15 Minute Freelancer

It's time to dive back into business after the new year, so of course we had to talk about if and how you should set goals to grow your freelance business in 2022. In this episode, Louise shares her six-step process for setting goals that actually mean something to you (so you can actually achieve them!), plus her number one business goal for 2022. What do you have planned for your business in 2022?

"If you don’t make plans or set intentions about how you want your business to look or to evolve, it will just plod along in its default setting. Maybe that’s fine, but maybe you would like something a bit different? What could 2022 look like for you?"
 
Mentioned on this episode:

• Kirsty Waite business coaching

Say hi to Louise:

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and a big fan of finding your freelance niche. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

It's a freelancing podcast–YouTube crossover! Emma Cownley is a freelance copywriter, heavy metal hobbit (her words), and host of the irreverent freelance writing show on YouTube, Kiss My A's.  On this episode, she shares her experience of building an audience on YouTube, the ups and downs of creating a side project, and how a side project can help you attract freelance clients who really get you.

Bonus! We also recorded a video for Emma's channel. Head over to Kiss My A's for a special ep on how to use social media to grow your freelance business.

Find out more about Emma:

• "Kiss My A's" YouTube show
• Twitter: @EJCownley
• Emma's website: jotjotboom.com

Say hi to Louise:

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and health tech white paper writer (and a big fan of finding your freelance niche). She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

What are your red flags when it comes to deciding whether or not to work with a freelance client? Do you have any orange flags – the situations that could be turned from a definite "no" to a "maybe" if certain criteria are checked off? As we head into 2022, it's worth thinking about what makes you say "hell yes" or "no way", so you can make faster and better decisions in your freelance business. In this episode, Louise shares her top 9 red (and orange!) flags and some strategies for avoiding them in the first place.

"The vast majority of clients are brilliant to work with. But unfortunately, there are a few out there that we might want to politely sidestep. And if we pay attention to the red flags, or sometimes orange flags, we can avoid a world of pain further down the line."- - Louise Shanahan

And s/o to HAMYAW on YouTube (now Instagram) for inspiring this episode. with their convo about pink flags for online business owners.

Mentioned on this episode:

• Ep. 34: Should freelancers ever work for free?
• Emma Cownley's 'Kiss My As' YouTube channel

Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna leave me a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

A huge thank you to everyone who has listened and subscribed and supported the podcast over the last 40 episodes! To celebrate this nice round number, this episode is a look back on what I've loved and learned on this little podcasting journey, answering listener questions such as:

Why did I decide to start a podcast in the first place?
How did I land on the 15-minute format?
What tech do I use and how long does each episode take?
what are my favourite episodes?
Have there been any unexpected upsides to having a weekly podcast?
What have the challenges been?
Do I make any money from the podcast?
What will the podcast look like in 2022?

Enjoy!

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and health tech white paper writer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

Many freelancers and small businesses use Facebook, Google, and other big tech companies to attract clients and deliver services. There's a growing movement of freelancers that would like to be less reliant on these tech giants, but where do we start?

Whether you're concerned about having all your eggs in someone else's basket (where the rules can change on a whim), or you're concerned about data privacy, digital ethics, or surveillance capitalism – Dave Smyth has some suggestions for you.

Dave Smyth is a co-founder of the ethical web design company, Scruples; the founder of the Below Radar community for small businesses who want to be less reliant on Facebook, Google and the like; the brains behind the No To Spy Pixels Campaign – and more.

In this episode, Dave shares his tips and tactics for making intentional choices about the tools we use to run our businesses.

Find out more about Dave's work:

• davesmyth.com
• belowradar.co.uk
• scruples.studio
• notospypixels.com
• Cyber Empathy podcast

Resources mentioned:

• Fathom Analytics
• Fastmail
• Whimsical
• Skiff
• The Ethical Move (pledge)
• Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport
• An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination, by Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frankel
• Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet, by Tim Hwang

Say hi to Louise:

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and health tech white paper writer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

#FreelanceChat is a weekly Twitter chat for freelancers around the world, hosted by Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) on Thursdays, 12 noon ET.  On 21 October, Louise had the pleasure of co-hosting a chat about designing freelance services that get results for clients, but are also enjoyable, practical and profitable for you to deliver. 

This episode of 15 Minute Freelance is a super-fast round-up of all the brilliant tips and advice shared by the #FreelanceChat community in response to these Qs:

• How do you strike a balance between offering what clients need and doing what you enjoy most? 
• Choosing a niche can be one way to keep your services focused, whether by industry or by type of client or project. Where do you stand in the great niche debate? 
• Fixed or flexible – do you prefer to offer services with a set process or create a bespoke proposal for each project, and why? 
• Once you’ve decided on your services, how do you go about pricing them? 
• How do you build in packages, upsells or added extras to help clients get more bang for their buck? 
• Do you ever team up with other freelancers to offer a specific service or package, and what tips do you have for anyone considering this?

Huge thanks to Michelle Garrett and  everyone in the #FreelanceChat fam! Participants credited on this episode include:
Teodora Ema Pirciu (@EmaPirciu)
Matthew Fenton (@WinningSolo)
Jessica Thiefels (@JThiefels)
Ilaria Mangiardi (@imjardi)
Tom Basgil (@TomBasgil)
Amy Knightley (@AKnightleyMKT)
Karen Carps (@GuppyFishWeb)
Matt Stebbins (@StebbinsMatt)
Paula Hendrickson (@P_Hendrickson)
Jake Poinier (@DrFreelance) (and his book, The Science, Art and Voodoo of Freelance Pricing and Getting Paid)
Masooma (@inkandcopy)
Holly Leber Simmons (@redpentweeting)
Tripti (@ttgarg_022)
Jen Johnson (@jentimecity)

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and health tech white paper writer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

 Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

Which books have had the biggest impact on your freelancing career? In this episode, Louise shares her favourite books about business, freelancing and creativity.

Mentioned on this episode:

• The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss 
• Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
• Tools of Titans by Tims Ferriss 
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
• Feck Perfuction (Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life) by James Victore
• Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
• Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
• Survival Skills for Freelancers by Sarah Townsend 
• Episode 23: Saying no and beating burnout with Sarah Townsend
• Grit by Angela Duckworth 
• You Are the Brand by Mike Kim
• Falling Off the Ladder by Helen Hill

(Includes some affiliate links, which means that I get a tiny amount of commission if you purchase one of the books at zero cost to you, which helps cover the cost of running this podcast.)

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and health tech white paper writer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

 Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

This week, Facebook went down! Was your thumb twitching nervously all of Monday evening? Did you rush to update your Pinterest account or sign up for MailChimp? As everyone is reminded yet again of the dangers of building your business on borrowed land (i.e. relying on one company's apps as a source of leads and clients), this episode digs into some of the single points of failure that can arise in a freelance business. Specifically:

• Are you relying too much on one industry, channel or tool?
• How do you keep your business running smoothly if the tools you rely on go down?
• Are YOU the single point of failure in your freelance business? (And what to do if so)

"You don’t ever want to be in a position where there’s a single point of failure in your business. You don’t want there to be a single tool or process where a glitch with that thing means your whole business grinds to a halt. So how can you spread your risk? "
-- Louise Shanahan

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and health tech white paper writer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

 Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna send Louise a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.

"Being helpful is a rock-solid strategy for attracting clients." And what better place to find people who need your help than on Twitter? In this episode, Louise shares some tips to help you attract more clients on Twitter (and avoid getting sucked into doom-scrolling rabbit holes!).

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and content marketer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

Mentioned on this episode:

• #ContentClubUK (Twitter chat, Tuesdays, 11am UK time)
• #FreelanceHeroes and #FreelanceChat
• Peak Freelance
• Kat Boogaard (writes a newsletter packed with freelance writing leads)
• Sian Meades-Williams (creator of Freelance Writing Jobs newsletter)
• Ep. 26: How to find more clients on LinkedIn
• Ep. 29: How to land your wishlist client with cold pitching (with Bree Weber)
• Ep. 19: Monkey brain metrics

Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna leave me a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or com

Would you ever work for free? Most freelancers have been asked to do unpaid work at some point in their career, and usually the golden rule is to grab that big red flag and say no. After all, exposure doesn't pay the bills. But what if there are some situations where it makes sense?  In this episode, Louise Shanahan shares three scenarios where working for free might be worth it.

Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and content marketer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites.

Mentioned on this episode:

• Ep. 8: No portfolio? Do this instead

Say hi to Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan
Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_
Instagram: @Louise_Shanahan_
Website: thecopyprescription.com

Wanna leave me a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and leave a question or comment.