15 Minute Freelancer

So you had the call with the prospective client, you know you want to work with them, and now... it's time to write the proposal! But what do you include? What can you leave out? What does the client really want to know? Does it need to be a fancy pdf? In this jam-packed episode, Louise shares her step-by-step process for writing proposals that will win over new clients and set you up for a successful project (and won't take more than 15 mins to prepare). Plus, get the scoop on info kits – an alternative to proposals that could save you even more time and stress.

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. 15: Are these clauses missing from your contract?

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.

What's your freelancer love language? Do you thrive on positive feedback and glowing testimonials, or is a timely invoice payment enough to make you feel appreciated? Do you prefer lots of face-to-face contact with clients, or just wanna get on with the work in peace? When you know what makes you tick, you can build processes that allow you to thrive, do your best work, and build great relationships with your clients so you love what you do.

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:

• The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman 
• Being Freelance with Steve Folland

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.

This episode is a little different... instead of a single topic or interview, we're firing through as many listener questions as possible in 15 mins. Tidbits include:

• How do you respond to vague client inquiries? (Clue: it's all in the intake process!)
• How do you deal with clients ghosting you? 
• How to talk about money with clients when you hate talking about money
• How can a coach help your freelance business?
• How do you give yourself a promotion as a freelancer?

Huge thanks to everyone who sent in a question.

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 4: Pricing advice I hate
• EP 13: Anatomy of a cringe-free sales call
• Ep 30: Qs to ask as your business grows with André Spiteri
• Amy Posner's Cut To The Copy YouTube show

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.

What questions should you be asking as your freelance business grows? How do you scale your business in a way that feels right for you? On today's episode, freelance copywriter André Spiteri shares his experience of the practical questions and mindset shifts that happen as your business evolves, including:

• Questions to ask as your business grows
• How to think about scaling your business
• Setting goals for the next phase of your business
• Choosing clients that share your values
• Steps to take to prepare for growth from day 1
• Working with a VA

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:

• Company of One, by Paul Jarvis

Say hi to André

• Website: maverickwords.com 
• Twitter: @Andre_Spiteri

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.

In this episode, Bree Weber, creator of Cold Pitch Masterclass, joins Louise for a jam-packed run down of her framework for ethical, non-sleazy cold pitching. Yes, cold pitching works! And no, it doesn't have to feel awkward. Bree has an amazing 100% open and response rate and a 60% conversion rate on her cold pitches, and in this episode she tells us how she does it. Whether or not you've tried cold pitching before, you'll feel excited to give it a go after this conversation.

Bree shares:

• How losing her clients at the start of the pandemic prompted her to figure out the secret to effective cold pitching and land her wishlist clients
• Her ethical cold pitching framework, and tips for getting started
• 3 essential ingredients for a cold pitch email
• Common cold pitching pitfalls (clue: it's not a numbers game)
• How to make a minimum viable ask to get the conversation rolling

If you enjoy this episode, you'll want to dig in to Bree's Cold Pitch Masterclass. This usually sells for $97, but Bree is making it available to listeners of 15 Minute Freelancer for the special rate of $37, using this link: https://coldpitchcopy.com/louise

Say hi to Bree:

Website: https://coldpitchcopy.com
Instagram: @thebreeweber

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.

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.

Argh! You made a mistake on a client project (or some other part of your freelance business). Now what?

First up, you're not alone. We've all been there. In this episode, Louise shares an embarrassing story of one of her own mishaps and offers 5 steps to take to fix a mistake if something goes wrong on a client project.

"The truth is that running a business is full of sticky moments. We’re all figuring it out as we go. We make so many decisions, so we’re bound to go down the wrong path now and then. You will try new things in your business that don’t work out as planned. So let’s show ourselves a bit of self-compassion, have a sense of humour about it, learn the lessons and plough on."

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.

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.

One of the huge advantages of running your own business is being able to support causes that are close to your heart. Maybe you plant a tree for every invoice paid. Maybe you donate a portion of your profits to your favourite charity. Maybe advocating for social change is more your style. If you're curious about how to make social and environmental change a manageable but meaningful part of your business, this episode is for you.
 
Sally Fox is a freelance copywriter who works with sustainable brands. In this episode, Sally shares how she has built sustainability and social and environmental responsibility into her own business, including:

• tips for figuring out what 'sustainability' means to you
• how to write a sustainability policy for your freelance business
• small ways to make a tangible impact without getting stressed out
• the freelance community's sustainability superpower
• resources to help you find some easy ways to get started

Say hi to Sally:

Website:  https://lumenandfoxwords.com
Twitter:  @sallymfoxwrites
LinkedIn: Sally Fox Copywriter

Mentioned on this episode:

• #EthicalHour 

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.

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.

Hate LinkedIn? Tired of a feed filled with boring updates from connections you don't know and thought leaders posting hot takes about the cheese sandwich they just ate? Same.

On today's episode, Louise shares 4 easy ways to make LinkedIn fun, so you can find more freelance clients and maybe even enjoy the process. Plus, we're starting a design-your-own 30-day LinkedIn challenge! You in?

Wanna leave me a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and say hi!

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:

• Sophie Cross
• John Espirian
• Gill Andrews
• Dave Harland
• Eloise Leeson
• Bhavini Lakhani

Say hi to Louise!

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

Today's solo episode is about shipping before you're ready, lessons learned from 25 episodes of this podcast, and banishing perfectionism.

"Step over any negativity that comes from people who haven't stepped into the arena themselves. There will always be a reason to procrastinate. But if we take the leap before we're ready, and we just start, then we have real data to work with. So don't wait for someone to give you permission. Choose yourself."

Wanna leave me a voice note? Go to memo.fm/15 and say hi!

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 podcast:

• 10. Sophie Cross on the power of community and launching a magazine
• 20. Choosing your business name, with Mark Grainger
• 21. Stress-free accounting, with Martin Brooks
• 22. Should you hire a virtual assistant, with Caroline Marshall
• 23. Saying no and beating burnout, with Sarah Townsend
• 24. Journal your way to freelance success, with Jen McKeown
  
  
• Hillary and Margo Yell At Websites (HAMYAW) - How to handle your perfectionism

Keep in touch!

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

Dear Diary, we've got our personal development hats on today! When you're running a freelance business, there's nowhere to hide – you have no choice but to push through and figure things out. 

On this episode, performance and leadership coach Jen McKeown talks us through some strategies for reflective practice, self-coaching and journalling, so we can work through the sticky bits and achieve our freelancing goals:

• why it's important to acknowledge the emotional toll that comes with working for yourself
• 3 ways to use journalling as a self-coaching business tool so you can avoid turning every decision into an existential crisis, and turn vague ideas into solid plans
• when it's time to work with a coach (and how to find the right one)

Dr Jen McKeown is mathematician turned performance coach, quietly obsessed with mountains, flow-sports and journaling. She offers 1:1 in-person and online coaching.

Website: www.orangebothy.co.uk
Instagram: @jenjenmckeown
LinkedIn: Jen McKeown

Keep in touch!

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