Inspire Your Success

In today's episode I go over how I paid my mortgage by writing on Medium.com and how you can get started earning money as a freelance writer on that platform!

Why Publish On Medium.com

As a freelance writer, Medium.com offers a really low barrier entry to getting started! All you need is a partner account and you can get started publishing content you are passionate about. Be sure to check out my podcast on the top benefits to publish on Medium.com!

How to Earn Money by Writing on Medium.com

In March, I was able to pay my house mortgage with my medium.com partner earnings. I published 8 articles in March and that earned my over $1,000. Here are the top tips I have learned on how to earn money by writing on Medium.com

• Publish in publications
• Consistently publish
• Read articles to discover what is working on the platform

Getting started on Medium.com is a great way to get your work read and really impact others lives (and yours too!) Make sure to get the FREE Medium checklist at inspireyoursuccess.com/Medium. This will help you create high-quality articles, get your stories read, and earn more money from the Medium partner program.

In this guest interview I talk with Kayla Hollatz about how to build a pandemic proof business with copywriting! I first came across Kayla when I reviewed her freelance writing website in my YouTube video that went over writing website examples.

How to Turn a Passion Project into an Online Project

Before making the leap into full time copywriting, Kayla actually created a community around a Twitter chat called #createlounge – from there she realized that her passion project could turn into a full time online business. After she put her 'business' proposal out to the community she booked 3 months of social media, copywriting and consulting work!

The Transition to Online Business Owner (who writes!)

As Kayla dove headfirst into being an online business owner, there were alot of self discoveries she made along the way about not only owning a business but about herself. Through ups and downs, the one thing Kayla always came back to was the love of writing. Through writing she can be her authentic true self and connect with clients through copywriting.

Episode 72: How to Get Featured in Big Publications Online – Nick Wolny Interview Read More » Episode 68: How to Make Consistent Money as a Writer Read More » Episode 63: From $0 to $125K in One Year on Upwork (Lisa Cumes Interview) Read More » Advice for Copywriters

Kayla offers this advice to aspiring copywriters:

• Build Your Personal Brand
• Be Confident in Your Writing
• Create an Awesome Writing Website
• Showcase Your Work with a Writing Portfolio

Connect with Kayla on Instagram or her Website.

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

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In this episode we dive into what it takes to write on Medium.com!

It's one of the best ways to launch your writing career and gain momentum fast. There's a reason over 80M people read stories on the platform each month!

7 Benefits to Writing on Medium.com

1. Its $5/month!
2. You can get started FAST
3. You don't have to do any blogging things
4. You can build momentum quickly so you don't get discouraged from no one reading your awesome content
5. You don't have to build an audience! Nearly 100M people use it each month, this makes it SO much better for writers
6. You can land freelance writing clients
7. You can get syndicated in major publications

Now is the time to launch your writing career on Medium.com!

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

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

In this writing Wednesday episode, I go over in detail why you should love what you are writing about. I am crazy passionate about golf and have made $30,000+ writing about it and want to help you get paid to write about your passion.

Why You Should Have a Second Writing Niche

I have been playing golf for 20 years and I love everything about the game. I decided while searching for new writing gigs a few years ago to apply for a golf writing assignment. That one decision led to $30,000+ since quitting my 9–5. The best part? It's not my main niche, it's my "side hustle" of writing. I'm proof that you can get paid to write about your passion. So if you want to add a second niche writing about a topic you love, just know that it's possible.

My Biggest Takeaways from Writing about my Passion

When you follow your passion it can pay off! Here is how it can work for you:

1. Get Clients on the Phone Sometimes, it's hard to convey your passion through email. But once you get clients on the phone, it's easy to let your passion come through and makes it easy for them to say yes!

2. Switch up Your Topics from Time to Time If you write about anything for too long, it's easy to get tired of it (or resent it as I did). Whether you add a second niche about a passion or write on Medium about any topic you like, mix it up!

3. Start Small and Work Your Way Up If you're venturing out into a new niche, sometimes you will have to take lower rates in the beginning, just remember to raise your rates after you build your portfolio!

4. Understand You Can Have Two Niches While I agree the riches are in the niches, don't put yourself in a box with only one niche. If you want to write about something else, dedicate a page on your writing website to your second niche.

5. There is More Than Just Blog Posts Expand beyond blog writing! Emails, landing pages, webpages, e-books can all pay off big.

6. Write About What You LoveIf you don't write what you love (or at least like), I think it's extremely difficult to find long-term success as a writer.

7. Know Your Outcome in Advance Before diving into a second niche or writing on Medium, make sure you know your goal.

You can make money writing about your passion. But if you never put yourself out there and inquire about blogs, websites, and brands, you could miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Remember, people with passion make the impossible happen!

In this Monday with Michael episode I go over five sales skills freelance writers need to succeed. You might have the best writing in the world, but if no one will hire you, good luck paying the bills. The Number One Skill to Make Money Writing Online is Selling

I recently wrote about this same topic on Medium because it is a topic that all freelancers need to learn from and apply if they are going to succeed. Being able to sell is hugely important as a freelancer because if you can sell yourself to clients, you can make writing online a lucrative side hustle or full-time online business.

5 Sales Skills You Need to Learn Now

This set of skills is the only way I've earned over $100,000 publishing online — because I got clients to say yes. So if you want to make money writing online, work on your sales skills, then your writing skills.

1. Always Work Your PipelineWork your writing leads from cold to warm to hot and do it over and over again.
2. Provide Value to Retain ClientsIt's the old adage of 'under promise, over deliver'.
3. Build Relationships with ClientsPeople buy from people they like, know and trust.
4. Reframe Failure and SetbacksSales and pitching new freelance clients is just a numbers game. The more people you get your offer in front of, the more likely you are to hear a yes.
5. Be Persistent I found that like sales, sometimes you need to be persistent with clients to make stuff happen. People get busy, your email could've gone to spam or maybe, they just forgot. Not hearing a reply doesn't mean they aren't interested. If you build rapport, add value, and communicate with clients, I'm confident you can become a six-figure writer!

In this Writing Wednesday episode, I continue with part 4 of my 4 part series based off my recent episode How I Made $20,050 in 30 days of Writing. I recently wrote about this on Medium but wanted to dive deeper into each lesson so you know exactly how I was able to write that much, earn that much income and apply it to your own writing.

5 More Tips to Maximize Your Income with Freelance Writing​

I'm no different than you. I started a blog in January of 2016 and, quite frankly, was an awful writer. Two years later, I started freelance writing because my blog was failing, and I had already quit my job. Two years later, I'm publishing a post about making $20,000 in 30 days.

Success isn't overnight. But if you keep going, amazing things can happen. Keep believing in yourself, upgrading your skills, and trust the process.

1. Write Content You EnjoyI've found that writing about topics you care about is much more enjoyable and rewarding. As lame as it sounds, it doesn't feel like work. 2. Network with Other WritersWriting can be a lonely job; one idea or a new perspective from another writer can change your online business!

3. Don't Forget to Exercise Both your physical and mental health will thank you!

4. Have Fun Keep everything in perspective. You're getting paid to type words on a computer while other people in the world barely survive.

5. Celebrate Your Wins Don't forget: Your brain loves celebrating wins! Small or big, it doesn't matter. Get in the habit of giving yourself praise and celebrate everything you do in your writing journey.

In this Monday with Michael episode I go over 5 skills you need to succeed, even if you don't think you are a good writer.

What You Need to Succeed as a Freelance Writer

If you're like most people, you probably think that you have to be a world-class writer to get paid to write words online. That is just not true, you actually have to be a better freelancer first and have these skills to be an amazing freelance writer.

1. Willingness to Learn

My willingness to learn is why I was able to 10X my monthly income in 12 months as a writer and earn $20,050 in my 20th month as a writer.

2. Strong Work Ethic No amount of sitting around on the couch imagining five-figure writing months will magically attract clients.

3. Growth Mindset With a growth mindset, you believe that your most basic abilities develop through consistency and dedication.

4. Thick Skin If you want to make money writing and learn to become a great writer in a short amount of time, you need to love getting feedback. This is one of the fastest ways to improve!

5. PerseveranceJust keep going, learn your lessons, and stay persistent and consistent to give yourself time to let the magic happen.

Final thoughts: Thinking you have to be a good writer before you can land writing jobs and get paid is a losing mentality. Do not set yourself up to fail with this attitude. Many businesses and blog owners want to outsource stuff like this and need your skills. Stay persistent and consistent!

One of the reasons I started this podcast was to help learn from people who left their 9-5's to build an online business. Today's guest, Natalie Bacon, is a story is incredibly inspiring as she did just that.

She went from lawyer to financial planner to full-time blogger. Her blog earned over $178K in 2018 and she just started in 2015. She's relentless in her pursuit of greatness and it shows in all of her content online.

Here's what you will learn in this episode:

• How to make money blogging
• The power of investing in yourself
• How to blog and work full-time as a beginner
• Why a mentor or coach can help you speed up success
• Mindset hacks to make your brain work for you not against you
• Understanding how your beliefs are holding you back from success

Resources Mentioned in the Show

Check out the resources mentioned in this show:

• Learn more about Natalie
• Listen to Natalie's podcast
• Check out my guide on how to start a blog

Best Quotes From The Show

• "Any obstacle or failure is neutral. You can make it mean whatever you want. I never let an obstacle or failure mean anything negative."
• "I think people change course too often and dabble. That is holding them back from true success."

In this Writing Wednesday episode, I continue with part 3 of my 4 part series based off my recent episode How I Made $20,050 in 30 days of Writing. I recently wrote about this on Medium but wanted to dive deeper into each lesson so you know exactly how I was able to write that much, earn that much income and apply it to your own writing.

5 More Insights So You Write Faster and Scale Your Freelance Income

In my first month as a freelance writer, I made $650. Nineteen months later, I made $20,050 in 30 days. In Episode 74 I talked about the first five lessons I learned during those 30 days, in Episode 77 I shared five more insights and today I have five more writing tips for you!

1. Plan Your Days & Weeks One missed deadline could cost you a client and a lot of money in the long run. On Sunday night, plan out your week and be mindful of deadlines, writing time, editing time and self care time.
2. Review Your Writing Outline Before BedInstead of going to bed without any goals, always give your subconscious something to solve; you will be amazed that you often awake with an answer!
3. Understand the Power of Context Switching While most of us wear busy as a badge of honor, jumping around from project to project is a massive waste of time. that context switching can kill up to 80% of your productive time!
4. Get a Stand-Up Desk & Use Two Monitors Two monitors means you can write on one screen and have research or guidelines up on the other one.
5. Raise Your RatesIf you want to make more money and work fewer hours, charge higher rates. I see so many writers undervalue themselves and their work because they don't think anyone will hire them.

Stay tuned for the next 5 tips and if you implement these I would love to know!

Join Freelance to 5K now to launch your own freelance writing career.

Get all my secrets and strategies here: freelanceto5k.com

In this Monday with Michael episode, I take you behind the scenes of what it was like to earn $2,250 in one day as a freelance writer. I break down my routine and show you how to schedule your days and weeks for maximum productivity!

Writing Week Routine

I love writing as long as I schedule my time properly. For me, planning is key to juggling so much at once. To avoid context-switching and to stay organized, I try to keep my days simple to maximize productivity. I block my days into four types and schedule the week in detail every Sunday.

Day 1: Writing + Working Out

Day 2: Coaching + Inspire Your Success Day 3: Editing/Researching + Golf Day 4: Sunday is Free Day to Recharge!

7 Tips to Maximize Writing Day Productivity

Being a great writer takes discipline and planning. Here are 7 tips to ensure you are reaching goals and scaling your writing income.

• Use the Pomodoro Technique
• Listen to Instrumental Music
• Write about Stuff You Love
• Do What Works Best for You
• Don't Neglect Your Health
• Write and Edit Separately
• Get Around People

I hope this breakdown of my writing routine gives you a few ideas moving forward.

Remember: Test, test, and test what works best for you. There is no one way to do this. Everyone has different schedules and peak writing times.

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