You've heard the advice before... Position yourself an authority in your field ... and business will start coming your way. I think many of us understand this idea conceptually. But it can be hard to figure out exactly how to become that authority. And the negative self talk and self-sabotage doesn't help ("Who do you think you are? You're no expert! You're no authority!"). Sound familiar? This is a big topic, and it's one I'd like to cover in more detail over the next few months. But today, I wanted to at least kick-start that discussion. My guest is Scott Aughtmon, a consultant and blogger who writes about content marketing, and the author of the book 51 Content Marketing Hacks: Extraordinary Lessons on Creating Content That Will Help You Sell More and Gain More Customers. Our conversation may not answer all your questions. But I hope it gets you thinking in the right direction — and that it sets the stage for additional episodes on this important topic.

There's a growing interest among freelancers in the idea of "value pricing." The concept of pricing your work based on the value it will generate for the client is interesting. But it still feels theoretical and pie-in-the-sky to most creative professionals. In this podcast episode, we discuss how to make the idea practical — including three simple ways you can start transitioning to this lucrative model. You'll find the full audio (and detailed show notes) here: www.b2blauncher.com/episode90

Do you sometimes feel like a bit of a fraud? Are you sometimes surprised that clients pay you to do your work? Do you feel unworthy compared to many of your colleagues? Like you will be found out soon enough ... and all your success so far is undeserved? You're not alone. Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Jimmy Fallon and many other people many of us consider incredibly talented — they often feel the same way. I talked about this back in episode 22: Seven Tips for Developing Stronger Self-Confidence But what I'd like to do in this episode is give you a taste for how common this "impostor syndrome" is. Because part of overcoming it is awareness. Awareness about how many talented professionals struggle with self confidence and self worth. I feel so much better when I realize that I'm not alone. And if the best people in their field often feel this way, then that gives me hope. It helps me realize that it's perfectly natural.

In this episode I interview Cesar Abeid, author of the newly published Project Management for You: How to Turn Your Ideas Into Reality, Deliver on Your Promises, and Get Things Done. Cesar and I focus our discussion not on client projects, but rather on all those internal projects we all keep meaning to do ... but never get around to doing. He shares plenty of simple and practical tips for breaking down these projects into doable tasks. All in plain English!

I love to read. In fact, I have more books I want to read than I have time to read them. Sound familiar? Yes, I've tried some speed-reading courses. They helped, but I've yet to reach a level where I can read 50+ books a year. So when I came across Brandon Hakim's techniques on how to read and absorb dozens of books a year, I was intrigued. Just by applying a few of his simple ideas, I've read two books in the past two weeks — something that would have normally taken me two months to accomplish. In this interview, Brandon will explain how he reads over 300 books a year. He describes a key mindset shift you need to make in order to get to this level. Plus a handful of practical techniques to help you get through nonfiction books much faster.

If you're in the U.S., this is an important interview. It's about your health insurance options as a self-employed professional: The ins and outs Where to shop What to look for How to make the best decisions for you and your family With open enrollment coming up soon ... and fines going up significantly for those who don't enroll in a plan ... this is the time to get educated and to investigate your options. It's all here, including detailed show notes: www.b2blauncher.com/episode86

In today's episode, you'll hear from my friend and colleague Michael Katz. Michael is an authority on launching, publishing and leveraging a newsletter to grow your service-based business.

"How do I successfully transition out of a day job and into full-time freelancing?" That's one of the most common questions I get asked by aspiring freelance writers and copywriters. And in today's episode, you'll get yet another perspective from someone who's made the leap successfully and coached many others on how to make this challenging transition — Michelle Ward, a.k.a. the When I Grow Up Coach.

Trying something a little different this week. I'm doing a Q&A show with questions you submitted through a recent survey. I'd love to get your feedback on this format. If you like it, I'll do more of these in the future.

Over the past three years, I've worked with hundreds of new freelance writers and copywriters. I enjoy mentoring and coaching these new and ambitious freelance professionals, helping them build and grow their businesses. But through this process, I've uncovered a disturbing trend. This is not something I enjoy talking about. Mainly because it requires that I be blunt about some issues. But it's time to shine a light on this painful truth — and what you can do about it if you find yourself in one of these situations.