Ever had a client drop the ball? They miss a key deadline, shift direction mid-project, or conveniently "forget" what you both agreed on? It's maddening, right? Those moments can make even the most seasoned freelancer question everything about their business. But here's the twist: those "broken promises" might actually be pointing to your biggest opportunities for growth. In this short episode, we're diving into what really lies beneath client chaos — and how to turn frustration into a roadmap for stronger systems, better communication, and a more resilient business. What You'll Learn Why client "failures" often signal a systems gap, not a people problem How to identify and fix weak spots in your expectations, communication, and boundaries The mindset shift that transforms frustration into clarity Simple tools (like a change request form!) that can turn scope creep into smooth, profitable processes Key Takeaways Every "broken promise" reveals a gap in your value exchange. Outlier clients exist, but most missteps are fixable with clearer expectations and structure. When you make expectations crystal clear and reinforce them consistently, chaos disappears. The solution is often better systems and boundaries. What feels like rejection is often an invitation to improve your business model.

Freelancers everywhere are feeling it. The ground beneath our feet is shifting, because AI isn't just changing how we write. It's also changing where value lives in our industry. In this episode, I break down what few people are talking about: your writing skills might still be world-class, but they're now solving the wrong problem. Much of what I discuss was inspired by the brilliant new book Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy by Sangeet Paul Choudary. The constraint that once made your writing indispensable has moved. And if you don't move with it, you risk becoming the business equivalent of a brilliant typewriter repair shop in 1975. I dive deep into the real economic shift happening under AI's rise, revealing how to follow where value is migrating in your market before your competitors do. What You'll Learn Why AI hasn't destroyed demand for writers; it's just moved the constraint How to spot the new "value zones" in your market before others see them Why "average" AI content isn't your protection (and what is) The critical shift from creation to curation, and how to monetize your judgment How to reframe your positioning around risk, coordination, and confidence A simple 3-step method to identify where your next big opportunity lies Why your future role looks less like a writer and more like a producer or orchestrator Key Ideas and Takeaways 1. The Sommelier's Secret Your clients aren't drowning in a lack of content. They're drowning in options. AI made creation cheap, but it didn't make discernment easy. The most valuable freelancers now sell confidence and clarity, not just words. 2. Follow the Constraint The value constraint has shifted: From scarcity to risk (ensuring AI content doesn't harm the brand) From production to coordination (helping teams align their AI use) From creation to curation and orchestration (judgment, taste, and integration) 3. Be the Fugu Chef Like a sushi master trusted with a poisonous fish, your job is now about managing risk and trust. Clients will pay more for your judgment than your keyboard. 4. The Rick Rubin Lesson Think this is all outside your wheelhouse? I urge you to reconsider. You have more skill, wisdom, and capability than you think. Music producer Rick Rubin can't play a single musical instrument or read music. But he produces masterpieces. Your value is no longer in typing faster or crafting prettier sentences. It's in creating the conditions for the right ideas and messages to emerge. 5. Rebundling Your Business The future isn't about resisting AI. Instead, it's about rebundling your value around new constraints: From "I write blog posts" to "I ensure your content strategy doesn't become an AI dumpster fire." From "I write email campaigns" to "I orchestrate customer journeys across your entire AI-powered stack." From "I create copy" to "I protect your reputation while scaling your message." 6. Your 30-Day Constraint Hunt Start finding your next opportunity: List what clients pay you for today. Ask what happens when AI makes each thing 10x faster and cheaper. Find the break points, the new problems that emerge when your old services get automated. That's where your next business model lives. Action Steps Run a "Constraint Audit": Pick one client and map where things break when AI enters the picture. Test a Micro-Offer: Solve one small constraint (e.g., "brand safety audit for AI content"). Rework Your Positioning: Stop describing what you do. Start describing what you protect or enable. Experiment with New Framing: "I manage [CONSTRAINT] so you can [OUTCOME] without [RISK]." Memorable Soundbites "Your writing skills are now solving the wrong problem." "The constraint that used to keep your skills in demand is moving rapidly." "AI has removed that obstacle, that constraint." "This is the dumbest and most incapable these tools will ever be." "The constraint is rapidly moving from 'create content' to 'ensure content doesn't erode or destroy our reputation.'" "We're becoming the fugu chefs of content." "The break points, that's where you might just find your next business model." "You're not selling writing. You're selling judgment, coordination, and confidence in a world where writing is free but trust is expensive." "Stop asking 'What can't AI do yet?' Start asking 'What does AI break?' Because in that break, in that new constraint, that's where your next level lives."

Imagine walking into a friend's house and rattling off a 20-minute monologue with every single detail of a challenge you're facing. No pause. No space for questions. Just a nonstop, 20-minute word vomit. That's how most of us are using AI. We dump a giant wall of text into a prompt, cross our fingers, and hope for magic. Instead of working with AI, we're treating it like a command line. No wonder the results often fall flat! In this short episode, I share a better way—one that mirrors the way we'd talk with a trusted colleague. When you approach AI as a conversation partner, you open the door to deeper insights, sharper thinking, and far better results. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why "one shot" prompting works against you most of the time. How to reframe AI interactions as a natural dialogue. The 3R Prompting Framework: Role, Reference, Requirements. Practical ways to build your ideas step by step through conversation. How this iterative approach keeps your critical thinking skills sharp. Key Takeaways Think conversation, not commands. Don't unload every detail upfront—start small and build. Use the 3Rs. Define the Role you want AI to play, provide the essential Reference, and clearly state your Requirements. Stay in the driver's seat. A healthy back-and-forth keeps you engaged and prevents outsourcing your thinking entirely. Break it down. Just like building a house, you lay the foundation first and add each piece thoughtfully. Try This Exercise Next time you open up your favorite AI tool, instead of pasting in a giant prompt, try this: Start with the core issue. Ask AI a probing question like: What key themes do you see here? Use its response to refine your thinking. Layer in more details only as needed. You'll be surprised how much better the output (and your own clarity) becomes.

The AI adoption picture is nuanced In this episode, I share some fascinating insights about AI usage among writers and the impact it's having on their business. Last month, I sent out a simple 10-question survey to my community about AI usage, fears, and business impact. I received 157 complete responses from writers across every experience level, from brand-new freelancers to 15+ year veterans. What they shared was, in some ways, congruent with what I've been saying for the past few months on the topic of AI integration in our businesses as freelancers. But in other ways, the data was very surprising and went against some of my assumptions. You can download the full report here. Overall, here's what I discovered: The story we're telling ourselves about AI and freelance writing — both the doom-and-gloom version and the "AI will solve everything" version — is missing something crucial. The real story is way more nuanced. More interesting. And way more hopeful. Below is a very short, high-level summary of what I uncovered. There's way more detail in the audio. And, again, you can download my full (and free) PDF report on the survey findings here: The Truth About AI and Freelance Writers: What's Working, What's Not, and What's Next. Key stats & signals Adoption is real: 93% use AI to some degree; ~74% are regular or fully integrated users. Impact splits three ways: 34% say AI elevates their work or enables new offerings; 41% mainly see time savings; ~25% report little or negative impact. The "integration dividend": Fully integrated users were ~6.5x more likely than non-users to report revenue growth. Client disclosure: 49.7% haven't told clients they use AI. Among those who did, reactions skew positive/neutral 4:1 over negative. Security is the true brake: Confidentiality concerns are the only fear strongly correlated with hesitation. Market reality check: 86% report their business is doing about the same or better than a year ago. What's working (and what isn't) Winners focus on value, not speed. Positioning AI as a quality and capability lift draws nearly double the positive client reactions versus "it helps me go faster." Dabbling doesn't pay. Occasional users see flat results; systematic workflows create compounding gains. Efficiency ≠ income, unless pricing and packaging evolve. One in three sees clear AI benefits without revenue growth because time savings get reinvested in the same low-margin work or "free" add-ons. Four writer personas Velocity Builders (29%) – Fully integrated, confident, doubling down. Next move: tighten packaging and raise fees. Cautious Optimizers (28%) – Consistent users, worried about client perceptions. Next move: use "value" framing when discussing process. DIY Skeptics (23%) – Occasional or non-users, held back by security/ethics. Next move: private-mode workflows and clear data policies. Value Elevators (20%) – Regular users leveraging AI for strategy and advisory. Next move: document outcomes and increase rates. Practical moves you can make this week Map your workflow and insert AI where it upgrades research, planning, analysis, repurposing, and client communication—not just drafting. Reframe your client narrative: "AI helps me spend more time on strategic thinking and client-specific insight." Audit deliverables from the last 6 months and convert "extras" (competitive intel, repurposing plans, frameworks) into defined, billable components. Triage security: adopt approved tools/workspaces for NDA-sensitive work so you can move forward without risk. Recommended paths forward Efficiency Path: Do the same work faster. Good entry point; not durable on its own. Capability Path: Expand offerings and depth; move up the value ladder. Leadership Path: Guide clients on their own AI integration and workflows; highest leverage. Resources & next steps AI Advantage Bootcamp: Registration opens around October 20. Be on the lookout for details. And subscribe to my email list if you're not already. Share the episode: Know a freelancer rethinking their positioning with AI? Send this their way.

AI is changing how we work. But many freelancers are falling into the trap of using it in the least effective way possible: by relying on massive, fully pre-written prompts that remove you from the creative process. In this episode, I share a better, more natural approach that treats AI like a trusted collaborator rather than a black box you dump instructions into. You'll learn my simple 3R Prompting framework and see how an iterative, conversational workflow can help you get sharper insights, stronger ideas, and better final results. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why "one-shot" prompts often produce generic, uninspired output. How to use the 3R Prompting framework (Role, Reference, Requirements) to set AI up for success. The power of iterative dialogue vs. information overload. A step-by-step example of moving from raw ideas to polished output through back-and-forth with AI. How this approach can make you not only more productive but also a better thinker and problem solver. Key Takeaway: The most powerful way to use AI is to guide it through a focused, iterative conversation that keeps you in control of the process and the creative direction. That's much better than overloading it with information and expecting magic from just one massive prompt. Listener Challenge: This week, take one project you might normally hand over to AI in a single big prompt and instead break it into 3–4 smaller conversational steps. Start with the 3R framework, then feed in additional details as you go. Notice how the quality (and your own thinking) improves along the way.

The conversation around AI and writing is heating up. But too often, it's framed as a false choice: AI is either "bad" and deceptive, or it's the ultimate shortcut to productivity. In this solo episode, I challenge that binary thinking and unpack the real issues at stake for freelance writers. Sparked by a provocative LinkedIn post from Mariya Delano, CEO of Kalyna Marketing, this discussion dives into the myths and misconceptions that keep us stuck in unproductive debates. I lay out 10 false assumptions fueling the AI writing controversy. And I explain why the future belongs to freelancers who can master what I call "creative synthesis," which is the ability to skillfully combine human judgment, lived experience, taste, and AI capabilities into something far greater than either could achieve alone. If you've been wondering how to navigate the AI conversation with clients — or how to position yourself to thrive in an AI-enhanced world — this episode will give you the clarity and confidence you need. What You'll Learn Why binary debates about AI ("good" vs. "bad") miss the bigger picture The 10 false assumptions about AI that are holding writers back How to reframe AI as a tool for amplification (not deception!) The concept of Creative Synthesis and why it's the skill that will set you apart The four phases of Creative Synthesis mastery and how to progress through them Key Insights and Takeaways AI doesn't equal deception: Like Grammarly or Google, it's a tool. What matters is how you use it and whether you're transparent. Not all AI is the same: There's a vast spectrum of use cases, from research to brainstorming to drafting, and lumping them all together is misleading. Clients care about results, not process: What builds trust is consistent, high-value outcomes. It's not about whether AI played a role behind the scenes. Creative Synthesis is the future: The winning freelancers will be those who can blend AI capabilities with strategic insight, emotional intelligence, and client understanding. Action Steps You Can Take This Week Audit your AI beliefs: Which of the 10 assumptions have you unconsciously bought into? Experiment intentionally: Spend 30 minutes testing a new AI workflow for creativity and strategy, not just for efficiency. Develop your AI policy: Be ready to discuss openly with clients how (if at all) you use AI in your process. Shift your mindset: Stop asking "AI vs. no AI?" and start asking, "How can I combine AI with my skills to deliver extraordinary value?" Memorable Soundbites "The debate isn't AI good or AI bad. The real question is: how will you use it to create something that only you can?" "Using AI doesn't make you less original. What makes your work original is the judgment, taste, and perspective only you bring." "The freelancers who thrive won't be the ones avoiding AI or blindly copy-pasting it. To thrive in the years ahead you'll need to master Creative Synthesis." Listener Challenge This week, pick one client project (current or past) and ask yourself: Where could AI have enhanced my process—not replaced me, but amplified my creativity, speed, or strategic value? Then take one small step to test that approach in your next project. If this episode resonated, share it with a fellow freelancer navigating the AI conversation. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode packed with insights to help you earn more in less time... doing work you love, for better clients.

Hourly billing is the default pricing model for many writers. But it's also a hidden trap that can sabotage your growth, undervalue your expertise, and limit your income. If you've ever felt frustrated by the ceiling on your earnings or struggled to position yourself as a trusted partner rather than a hired hand, this episode will change the way you view pricing forever. In today's episode, I break down 15 compelling reasons why hourly billing is actively working against you — and what you can do instead to unlock your earning potential and build trust-based, outcome-focused client relationships. What You'll Learn Why hourly billing punishes efficiency and caps your income potential. How it undermines your positioning as an expert and devalues your unique expertise. The hidden costs of hourly billing: admin burden, client micromanagement, and trust erosion. The psychological traps that make it hard to raise your rates under hourly models. Why shifting to value-based pricing or project fees can transform your business. Steps to reframe client conversations around value and outcomes, not hours. Key Insights and Takeaways Hourly billing creates a perverse incentive against efficiency. The faster you work, the less you earn, which is the opposite of how a healthy freelance business should function. It permanently caps your income potential. There are only so many hours you can sell, and raising your hourly rate eventually hits a ceiling. It erodes trust and positions you as a commodity. Clients start focusing on hours rather than outcomes, leading to micromanagement and suspicion. It fails to capture your true value. Your best insights often come from years of accumulated expertise, not the hours it takes to execute a task. Fixed project fees and value-based pricing aligns your interests with your clients. When you price based on the outcomes and value you deliver, you can grow your income while building stronger client relationships. Memorable Soundbites · "Hourly billing rewards incompetence and punishes mastery." · "You're not selling time, you're selling outcomes." · "Hourly billing turns your business into a job you can't quit." Action Steps 🔹 Reflect: Are you stuck in the hourly billing trap? Track how it limits your income and positioning.🔹 Experiment: Try quoting your next project as a fixed fee based on value rather than time.🔹 Reframe: Start asking clients, "What outcomes are you looking to achieve? What makes this project important?" rather than "How many hours will this take?"🔹 Educate your clients: Share the benefits of non-hourly models and how it aligns your incentives with theirs.🔹 Internal tracking only: Continue tracking your time for your own data and profitability analysis, but avoid sharing these hours with clients. Listener Challenge This week, pick one service you currently bill hourly and write down how you would price it based on the scope and value instead. You don't have to roll it out immediately, but this exercise will shift your mindset toward value-based pricing.

If you're feeling like your freelance business is shifting beneath your feet—but you can't quite name what's changed—you're not alone. Most writers sense something is different… but they don't know how to respond strategically. In this solo episode, I dive into what I believe is the real driver behind the changes we're seeing in the freelance writing space. Yes, the economy has cooled, and that's still a big factor, since marketing is one of the first areas to get cut when business is slow. But AI is now playing a much bigger role than most writers realize. And the pace of disruption is happening much faster than we're used to. I break down the data, the two dominant schools of thought about where AI is taking us, and the five predictions I'm making about the next 18 months. More importantly, I share what I believe you can do right now to adapt and thrive, no matter where you stand on the AI debate. Whether you've been avoiding AI, tinkering with tools randomly, or wondering how to respond to market shifts… this episode will help you make sense of it all and chart a path forward with confidence. What You'll Learn What's really behind the shrinking pool of freelance writing work, and how AI factors in The "two schools of thought" on AI's long-term impact (and which side I lean toward) Why capability gaps (not talent) are quietly holding writers back What makes this wave of disruption different from anything we've ever faced before Five bold predictions about AI and the freelance market between now and the end of 2026. Key Insights and Takeaways The Economy Isn't the Whole Story Yes, budgets are tighter. But the shift we're seeing in client behavior and referral flow can't be explained by economics alone. AI is already changing how content is created and reshaping client expectations behind the scenes. You're Not Just Competing With Other Writers You're competing with writers plus AI, and clients don't always realize that's what's happening. But they do notice faster turnaround times, deeper insights, and stronger strategy. That's the new baseline. The Problem Isn't Tools, It's Random Tool Use Most writers are reacting to AI passively or using it without a clear strategy. That only leads to frustration and overwhelm. The ones who are thriving are using AI to systematically identify and close capability gaps—areas they previously avoided due to a lack of experience or confidence. Exponential Change Is Hard to See... Until It Isn't We've moved from the "gradually" phase to the "suddenly" phase of change. Each new model is doubling the power of the last. If you're still measuring AI by what it could do six months ago, you're behind. The 18-Month Window We're entering a short window where positioning yourself strategically—through capability expansion, not random experimentation—can lead to exponential growth. But that window is closing fast. Writers who miss it may find themselves permanently behind. Action Steps You Can Take This Week 1. Identify Your Competitive Blind Spot Is there a type of project, industry, or strategic conversation you avoid because you feel underqualified? That's your gap. Write it down. 2. Use AI to Explore That Gap Leverage tools like ChatGPT or Claude to research the format, reverse-engineer a successful project, or role-play a strategic conversation you'd normally avoid. 3. Reframe How You Think About Your Capabilities Instead of saying "That's not what I do," ask, "If I had the right support, could I deliver excellent results here?" 4. Pick One Gap to Work on Systematically You don't have to fix everything overnight. But momentum starts with a single capability. Choose one, and take the first step. Memorable Soundbites "The disruption is happening faster than most writers can process because our brains aren't wired for exponential change." We're not at the beginning of the chessboard anymore. We're nearly halfway there." "You're competing with writers plus AI, not just with other writers." "The tools stay invisible, but the performance gap becomes obvious." "This isn't about learning tools randomly. It's about using AI systematically to close your biggest capability gaps." "Six months from now, you'll either be expanding your capabilities or watching the gap between you and your competitors widen." "You don't have to become an AI cheerleader to respond strategically. You just have to be honest about what the market is telling you." "Hope is not a strategy. Especially when the ground is shifting this fast." If this episode struck a chord, I'd be honored if you shared it with a fellow writer or freelancer. Until next time, keep writing, keep adapting, and keep building the business you actually want—not just the one you think you're stuck with. Sources Mentioned & Quoted Microsoft Study: Jobs Most Vulnerable to AI Include Teaching, Writing, Sales Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla predicts AI will replace 80% of jobs by 2030 'White-Collar Bloodbath': Anthropic Warns of AI Job Losses Tech Industry Faces Another Wave of Layoffs in 2025: AI and Economic Pressures Drive the Change GenAI's unexpected impact: Disrupting high-skilled tech jobs, too How artificial intelligence can help American workers Complement or substitute? How AI increases the demand for human skills Inside the 'Winning the AI Race' Summit Silicon Valley stifled the AI doom movement in 2024 David Autor, Katya Klinova & Ioana Marinescu on the Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines Learning to reason with LLMs 2025: the year companies prepare to disrupt how work gets done A possible AI future Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI's full potential 2025 AI Business Predictions

What do you do when a dream referral turns into a nightmare-in-the-making? One of my coaching clients recently found herself in a tricky spot. Her best referral partner had sent her what initially seemed like a solid lead. But after a few back-and-forths, things started to feel… off. The red flags were waving, and she could sense this prospect would likely become a difficult client. She wanted out. But she didn't want to burn bridges with either the potential client or the trusted source who referred them. In this week's short episode, I share the guidance I gave her — a simple, thoughtful way to bow out gracefully while preserving both relationships. It's a nuanced dance, but once you know the framework, you'll be ready to handle these moments with professionalism and clarity. In This Episode, You'll Learn: A simple strategy to walk away from a referral without damaging key relationships Why these situations are more common than most freelancers think The importance of protecting your boundaries, even when referrals are involved Sample language and scripts you can adapt to your own client communications Key Takeaway: Saying "no" doesn't have to feel like burning a bridge. With the right framing, you can protect your time and energy and preserve the relationships that matter most. Listener Challenge: If you're currently navigating a tricky referral or client dynamic, take a few moments to draft your "graceful opt-out" message. Use this episode as your guide. And remember, professionalism and honesty go a long way.

AI isn't just a tool for writing faster. It's the key to systematically expanding your professional capabilities and breaking free from the "experience prison" that's been capping your income. In this week's episode, we dive into a powerful shift in mindset for freelancers: moving from viewing AI as a speed or productivity tool to leveraging it as a capability multiplier. I share how I used AI to confidently take on new, high-value projects I would have previously turned down. And how you can do the same to expand your business without months of study or expensive training. If you've ever declined a project because it felt outside your expertise—or you're worried about getting left behind in a rapidly changing market—this episode will change the way you think about your business, your income ceiling, and the true role of AI in your freelance journey. What You'll Learn: Why your "experience" might actually be limiting your income and opportunities The five capability gaps silently constraining most freelancers (and how to identify yours) How AI can help you confidently expand into higher-value projects without years of training A mindset shift from "What do I know?" to "What can I confidently figure out?" Practical ways to use AI systematically to multiply your expertise, efficiency, and strategic value Key Insights and Takeaways The "Experience Prison" Is Real We're taught to say "no" to projects outside our wheelhouse to protect our reputation or out of fear and insecurity. But in today's market, this mindset is costing you opportunities, relationships, and income. And I make the case that it could eventually cost you your business. Every "no" trains your clients—and yourself—to see you as limited in capability. The Five Capability Gaps You Need to Address Craft Gaps – Skills, formats, and project types you avoid Efficiency Gaps – Outdated workflows that drain time and energy Industry Gaps – Sectors you avoid because you feel underqualified Domain/Topic Gaps – Complex topics you shy away from Strategic Gaps – Advisory conversations you deflect out of uncertainty Each gap is a revenue leak—and AI can help you close them systematically. Why AI Changes Everything AI enables you to remove the knowledge and experience constraints that limit what you can confidently offer. It's like having a tireless panel of experts on call to help you master new skills, enter new industries, and have strategic conversations that position you as a trusted advisor—not an order-taker. From Constraint to Confidence Stop using AI randomly and start using it systematically: Identify your biggest capability gaps. Use AI to help you master new formats, optimize workflows, learn industries, and structure strategic conversations. Watch your confidence, client results, and income grow. Action Steps You Can Take This Week Identify Your Biggest Capability Gap Is it a project type, industry, or type of conversation you avoid? Write it down. Experiment with AI as Your Thought Partner Use ChatGPT or Claude to help you break down a complex project you've avoided, research an industry you want to enter, develop a new strategic framework, or role-play an important client conversation. Reframe Your Mindset Shift from "I don't do that" to "Can I deliver exceptional value here if I had the right support?" Track Your Wins Each successful expansion creates a feedback loop of confidence → bigger projects → more income → further capability growth. Memorable Soundbites 💡 "AI isn't about doing the work for you. It's about removing the constraints that used to limit what you could confidently take on."💡 "Your capabilities aren't fixed. They can expand systematically with the right tools."💡 "Stop asking 'What do I already know?' and start asking 'What can I confidently figure out?'"💡 "In today's market, saying 'I don't do that' is a recipe for declining income." Listener Challenge This week, identify one project type or industry you've been avoiding because you didn't feel qualified. Use AI to learn about it, draft a framework, or plan how you would approach it. Then ask yourself: If I had unlimited support and guidance, would I still say no to this opportunity? Take one small step to move past that constraint. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a fellow freelancer who's ready to expand their capabilities, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode packed with insights to help you earn more in less time doing work you love for better clients.