Clients Lesson #4: The Sneak Peek

A248 - Finding Clients Lesson #4: The Sneak Peek

I'm continuing here today with the fourth lesson in the "How to Find Clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson will help you position yourself and share insight into what problems you are solving.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------You are smart and I know that you are constantly learning and ev

Feb 20, 2019 • 4:45

A247 - Finding Clients Lesson #3: The Client Sandwich

A247 - Finding Clients Lesson #3: The Client Sandwich

I'm continuing here today with the third lesson in the "How to Find Clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson will help you build a pipeline of high quality leads into the business of people and businesses that you want to work with.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------You know I'm not a fan of d

Feb 19, 2019 • 5:40

A246 - Finding Clients Lesson #2: Zero Line Item

A246 - Finding Clients Lesson #2: Zero Line Item

I'm continuing here today with the second lesson in the "How to Find Clients" series.This is the no-nonsense series of lessons that work in today's market to find clients you want to be working with on a consistent basis.Today's lesson is solely targeted toward getting repeat clients by you adding in a built-in opportunity in your existing projects.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------With any project you have, no doub

Feb 18, 2019 • 5:31

A245 - Finding Clients Lesson #1: Targeted Referrals

A245 - Finding Clients Lesson #1: Targeted Referrals

If you are like most service business owners I know, then referrals is where you get most of your work from. Yet you can't figure out how to make those more predictable.Today I'm going to share with you a process that I've developed and used based on business practices that have been in the wild for decades, if not longer.Whether you are just starting out or been in business for a little while, you have a network.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resou

Feb 15, 2019 • 8:25

A244 - 11 Lessons on How to Find Clients

A244 - 11 Lessons on How to Find Clients

You are selling a service or product and want to have a system that continuously attracts clients and customers in a predictable way, right?Can I share with you 11 of my top lessons to do so?These aren't tips and strategies that are overplayed. These are pretty unique and work amazingly well.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------As you know we are coming up on the magical episode 261 here on Ask Rezzz. And as such, over

Feb 14, 2019 • 4:52

A243 - How to sell strategy?

A243 - How to sell strategy?

First let me say that if you are still working your full-time job or have less than 2 years under your belt as a business owner, this may not be the ideal opportunity for you to try and sell strategy.Simply because you don't have that experience yet. No doubt you have the skills, but to differentiate yourself as a consultant rather than a developer or designer comes with a proven track record of success.I'm not saying that you can't sell strategy, in fact, I would suggest selling discov

Feb 13, 2019 • 6:39

A242 - How to add a productized service to my business?

A242 - How to add a productized service to my business?

Are you providing a solution that allows a potential client to work with you at a lower risk?Custom work is often times a big ask. It's a big investment for someone to not just pay, but also to spend time on.Here's why I like having a smaller, more productized option. Reduces the risk for the lead Reduces the risk for you Allows both you and the client to get quick results This especially works nicely if you are just starting out.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode

Feb 12, 2019 • 8:31

A241 - Why I didn't set goals for 2019

A241 - Why I didn't set goals for 2019

I want to thank Sara Dunn for asking this question. In her video, she on her YouTube Channel she talks about how she's setting goals for the year over 12-week periods based on the 12-Week Year.This year, I created themes for myself and the business. The reasoning behind this is simple. If I have a project, decision, or question where I'm suddenly faced with the option to go one way or another, the theme will highlight the right choice.I've created each theme based on who I want to be an

Feb 11, 2019 • 5:34

A240 - Why ConvertKit?

A240 - Why ConvertKit?

The features of what the application has are exactly what I need for myself and clients.Yes, I have some [e-commerce clients](https://rezzz.com/services) who may fit better with Drip as their platform, but I have other clients who are non-profits, service-based businesses, coach, and other individuals who are selling only a handful of products that ConvertKit is a perfect fit for.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------I

Feb 8, 2019 • 15:33

A239 - Why did I move my business from Drip to ConvertKit

A239 - Why did I move my business from Drip to ConvertKit

Over the years, I've been known to specialize in a few different platforms, Ruby on Rails, PHP, WordPress, WooCommerce (and a few other plugins), and Drip. Anytime I switch from one to the next, I get asked a lot of questions."Why did you switch?""What happened with X that made the decision for you?""Did you switch because of Y?"For myself and my clients, I try and look at platforms as a tool. -------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------

Feb 7, 2019 • 13:38

A238 - What to say when a client is late on a payment?

A238 - What to say when a client is late on a payment?

I was talking with my new neighbor over the summer about cutting the grass since he saw me out there cutting the grass with my brand new battery powered mower. He shared this with me."If you are looking for a landscaper, I'd be happy to give you my guys' number. He's a bit expensive, but I haven't paid him in 14 months and he's still showing up every week."Now whether that's the fault of my neighbor or the landscaper, in the end, the landscaper is sending the wrong message here.Before i

Feb 6, 2019 • 6:02

A237 - How do you convince someone to sign a contract?

A237 - How do you convince someone to sign a contract?

Bottom line is that you don't. You can't convince anyone of anything if they don't have an open mind about it.To be honest, it's actually better for you to refer the project off than to spend the energy working at someone who has already decided not to work with you.With that being said, sales are all about helping someone make a decision.If you are looking for someone to do something that they don't really want to do (and that's to spend money), you need to find a legit reason that is

Feb 5, 2019 • 6:01

A236-What to say when a client insists on adding something new?

A236-What to say when a client insists on adding something new?

All too often a client will ask you for something that you are skeptical about.They are convinced that it will work for whatever you are trying to accomplish, but you have some doubts.Your doubts come from 2 places. The first is your experience and the second is from your ego.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------Your ego may be in the wayLet me tackle the ego part first. By ego, I mean that little voice inside you that

Feb 4, 2019 • 5:28

A235 - How to sell your productized service?

A235 - How to sell your productized service?

In episode 233 you learned about how to make a productized service. It makes sense that the next question is how do you sell it.To be perfectly honest, knowing how to sell the productized service really should come before you make it, and here's why.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------When you have a productized service, it's super focused and solves a big enough pain that someone has.That someone has already raised t

Feb 1, 2019 • 7:52

A234 - How to make business habits stick?

A234 - How to make business habits stick?

How are those goals, those habits for your business working out for 2019?Are you still focused on them or has the reality of 2019 and life, in general, pushed them aside and you are no longer as focused as you were 4 weeks ago, now that it's Feb 1?-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------Before I share with you some ways to make your business habits stick, I want to share with you something that happened to me the other da

Jan 31, 2019 • 9:32

A233 - How do you make a productize service?

A233 - How do you make a productize service?

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly bombarded with ideas on making this, and creating that. Thinking that the product will help diversify my revenue and make my business more stable.I'm not wrong. And I don't say that because I'm arrogant. I say that be it is a fact.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.-------------------Not everyone wants to create a product, I don't. I'm not looking to build a software product. I'm not looking t

Jan 30, 2019 • 6:02

A232 - Are you reviewing your projects?

A232 - Are you reviewing your projects?

Last week you learned [how to review your sales process]([https://rezzz.com/ask/how-to-review-your-sales-process/](https://rezzz.com/ask/how-to-review-your-sales-process/)), just as important as that is, so to you should be reviewing each and every project that comes through your business.Ever feel like you finished a project and felt like the weight of the world lifted up off your shoulders. Suddenly you have this sense of relief that is so strong you wonder how you got sucked into tha

Jan 29, 2019 • 5:00

A231 - How do you make it simple for a lead to sign?

A231 - How do you make it simple for a lead to sign?

As a business owner, as a salesperson, which if you are freelancing I hate to break the news here, but you are in sales, you need to close the open loops in the decision making for your leads and clients.We don’t have control over the decision-making process anyone has, but we can lead them to that decision.We can create a path to that decision that makes it easy for them to make a choice.-------------------👉 For full show notes to this episode & more resources for you.------------

Jan 28, 2019 • 4:24

A230 - How not to be annoying in sales?

A230 - How not to be annoying in sales?

Can I give you a bit of a kick in the butt today? You aren’t annoying if you are sending a lead value. If they think it’s annoying, do you want to work with them anyway?

Jan 25, 2019 • 7:02

A229 - How do you segment your email list?

A229 - How do you segment your email list?

Let’s assume for the sake of brevity that you are segmenting your list at least to the point of people who have bought and haven’t bought from you. If you are like me, you are tag happy, they want to track everything someone on their list does and so they tag everything. This is great, but if you don’t do anything with the information, it’s just clutter in your CRM or email marketing platform. There really are 2 things to focus in on when you are segmenting your email list.

Jan 24, 2019 • 7:19

A228 - Are you reviewing your sales process?

A228 - Are you reviewing your sales process?

Are you sitting there thinking that you suck at sales? Maybe you say to yourself “I’m not confident in my selling skills.” If you aren't reviewing your sales process, then FULL STOP and listen to this show today.

Jan 23, 2019 • 6:44

A227 - How to sell on Twitter?

A227 - How to sell on Twitter?

Since Feb 26 in 2008, I’ve built my business without selling on Twitter. Um....what? I have no qualms about saying that Twitter is my home away from home. Without Twitter, I’m not sure where I’d be right now, to be honest.

Jan 22, 2019 • 6:44

A226 - How do I respond when a client says that I’m out of their budget?

A226 - How do I respond when a client says that I’m out of their budget?

Today I’m going to share with you 2 ways to respond to pushback on your pricing. One will take some practice, the other is so simple you’ll wonder why you aren’t doing it already.

Jan 21, 2019 • 6:01

A225 - How do you push past the imposter syndrome?

A225 - How do you push past the imposter syndrome?

How do you do the work and push past the fear of getting it out there. Things like podcasting and “going live” and just the general action of putting something into the world is scary. I won’t ignore that. But I want to share with you 2 things that have allowed me to become a shy kid into someone who isn't holding back.

Jan 18, 2019 • 6:30

A224 - What is the #1 business trend for 2019?

A224 - What is the #1 business trend for 2019?

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why I’ve been asked this. I’m honored, but I’m not in any sort of position to give a great answer. Simply because I’m one who studies business trends and not in that analytical type of position. With that being said though, I’d like to share an aspect of the business that I’ve seen grow and produce amazing results, not just in my business, but other businesses as well.

Jan 17, 2019 • 5:06

A223 - How to ditch hourly rates?

A223 - How to ditch hourly rates?

Jonathan Stark invited me onto his podcast where I unpacked being a platform specialist and how I built a productized service. I actually shared some of the fears I had along the way.

Jan 16, 2019 • 3:53

A222 - How to charge more as a freelancer?

A222 - How to charge more as a freelancer?

In the last episode, you learned some things to delight and create the perception of value in your business. Today you will learn exactly what to deliver that validates that perception.

Jan 15, 2019 • 6:36

A221 - How to attract clients with big budget?

A221 - How to attract clients with big budget?

It’s not about how many clients you have, it’s the quality of the client. You want to attract clients who have bigger budgets so that you can raise your rates and get out from that hamster wheel. In this episode I share with you 4 things you need to be doing to make yourself and your business more attractive.

Jan 14, 2019 • 5:37

A220 - What do you do for a follow-up sequence for leads?

A220 - What do you do for a follow-up sequence for leads?

I’m going to give you the recipe I use to follow up with a lead that will allow you to stand head and shoulders above 80% of your competitors. If your lead is shopping around and has a short list of 5 vendors to go with and you are the only one who’s providing valuable information on a consistent basis without them even paying you yet, guess who they are going to want to talk with and go with?

Jan 11, 2019 • 5:55

A219 - How to improve your sales process as a freelancer?

A219 - How to improve your sales process as a freelancer?

Today I’m going to give you 3 very small, yet powerful tactics to improve your sales process as a freelancer. Quick, small, yet powerful tweaks you can make to your sales process that you can put into practice today.

Jan 10, 2019 • 6:44

A218 - What do you ask during a sales call?

A218 - What do you ask during a sales call?

Whether you are a developer, designer, or a drone photographer, you are going to learn the 4 absolute must ask questions to have during your sales process.

Jan 9, 2019 • 6:48

A217 - Is this going to get me clients fast?

A217 - Is this going to get me clients fast?

Today I’m going to share with you 3 scenarios you may be in and what to do so that you can get clients faster. It's going to be some real talk today. You may have even heard this from me before.

Jan 8, 2019 • 10:16

A216 - How is business going?

A216 - How is business going?

How many times over the holidays or at a party do you hear this question? Today I want to share with you how I used to diminish myself and how I answer this very question today with confidence and joy.

Jan 7, 2019 • 6:19

A215 - How do I find the time to create content for my business and what do I write about?

A215 - How do I find the time to create content for my business and what do I write about?

Wondering what to write about to attract clients and even if you know, how do you find the time to actually do it with all the client work? Ask Rezzz is being taken over by Kim Doyal today.

Dec 21, 2018 • 10:55

A214 - What to say when a potential client says you are too expensive?

A214 - What to say when a potential client says you are too expensive?

Price, timeline, and can you do the work are the 3 things every lead needs to know from you to sign on that dotted line. Answer these quickly and you’ll be closing more deals.

Dec 20, 2018 • 4:48

A213 - What do you say when a lead comes to you from a bad experience with another freelancer?

A213 - What do you say when a lead comes to you from a bad experience with another freelancer?

There are 3 sides to every story, how do you feel when you get burned, and give them confidence. Today I’ll expand these so that you can re-focus the conversation back to you.

Dec 19, 2018 • 5:55

A212 - How do you handle a client that has ghosted?

A212 - How do you handle a client that has ghosted?

Being ghosted is never fun. Especially being ghosted by clients. I’m going to share with you 3 emails you can use if this happens to you.

Dec 18, 2018 • 5:56

A211 - How do you handle a good fit for you that doesn’t really fit for your marketing message?

A211 - How do you handle a good fit for you that doesn’t really fit for your marketing message?

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to handle this so that you can expand outside of your niche with little risk. Taking a hardline stance for clients that only fit into your niche will hurt your business. There will be clients coming to you that don't fit 100%, but are still great for you.

Dec 17, 2018 • 6:35

A210 - If you don’t have experience, how to you prove the quality without the education/experience?

A210 - If you don’t have experience, how to you prove the quality without the education/experience?

This is the classic chicken or the egg scenario. Stay tuned if you want to answer this question, raise the bar immediately, and stand out from the other 3 vendors your lead is talking with.

Dec 14, 2018 • 6:07

A209 - How to respond to “I don’t need strategy, can you just do…”

A209 - How to respond to “I don’t need strategy, can you just do…”

Leaning in, or being empathetic during a sales process is really about giving the lead what they want. Whether they want the lowest cost, the best value, to comparison shop, etc, it’s in your best interest to give them what they want. When you think about sales, instead of thinking about closing every deal, think about how to have them leave your conversation in a better place. You aren’t going to convince anyone they need you. They have to realize that themselves.

Dec 13, 2018 • 4:40

A208 - How do I respond to an RFP?

A208 - How do I respond to an RFP?

Are you in the proposal writing business? I didn't think that you are getting paid to write proposals. Then you shouldn’t be answering RFPs. By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to respond to them in the proper way to have the lead re-thinking their own process.

Dec 12, 2018 • 8:25

A207 - How to overcome objections in sales?

A207 - How to overcome objections in sales?

The most important piece of your sales process is to overcome objections and direct the lead down the appropriate path they want to be on. By the end of this episode, you will learn how to overcome any objection to the 5 buyer types we identified in the last episode.

Dec 11, 2018 • 7:02

A206 - How do I get better at sales?

A206 - How do I get better at sales?

Getting better at sales is difficult, but not impossible. If you've said "I'm an introvert and I don't like sales" -- "How do I close more deals?" -- "How do I get better at sales?" By the end of this episode, you’ll know the steps to do just that.

Dec 10, 2018 • 5:22

A205 - What do you think about Gutenberg? Schmutenberg!

A205 - What do you think about Gutenberg? Schmutenberg!

Death, taxes and change in technology are the only guarantees in life. If you worry yourself over any of these 3 things, you’re wasting your time.

Dec 7, 2018 • 5:06

A204 - How to find your freelance niche

A204 - How to find your freelance niche

If you are thinking about niching down, you’ll want to stick around until the end for what I think is the most important piece of the specialization puzzle. I want to share with you my chat with Avani Miryala of Beyond the Status Quo podcast.

Dec 6, 2018 • 3:51

A203 - All my work has been word of mouth, how do I find work on my own?

A203 - All my work has been word of mouth, how do I find work on my own?

Want to make referrals more predictable? Of course, you do, because it’s your number one lead generation strategy already. Why not double down and get the most from it.

Dec 5, 2018 • 6:36

A202 - How to take the next step from contracting resource to solo business owner?

A202 - How to take the next step from contracting resource to solo business owner?

By the end of this episode, you are going to learn the 2 actionable tactics to get away from sub-contracting work and moving towards running your own business.

Dec 4, 2018 • 5:49

A201 - What do I do? I’m afraid to filter the tire kickers coming into my business because they are the only leads I have.

A201 - What do I do? I’m afraid to filter the tire kickers coming into my business because they are the only leads I have.

By the end of this episode, you are going to have the confidence to give up the leads, those bad leads, even if you don’t have any other leads coming in.

Dec 3, 2018 • 5:32

A200 - What is the best freelancing website?

A200 - What is the best freelancing website?

It’s much easier to adjust your internal processes and optimize them the more times you do it. Smaller projects afford this opportunity. Today's episode, I'm going to share 3 reasons why I feel that Fiverr is a good place to start.

Nov 30, 2018 • 8:08

A199 - How many email follow-ups should I send to a lead?

A199 - How many email follow-ups should I send to a lead?

80% of sales require 5 follow-ups after the first meeting or conversation. 44% of sales reps give up after 1 follow-up and the average give up after 2. 50% of leads that enter a sales pipeline are not ready to buy in the near term. On average, decision makers consume 5 pieces of content before being ready to speak to a sales rep. Do you have a follow-up? After this episode you will.

Nov 29, 2018 • 6:14

A198 - What’s a polite way to tell existing clients you are raising your rates? And what is a reasonable percentage to go up?

A198 - What’s a polite way to tell existing clients you are raising your rates? And what is a reasonable percentage to go up?

The end of the year always has us looking at revenue numbers doesn’t it. It’s also a great time of year to reevaluate our prices. January 1 is a great time to also create deadlines and launching pads for yourself and clients as well.

Nov 28, 2018 • 4:24

A197 - Why don’t you grow your business?

A197 - Why don’t you grow your business?

Be profitable in the process, but stay in your lane if that’s what you want and don’t let pressure or comparisons force you to a place that you don’t want to be. Everyone’s businesses are different and unique. Just like them as a person. Some freelancers I’ve spoken with grow agencies, others stay solo. Some have aspirations of hiring a large team or scaling a product. It’s very different and that’s why when someone asks me “why don’t you grow your business?” I often respond with “wh

Nov 27, 2018 • 5:04

A196 - What do you do again?

A196 - What do you do again?

When I said “I’m a web developer” I would get half of the people asking some followup about their own site or own computer problems. Or some crazy idea of a new website they had. Now as someone who increases repeat buyers for the online business, or increases appointments to the practice, or creates a batter client onboarding for SaaS products, when that person hears any of these, then they will refer to you and give you a more qualified lead.

Nov 26, 2018 • 5:53

A195 - I’ve reached my goal, what’s next?

A195 - I’ve reached my goal, what’s next?

I want to share with you my chat with Steve Folland of the Being Freelance podcast. ## How do I know Steve Folland? Steve Folland is a creative video and audio freelancer and host of Being Freelance podcast.

Nov 23, 2018 • 3:40

A194 - 🙏🤘 Thank you for being awesome. I appreciate you!

A194 - 🙏🤘 Thank you for being awesome. I appreciate you!

It’s Thanksgiving here in the US today. Happy Thanksgiving to you if you are celebrating today. My family and I are spending some time together and eating way too much. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for listening to the show. There are a ton of podcasts out there that you could be listening to today, but you chose mine and for that I’m grateful and very appreciative.

Nov 22, 2018 • 2:01

A193 - How do I know if I should buy a course?

A193 - How do I know if I should buy a course?

There’s so much to learn and as business owners, we love to absorb as much as humanly possible. But that’s where the pitfall happens. We consume and consume and consume. If we applied half of the actionable information that we consume, we would have zero time in the next 10 years for anything else. (And yes, that figure is statistically backed by science ;) ).

Nov 21, 2018 • 8:32

A192 - Should I offer my services as a web designer/developer or specialize first?

A192 - Should I offer my services as a web designer/developer or specialize first?

If the feast and famine cycle is something you are going through, I would encourage you to take a look at the Stop the Cycle course. Stop the Cycle is where Curtis McHale and myself pull back the curtain on our own sales processes that have let us build 6 figure business without 60-hour work weeks. If you haven’t already done so, and this is something you have interest in, go to Stop The Cycle - https://rezzz.com/stop-the-cycle and register now. It is $199 now, but will go up on Black Frid

Nov 20, 2018 • 5:43

A191 - What are lead generation techniques to get me out of the feast and famine revenue cycle?

A191 - What are lead generation techniques to get me out of the feast and famine revenue cycle?

In the last 5 episodes, I shared with you a course called Stop the Cycle where Curtis McHale and myself to be delivered to you on November 30th at 3:30 PM EST. If this is something you have interest in, go to Stop The Cycle - https://rezzz.com/stop-the-cycle - and register now.

Nov 19, 2018 • 6:50

A190 - How do you get high-quality clients?

A190 - How do you get high-quality clients?

This is part 5 in a 5-part series called Stop The Cycle where I ask you a question and you’ll get an actionable item to take away with you at the end of the show to help your sales and marketing so that you are on the way to stop having the feast and famine killing your business. What if you only talked with high-quality leads that viewed you as an expert? You want people to respect you, right? You want to be valued as the expert in the conversation, right? What are you as the expert doin

Nov 16, 2018 • 4:09

A189 - How do you balance your time for sales and marketing?

A189 - How do you balance your time for sales and marketing?

This is part 4 in a 5-part series called Stop The Cycle where I ask you a question and you’ll get an actionable item to take away with you at the end of the show to help your sales and marketing so that you are on the way to stop having the feast and famine killing your business. What if you had the time to keep marketing while doing great work for your clients? Don’t overwhelm yourself with what it means to do marketing. Simply carve out one hour in the next week dedicated to getting your n

Nov 15, 2018 • 3:38

A188 - What do you do to position yourself as an expert to leads?

A188 - What do you do to position yourself as an expert to leads?

This is part 3 in a 5-part series called Stop The Cycle where I ask you a question and you’ll get an actionable item to take away with you at the end of the show to help your sales and marketing so that you are on the way to stop having the feast and famine killing your business. What if you could give your leads an experience that positions you as an expert? I want you to replace your lame follow up email after you send a proposal with one that shares a link to a useful article and send it

Nov 14, 2018 • 5:00

A187 - What is your sales process?

A187 - What is your sales process?

This is part 2 in a 5-part series called Stop The Cycle where I ask you a question and you’ll get an actionable item to take away with you at the end of the show to help your sales and marketing so that you are on the way to stop having the feast and famine killing your business. What if you could have your sales process running 24/7 scouring the web for opportunities? You need to have a process in place for you to jump on opportunities when they happen. This is a much more proactive appro

Nov 13, 2018 • 3:51

A186 - What is your marketing plan?

A186 - What is your marketing plan?

This is part 1 in a 5-part series called Stop The Cycle where you’ll get an actionable item to take away with you at the end of the show to help your sales and marketing so that you are on the way to stop having the feast and famine killing your business. When you are deep in project work, it’s so easy to let your marketing slide. We’ve done it, those client problems you’re solving mean money right now. It’s not today or tomorrow that will hurt when you are heads down on a project and not ma

Nov 12, 2018 • 4:11

A185 - What is niching down like?

A185 - What is niching down like?

You hear a lot about niching down on this show. Many different actionable takeaways for you to be able to work through defining your specialty. Are you ready for some real-life examples though?

Nov 9, 2018 • 4:45

A184 - How to budget as a freelancer?

A184 - How to budget as a freelancer?

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand 6 things that will go into figuring out your budget as a freelancer. If you are just starting out, this is a must listen. If you have been doing it for a while, are you doing all 6?

Nov 8, 2018 • 6:05

A183 - How do you go about breaking into a niche (Part 2)?

A183 - How do you go about breaking into a niche (Part 2)?

Today’s show is the 3-step process of breaking into your niche so that you can stay in your comfort lane but get into your specialty quickly and effectively.

Nov 7, 2018 • 6:17

A182 - How do you go about breaking into a niche (Part 1)?

A182 - How do you go about breaking into a niche (Part 1)?

If you are looking to niche down and your website, portfolio, and client roster doesn’t reflect your new market. By the end of the show, you will see that you don’t have to dive all in and understand how to test the waters

Nov 6, 2018 • 9:32

A181 - What is the structure of my monthly review?

A181 - What is the structure of my monthly review?

If you are looking to perform some health checks every month, this episode is for you. I will share with you what I check on and how I think about them that has allowed me to grow my business for the past decade.

Nov 5, 2018 • 6:07

A180 - What is the structure of a weekly review?

A180 - What is the structure of a weekly review?

You've heard about how important a weekly review is, what should be done in one, but I never spoke about the exact structure or agenda of one, until today. I'm going to share with you what I check on, what I look for, and how I set up my week each and every Sunday morning.

Nov 2, 2018 • 7:34

A179 - How to adapt and change to the WordPress climate?

A179 - How to adapt and change to the WordPress climate?

You are in client services and work with technology, this is a must listen because the tech will always change, and so you will have to too. This is how you avoid having to chase your tail.

Nov 1, 2018 • 5:03

A178 - What are the biggest mistakes a freelancer can make?

A178 - What are the biggest mistakes a freelancer can make?

Perform a search on Google of the “biggest mistakes in freelancing” and you’ll find over 10 million results. Today I’m going to share with you 15 of them, ones that I made and how to avoid them.

Oct 31, 2018 • 8:50

A177 - How is parenting as a freelancer

A177 - How is parenting as a freelancer

Whether you are a parent or not, you are going to get a unique glimpse into my life, some of the sexy and not so sexy aspects of being both a freelancer and parent. But I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Oct 30, 2018 • 9:09

A176 - What is the benefit of a business coach?

A176 - What is the benefit of a business coach?

If you’ve ever wondered what the point of hiring a business coach is when all the information is free in the first place, you need to hear this show. You'll learn 5 reasons why hiring a coach has enormous benefits to you and your business even when all this information is free.

Oct 29, 2018 • 6:39

A175 - How to ask?

A175 - How to ask?

This episode is all about asking. Asking for research, asking for sales, asking…well let’s call it like it is, it’s being selfish. You are doing it for you, but making it look like it's for them. Guess what, they know it. And this is how you properly ask someone for something.

Oct 26, 2018 • 7:08

A174 - How to demand higher rates by specialization?

A174 - How to demand higher rates by specialization?

Today I want to share with you a conversation about demanding higher rates. On Agency Highway, a podcast by James Rose, we dive head first into, so let’s do it.

Oct 25, 2018 • 4:08

A173 - Why is hourly billing good?

A173 - Why is hourly billing good?

Today may shock you because you are going to learn why hourly billing is a good thing. Yup, I said it.

Oct 24, 2018 • 5:25

A172 - Why is hourly billing bad?

A172 - Why is hourly billing bad?

Today you are going to learn about 3 harsh realities on why hourly billing is bad. Bad for you and bad for business.

Oct 23, 2018 • 8:14

A171 - How do you choose the technology for your clients?

A171 - How do you choose the technology for your clients?

The short answer to this question is that I don’t, their business does. Don't be selfish and in today's episode you'll learn 2 ways in which to be a better solution provider.

Oct 22, 2018 • 5:49

A170 - How long does it take?

A170 - How long does it take?

Today I answer a question that I hear and see a lot around the web recently and that’s “How long does it take?” "How long does it take to be successful" is a question that more and more people are asking.

Oct 19, 2018 • 9:45

A169 - How to stop the feast or famine cycle?

A169 - How to stop the feast or famine cycle?

Today I want to share with you a podcast called Smashing The Plateau from my friend and fellow NYer David Shriner-Cahn. On this episode, I share with you why you don’t need more freelance clients.

Oct 18, 2018 • 4:09

A168 - Do you use a CRM for your business?

A168 - Do you use a CRM for your business?

Today’s episode is all about managing your relationship. Sure you could put your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband into this, but I’m specifically talking about the relationships you have in your business.

Oct 17, 2018 • 6:47

A167 - How to have a productive week?

A167 - How to have a productive week?

We’ve got an awesome show for you if you are looking to have an awesome week. I’m going to share with you 4 strategies so you have the most productive week.

Oct 16, 2018 • 7:49

A166 - How to grow with word-of-mouth marketing?

A166 - How to grow with word-of-mouth marketing?

If you get 50% or more of your clients from word-of-mouth and are looking to grow your business, today's show is a must listen.

Oct 15, 2018 • 6:26

A165 - How to get more clients?

A165 - How to get more clients?

Today I want address the question that all inquiring freelancers want to know. How to get more clients This is something that I’m sure you’ve asked before, right?

Oct 12, 2018 • 7:16

A164 - How to create memorable moments?

A164 - How to create memorable moments?

Today is going to be a bit different as I talk about another podcast, but I know you enjoy podcasts, so if it's ok with you, I'd love to share with you one that I was on. Among many things, I talked about how you can create memorable moments with your clients.

Oct 11, 2018 • 4:51

A163 - What is the first step in productizing your service?

A163 - What is the first step in productizing your service?

If you are looking to productize your service based business, today we have an awesome show for you around creating an asset library for your business to productize your services.

Oct 10, 2018 • 7:28

A162 - How do I grow my audience and awareness?

A162 - How do I grow my audience and awareness?

we’ve got an amazing show for you packed with ideas to grow your business without spending any ad money. You don’t need to spend a ton of money on Facebook or Google Ads to generate awareness and grow your business. Look at Dropbox as a simple example.

Oct 9, 2018 • 5:31

A161 - How to answer objections and get clients to say “yes”?

A161 - How to answer objections and get clients to say “yes”?

I’m going to share with you a coaching session that I had with a client of mine who wanted to know what the trick is to answering objections and getting that client to say “yes”. In business, there is this scenario that gets created during sales that put 2 parties on opposite sides of the table. But the reality of it is that both parties want the same thing. They both want to be successful with the project.

Oct 8, 2018 • 8:08

A160 - What is the difference between warm and cold outreach?

A160 - What is the difference between warm and cold outreach?

You will learn the difference between warm and cold outreach, and get a simple and effective strategy for both. I’ve talked a ton on this podcast about outreach strategies because whether you like sales or not, if you are building a business, you’ll need to do some form of sales outreach.

Oct 5, 2018 • 5:43

A159 - What is activity based selling?

A159 - What is activity based selling?

If you want to make $100,000 this year, do you know how many leads you need in your business today? No? After this episode you will. In A158 How much money do I need to make?, you learned what to take into account when trying to figure out how much money you need to make. What you’ll learn today is activity based selling. Which boils down to looking at what you can do today, not what happened yesterday, to reach your goals.

Oct 4, 2018 • 6:53

A158 - How much money do I need to make?

A158 - How much money do I need to make?

Together, we are going to work on figuring out how much you need to make in your freelance business so you don’t make the mistake that most freelancers do.

Oct 3, 2018 • 8:14

A157 - How do you stop comparing yourself to someone else?

A157 - How do you stop comparing yourself to someone else?

Today we are going to stop comparing ourselves to someone else, ok? Comparison doesn’t serve you and in fact it can destroy you. This episode I’m going to share with you a tactic so you can stop.

Oct 2, 2018 • 6:36

A156 - What do I say when a potential client says I’m too expensive?

A156 - What do I say when a potential client says I’m too expensive?

Today you are going to learn 3 ways to handle sticker shock. More importantly, based on this pushback you will learn if it’s just a tactic and if you should really work with them.

Oct 1, 2018 • 6:21

A155 - How do you collect online payments?

A155 - How do you collect online payments?

Today is all about the lifeblood of your business, cash! If you are wondering what the best solution for taking payments are, this episode will help you get some clarity around that.

Sep 28, 2018 • 10:56

A154 - What is your favorite quote?

A154 - What is your favorite quote?

Today is going to be a fun one. I was asked what my favorite quote was and got stumped, not because I don’t have one. It’s hard to come up with just one favorite quote, because for me quotes are inspirational when there’s a reference or context to them. I’m going to share with you my 6 favorite quotes and put some context around them.

Sep 27, 2018 • 6:20

A153 - How would you get into the corporate business as an independent professional?

A153 - How would you get into the corporate business as an independent professional?

Unlike small businesses, corporations usually have an agenda and roadmap of projects they need done. They fill the gaps by seeking out vendors, then vetting those vendors and hiring. Once those vendors are approved, they most likely will continue to go back to that well time and time again, so I get the appeal of that as a target client for a lot of people. However that outreach is a hard nut to crack. You essentially have to be in the right place at the right time.

Sep 26, 2018 • 7:15

A152 - How do you do a review of your week?

A152 - How do you do a review of your week?

Do you do a weekly review? A way to look back on a week and see what was accomplished? If not, after this episode you should consider doing it.

Sep 25, 2018 • 4:52

A151 - What is your cold outreach strategy?

A151 - What is your cold outreach strategy?

I’ve spoken about cold outreach emails but prior to that, you need a strategy to get to that email right? First thing to remember is cold outreach is a numbers game. If you cast a wide net with no bait, the more likely it’ll be that you need to throw away most of the fish.

Sep 24, 2018 • 7:48

A150 - What is the best lead generation strategy?

A150 - What is the best lead generation strategy?

Before jumping into today's show, I want to thank you specifically for allowing me into your earbuds every day for the last 150 days. I don’t take it for granted at all! 🙏 I want to share with you an important story and lesson that will illustrate the best lead generation strategy.

Sep 21, 2018 • 8:34

A149 - What do you want for your birthday?

A149 - What do you want for your birthday?

Today’s going to be very different because it’s my birthday today and I want to give you the gift of vision. If you aren’t listening to this on Sept 20, that’s ok too, because this will help you anyway. When it gets close to your birthday, don’t you get asked this question? Especially from family members or close friends, right? I always find this a little awkward because I don’t ask for things.

Sep 20, 2018 • 4:12

A148 - Why should you not be a freelancer?

A148 - Why should you not be a freelancer?

Today I’m going to tell you why you shouldn’t be a freelancer. It's not for everyone and if you happen to find yourself struggling, maybe it's because of one of these reasons. Yup, I’m going to share with you 15 reasons why freelancing isn’t for you.

Sep 19, 2018 • 7:02

A147 - What is the best structure for setting a goal?

A147 - What is the best structure for setting a goal?

Creating goals can be overwhelming for some. But it doesn't have to be if you make it fun, exciting and don't forget that it's all about growth. Today I’m going to share with you the structure of creating a goal that will put you ahead of the game of most people.

Sep 18, 2018 • 7:18

A146 - Should I call myself a "freelancer"? (Definitive Answer)

A146 - Should I call myself a "freelancer"? (Definitive Answer)

Today I’m going to put an end to this conversation once and for all. I’ll be the first to admit I spent to much time on this question myself, and so I don’t want you to.

Sep 17, 2018 • 7:31

A145 - How do I go from self-doubt to being confident?

A145 - How do I go from self-doubt to being confident?

I posted a question in our FB Group, Sustainable Freelancer. Which is free by the way, get in there if you haven’t done so already. The question was "What do you see as your biggest hurdle in growing your business?" and someone PM’d me instead of replying to the post itself saying “My biggest hurdle is me, I’m an introvert and I always seem to have a problem with my confidence. Self-doubt always creeps in and I’m not sure how to get away from that.”

Sep 14, 2018 • 8:43

A144 - How do I work “ON” my business and not “IN” my business?

A144 - How do I work “ON” my business and not “IN” my business?

We’ve got an amazing show for you to take action and work on your business. If you don’t work take your business as serious as your clients’ well you won’t be in business for long.

Sep 13, 2018 • 6:29

A143 - Do you meet leads and clients face-to-face?

A143 - Do you meet leads and clients face-to-face?

Today we are going get away from our desks and talk to people face-to-face and understand why and when that’s important. When you freelance you sometimes forget how long it's been since you've met someone face-to-face. It's important, but needs to be impactful too for yourself as you grow your freelancing business.

Sep 12, 2018 • 6:45

A142 - How do I set a goal?

A142 - How do I set a goal?

Today we are going to set some goals the right way. It’s not December and that’s ok, setting goals shouldn’t be just an annual thing.

Sep 11, 2018 • 6:05

A141 - Should I use my name or create a business name when starting?

A141 - Should I use my name or create a business name when starting?

I get asked this question a lot and to be frank and to the point, I’m going to say to use your name. Now if you want the case on why I’m going to outline 3 reasons as to why I have this response. There are obviously cases for both sides, but I want to share with you some thoughts as to why you should think about using your name.

Sep 10, 2018 • 5:35

A140 - How can I start freelancing as a web developer?

A140 - How can I start freelancing as a web developer?

Today's episode are the 3 steps you need to do immediately, to start freelancing as a web developer and get your first client today. How to start anything is to commit to it. So let’s just get that out of the way now and assume you’ve committed to this.

Sep 7, 2018 • 7:19

A139 - How do you make time for your side projects?

A139 - How do you make time for your side projects?

We’ve got an important show for you today where you will learn how to make time for all that you do.

Sep 6, 2018 • 4:05

A138 - How to overcome objections people have about you?

A138 - How to overcome objections people have about you?

Want an inside look into how I handle objections during a sales call? As a freelancer, my guess is that you aren't a trained sales person. That's ok. Today we'll dive into handling the 3 most comment objections you'll get during any sales process and how to address them.

Sep 5, 2018 • 5:37

A137 - What is a Niche?

A137 - What is a Niche?

Today we are going to define what a niche is. Nitch, Neesh, however you say it, we are going to get on the same page here.

Sep 4, 2018 • 4:55

A136 - Do I drop this client?

A136 - Do I drop this client?

Do you drop that freelance client? It sucks for everyone, but maybe the relationship can be saved and even flourish. This is always a tough question, because it’s sensitive, there’s a big reputation factor on the line with both yourself and client, and it should be something that’s a last resort.

Sep 3, 2018 • 6:02

A135 - What makes you stand out from other freelancers?

A135 - What makes you stand out from other freelancers?

The freelance space is getting more and more crowded by the day, and standing out today isn't what it used to be. We’ve got an awesome show for you about standing out amongst the crowd by putting a bit more of yourself into your clients' business.

Aug 31, 2018 • 4:57

A134 - What can I use for social proof when starting as a freelancer?

A134 - What can I use for social proof when starting as a freelancer?

What do you do if you are just starting out in your freelance career and don’t have any testimonials? Be human. We'll elaborate a bit more on that in today’s awesome show will answer for you.

Aug 30, 2018 • 6:21

A133 - What product do you use for your business that you can’t live without?

A133 - What product do you use for your business that you can’t live without?

Can freelancers not avoid shiny objects? Well, Shiny Object ALERT! We do have an awesome show, but it is one that is very shiny object oriented. And for the sake of answering this question in perpetuity, I’ll share some of the reasons why.

Aug 29, 2018 • 7:46

A132 - Should I bundle projects for clients or keep projects separate per client?

A132 - Should I bundle projects for clients or keep projects separate per client?

“To bundle or not to bundle, that is the question.” You are going to learn 3 things today to think about when deciding to bundle your services for a freelance client.

Aug 28, 2018 • 5:52

A131 - Should I put pricing on my website?

A131 - Should I put pricing on my website?

Are you a freelancer and struggled with putting prices on your website? In this episode, you are going to learn why it's important to address pricing and ways to do it without putting your actual prices up there.

Aug 27, 2018 • 7:09

A130 - How to present different services that could potentially diminish your abilities in the minds of clients?

A130 - How to present different services that could potentially diminish your abilities in the minds of clients?

Do you have multiple services or serve multiple markets and struggle to figure out how to present that on your website? It happens more often than you think. Especially if they conflict with each other...in the minds of the client.

Aug 24, 2018 • 6:51

A129 - What is your biggest failure as a freelancer?

A129 - What is your biggest failure as a freelancer?

Is this Aesop's Fables? Nope! It's Freelancer's Fables. I'm going to share with you my biggest failure and the lessons I’ve learned from it.

Aug 23, 2018 • 5:59

A128 - As a developer, should I throw my projects on Github or build a site from scratch to grab attention?

A128 - As a developer, should I throw my projects on Github or build a site from scratch to grab attention?

This episode is very important, especially if you haven't yet started your freelance career and wonder where you need to put your effort into to attraction your first clients.

Aug 22, 2018 • 5:15

A127 - How would you write a cold outreach email?

A127 - How would you write a cold outreach email?

Do you ever wake up in the morning and say “I can’t wait get today rolling so that I can have people completely ignore me?” Today we are going to talk about the 6 steps for cold emails you can use for your freelance business.

Aug 21, 2018 • 7:27

A126 - What is your mantra or personal manifesto?

A126 - What is your mantra or personal manifesto?

Do you have a mantra, a manifesto? Is it something we need? I don’t know, but I’m going to share with you mine. As a business owner or freelancer we hear that people have these personal manifestos and mantras that they live by. I never though of these 2 "words of wisdom" that I live by as such, but maybe they are. You be the judge.

Aug 20, 2018 • 6:29

A125 - How often should I write a blog post?

A125 - How often should I write a blog post?

I’ve got the answer to your followup from the last episode. Be consistent…it’s what I tell my clients, and my son. Once you start writing, it's easy to become extremely ambitious. Especially as a freelancer and business owner, you can get all excited about the "new" thing. Before you go full bore, this episode will show you exactly what to do to figure out how often you should write.

Aug 17, 2018 • 4:46

A124 - How do you decide what to start blogging with if you’ve never blogged before?

A124 - How do you decide what to start blogging with if you’ve never blogged before?

As a freelancer providing services, often blogging is something you hear that you should be doing (so I'm just going to assume for this episode you are going to blog). But staring at the blank page is a nightmare and so I’m going to share with you 5 types of articles to get those words flowing.

Aug 16, 2018 • 6:32

A123 - How to decrease the sales cycle or time to close?

A123 - How to decrease the sales cycle or time to close?

Sales is something that you learn. It’s a constant learning to be honest with you. Sales today isn’t what it was in the 80s, 50s or 30s. How you improve your sales is more about you and the relationship with your client than it is about sales tactics and tips.

Aug 15, 2018 • 5:50

A122 - How do you turn the things I do into benefits?

A122 - How do you turn the things I do into benefits?

If you are struggling with the content on your website, today we are going to fix that and get you on the right path.

Aug 14, 2018 • 6:38

A121 - What makes a great case study

A121 - What makes a great case study

It’s one thing to have a portfolio, it’s another thing to have an effective one that contains case studies to help covert those shoppers into buyers.

Aug 13, 2018 • 4:52

A120 - Do you have a tip to get over thinking I don’t know enough?

A120 - Do you have a tip to get over thinking I don’t know enough?

Imposter syndrome is a real thing. As a freelancer, as an introvert, and just working with smart people every single day, it can be an overwhelming feeling to get past that you don't know enough. Today's show will share you my story and what I look to when I have this feeling. In the freelance world, we can't let ourselves stop us.

Aug 10, 2018 • 5:35

A119 - Do you have any tip to increase productivity and motivation?

A119 - Do you have any tip to increase productivity and motivation?

As a freelancer, business owner, consultant, sometimes the productivity and motivation isn't there when we need it. Today I’m going to share with you 4 tips to increase productivity and motivation.

Aug 9, 2018 • 5:24

A118 - How to handle a bad referral?

A118 - How to handle a bad referral?

Nothing can waste your time more than jumping at an opportunity you get for a freelance project through a someone you know. I’ve been there and going to share with you what to do. Let me paint the picture for you.

Aug 8, 2018 • 5:09

A117 - How to raise your rates at any time?

A117 - How to raise your rates at any time?

We're more than half way through the year, and you still haven't found the time to look at your rates from the beginning of the year up until now. "Maybe next month.", right? Or... maybe not. You feel that you deserve a rate increase, but you never quite get around to doing something about it.

Aug 7, 2018 • 6:47

A116 - Are job boards reliable?

A116 - Are job boards reliable?

Like any other platform, whether it’s content marketing, cold email outreach, social media, or job boards, there is a game that needs to be played and if you play it well, it’ll be successful for you.

Aug 6, 2018 • 5:06

A115 - How do you step away and actually take a vacation?

A115 - How do you step away and actually take a vacation?

It’s not easy to do, but taking vacations and being able to step away from the freelance business for a day or a week can be scary.

Aug 3, 2018 • 6:21

A114 - What are some useful tools that you use?

A114 - What are some useful tools that you use?

Today I’m going to share with you 3 tools that I’ve found extremely helpful, useful, and are making my life and business better. These aren't your run of the mill tools that you hear everywhere (at least not yet - or at least I hadn't ;) ) Bonjoro, Undraw, and Hey Meta.

Aug 2, 2018 • 7:49

A113 - How to stay being a generalist but test the waters to specialize your business?

A113 - How to stay being a generalist but test the waters to specialize your business?

In today's show, I'm going to walk you through the process of how to niche down while still remaining on the path of your existing freelance business. You are going to have to put some time and effort into it without a doubt. But I will game plan out the steps to do this test.

Aug 1, 2018 • 7:05

A112 - How to get over the fear of niching down?

A112 - How to get over the fear of niching down?

The fear is real. Niching down your freelance business can be scary. There are so many types of fears that come into play here, but the one that I hear the most is “I’m afraid that I’ll leave money on the table.” Essentially that you are missing out on projects that you can do, that are willing to pay you. I’m going to get real with you here for a minute. While FOMO is a valid fear, and most of all a valid statement, it’s an excuse.

Jul 31, 2018 • 7:19

A111 - When niching down, should I target the type of work or the type of customer?

A111 - When niching down, should I target the type of work or the type of customer?

Seth Godin says “Don’t find customers for your products; find products for your customers.” The type of work you do and the type of customer you work with are both part of niching down to specialize your business.

Jul 30, 2018 • 6:41

A110 - How important is branding?

A110 - How important is branding?

If you are wrestling around with the idea that you don’t need to think about your brand, I want to stop you right there. This episode will show you how important branding is to your freelance business. For a very long time, I didn’t put much thought into branding. In fact I thought the brand was the logo. And since I didn’t have the money to allocate to getting a logo designed, I would just design my own. This was very much the way I did branding for my business from 1999 to 2015.

Jul 27, 2018 • 7:16

A109 - How do I keep a lead focused on the conversation and not get off topic?

A109 - How do I keep a lead focused on the conversation and not get off topic?

You will come across, if you haven’t already, in your freelance business, where people who want to talk and talk and talk. It’s going to happen. Whether that’s on initial sales calls or kick-off calls, or weekly status calls. People want to bounce ideas around, they want to share thoughts about future plans, they may even talk about what they did on the weekend.

Jul 26, 2018 • 5:59

A108 - When starting out freelance, should I just be a generalist to get my feet wet, or should I go for that niche?

A108 - When starting out freelance, should I just be a generalist to get my feet wet, or should I go for that niche?

I hate to answer this question with “it depends” but I’m going to. And for making it to episode 108 without saying that, I think is a pretty nice feat, right? But you know me, I’m not going to leave “it depends” hanging out there. I’m going share with you 3 scenarios in which I would approach both.

Jul 25, 2018 • 5:59

A107 - How do you handle push back?

A107 - How do you handle push back?

Your pitching your recurring freelance services but getting push back that it’s not needed, this could be the sign they aren’t a fit for you. This is a question I get asked quite a bit and I tend to answer, regardless of who I’m talking with in the same way.

Jul 24, 2018 • 6:11

A106 - What should you be able to create as a web developer before starting in your freelance career?

A106 - What should you be able to create as a web developer before starting in your freelance career?

As a freelance web developer, at the most basic of levels, you should be able to create a stand alone, functional website. But nowadays, you will want to figure out whether you are going to be a front-end developer, back-end, or maybe full stack developer. That will help you build that solid foundation for your freelance career. However before that even, the biggest thing you need to think about creating for yourself is a track record of good work.

Jul 23, 2018 • 6:38

A105 - What are your client red flags?

A105 - What are your client red flags?

We’ve got big show for you, it’s about client red flags, things to watch out for in leads and clients so that you can keep your sanity and know that you are working with the best you can for your freelance business.

Jul 20, 2018 • 6:39

A104 - How do you stay motivated on long-term projects?

A104 - How do you stay motivated on long-term projects?

You know I’m not a rah-rah type of guy, this episode will have some actionable items for you to take away and do today! Just to frame this conversation, I want to start this answer by saying that I’m assuming that the project and client are both good and there is nothing wrong with this freelance enegagement from that perspective. That you are being compensated properly, scope of work is defined, and it’s just a long project.

Jul 19, 2018 • 5:35

A103 - How do you price your services on your site?

A103 - How do you price your services on your site?

As a freelancer, putting your pricing on your website is one of the biggest dilemmas you will have surrounding your website. This is a hard question to answer because I’m not sure of your client, and that is really what it will come down to. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Jul 18, 2018 • 6:36

A102 - What do you use for your sales script?

A102 - What do you use for your sales script?

I have worked hard on my freelance business, especially at sales. I learned a ton of different tactics and strategies, but to be honest, I needed to make sales for my business, my own. So if you are looking for a specific script, you won’t find one. But what you will find is an answer you may have heard from me before and a step-by-step approach to sales that has worked for me for years.

Jul 17, 2018 • 7:21

A101 - What has been the biggest challenge in your business so far?

A101 - What has been the biggest challenge in your business so far?

In this episode I share my biggest challenge in my business so far, the punch in the gut so to speak that was the spark for everything that I’m doing today so that you can avoid falling into the same challenges.

Jul 16, 2018 • 6:48

A100 - What’s the best thing about being a freelancer?

A100 - What’s the best thing about being a freelancer?

I share with you the 3 best things about being a freelancer and they aren’t the cheesy cliche answers you may have heard before. Not that those things aren't true, but maybe you have similar values and realistic ideas of freelancing like myself and want to hear about what I find to be the best things about freelancing.

Jul 13, 2018 • 7:57

A99 - How do you set the boundary of work you do and work you don't do?

A99 - How do you set the boundary of work you do and work you don't do?

Setting the boundaries is easy, but keeping them and not falling back into old habits is hard. If you keep falling back, the business won’t move forward, you won’t move forward and your profits will just go up in flames.

Jul 12, 2018 • 7:24

A98 - How did you scale your freelance business?

A98 - How did you scale your freelance business?

Scale is such a dangerous word these days. “Scale” in a business sense often refers to growing the business in a profitable way. When I hear scaling in the freelance world, it’s meant to grow the business, but often referring to automation, adding people, adding more products/services. It’s important and absolutely a MUST to remember why you are freelancing in the first place.

Jul 11, 2018 • 6:11

A97 - How do I improve my communication skills and confidence in public?

A97 - How do I improve my communication skills and confidence in public?

As a freelancer, you have to be a great communicator and appear confident in all you do. There’s no better way than practice to be honest. Here are 5 tips and exercises that you can use to help.

Jul 10, 2018 • 6:47

A96 - What is the very first step to work as a freelancer?

A96 - What is the very first step to work as a freelancer?

If you haven’t yet started freelancing or you are a seasoned freelancer, today’s show will be awesome for you. Your business is always changing and the steps in this show will put you on the path to success. There never is just one thing when it comes to working on your business. So today I'm going to share with you 3 things that when working together, it will put you on the path to success in starting you out as a freelancer or adding new services to your existing freelance business.

Jul 9, 2018 • 7:30

A95 - How viable is it to a find a job as a front-end web developer as a freelancer in the current market?

A95 - How viable is it to a find a job as a front-end web developer as a freelancer in the current market?

Welcome to episode 95 and today we’ve got an awesome show for you. The front-end-web developer market is extremely viable and you are going to learn 3 places to land more freelance jobs in today’s market… ready?

Jul 6, 2018 • 5:04

A94 - How did you find/determine your niche?

A94 - How did you find/determine your niche?

Today I’m inviting you onto my couch and hear me felt, the thought process, and unpack how I specialize and niched down my business for the very first time.

Jul 5, 2018 • 8:06

A93 - How does a freelance web designer build a client profile when preparing their marketing plans?

A93 - How does a freelance web designer build a client profile when preparing their marketing plans?

This is a great question because thinking about your pricing and marketing is very much something that most freelancers don’t think too much about until they need that next project. However, where I think you need to unpack it a little bit is that your 2 target markets have very different ideas around what they need for their businesses.

Jul 4, 2018 • 6:04

A92 - How can I share a tool for freelancers?

A92 - How can I share a tool for freelancers?

It’s really all about who your tool is for. And finding more of them to get as customers. You may be able to get a link or two on some blogs some place, but to be honest, I haven’t had much success in that strategy because you’ll have to spend a ton of time in a great cold outreach campaign that odds are will yield limited results for you. A better approach would be to run a podcast tour instead, which you can find podcasts that your target market listens to. That may get you in front of t

Jul 3, 2018 • 5:32

A91 - How do you determine a quality prospect?

A91 - How do you determine a quality prospect?

My goal of qualifying a freelance prospect is to get them to essentially have them disqualify themselves. I look at sales this way. There are way more people and projects in this world that I’m not a good fit for. If I can have them figure that out as early on in the process as possible without wasting too much of their time, the better.

Jul 2, 2018 • 6:56

A90 - Imagine I was going to bring you $100k in revenue

A90 - Imagine I was going to bring you $100k in revenue

Today I’m going to turn the tables on you. It’s time that I ask you a question, a serious question and potentially get you leads in the process. In the process of this answer, you may also get a better understanding of who your great clients are.

Jun 29, 2018 • 4:12

A89 - How do I pitch some big companies in my niche?

A89 - How do I pitch some big companies in my niche?

This person followed up this question with some more context..."but I'm nervous to get a "no" from them now (or getting ignored) and never have an opportunity with them again." I had these same thoughts especially when I first started freelancing. I always thought that the first impression was the last. I want to tell you that it’s not!

Jun 28, 2018 • 6:08

A88 - What is the easiest way to get a remote testimonial?

A88 - What is the easiest way to get a remote testimonial?

The easiest way to get a testimonial is to do great work. When you do great work and deliver, or over deliver, simply asking for a testimonial should be pretty easy to get. But you have to ask.

Jun 27, 2018 • 5:32

A87 - What is my writing process?

A87 - What is my writing process?

On today's episode, I'm going to share with you my writing process and how I go about writing my content, whether it’s a blog post, podcast notes, or something on Quora. Now full disclosure, I am not a writer. In fact, I had a professor in college actually put on a paper, "Is English your second language?"

Jun 26, 2018 • 7:03

A86 - How do you find other freelancers you can work and partner up with?

A86 - How do you find other freelancers you can work and partner up with?

One of the best ways, in today's freelance market, to get the right kind of leads to your business is by way of partnerships. It may make sense for a web developer to partner up with a designer. It may make sense for an SEO to partner up with a writer. But I would ask yourself, are my existing clients asking for these services? Make sure that your clients are finding a fit with your new offering. Finding a good fit for a partnership means that your clients want what’s being offere

Jun 25, 2018 • 6:33

A85 - Why did you start freelancing?

A85 - Why did you start freelancing?

I love this question because it’s the “why” and we all don’t start freelancing just because we want to work more.

Jun 22, 2018 • 7:40

A84 - Did hiring a mentor really helped you with starting up your business or your career?

A84 - Did hiring a mentor really helped you with starting up your business or your career?

Just by answering this question and exploring all the things that I learned from Alex, who was my mentor early in my career, I wonder why it took me until 1 failed attempt at going full-time with my own business and almost another time before I realized that I should hire a mentor.

Jun 21, 2018 • 6:51

A83 - Can I do web, software development and digital marketing as a freelancer at the same time?

A83 - Can I do web, software development and digital marketing as a freelancer at the same time?

If you are looking to create a done-for-you-service as a freelance, there’s a fine line you don’t want to cross and become a jack of all trades and fall into becoming a generalist.

Jun 20, 2018 • 6:32

A82 - How do you market your business to local clients other than attending networking meetings?

A82 - How do you market your business to local clients other than attending networking meetings?

This is going to be a fun one, especially if you are a web designer or developer or SEO or provide some other form of online services for clients. Today I’m going to share with you 2 ways to market your freelance services to your local market.

Jun 19, 2018 • 6:46

A81 - How do you followup with a lead after a proposal?

A81 - How do you followup with a lead after a proposal?

Does this scenario sound familiar? You send out a proposal with the hopes of hearing back immediately. One day goes by, 2, 3, a week. Still nothing. Then you wonder why you haven’t heard back and you then send out an email like…

Jun 18, 2018 • 5:11

A80 - How did you do it?

A80 - How did you do it?

Many of you ask me “How did you do X?” and fill in the blank there with “sales, podcast, build recurring revenue, freelance FT in NY, write that post, install WordPress, automate that thing, and so on” You know I’m all about sharing. I enjoy sharing the wins and losses of the every day because I feel that you may learn from them and get value from them. If I can help you fast track your path from something that I’ve been through, that for me is why I love getting out of bed in the morn

Jun 15, 2018 • 7:17

A79 - What is the best way to attract larger clients?

A79 - What is the best way to attract larger clients?

The appeal of working with larger clients is that it is social proof. Whether that’s a logo on your website, chatting with someone at an event, or talking with a potential client during a sales call. Having that brand in your portfolio gives credibility to your freelance business. Today I'm going to share with you 2 strategies to land those clients.

Jun 14, 2018 • 8:19

A78 - Does live chat bring you in business?

A78 - Does live chat bring you in business?

As a freelancer you are no doubt sitting by your laptop or phone all day long, right? Having a live chat to answer immediate questions can have you stand out, but will it make you money?

Jun 13, 2018 • 4:48

A77 - Do you charge for meetings?

A77 - Do you charge for meetings?

During the course of a freelance project, a meeting, a call, a visit to your client’s office are all time spent working for the client. Just as if you were charging for code or designs or blog posts, so too you should be charging for those meetings. I think there’s always this struggle or dilemma of charging for meetings because there’s not something to hand over to the client as a deliverable. But that’s completely wrong.

Jun 12, 2018 • 5:11

A76 - Why is an email list important for a freelancer?

A76 - Why is an email list important for a freelancer?

You’ve heard time and time again to build your email list. That the money is in the list. That growing your list is the way to profits. The scary thing is that all this is true, but I don’t think any of these reasons are why an email list is the most important as a freelancer. The reason I feel an email list is most important as a freelancer is that having that list will help you even out the dips or slow periods in your business cycle.

Jun 11, 2018 • 6:54

A75 - What is my second most successful lead generation tactic?

A75 - What is my second most successful lead generation tactic?

My second most successful lead generation tactic in converting to clients were vendor referrals. In fact, at the time I had just finished pivoting my business to have 50% of my clients come to me by way of vendor referrals without me consciously being aware of it.

Jun 8, 2018 • 5:56

A74 - What podcasting gear do I use?

A74 - What podcasting gear do I use?

This is a bit of a fun one because it honestly doesn’t have too much to do with freelancing unless you are thinking about podcasting. But for my money, podcasting is what has allowed me to grow my business in so many different ways, I wanted to share this with you today in hopes you'll see how easy it is to get yourself going.

Jun 7, 2018 • 6:58

A73 - What does it take to be a freelancer?

A73 - What does it take to be a freelancer?

When someone finds out that I am a freelancer 2 things are usually said. “It must be nice to be able to work from home” or “You must have a lot of discipline to be able to work from home” Both are true but there’s more to it than that. I want to share with you 6 characteristics I find helpful in being a freelancer.

Jun 6, 2018 • 6:28

When creating a new freelance service what’s the best way to send cold emails?

When creating a new freelance service what’s the best way to send cold emails?

Whether you are creating a new freelance service or just starting out freelancing, remember that cold emails are the telemarketers of the inbox. No one has any need, time, or desire to read an email that’s all about someone else’s product or service that they never heard of. So when you do cold email, do it as a “you”-focused email and you’ll have a better chance of landing on that person’s radar.

Jun 5, 2018 • 5:55

When it comes to getting premium freelance clients, what's your single biggest challenge?

When it comes to getting premium freelance clients, what's your single biggest challenge?

There are many challenges in getting premium freelance clients. Let me first explain what “premium” means to me. I equate this to the type of client I want to work with. One that’s respectful, values what I bring to the table, has thought about their project enough to a point where we can discuss candidly about budget, time, and expectations and the last piece to that puzzle is that we are a fit personality wise.

Jun 4, 2018 • 6:06

How do you have time for all that you do?

How do you have time for all that you do?

If you find yourself saying “I don’t have the time,” then who is controlling your time? Is it you? Is it your clients? Make things a priority and you’ll find the time.

Jun 1, 2018 • 6:48

How do I go from one-off projects to retainers for all future projects? And is it a good idea?

How do I go from one-off projects to retainers for all future projects? And is it a good idea?

I think this is an awesome idea to use retainers to build recurring revenue in your freelance business. This is something I’ve done for myself. So you won’t hear anything but that this is a great idea for you. How you do it though, that’s the real test and hard work aspect of this.

May 31, 2018 • 5:41

What do I need to do to ramp up my freelance business after having been in the game for a few years?

What do I need to do to ramp up my freelance business after having been in the game for a few years?

No doubt you are feeling as if you are stuck in the freelancer hamster wheel of sorts. I know because I was there myself. You have a bunch of clients under your belt, your skills are growing and your processes are really starting to be defined as a business. The problem is that you are still trading time for money.

May 30, 2018 • 5:54

How to start out as a freelance translator?

How to start out as a freelance translator?

This question came from a freelancer from my cup of coffee call out on my email list. See every month I throw it out there to set up a 15-minute Cup of Coffee call with me. It’s really just an opportunity to have a get to know you type of chat. Some folks ask questions, we talk tools, even working relationships for gigs happen. So when this question came up during a recent conversation I thought it was pretty interesting.

May 29, 2018 • 6:16

How can I start freelancing without experience?

How can I start freelancing without experience?

I want to say that even though you may think you don’t have experience, you do. Leverage what you do have already. Use the skill that you have and start there. With regards to the business side of freelancing, we all start out with no experience. So you aren’t alone.

May 28, 2018 • 6:00

What are the tools and services that you use and would recommend to freelancers?

What are the tools and services that you use and would recommend to freelancers?

Over the years I can’t even count how many tools and services I use. The amount of free trials and monthly services would probably make your head spin. Today I want to share with you 5 tools I love and use to this very day.

May 25, 2018 • 8:35

How do you price your work as a freelance web developer (Part 3)?

How do you price your work as a freelance web developer (Part 3)?

In this final part of pricing your freelance business, I try and shed some 2 really great questions. I shared with you how I went about pricing during my career and a real-life example of a client of mine and how I walked through thinking about value-based pricing. I shared with you a bit about my apprehension, fear of the difficult conversations and how I overcame it. You also heard that by turning the conversation from talking about pricing and what other folks in the market charge to

May 24, 2018 • 7:41

How do you price your work as a freelance web developer (Part 2)?

How do you price your work as a freelance web developer (Part 2)?

We know that both you and the client want to have the most successful freelance project ever! In order to do that, you should understand what it is that your client needs, not what they want. This is the first step in this process.

May 23, 2018 • 9:06

How do you price your work as a freelance web developer?

How do you price your work as a freelance web developer?

I think pricing is the fun part of building a business. Ultimately, it’s the validation of what you do and someone’s willingness to see the value you can provide.

May 22, 2018 • 8:26

What is freelance?

What is freelance?

Many business have negative feelings towards the word, and quite honestly, the freelance industry as a whole, due to the perception of poor quality, inconsistent work. As a result of that, many freelancers use other words to describe who it is that they are. Words like “consultant”, ”business owner”, or the actual skillset that they are like “web designer or developer.” And for a long time I did this too, until I did a bit of research into what the word “freelance” meant. The origin if you

May 21, 2018 • 7:16

What sort of freelance work is available for an individual web developer?

What sort of freelance work is available for an individual web developer?

In this episode, you are going get 5 tips you can get freelance work as a web developer when starting out. The sad truth is that the content that's out there today is still that of 10 years ago. As a web developer, an individual developer, I went down a long and windy road that you don't need to.

May 18, 2018 • 8:58

Aren’t I leaving money on the table?

Aren’t I leaving money on the table?

The full question is, if I niche down to something specific, either industry, location, or even technology-wise, won’t I be leaving a ton of opportunities and money on the table? The short answer is “yes”. Let me explain this a bit more though with an example in this episode why you will actually make more with less.

May 17, 2018 • 5:18

How to freelance when you are depressed?

How to freelance when you are depressed?

Mental health is a big thing that should be considered carefully. Stress, anxiety, depression, overall loneliness play a HUGE role in anyone’s life, including freelancers. I’ve been asked this question in the past when I’ve written about my own periods of burnout and depression.

May 16, 2018 • 7:11

Do you negotiate on price?

Do you negotiate on price?

When you set a price on something, it should be the number that is what you are worth and profitable on. Wriggling around on price isn’t something I do. In freelancing, you need to know your numbers and this is a paramount opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd. But I will offer other options. These options are reduced scope of work which then corresponds to a reduced price.

May 15, 2018 • 5:02

Do you get any leads from your content? And what traffic acquisition methods have worked best?

Do you get any leads from your content? And what traffic acquisition methods have worked best?

The content that has netted me the best clients have been content that’s really just positioned me as the person who can solve their problem. Since this question is specifically asking me, I’ll get a bit deeper here, but I’ll also share with you some other techniques that have worked well for others.

May 14, 2018 • 6:57

Should you do free work to build a portfolio?

Should you do free work to build a portfolio?

As a freelancer for the past 15 years, I want to first say that my stance on spec work or work that you do for someone else without getting compensated is something I’m not an advocate for. That doesn’t mean that I don’t see the value or understand why some folks do it. It just means that I would rather put sweat equity into my own business and get a monetary payment for the time and effort I put into someone else’s business.

May 11, 2018 • 7:27

What did your parents/partner say when you told them you wanted to freelance?

What did your parents/partner say when you told them you wanted to freelance?

This is a great question on so many levels. I’ve been there, wondering what is someone that is important to me, is going to say about my career choice. I was nervous to have my in-laws find out for the first time what I do. I have been nervous at times to find out what close friends have thought.

May 10, 2018 • 6:50

Do I have to be concerned with GDPR?

Do I have to be concerned with GDPR?

As someone who’s main service is managing my clients’ email lists, I’ve been getting asked quite often lately about GDPR since it’s coming into full effect at the end of May. Likewise, as a coach and community leader of freelancers, I’ve been asked if they should worry about or what they should do (if anything) about the GDPR, especially if they are outside of the EU. I want to first state that I’m not a lawyer and by no means take any of this information as legal advice. Take it as bes

May 9, 2018 • 9:45

Isn’t it hard to have self-discipline when you work at home?

Isn’t it hard to have self-discipline when you work at home?

It’s very hard to have the discipline needed to work from home. The reasons are pretty obvious, right?

May 8, 2018 • 4:45

Is my niche too narrow?

Is my niche too narrow?

As a freelancer, I don't think there is a niche that's too narrow. By focusing in on a specific group of people and solving their problems, you create a bunch of raving fans. If you can specifically produce results for people, then those customers become raving fans. Especially in freelancing, having a set of raving fans is gold, because word-of-mouth is so strong and often times how most freelancers get more work.

May 7, 2018 • 6:20

How to start freelancing?

How to start freelancing?

Starting to freelance is one thing, but I think the real question is how to start and be successful. Having a good, solid foundation will set you up for success in your freelancing business. There are so many facets of this and so many areas to deep dive on, but following these 6 steps will help you start out building a successful freelance business.

May 4, 2018 • 10:52

Should I focus on SEO or Paid Ads to gain new clients?

Should I focus on SEO or Paid Ads to gain new clients?

If you want to keep your leads coming in on a consistent basis, SEO is the way to do that. With paid ads, I’m speaking specifically about AdWords, FB, and Bing, once you shut that budget off, your traffic will dry up.

May 3, 2018 • 6:16

What are skills you can learn fast and have high freelancer value?

What are skills you can learn fast and have high freelancer value?

Technical skills are great, but anyone can learn to code or design. It’s the human skills that makes you valuable. It’s the personal skills that increases your clients’ lifetime value because they keep coming back. It’s the human skills that we often forget about in business, but it’s what really makes a business successful. Here are 3 skills for you to learn to increase your value as a freelancer.

May 2, 2018 • 6:16

How can I focus on my business when I’ve got a ton client work?

How can I focus on my business when I’ve got a ton client work?

You want to improve your freelance business so you grow your business in a positive direction, yet you struggle with the classic chicken and egg scenario. You have client work which is paying the bills. So the work you need to do for the business gets pushed aside. Yet you know that by doing that, you put yourself in a very bad spot where you won’t be getting any future clients.

May 1, 2018 • 4:13

How do you build a good freelancing profile in the field of web development considering the competition?

How do you build a good freelancing profile in the field of web development considering the competition?

There's no quick hack here - If you show up each and every day, do good work, and genuinely care about who it is that you serve, the rest will fall right into place. In this episode, I share with you what has worked for myself and other developers to amplify their profiles.

Apr 30, 2018 • 6:30

How does the house run with 2 stay at home, freelancing parents?

How does the house run with 2 stay at home, freelancing parents?

With the income of the house based on freelancing, I share 3 tips and tactics to keeping the house running smoothly, especially with a 1-year-old running around.

Apr 27, 2018 • 6:34

Should I niche down to a specific industry in my local area?

Should I niche down to a specific industry in my local area?

If the size of your market can't support your business then focusing on a specific industry may be too restrictive. But ...

Apr 27, 2018 • 3:39

What payment structure should I do?

What payment structure should I do?

If you haven’t set the expectations during the sales process of how you are to be paid, then you could potentially be on a bumpy road. Not saying that they aren’t expecting to pay you, but they may have different expectations than you do. Let me share with you things you need to think about to lower the risk but keep your client engaged with you.

Apr 25, 2018 • 4:06

Are you comfortable?

Are you comfortable?

Being a freelancer is all about being uncomfortable. There's nothing about being a business owner that should feel absolutely comfortable. If you aren't uncomfortable while learning a new skill or pushing the envelope of your business, then are you really moving forward?

Apr 24, 2018 • 4:49

What do I do first thing Monday morning?

What do I do first thing Monday morning?

Being a freelancer for 15 years, I've learned a few tricks. Knowing how to start the week off on the right foot, starts with planning Monday morning before Monday! This is critical for me since I feel like if I don’t do my weekly review on Sundays, I’m lost. I feel behind on the week because my review is usually about an hour of time. In this episode I walk you through my 10 steps to performing a weekly review so that you know your week starts off on the right foot.

Apr 23, 2018 • 5:25

What happens if you can’t define a scope of work on a call?

What happens if you can’t define a scope of work on a call?

Firstly, there’s no moving forward with a proposal if you can’t nail down a scope of work right? Often times if you are in one of these conversations, you can tell within 10-15 mins of it that you are in one. It’s usually filled with meandering paths to loosely based goals. The best thing about these conversations is that they do lead to paid discoveries. These are lower risk, high reward engagements for you and your lead. How you ask and present this is the best way to get these types of fre

Apr 20, 2018 • 5:07

Have advice for soliciting podcasters to be a guest?

Have advice for soliciting podcasters to be a guest?

When you are freelancing you want to get out there on podcasts, guest blog, and anything else that puts you in front of potential clients and people who will buy from you. getonpodcasts.com - Kai’s lessons help quite a bit and landed me on a few. For soliciting, the key is first finding podcasts where you can add value to that audience and then pitch that host with that value add, first and foremost.
 I dive into 5 tips in this episode to keep you on track so that you can get yourself the mos

Apr 19, 2018 • 5:20

What is the best way to get income fast?

What is the best way to get income fast?

I’m going to start by saying that this question seems to have a sense of urgency and a result of lack of planning. That’s not a knock by any means, I’ve been there :). So I definitely am qualified to answer this question. You may be surprised at some of what I say in this episode, but as a freelancer, there are times when a reality check needs to happen and brutal honesty is needed. I outline 3 things you can do so that you can get income fast.

Apr 18, 2018 • 5:24

Why do things that don't scale?

Why do things that don't scale?

In the service based industry, if you delight and make an impression on your leads, clients, and past clients, that will continue to ripple through them and the people they know. Look, as a freelancer you have the best opportunity to make an impact on someone else, whether that’s them personally or professionally. Why not do it? That is the stuff that doesn’t scale.

Apr 17, 2018 • 4:23

How to work from home effectively?

How to work from home effectively?

As a freelancer, it's such a luxury to be working from home. However it is so easy to be distracted when you work from home. As a was having a conversation with another father at my nephew's little league game over the weekend, we traded our best 4 tips to work from home effectively. The 4 tips are: 1. Discipline 2. Making sure family respects the work place 3. Get out 4. Support Regardless if you are a developer, designer, marketer, writer, in sales, etc, these 4 tips will help you work from

Apr 16, 2018 • 5:20

How to get the messaging right to attract customers?

How to get the messaging right to attract customers?

There’s no easy and quick answer to getting the messaging right. You need to learn what it is and apply that learning over time to really get it right. The best things that have worked for me are: 1. Conversations 2. Testimonials
 3. Support Get yourself away from the generic headers and think about what your clients are saying and use them. That’s where you’ll find the right messaging to attract the best kinds of clients.

Apr 13, 2018 • 5:26

Do you schedule in time for exploring or reading articles online?

Do you schedule in time for exploring or reading articles online?

This is a great question, because as a freelancer, you should be mindful of where your time goes. I don’t schedule the time in specifically, however I do read a ton. I tend to read articles more at night or early morning after waking up. This often times is the best time for me because it’s quiet, I don’t have to think about anything else and it allows me to wind down or up, depending on the day. I do read tons of articles, and I do have a process around them, I just don’t schedule the readin

Apr 12, 2018 • 4:56

Do certifications work for growing a freelance business?

Do certifications work for growing a freelance business?

There are many certifications out there in the market that a freelancer can grab. It can help your business grow, both as social proof, but also in your lead generation and sales. If you are specializing your business, sometimes you focus in on a particular piece of software that helps your clients’ business. Sometimes you focus on a specific coding language. Sometimes you focus on a platform. If you are focusing on these things and know them in and out, having a certification in them gives yo

Apr 12, 2018 • 5:09

How do you prevent, manage scope creep in your projects?

How do you prevent, manage scope creep in your projects?

Scope creep worries even the most experienced freelancer. After a heard lesson early on in my career, I don’t look at scope creep as being something that’s a bad thing anymore. It’s more of an opportunity to be honest. Now don’t get me wrong, scope creep when handled wrong can kill everything about a project. The deadline, profitability, the trust. So it’s so very important that scope creep is handled in the best way possible. Remember scope creep starts with a simple ask. Usually, it’s the cl

Apr 10, 2018 • 7:45

How do you handle two target markets for different services?

How do you handle two target markets for different services?

It is natural as a freelancer to want to look down the road of another path. Catering to 2 target markets is not easy, especially if they are vastly different. If you are building a product, course, writing a book, whatever that thing is alongside your services, it's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed. It’s definitely hard and something that I do struggle with. The biggest thing to do is remained focus on the tasks at hand. It’s too easy to get overwhelmed or get off the rails with the shiny

Apr 9, 2018 • 7:38

How do you get away from a client that is most of your work?

How do you get away from a client that is most of your work?

As a freelancer, there needs to be a balance between your business moving forward and your clients’ businesses. As a freelancer you should think like a business owner, not an employee. If your business is not moving forward, your clients will ultimately suffer too. It’s a scary thing because you have all your eggs in one basket so to speak. If that client doesn’t need you anymore, then what? I think this is a question that most freelancers ask themselves but are hesitant to act on it. I get

Apr 6, 2018 • 5:49

Is automation necessary to grow a business?

Is automation necessary to grow a business?

Instead of thinking about automation as this big complex behemoth, think of it as something that connects 2 actions together that makes your life easier. So when I started freelancing, I would meet people for sales meetings at their office, at a coffee shop, or restaurants. I wanted to save a few minutes so that I could grab a cup of coffee for everyone at the meeting, so I used automation to connect my Google Calendar to Evernote.

Apr 5, 2018 • 6:36

What software tools do you use for business? What is best?

What software tools do you use for business? What is best?

As a freelancer, you are always looking to optimize your tools and work with the best out there. But “What is the best” is such a subjective term. When looking for tools, it’s easy to get into the features and all the shiny objects thinking that you need it. Often times you get so into the tools that you don’t actually get work done. I suggest you work backwards. What I mean by that is start where you get money. This episode covers the things to think about from working backwards in your bu

Apr 4, 2018 • 6:19

How to you manage your existing clients when you start specializing?

How to you manage your existing clients when you start specializing?

If you are involved in a project or client but at a point where you are starting to figure out your niche. Or maybe you are starting to specialize your freelance business even more to refine your services. It’s always tough to try and figure out how to handle the current clients. There are several things you can do though and one thing that you have to do. You have to finish the job. Plain and simple. Whatever you said you would do, you have to deliver on that. Then based on if they fall in

Apr 3, 2018 • 6:50

Is the income from freelancing reliable?

Is the income from freelancing reliable?

“Freelancing” itself is a business and reliability of income for any business depends on the health of that business and the processes of getting the income. If you build a business of your own, which freelancing is, you need to understand all the aspects of the business, at least at a basic level. You should always be learning, marketing, and growing. Evolving your business processes as you grow. You make your income reliable, by doing all these things in your business. There are no guarant

Apr 2, 2018 • 6:08

How to do research and land that first client?

How to do research and land that first client?

Want to specialize your freelance business? This is the 5th episode in the series to niche down and I'll walk you through how to find and land that first client. There are 6 steps that you need to do in order to find and land that client. Can you land 1, 2, maybe 5 new clients in this first test of your market? Obviously, it depends on your availability and service. But if you can land one or 2 then you’ve moved in that direction towards your specialty. It may not seem like a lot, but you

Mar 30, 2018 • 10:03

How do I find out if the niche has value?

How do I find out if the niche has value?

In freelancing, the best way to research is to talk with people. You want to jump into some quick and easy questions. 1. How is everything going? 2. What made the decision for you to choose me over someone else? 3. Is there anything that I can be doing better? As you wrap up the conversation ask them if they know of anyone like themselves that has a similar project and that you would appreciate a quick introduction. Now if you don’t have any past clients in that quadrant you built out in "How

Mar 29, 2018 • 7:45

How to say “no”

How to say “no”

The very first step in specializing your business is to say "no". Once you identified what it is that you don’t want to do, then don’t do it. It sounds simple, and it really is that simple. Remember you are a freelancer and can do anything you want to shape your business. The very next lead you get that requires you to do anything in the right 2 quadrants that you defined in the last episode, "How to choose your niche", say “no”. It’s not about finding and launching yourself into a brand new

Mar 29, 2018 • 4:14

How do I choose the niche

How do I choose the niche

In this episode, you are going to develop a working niche and specialty so that you can vet it out. You are you going to define the likes and dislikes of both projects and clients in this episode. By exploring your past and current projects and thinking about certain questions and aspects around them, you will end up with a basis of an industry and a problem you are solving for someone. This will be what you use as a starting off point for exploring your niche further to see if there's a marke

Mar 27, 2018 • 4:39

Why should I niche or specialize?

Why should I niche or specialize?

You have heard that you need to niche down or specialize your business for a number of factors. I share with you 4 reasons why you should specialize your business. Point #4 is something I haven't heard many people but in realty it is THE reason you should start specializing today if you haven't already.

Mar 26, 2018 • 6:54

How do you manage time wearing so many hats as a freelancer?

How do you manage time wearing so many hats as a freelancer?

There is this huge sense of overwhelm at times, but it’s important to remember what you need to get done and what you’d like to get done. So Google and many other companies have adopted an 80/20 rule. I myself like to employ this method too. Which basically says that 80% of the time you work on business stuff, 20% of the time you work on your own stuff. I use this with regards to 80% client 20% rezzz. I often ask myself: 1. What sort of impact does this have on my business? 2. Will this make

Mar 23, 2018 • 7:13

How do you build a sales pipeline

How do you build a sales pipeline

Sales is hard as a freelancer. Even myself tend to leave it behind until I need it. But that's the wrong way to do it. Freelancing businesses need a healthy pipeline in order to be stable, profitable, and build a successful business. There isn’t a silver bullet or magic beans when it comes to this. It will take time and effort, but well worth the work when you do it. I'll share with you the 10 steps I use in order to keep my sales pipeline healthy.

Mar 22, 2018 • 8:49

How to start building an email list as a freelancer

How to start building an email list as a freelancer

One of the mistakes that I didn’t do early on in my freelance career was to build an email list. Not having a list, or rather not spending some amount of effort into building one with high-quality emails, put me in a bad spot because I didn’t have any way to reach out to folks for referrals, outreach, overflow work, announce new services and solutions, and most importantly have a pipeline of leads. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. Not every single person on this list will be

Mar 21, 2018 • 6:48

What do you do when crisis hits?

What do you do when crisis hits?

Your client hired you as an expert, they expect that you’ll know what to do and if you don’t that you’ll figure out a way through the crisis. You and your clients are in business together, work together and I promise you, in the end, it’ll all work out for the best in the end. Some things to think about when you are presented with such a crisis: - Put together a timeline of events - Back any evidence up with data, leave any opinions at the door - it’s so easy to be angry and let emotions get t

Mar 20, 2018 • 5:07

How do you maintain client expectations around services you provide?

How do you maintain client expectations around services you provide?

Managing client expectations is one of the most important pieces of your freelance business. For one, most of the time you are working remotely and not seeing the person on an every day basis. So trust and reliability can wane very quickly. During the sales process, you as the professional are earning the trust of the client with your experience and knowledge around the services the prospective client is looking for. This is when that trust is being earned. During this time is when you shoul

Mar 19, 2018 • 4:07

How did you specialize your business?

How did you specialize your business?

This episode is a bit different in that you'll get to hear a bit of my story that I've never really spoken about too much. Our businesses are personal. As much as we want to keep personal feelings and business separate, there really is no line in between. Looking back at clients projects can help enlighten some of the likes and dislikes you had in regards to them. But your emotions and feelings and even ego can get in the way of opportunities that can allow you to get closer to your life goals.

Mar 16, 2018 • 6:31

How to get clients when I have no portfolio?

How to get clients when I have no portfolio?

Having no portfolio really shouldn't stop you from getting clients. It's more of an opportunity for you to scale back a little bit, solve a problem, and get quick wins for you and your clients. By showing what you can do and deliver on what you say you will earns trust and that above anything will get you more clients.

Mar 15, 2018 • 2:24

How do I raise my rates?

How do I raise my rates?

In order for you to continue to do business and have a successful freelance business, or even side hustle for that matter, you'll need to raise rates. It's easier to give your new rate to incoming leads and projects, but often times the hurdle is with current clients. If you are looking to raise rates with your freelance clients, I share with you my 3-step process to do this in this episode. If you want to be profitable, sustainable, and have successful business, you will have to raise rates.

Mar 14, 2018 • 6:57

How do I talk to a lead and turn it into recurring revenue?

How do I talk to a lead and turn it into recurring revenue?

Let’s assume 3 things: - You’ve defined a service offering - You have an ideal client - You’ve vetted out the lead to a point at which you are at a tipping point of moving forward But the sticking point is recurring vs one-off work. There are 3 steps to help you sell someone your recurring service. 1. Re-establish the trust factor 2. Compare the benefits of recurring vs one-off 3. Show them how it gets them to the end quicker

Mar 13, 2018 • 4:41

What social media platforms to spend time on?

What social media platforms to spend time on?

As a freelancer or consultant, it's hard to set aside time to try new social platforms. So Joe reached out and asked me "How do I determine what social platforms to spend time on?" He followed up with "How do you know you'll get something from it?" The short answer to that followup is that you don’t. The long answer is that you need to be aware of why you are on the social platform in the first place and if your audience is there as well. A few different criteria to pick which platform to

Mar 12, 2018 • 9:05

Social Media Marketing, is it worth it to do?

Social Media Marketing, is it worth it to do?

If you are wondering if you should focus on social media for your marketing and sales, I share my answer with you. Forbes says that it is 50% less effective than in 2015. Of course, it is! But you don't have to be.

Mar 9, 2018 • 7:07

How do I get my clients to value my work?

How do I get my clients to value my work?

If you are looking to build recurring revenue in your freelance business or your side hustle, you don't just need to show that the value you bring, but also have customers and clients recognize that value. It's not too difficult to do, but you should address it as early on as possible.

Mar 8, 2018 • 2:28

Do you struggle with work, family, sick kids, etc?

Do you struggle with work, family, sick kids, etc?

The struggle is real no matter how long you have been a freelancer. I think at some point in every work-from-home person's life they are faced with this, especially if they have kids. I answer this question and give my 6 tips and tactics to make sure that I stay on point, that I am able to get stuff done, and that I'm ultimately able to be home with my wife and son.

Mar 7, 2018 • 8:28

How do you celebrate milestones with your clients?

How do you celebrate milestones with your clients?

Creating a lasting memory with clients can be the way to creating a long-lasting client. We tend to beat ourselves up over the smallest of mistakes and quickly gloss over the biggest of wins. Celebrating a milestone, whether that's a launch of a site, creating a new logo, even moving something like a new feature to staging for testing, gives you and the client an opportunity to connect in a unique way to celebrate the hard work. By adding in some personality into a win, you can really put your

Mar 6, 2018 • 5:18

What's the best way to pivot if you are serving a new niche?

What's the best way to pivot if you are serving a new niche?

This is always a question when you start to build recurring revenue. It's something that is scary because you don't want to turn down work. In this episode I share 5 pieces of advice to pivot your business.

Mar 5, 2018 • 6:09

What are emerging platforms for freelancers?

What are emerging platforms for freelancers?

A question from Justin Jackson of MegaMaker is a great one and one that I think alot of freelancers wonder about. I go pretty in-depth in my answer this time and highlight some priorites and opportunities.

Mar 2, 2018 • 5:02

What should I do if the prospect won't tell me the budget?

What should I do if the prospect won't tell me the budget?

As a freelancer and consultant profits should always be front of mind. Profits will go right out the window if you are dealing with a lot of tire kickers. You want a lead or prospect to be as close to the buying decision as possible. Make sure that they've properly thought their project. If you still can't get them to say what the budget is, then it's as easy as telling them why you need it.

Mar 1, 2018 • 2:21

How can I spot a problem client before they are a client?

How can I spot a problem client before they are a client?

In freelancing or providing services you'll run into problem clients. Being able to spot them before they become a client will keep your profits and sanity intact.

Feb 28, 2018 • 2:52

What are the costs involved in becoming a freelancer?

What are the costs involved in becoming a freelancer?

If you are working a full time job and thinking about quitting to become a full time freelancer, this is a question that has to be running through your mind. Freelancing is a HUGE risk, there's no doubt.

Feb 27, 2018 • 4:55

What is this show all about?

What is this show all about?

If you are a freelancer and have any questions about building your business let's chat!

Feb 22, 2018 • 1:11

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