Should you give your clients a gift? If so, when is the best time to do this? And what should you give them? Holidays? At the end of your first project? Some other time? This episode is a great conversation with my colleague Sarah Greesonbach on this topic. Sarah gave me some great ideas for how make this decision ... which clients you should put on your list ... and how to give gifts that make a huge impact without spending more than $20 or $30. She’s a true gift-giving master!  In this interview, she explains when to consider giving clients gifts (hint: there are other great opportunities outside the holidays) ... which clients you should give gifts to ... how to do it right ... and how to pick gifts that will make a big impact without spending more than $20 or $30.

I love to look for patterns. And recently I’ve been looking for patterns as I’ve talked with coaching clients and peers who’ve reached the six-figure income level. Through those conversations, some interesting patterns emerged. In this episode, I give you a peek into those patterns—because they’ll give you a good idea of what six-figure writers do differently when compared to lower-income writers...

LinkedIn has quickly become one of the most effective marketing tools for writers and copywriters. But one of the downsides of this social platform is that it can feel overwhelming. How should you use it? Where should you start? How should you search for prospects inside? And how do you connect with them?   My guest for this episode is Chrissie Wywrot. Chrissie works with clients on their LinkedIn profile and strategy, as well as their online brand, to establish them as experts and resources in their fields. She has a very simple process she uses to get the most out of LinkedIn. Listen in to get the details...

Having a well-defined target audience is a critical first step to freelance success. But it doesn’t end there. Because once you’ve identified your audience you now need to find some prospects to contact. That’s where many writers get stuck. If you’re in that situation now (or if you’ve ever been there), you’re going to get a ton out of this week’s podcast episode. My guest is the brilliant Jennifer Gregory. In this interview, Jennifer details her three-step “Audience First” method for finding potential clients. Her approach is both simple AND incredibly effective — and it’s something you can start using right away.

Interesting fact... The biggest reason writers become (and stay) self-employed is freedom and flexibility — not money. Unfortunately, way too many freelance writers are worse off today than they were when traditionally employed. Too many are struggling to earn a good living. Or they’re working with bad clients on projects they hate. Or they’re working longer hours than they ever have. That’s not freedom! How can you turn that around? It all starts by setting some “standards” for your business. And in this episode, I explain exactly how to do that.

When it comes to pricing, the most common question I get is, “How much should I charge for _________?” But no one has ever asked me, “What should my floor rate be?” In other words, the bare minimum you should be charging on any given project to make sure you cover your full costs as a freelancer. I’m not a fan of that kind of thinking. But there’s one exception. And that’s when you want to know and understand what your “all in” expenses are ... so you can make better overall pricing decisions. Knowing your “all in” expenses can bring some serious clarity to your pricing decisions. It can help you negotiate better and feel much more confident about quoting higher fees. In this week’s episode my colleague Robert McGuire from Nation1099 will show you how to calculate your own number. And he explains why knowing this is so important—regardless of where you are in your writing business or how much you currently earn.

Many writers I know struggle with analysis paralysis and over-thinking. I see it at all levels of experience and with all types of decisions. It often causes a great deal of stress and anxiety, which leads to poor performance and results ... which reinforces the need for overanalyzing things. And so the cycle goes. If you struggle with analysis paralysis, this podcast episode will help. My guest is Shelley Row, a speaker and consultant who works with leaders who must make fast, insightful decisions in the face of uncertainty and rapid change. Shelley is an engineer and a recovering over-thinker herself. And her work is based on neuroscience research and detailed interviews with dozens of executives who struggle with this issue.

Ever thought about writing a book? Maybe a thought leadership book, a lead generator for your writing business ... or even a novel? If so, this week’s podcast episode will be right up your alley. My guest, Susan Baracco, explains what you need to know before you go down that path. It’s part reality check, part encouragement and inspiration. GREAT stuff!

I just published a podcast episode I think you’ll really enjoy. My guest is copywriter Jared Kessler. Jared  just went freelance two years ago. But he’s been able to grow his business like crazy since then! In this interview, he explains how he’s done it. And why “positioning” has played such a critical role in his success. You’ll get some good insights no matter where you are in your journey. But if you’re an established writer or copywriter, this one’s a must-listen!

Say you can handle about 25 hours of work per week. But your best client suddenly needs your help with a major product launch. And two new clients just hired you to work on some big projects. Oh, boy! When it rains, it pours... Great problem to have, right? ;-) If you’ve been freelancing for some time, you’ve probably experienced this challenge at some point. You know how difficult this situation can be. It’s fun ... until it isn’t. In this interview, Atlanta-based writer Don Sadler explains what he does when he’s booked solid ... and how he retains his sanity and his health. Even if you’re nowhere near experiencing that problem in your business, I still encourage you to listen. Because you’ll learn how to get to this level ... and what to do once that happens...