Enthusiastically Self-Employed: LinkedIn tips, Business tips, and Marketing tips for the self-employed & small business owners

Someone asks for your rate and suddenly your brain starts negotiating against you. I’ve been there, and I’m sharing the stories that changed how I price my work as an enthusiastically self-employed consultant, coach, and LinkedIn trainer. We start with the core truth behind value-based pricing: clients are not paying you to “cut the wire.” They’re paying you to know which wire to cut, and that comes from years of experience, pattern recognition, and results.

I walk through how my LinkedIn coaching evolved from a $150 in-person session into a $750 VIP coaching package built for real implementation, including recorded sessions, a profile resource guide, and an accountability call. 

I also talk about what it feels like to raise rates, how to present a clean offer ladder during discovery calls, and why a done-for-you service should cost more when it demands deep focus and intensive time.

Then we get into the messy parts: the moment a prospect told me my training cost “more than our lawyers,” how that objection stuck with me, and how I’d handle it now. We also dig into client boundaries, scope creep, and the “pain in the” clients who drain your energy. 

Finally, we talk about AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, why their advice can be outdated, and why expert access is becoming the real premium in coaching and consulting.

If you want more confidence in your pricing strategy and a healthier relationship with your time, press play.

Subscribe, share this with a self-employed friend who’s undercharging, or message me on LinkedIn with the biggest pricing challenge you’re facing right now.

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

In this episode, I share what changes when we stop doing free work that doesn’t lead anywhere and start building offers that respect our time and our audience’s goals. I break down how “No More Free For Free” reshapes speaking, webinars, memberships, and the way to plan paid events.

Other topics include:

• why we should stop apologizing for gaps and just jump back in
• the “No More Free For Free” rule and what it means in practice
• how we ask “Do you have a speaker budget?” early and confidently
• why you consider stop doing free webinars, office hours, and masterclasses
• my shift toward serving solopreneurs, small business owners, and teams with real budgets
• how Marketing With Meller delivers ongoing value through monthly live, virtual sessions
• how my signature program, The Recipe For Social Selling on LinkedIn, rotates coaching topics so members never feel behind
• my goal of 24 paid speaking engagements and the lessons I learned from saying yes to a “free” gig
• becoming an international speaker after UpLift Live 2026 in the UK
• the Small Business Marketing Summit and the speaker lineup built for practical action https://www.mellermarketing.com/sbms2026

Shout Outs include:

• Carol Dorsey (VA Services) https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroledorsey/
• Joshua Meller https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmeller/
• Giulia Santos dos Reis https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuliasantosdosreis/
  
  

UpLift Live Planning Team:

• John Espirian https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnespirian/
• Jeremy Freeman https://www.linkedin.com/in/businessbrainbox/
• Gus Bhandal https://www.linkedin.com/in/mguruuk/

Small Business Marketing Summit speakers & topics:

• Pam Lippitt: From Hello to Success: Creating the Network that worked for you
• Tom Wells: The numbers behind your best marketing decisions
• Elaine Belson: Why people overthink marketing and how to stop
• Umut Aslan: Building an ideal customer profile to move "from confusion to clarity
• Linda Brubaker: Ditch Your What and Sell Your Why
• Judi Hays: Building a LinkedIn presence that attracts high fee clients
• Annette Richmond: Less stress, more fun, better video
• Nancie Steinberg: Getting media coverage without a PR agency
• Lori Jo Vest: Why certain AI-generated videos and copy fail to sell
• Christopher G. Johnson: The 10 minute meeting fix
• Lori Vajda: How to lodge expertise in an audience's memory
• Liz M. Lopez: Dominating your business success

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

MwM Member Spotlight: Pam Lippitt on Leadership Communication & Team Networking Training

The host shares a new “no more free for free year” focus on prioritizing paid clients and members, then introduces a live Zoom “Member Spotlight” recorded January 27, 2026 for the Marketing with Meller (MwM) community and later podcast release.

Featured MwM member Pam Lippitt of Pamela Lippet Communications, a speaker, podcaster, and trainer, explains her work empowering people to use their voice with concise, powerful workplace communication. Pam highlights her team training offering centered on leadership communication and consistent networking so companies present a unified message, describing how she positions training around retention, rehiring costs, and helping anyone in a meeting demonstrate leadership. Audience questions touch on entrepreneurs’ communication (sell success, not failures), AI’s role as a starting tool, and using AI to refine tone. Pam shares how to connect with her and notes her podcast Communication is an Art and a 500-download milestone.

00:00 No More Free Work
00:28 Member Spotlight Setup
02:14 Meet Pam Lippet
03:54 Team Training Focus
05:48 Leadership Training Need
07:32 Selling Training With Retention
10:46 Workload And Priorities
13:27 Trainer As Neutral Voice
17:14 When Companies Get Sold
18:34 Workplace Trust Shifts
19:20 Entrepreneur Communication Skills
19:47 Sell The Success
20:46 Riding Business Seasons
22:50 AI And Authentic Voice
26:07 Using AI To Rephrase
27:48 Old School Email Tactics
29:03 How To Book Pam
30:35 Podcast Milestone Chat
32:01 Wrap Up And Next Spotlights

Connect with Pam to learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalippitt

Email: [email protected] 

Website: https://www.hillstreetgroup.com/workshopsandcoaching

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

Listen to this playback of an interview with Andrea Walker Leidy about Aligning Your Personal Brand with Your Personal Image.

As you're listening, you may notice some "quality" issues with my microphone, Restream, and audio-delay issues that caused occasional talking-over. 

I decided to publish on the podcast anyway, to be transparent and because Andrea’s advice is so valuable! 

Andrea Walker-Leidy is a Michigan-based PR and communications professional and founder of Walker Publicity, who helps people and organizations identify and share their stories through PR, social media, and branding. She has expanded into personal branding and style through her project Look On Purpose after clients repeatedly asked what to wear. 

We discuss aligning personal image with brand by doing self-discovery, focusing on how you want people to feel, removing “should” from getting dressed, embracing consistent signature choices, and auditing/purging closets based on what you actually wear, including donating or swapping items. Andrea shares how she handles on-camera wardrobe guidance, invites LinkedIn connections, and outlines her services.

00:00 Episode Setup and Audio Notes
01:37 Meet Andrea Walker Leidy
05:11 Why Personal Image Matters
08:19 Ditch the Should Wear Rules
13:24 Closet Audit and Purge Plan
15:32 Thrifting and Clothing Swap Idea
16:51 Swap Your Closet Finds
17:54 Thrifting Saves Money
18:56 Style Questions Sparked
20:31 Closet Consult Process
21:27 Membership Best Friend
22:51 Tech Glitches and Q&A
25:49 PR Styling on Camera
28:18 Connect on LinkedIn
30:19 Services and Offerings
31:53 Final Brand Takeaways

Connect with Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walkerpr/

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

Spinach in Your Teeth: How to Give (and Receive) Helpful Feedback That Protects Your Business

While at brunch with my Aunt Linda and sister Lisa, where my aunt tells me I have spinach in my teeth. I cannot make this up. 

This reminds me of my saying that a good friend points out “spinach in your teeth,” and how this can apply to things like broken email links, outdated web info, confusing checkout pages, voice-to-text typos, and LinkedIn post mistakes.

I share why I prefer giving feedback privately and asking permission if I don’t know someone well. 

I also describe messaging my friend and client Wendy Schoen about a possible typo that turned out to be correct. I also recount a Kajabi coupon-code setup mistake that accidentally gave 100% off (which would have been a $2,500 error!) instead of $67 off, how someone alerted me, and how I rewarded him with an autographed book.

 I invite listeners to DM or email me with any errors they spot and recommend the spinach and Monterey crepes.

00:00 Brunch Spinach Moment
00:50 Good Friends Speak Up
01:27 When to Ask Permission
02:06 Digital Spinach Examples
03:10 This "Font" Was Not a Typo
04:18 Private Feedback Etiquette
05:08 Coupon Code Costly Error
09:17 Reward the Spotters
10:02 Wrap Up and Crepe Tip

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and frequent podcast collaborator, marketer Kendra Corman of KendraCorman.com. Note: my audio is a bit off due to microphone issues at the time of recording (Nov 2025), which have since been fixed.

We discuss how to get a bigger slice of the podcasting pie, including why podcasting creates stronger personal connection and “know, like, trust,” how AI can support podcasting processes without replacing human connection, and why podcasting is a less crowded space than many other channels.

Kendra shares tips for starting and growing a podcast: start now if you’re considering it, choose a podcast name carefully (and uniquely), and keep your show’s focus narrow enough to be clear but broad enough to sustain content.

We also talk about using podcasting to grow an email list and generate clients, with Kendra explaining she sells more through email follow-up than directly on the podcast and uses Buzzsprout tools like dynamic intro/outro content to promote specific offers when needed.

Kendra outlines ways to increase listeners: include guest episodes so guests share with their audiences, clearly target who you’re speaking to, and publish consistently (often every 10–14 days, with weekly also common). We talk about publishing day choices, episode length (Kendra keeps episodes to 30 minutes or less), and avoiding overly rigid, scripted interviews in favor of conversation and active listening. Kendra also explains her batch recording approach—recording multiple guest episodes mainly on Mondays to build momentum and reduce scheduling and prep time.

We close with how to connect with Kendra on LinkedIn or at KendraCorman.com, where she offers one-on-one coaching, podcasting courses a couple times a year, and an AI bootcamp. Kendra asks for no “pitch slaps” and encourages relationship-building first. Her podcast is called Imperfect Marketing, available on YouTube and all podcast platforms. I encourage viewers to share the episode on LinkedIn and highlight what they learned.

00:00 Welcome Back + ‘No More Free for Free’ (and today’s guest Kendra Corman)
01:23 Going Live on Multiple Platforms (Restream, comments, where to watch)
02:59 Meet Kendra Corman: What She Does & Who She Helps
04:49 Why Podcasting Wins in the AI Era: Connection, Trust & Standing Out
06:52 Nailing Your Podcast Name + Using AI Tools to Brainstorm
08:09 Get Focused: Defining Your Podcast Themes & Audience
11:03 Monetizing Without Being Salesy: CTAs, Email Lists & Dynamic Intros
14:27 Interviewing Better: Keep It Conversational (Not Robotic)
17:19 Grow Your Listener Base: Guests, Targeting & Consistency
23:09 Repurposing Content + Batch Recording to Save Time
26:36 Wrap-Up: How to Connect with Kendra + Final ‘Start Today’ Advice

Connect with Kendra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendracorman/ 

Watch this on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/V5zZ_kaaQIQ?si=LefZHJ3XzM3trTJt?sub_confirmation=1

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

How to Add a Descript Verified Skill to Your LinkedIn Profile

In this episode, I explain the step-by-step process of adding a Descript verified skill to your LinkedIn profile. I start by logging into Descript, address concerns about data sharing, and then connect Descript to LinkedIn. I discover the skill listed under 'Licenses and Certifications' instead of 'Skills,' highlighting potential areas of confusion. I provide recommendations and insights based on my experience to help you add the skill smoothly. Don't miss my final thoughts and tips for navigating this new feature.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Topic
00:34 Introduction to Descript Verified Skill
00:53 Navigating the Descript Notification
01:47 Connecting Descript to LinkedIn
02:08 Concerns About Data Sharing
04:52 Adding the Verified Skill to LinkedIn
05:22 Verifying the Skill on LinkedIn
09:56 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BcY64bOZACU

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Preeti Jha, a physical therapist and women's strength coach, who discusses strength training strategies for women aged 40 and above. 

Dr. Preeti explains the importance of strength training over cardio to maintain bone density and muscle mass as women age, the significance of proper body positioning, and shares tips for incorporating effective strength exercises into a busy routine. 

The discussion also touches on the connection between physical wellness and professional success, the benefits of a standing desk, and how to maintain motivation for fitness during colder months.

00:00 Introduction and New Year Struggles
02:05 Interview with Dr. Preeti Jha
03:23 Importance of Strength Training for Women 40+
05:47 Hormonal Changes and Their Impact
08:43 Strength Training Techniques and Misconceptions
15:00 Link Between Physical Health and Professional Success
18:24 Practical Tips for Core Strength
21:40 Standing Desk Benefits and Tips
22:40 Optimal Standing Desk Usage
25:03 Cold Weather Workout Motivation
25:20 Essential Exercises for Longevity
28:24 Building a Workout Routine
31:26 Addressing Workout Concerns
35:00 Connecting and Working with Dr. Preti
37:24 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Watch this on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/rDtNwKd-gVE?si=BMOXto1l6iQHbBA0?sub_confirmation=1

Connect with Preeti on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-preeti-jha-dpt-ocs-/

Learn more about Strength Shift
Use code BRENDA to save 15% when you sign up: https://www.drpreetijha.com/a/2148223544/A9tk5swZ

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

A Better Way to Show Multiple Images in LinkedIn Posts

Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OjOZGbLWrYg?sub_confirmation=1

See the LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brendameller_meet-the-members-monday-by-brenda-meller-activity-7419056731822977024-xqgr/

This episode provides a step-by-step guide on how to effectively showcase multiple images in a LinkedIn post using document posts. I discuss the limitations of traditional image posts on LinkedIn and introduce a better method to create a more engaging and interactive experience. 

The process involves taking screen captures, organizing them, using Canva to format images, and uploading the document to LinkedIn. 

Listen to this episode if you use multiple images in your LinkedIn posts, and you want to get better post engagement and visibility. 

00:00 Introduction to Showcasing Multiple Images on LinkedIn
00:44 Why Use Document Posts for Multiple Images
02:11 Step-by-Step Guide: Capturing and Organizing Images
06:11 Creating the Document Post in Canva
10:53 Uploading and Finalizing the LinkedIn Post
12:56 Engagement Tips and Conclusion

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast) 

Creating a Custom LinkedIn Homepage Feed of Your VIP Connections

In this episode, I walk you through how (and why) to set up a custom feed for your LinkedIn homepage. This strategy is beneficial for those who want to navigate LinkedIn efficiently, focusing on seeing posts from specific, relevant connections -- and not just what LinkedIn serves up to you. The episode provides a step-by-step guide to creating and saving a curated list, helping you interact more strategically and effectively on the platform.

Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Dybx5_29eAw?sub_confirmation=1

Shout outs to:
Elaine Belson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainebelsonlcsw/
Pam Lippitt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalippitt/
Christopher G. Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgjohnson/

BOOK A POWER HOUR WITH ME
Get 1:1 LinkedIn strategy assistance in a Power Hour with me: https://www.mellermarketing.com/powerhour

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:51 Starting the Custom Feed Setup
01:35 Building Your Custom List
05:44 Saving and Accessing Your Custom Feed
06:42 Conclusion and Summary

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller/ 

Support the show

**************************************
My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie. 

Visit mellermarketing.com

Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller 
(click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)