Freelancer Training on How to Find Direct Clients

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Time management isn’t just about getting more done—it’s about getting the right things done. In this episode, I share key strategies to help you take control of your schedule and boost your personal and professional impact.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

✅ How to set the right priorities—cut through the noise and focus only on what truly moves the needle.
✅ Ways to double your creative output—complete essential tasks faster so you can spend more time doing what you love.
✅ Proven methods to eliminate procrastination, distractions, and guilt—build a time-optimised workflow that leaves space for rest.
✅ How to increase your energy and joy—by taking focused action, you free yourself up to get back to real life sooner.

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us Fan Mail

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My guest joining me this week is the inimitable Paul Urwin. 

Paul Urwin is Head of Training at ProZ.com, where he dedicates his time to helping freelance translators and interpreters succeed. He creates and sources interactive courses that are designed to take freelancers on a journey to achieving a quantifiable end result, one that will help them further their careers. 

Paul performed his first paid translation in 1996, graduated with a Master’s in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College, and then worked in investment management. In 2004, he moved from the UK to Colombia and founded a successful LSP. He is also an accomplished voice actor and loves creating different types of content. 

He hosts the ProZ.com podcast for translators and interpreters and regularly conducts and appears in online interviews and events (such as ProZ.com’s International Translation Day which, with over 10,000 attendees, is one of the industry’s largest events). He’s also (possibly) Liverpool Football Club’s biggest fan in South America.

During this episode Paul and I waxed lyrical on: 

• Paul’s stirling work as head honcho for training at ProZ.com
• His beginnings as a voiceover artist and his best advice for newcomers joining the profession.
• The future of the T&I industry given the threat from AI and automated processes.

Note: the AI tool Paul mentions is chat GPT, a free AI text generator. 

Without further ado, please enjoy our wide-ranging conversation!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts.

***

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Sign up of the next Turn Yourself into a Booked out Freelance Translator Foundation Round (20% off usual course price): https://maple-grin-27d.notion.site/Turn-Yourself-into-a-Booked-Out-Freelance-Translator-124063f133bc4a59a038d799ea4a0346

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Thursday 10 September, 16h. Free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.
Three things I'll show you.

• Why adding another CAT tool is rearranging furniture on a burning house.
• The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries.
• The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities.

No pitch-heavy webinar. Just the framework, live.

Link's in the bio. Register free. See you Thursday.

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us Fan Mail

Download your free storytelling worksheet

Book a free scouting call

If you're a freelance translator, language specialist, or multilingual professional, crafting a standout translator CV is crucial for securing paid translation work. As the owner of a boutique translation office specializing in highly niche fields, I see countless CVs come in from translators bidding for projects.

After working in English to Spanish (EN-ES), Spanish to French (SP-FR), Spanish to Dutch (SP-NE), and even Hebrew to Spanish (HE-ES) this past year, I’ve spotted patterns in the most common CV mistakes translators still make—mistakes that could be holding you back from landing high-quality clients.

❌ Top 5 CV Mistakes Translators Make:

• Listing everything instead of curating relevant experience
• Using buzzwords to impress instead of demonstrating expertise
• Worrying about trivia like fonts and margins instead of content
• Talking about your greatness instead of showing it through results
• Not thinking like a vendor manager who makes hiring decisions

✅ What to Do Instead: 

✔️ Collect praise & referrals consistently 

✔️ Know and quantify your value to potential clients 

✔️ Cut the fluff—focus on substance over style 

✔️ Avoid job-hopping optics to project stability 

✔️ Highlight your strengths and niche expertise

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us Fan Mail

Download your free direct client marketing worksheet

Book a free scouting call

If you're a freelance translator, language professional or content creator, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

💡 Meet Andrew Morris – From language teaching across 11 countries to translation entrepreneurship, Andrew's career is an inspiration for those navigating the world of freelance translation. Since transitioning in 2009, he has worked with agencies, direct clients, and eventually built his own boutique agency, offering translation, revision, and copywriting services.

🌍 Beyond translation, Andrew has contributed to community management, social media engagement, and pro bono projects with ProZ.com, helping nonprofits access valuable translation services. 

Now based in Andalusia, Spain, he continues to thrive in the global translation industry.

#FreelanceTranslator #TranslationBusiness #EntrepreneurialTranslator #LanguageProfessional #TranslationCareer #ProZCommunity #TranslationNetworking #FreelancerLife #RemoteWork #DigitalNomad #PodcastEpisode #BusinessGrowth #CareerSuccess #FreelanceTips #TranslatorTools

Thursday 10 September, 16h. Free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.
Three things I'll show you.

• Why adding another CAT tool is rearranging furniture on a burning house.
• The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries.
• The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities.

No pitch-heavy webinar. Just the framework, live.

Link's in the bio. Register free. See you Thursday.

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us Fan Mail

Download your free direct client marketing worksheet

Book a free scouting call

The vast majority of my work is carried out in writing. A little known fact about me is that I don’t actually like using the phone but force myself to do so to make sales calls, keep conversations going with prospects, etc. Here are 3 quick e-mail hacks I use to boost my productivity. 

• Reduce the back and forth when scheduling calls and meetings
• Make use of “no response needed”. Busy people love this!
• Get creative with your auto responder

As a BONUS here’s a quick tidbit I stumbled over entirely by chance from some personal reading the other day. Diffusion of responsibility is psychology jargon and it’s why group e-mails project managers sometimes send out are never a good idea; at least not for translators anyway. 

Please enjoy!

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us Fan Mail

Download your free direct client marketing worksheet

Book a free scouting call

Sebastian is another colleague from my local business group. After speaking to him a few times I very quickly realised, what he doesn't know about sales isn't worth knowing. I was pleased he accepted the invite to speak on the show. His advice and top tips serves us all.

Sebastian Gracia, Vice-President of sales at Sandler Training helps sales people understand that sales is a standalone profession. Sales professionals need to study to be able to take control over the sales process. Having a robust sales system in place helps both parties get to a win-win business situation.

Please enjoy!

Thursday 10 September, 16h. Free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.
Three things I'll show you.

• Why adding another CAT tool is rearranging furniture on a burning house.
• The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries.
• The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities.

No pitch-heavy webinar. Just the framework, live.

Link's in the bio. Register free. See you Thursday.

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us a text

Download your free storytelling worksheet

Book your free scouting call

In this guest episode of Freelancer Training on How to Find More Direct Clients, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Karen Tkaczyk—a long-time friend and colleague, expert technical translator, and now in-house language consultant at MasterWord. Karen and I first connected online back in 2006, and since then we’ve crossed paths at translation events from Barcelona to Cardiff.

Our conversation is full of insights for translators at all stages of their careers, especially those navigating between freelance freedom and salaried stability.

🎯 In this episode, we dive into:

✔️ The pros and cons of freelance vs. salaried work in the language industry
✔️ Karen’s personal career journey—from chemist to freelance translator to language services employee
✔️ Actionable pricing and negotiation tips for translators and interpreters
✔️ The evolution of the industry and what it means for career sustainability
✔️ How involvement in professional associations like ITI and ATA has supported her growth

Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your freelance path, Karen’s experience offers real-world guidance and a balanced perspective on what it means to thrive as a language professional today.

🌐 Connect with Karen on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/karenmcmillantkaczyk

🧠 #Karen Tkaczyk interview, #freelance vs salaried translator, #pricing for translators, #negotiation tips for language professionals, #career development in translation, #technical translation, #ATA member insights, #ITI fellow, #MasterWord careers, #translator business strategy

✅ If this episode hits home, please subscribe and leave a review to support the show. On Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can easily rate the show and share your feedback.

Just tap the ⭐ at the top of our show page and let us know how we’re doing.

Your support helps us bring you more valueable content! If you'd like to support our show you can now do so below.

Send us a text

Download your free storytelling worksheet

Book a free scouting call

In this special episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with none other than Tess Whitty—renowned Swedish translator, marketing expert, and one of Nimdzi’s Top 50 Industry Influencers. 

If you work in translation, interpreting, or localization, Tess likely needs no introduction—but just in case, she brings decades of experience in digital marketing, SaaS localization, and freelance business strategy.

We dive into practical and timely topics, including:

✅ Tess’s top strategies for pricing your translation services confidently
✅ How to approach client negotiation without underselling your value
✅ Whether COVID-19 truly caused a paradigm shift in marketing for language professionals
✅ How freelance translators and interpreters can position themselves more effectively in today’s digital economy

Whether you're looking to increase your rates, improve your client communication, or rethink how you show up online, Tess delivers actionable insights you can use today.

🔗 Learn more about Tess at
www.marketingtipsfortranslators.com
www.swedishtranslationservices.com

🧠 #translation pricing, #freelance negotiation tips, #marketing for translators, #localization strategy, #SaaS translation, #post-pandemic freelance trends, #Tess Whitty interview, #freelance business tips, #online marketing for interpreters

🎧 Subscribe and share with your fellow language pros—and let us know what resonated with you most.

✅ If this episode hits home, please subscribe and leave a review to support the show. On Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can easily rate the show and share your feedback.

Just tap the ⭐ at the top of our show page and let us know how we’re doing.

Your support helps us bring you more valueable content! If you'd like to support our show you can now do so below.

Send us Fan Mail

Download your free storytelling worksheet

Book a free scouting call

 🎉 It’s here! I’m excited to share the very first interview episode on How to Find More Direct Clients—and it’s packed with practical insights for freelancers in the language services industry.

In this episode, I chat with my friend and colleague from my local BNI network, Daniel Molina, a Spanish professional soft skills trainer with years of experience helping individuals and teams strengthen their communication, negotiation, and sales mindset.

🎯 We touch on key areas relevant to freelance translators, interpreters, and language coaches, including:

✔️ Why pricing is about confidence and value—not just numbers
✔️ How to handle negotiation conversations like a pro (without anxiety)
✔️ The mindset shifts that help you market yourself with more ease
✔️ Tips for building better client relationships through soft skills

Whether you're just starting out or ready to raise your rates and improve how you sell your services, this episode offers practical takeaways from the world of professional development that language pros can apply right away.

🔗 Connect with Daniel Molina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmolinabenitez/

🧠 #freelance translator pricing, #negotiation tips for freelancers, #soft skills for language professionals, #sales strategy for translators, #freelance mindset, #client communication skills, #direct client acquisition, #Daniel Molina interview, #business growth for language pros

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.

Send us Fan Mail

Download your free storytelling worksheet

Book a free scouting call

This Week on the Podcast: Publishing Options for Clinicians

A paediatric oncologist recently asked me for a curated list of high-impact, free academic journals suitable for publishing clinical research. 

I also provided a few reputable paid Open Access alternatives as backup in case of rejection.

Similarly, a cardiothoracic surgeon exploring publication options for a clinical trial reached out. I shared a tailored list of journals—again including a couple of Open Access titles with comparable impact factors to strengthen his publication strategy.

If you're a clinician or medical researcher navigating the complex world of academic publishing, this episode offers practical guidance  to help you choose the right journals—free or paid—without compromising on visibility or impact.

Support the show

Up to 96% of translation work is now within reach of AI. The 5% that isn't? That's where the money's going.

Thursday 10 September, 16h – free session: How to Become a Key Translator of Influence.

I'll show you:

 – Why "adding a CAT tool" is rearranging furniture on a burning house
 – The framework behind my 50% jump in inbound enquiries
 – The six-pillar system that turns technical experts into industry authorities

Free registry. Online. Thursday 10 September at 16h.