In this episode of Inspire Your Success podcast, I got to interview Omar Itani. 

Omar was working a dream job at Google a few years ago before he decided to pursue his entrepreneurial passions and quit his corporate job.

Omar is a writer, an ex-Google, and an entrepreneur. He’s the Founder of Lovers of The Sea, a brand that raises awareness about plastic pollution and helps you reduce your everyday plastic footprint. He also runs a weekly newsletter about creativity and self-development. His writing, which has been featured in Thrive Global, Mind Cafe, and The Startup, will inspire you to look inward, master your mind, and change the way you think about what it means to live a slow, meaningful, and joyful life.  

Now, he’s a top writer on Medium and is passionate about sharing his passion for self-improvement with others. 

When you listen to the episode, you will learn:

• How he quit his corporate dream job (and how you can too)
• What it takes to make money writing online
• How to keep evolving your mind to live a better life and create a thriving online business 

Make sure to follow and read more of Omar’s viral hits here:

• 13 Rumi Quotes That Will Change The Way You Think (Friend Link)
• 10 Daily Habits That Are Drastically Improving My Life (Friend Link)
• I Left My Job at Google and Started My Own Business – The Truth About Entrepreneurship (Friend Link)

Are You Ready to Start Your Freelance Writing Career?

Freelance writing is easy, as long as you have one thing…

CLIENTS.

Without clients, none of this works.   Here’s the thing, there are so many talented writers out there who don’t get the chance to shine because they don’t know how to find paying clients.   Because honestly, there’s a lot of information out there and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know where to start.   If you’re like most writers, it’s easy to think…

• Is Upwork a scam?
• Should I pitch on job boards?
• Where can I find clients to email?

If this sounds like you and you’re ready to finally start a freelance writing business, I want to help.   Click the link below to register for my FREE 60-minute workshop that will teach you “3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients in 2020.”   When you attend, you’ll learn:

• The 3 best places to start finding clients
• Expert tips to get clients to respond to your pitches
• How to easily build your brand and become an expert in your niche

Click the link below to join the next workshop now.     https://inspireyoursuccess.easywebinar.live/registration-10

Have you started writing on Medium.com yet?

Recently, I’ve had a lot of students inside my course, Freelance to 5K, ask me about Medium lately and I wanted to share some of that with you.

First off, Medium is a great platform for writers.

I love it and HIGHLY suggest it for all my coaching and course students.

It’s clean, easy to read, and you get started today.

But if you’re a brand new Medium writer, it’s hard to navigate the platform and figure out how to:

• Get your content read
• Learn what to write about 
• How to get featured in publications

And a lot more.

But in the latest episode of Inspire Your Success, I’ll help you with one of those hurdles -- getting featured in publications.

To find success quickly like I did with Medium you HAVE to become a writer in publications.

Otherwise, the odds of making consistent money as a Medium writer are slim (or will take a long time).

Because if you don’t publish in publications, you’re relying on your own followers to read the story. 

And if you’re brand new, you don’t have any (or have >100).

But not all publications are the same, some are extremely difficult to get featured in while others are much more accessible to new writers.

When you listen to the latest episode, you will hear:

• More about publications 
• How to get featured in publications
• My 5 favorite Medium publications for new writers 

And a lot more.

5 Publications

• The Ascent
• The Startup
• P.S. I Love You
• Live Your Life on Purpose
• Post Grad Survival Guide

FREE TRAINING - 3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients: inspireyoursuccess.com/training/

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Michael: inspireyoursuccess.com/coach

I’m passionate about this because last year I went through the darkest times of my life.

From January to April I struggled… a lot. I went through so much doubt and fear that it led to a deep dark depression. 

I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy… it was that bad. Looking back, the reason it happened was that I didn’t have much self-care.

For most of 2017 and all of 2018 I hustled… non-stop — I prided myself on the hustle. 

Early morning, late nights, and little rest eventually lead to a meltdown.  

By the start of 2019, my mind and body shut down. I overworked myself and found myself in an awful place. 

It wasn’t until a coach by the name of Jim Fortin and hypnotherapy did I get out of it.

So why am I telling you this?

First off, I want to be 100% transparent with you. While I’m happy to give out endless freelancing and writing advice, none of it works if YOU aren’t okay.

Remember, YOU are a reflection of your business.

So if you’re struggling, your business will struggle as well. 

Second, one of the reasons I struggled is because I hid this depression from everyone (including you).

I didn’t tell my friends, family or anyone.

I suffered in silence. 

So I want to shine a light on this subject as it affects a lot more people that you probably realize.

Plus, I recorded a new podcast episode and just released it today to shine some light on the subject.

The topic… self-care as an entrepreneur.

In reality, the same tips will apply whether you’re a 9-5 employee or an entrepreneur.

But I stress the importance of it as an entrepreneur because being your own boss is stressful. 

It’s 100X harder than working in a 9-5 (but it’s worth it).

That’s why you need to take care of YOU. 

And as I said before, your business is a reflection of YOU.

When you listen to the episode, you will:

• The #1 strategy I used to beat depression
• How I used my struggles to become a better writer 
• 5 self-care tips I recommend to all of my students inside Freelance to 5

Self-Care for Entrepreneurs

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn when you tune into episode #106

• How to journal for clarity 
• What is hypnotherapy and how it can reprogram your mind
• Why you need quiet time to be successful
• 3 self-care rituals
• Why you need to exercise as an entrepreneur 

Start or Scale Your Freelance Writing Business 

>>FREE TRAINING: 3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients

Click the link below to register for my FREE 60-minute workshop that will teach you “3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients in 2020.”

When you attend, you’ll learn:

• The 3 best places to start finding clients
• Expert tips to get clients to respond to your pitches
• How to easily build your brand and become an expert in your niche

Click the link below to join the next workshop now. https://inspireyoursuccess.easywebinar.live/registration-8

 

>>Work with me 1-1 (Extremely Limited)

Are you ready to finally start a writing business that makes you money every single month on a regular basis? I have a personalized, 60-day program to work together and mentor you.

We’ll work together 1:1 each week to build your writing business with weekly calls, email support, access to my signature writing course Freelance to 5K, and accountability to reach your income goals. 

I’ll personally help you overcome any limiting beliefs, attract high-paying clients, build your brand online, review your pitches, and show you how to scale your business. 

Fill out an application today.

In this writing Wednesday edition of Inspire Your Success podcast, I break down a 4-week, 30 day plan to earn your first $1,000 writing. 

If you've been struggling to hit your freelancing goals, you'll love this one.

30-Day Plan to Make Your First $1,000 Writing​

All it takes is one person to say yes.

As soon as one client hires you to write content online, everything can change. The amount of money doesn’t matter either because getting paid to write words online is a magical feeling.

My first freelance writing gig was back in 2017 when I got paid $30 to write about golf from a guy on Upwork. I remember the surge of dopamine flooding through my body when the invoice was paid.

Even though I was making six figures before I quit my job to blog, that $30 proved to me that I could make money freelancing. Because if you can get one person to say yes then you can get a lot more.

Because even during the chaotic times that we’re in right now, you can still make money writing. None of my clients have stopped since the lockdown and people are still pumping out content.

Sadly, so many writers never get off the starting line and never get to experience what it’s like to get paid to write about your passion.

To help you, I created a bulletproof four-week action plan. Follow the steps below to hit the ground running and take action on being a well-paid freelance writer.

Read the full story on Medium: https://medium.com/better-marketing/30-day-action-plan-to-make-1-000-as-a-freelance-writer-66013afa4ae0?source=friends_link&sk=eb5f0222cfaa8a956d759ff26e4c6b6e

FREE TRAINING - 3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients: inspireyoursuccess.com/training

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Michael: inspireyoursuccess.com/coach

In this episode, I cover 7 reasons why most freelance writers (and freelancers in any niche for that matter) fail.

My goal with Inspire Your Success podcast is to help you SPEED up success and I'm confident that avoiding these seven mistakes will drastically help.

I’ve failed a lot since I hit publish on my first blog post in January 2016.

But failing can teach you a ton of great lessons — as long as you are looking for them. As Bill Gates said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”

Learning from my failures is why I’ve found my version of success as a freelancer — being able to work at home, publish content online, and never go back to a 9–5.

But sadly, a lot of writers have the same goals but give up too quickly and never get to reap the rewards.

I’m confident that if you can avoid these seven mistakes, you can find more success than you thought possible.

Read the full story on Medium: https://medium.com/swlh/7-reasons-why-most-freelance-writers-fail-2fb63d194e14?source=friends_link&sk=def9b9156a614282a9702a93c1e04ef7

FREE TRAINING - 3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients: inspireyoursuccess.com/training

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Michael: inspireyoursuccess.com/coach

In this episode, I interview Emilina Lomas who went from nutritionist to full-time writer. Learn how she used her passion for health and fitness to make a full-time income writing online.

Do you have a passion but aren't sure how to build an online writing business around it? If so, you will love this episode with Emilina. 

Emilina is a clinically trained nutritionist turned health writer who has been working freelance for the last four years after leaving her consulting job at a Fortune 500 company. Emilina has worked with top health and wellness brands including the National Football League (NFL), Muscle & Strength and Bulletproof Labs, and manages written content for many professional athletes. She currently lives in Orange County, California. 

When you listen, you will learn:

• How she ditched her corporate 9-5
• Tons of new strategies to earn money writing
• How to get started as a health and fitness writer
• Using social media to land freelance writing clients
• How to get started using Fiverr to build your portfolio and expand your client base

And so much more. 

Don't forget to connect with Emilina as well.

Make sure to:

• Follow Emilina on Instagram.
• Check out her Fiverr profile.
• Read her writing website.

FREE TRAINING - 3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients: inspireyoursuccess.com/training

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Michael: inspireyoursuccess.com/coach

In today's episode, I talk about three ways to use the law of attraction to help you land freelance writing clients!

LOA is a mindset tactic that when utilized will help you attract the things that you want into your life. 

For example, when you buy a new car, it seems like right after that, those cars are everywhere. When in reality, they were always there, but your attention was not on them. When you use your reticular activating system correctly, and always keep at the forefront of your mind what you want, you're going to find situations in your life to, to eventually make those things true. 

The LOA is a mindset tactic that when utilized will help you attract the things that you want into your life. 

For example, when you buy a new car, it seems like right after that, those cars are everywhere. When in reality, they were always there, but your attention was not on them. When you use your reticular activating system correctly, and always keep at the forefront of your mind what you want, you're going to find situations in your life to, to eventually make those things true.  Show notes:  https://www.inspireyoursuccess.com/102/

FREE TRAINING - 3 Ways to Land Freelance Writing Clients: inspireyoursuccess.com/training

Apply for 1:1 Coaching with Michael: inspireyoursuccess.com/coach

In today's episode, I'm going to talk about three online businesses that you can start in a post-pandemic world coming up.

It's the middle of June, and we're already four months into the entire pandemic situation. A lot of people were laid off, or furloughed, so I'm using this podcast episode to give you some options out there since I've been able to create several income streams set up and was lucky not to be affected by the pandemic much.

So the best online business to start in the post-pandemic world are:

• An online writing business (Freelancing or Medium)
• Launch an epic podcast of your dreams 
• Sell your skills online with online courses and online coaching

Why Start an Online Business

We live in an amazing time, with a lot of very cheap tools that you can get started building your online business with. And one of the best things in my life has been starting an online business because it really has given me that freedom to work at home, to work when I want to work and to work on stuff that I’m passionate about. Which we ALL DESERVE.

The three businesses I’m talking about don’t require a lot of money to start with. They also does not require a lot of time, either. Maybe for you it can be a side hustle, or you can take it full time like I did in 2017, and I just kept going. So if I can help with anything, please always let me know!

Join BBD now (Doors open for 96 hours): https://www.jameswedmoretraining.com/a/29630/4y9XF7wK

And hey, if you want me to bribe you to make sure you enroll in Business By Design using MY affiliate link (the link above), I’ll hook you up in 3, 2, 1…

Here’s what I’m giving you when you join me in BBD (on top of ALL the bonuses mentioned above)… 

• Three 1:1 Laser Coaching Calls (60 minutes 1:1 with me to help you get unstuck and make real progress in your business) - $750 value

 

• Sales Page Critique (As a full-time copywriter, I'll breakdown the sales page for your offer and give you honest feedback to nail your messaging so you can turn viewers into buyers) - $350 value 

 

• Win the Morning Course (Get instant access to my morning routine course so you can learn how to create morning & evening rituals with powerful tools to create the life & business of your dreams) - $197 value 

That's nearly $1,300 of bonuses just for using my affiliate link to sign up for BBD (plus all of James')!

Click the link below to learn more and enroll: https://www.jameswedmoretraining.com/a/29630/4y9XF7wK 

See you inside BBD! 

I'm so excited to share my episode number 100 with you! That's right. We just hit triple digits of the show. And in this special episode I want to show you how I went from broke, depressed, blogger to a full time thriving, six figure freelance writer and coach, and how you can do it too. Coming up.

Why I Decided to Quit My Six Figure Job​

I was a corporate, uh, hostage at YELP,  living with the golden handcuffs. And I always knew I wanted more, but I didn't know what that was.

I wasn't ready to quit my job yet, So I started exploring. I did a lot of different stuff, with some of them being:

• Enrolled into acting classes
• Engaged in eCommerce
• Dove deep into personal finance

On one of my business trips with Yelp.com, I started talking to my director about everything I learned about personal finance, and she advised me to start a blog about it and that's when the seed got planted.   How I Started Out as a Blogger  

Early 2016, I've decided to start supermillennial.com. My first blog was born and that was really the start of it all for me. I didn't know that 15 months later I would quit my six figure job and go out on my own. In 2019 I was about two years into my journey and I hit rock bottom.  I was going through absolute depression - I could barely get off the couch. And I was just suffering in silence.

It was the time when a coach Jim Forton came into my life when everything changed for me. And so 2019, I was able to crawl out of this whole pay off credit card debt, and double my income over 2018 and had an extremely successful year. I started to grow this brand after I joined James Wedmore's program Business by Design - it was like finally all came together.

Now in 2020, I have the freelance writing, the online courses,online coaching program, the podcast, a team of four people and I'm just grateful.I just want you guys to know that five years is how long this all took. And it's not like I'm all done now.

The Mistakes I Made Along The Way

Although I'm very grateful for the entire process, there are some things which I didn't do, which I want you to start doing NOW:

• Slow down and look back at what you had done
• Celebrate Your Wins
• Take care of your mental health
• Don't ever compare yourself to me or anyone else
• Don't give up

I made a lot of mistakes, and I went through a lot  in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 or 2019, and even this year. So I just want to help you out and give you some support. If you're feeling down, just email or DM me on Instagram. Let me know what you're going through and let me give you a one on one call. Thank you so much for being with me throughout these 100 episodes and I wish you all the luck in the world!

 

 

Watch the RISE of the Digital CEO by James Wedmore (100% FREE Video Series): https://www.jameswedmoretraining.com/a/28723/4y9XF7wK

In today’s episode, we talk all about hustling, but not about doing more. Instead, I want to talk to you about why you should quit hustling, how I was able to do it in 2019 and still double my revenue over 2018 coming up.

Wanna hear about how hustling almost killed me?​

I hustled for a very long time, and I really don't think hustling is what I recommend for anyone. It really comes down to working hard, but smart. You don't need to work until your eyeballs bleed just because a lot of people out there are telling you that you need to work all the time to succeed.

But still, I'm someone who has done it, and it didn't work for me. Even more than that, I ended up in the worst mental space I've ever been in my entire life. Luckily, I  made this switch last year, and it made me work fewer hours than ever while earning more money! 

Here's How I Doubled My Income By Working While Working Fewer Hours​

I already told you about how I made the switch last year, and when it happened, I was able to hustle less, work less and earn double the amount of revenue that I did over 2018 and 2019, and all that thanks to these new strategies that I’m gonna share with you today!

Things you need to start doing to work less, and earn more:

•  Start tracking your time 
•  Schedule your day out and stay on track
• Start working from the inside out
• Focus on what’s important
• Grow a team

If you want to stop working long hours which don’t bring in a satisfying income, you should consider doing these things as well!