Becoming disillusioned with a staff job has been the springboard for many a freelance journey, including that of US-based healthcare writer Melanie Padgett Powers. In this week's episode, Mel chats to us about what prompted her to start her own writing and editing business, and how her fab podcast, Deliberate Freelancer, soon followed. Tune in to find out:

- How Melanie lost an anchor client during the pandemic and what she tried to picked up thousands of dollars in new business

- What she learned from a podcast series she did on Six Figure Freelancers, and the lessons she kept in her own business

- The power of the freelance posse: why we're not competitors and how having a freelance community can be hugely valuable

- How insightful time-tracking has been to her business

- Why she's 'deliberate' in setting her monthly income goal, and how she runs her business and markets her business

- Why she doesn't use an hourly rate but negotiates value-based pricing, and what that actually looks like when quoting

And much more!