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What Can You Actually Control in Your Business?
What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn't the economy, the competition, or the clients you're trying to attract—but the things you're not doing?
In this episode of The Freelance Insider Show, I’m joined by Major Hillard, entrepreneur and real estate investor, to talk about building a business, developing systems, playing to your strengths, and focusing on what you can actually control.
Major shares how he got started while working three jobs with just $1,500, and how a book called "Deals on Wheels" by Lonnie Scruggs introduced him to mobile home investing.
We also get into the lessons he's learned along the way and why building systems and learning to delegate are essential if you want to grow beyond simply creating another job for yourself.
Whether you're a freelancer, solopreneur, or small business owner, there are some valuable lessons here about taking responsibility, making better decisions, and building a business that can grow without depending entirely on you.
In this episode, we discuss:
✅ Starting with very little: How Major began his entrepreneurial journey while working three jobs and starting with approximately $1,500.
✅ Finding opportunities in unexpected places: The book "Deals on Wheels" and how it introduced him to mobile home investing.
✅ Taking responsibility: Why blaming the economy, competition, algorithms, or clients doesn't move your business forward.
✅ Focusing on what you control: Putting your attention and energy into the things you can actually influence.
✅ Playing to your strengths: Understanding what you're good at, recognizing your weaknesses, and bringing in help where you need it.
✅ Building systems early: Why documenting your processes makes it easier to delegate and train others.
✅ Delegation and growth: How to stop doing everything yourself and create room to focus on the work that matters most.
✅ Building a business, not just a job: Why freelancers need to think beyond simply trading their time for money.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Entrepreneurship, Real Estate, and Freelancing
00:10 Starting With $1,500 While Working Three Jobs
01:36 The Book That Changed Major's Life
02:12 Buying His First Mobile Home Park
04:00 Negotiating Deals and Finding Opportunities
06:00 Building a Real Estate Business From the Ground Up
08:00 Learning Through Experience and Overcoming Challenges
09:00 Why Major Wanted to Share Practical Business Knowledge
11:00 Networking, Collaboration, and Building Relationships
13:00 Turning Knowledge Into Business Opportunities
15:00 Why Entrepreneurs Need to Play to Their Strengths
17:00 Focusing on What You Can Actually Control
19:00 Building Systems and Processes Early
21:00 Why Freelancers Should Think Beyond Selling Their Time
23:00 Delegating and Outsourcing to Grow
25:00 Creating a Business That Doesn't Depend on You
27:00 Avoiding Common Entrepreneurial Mistakes
29:00 Building Confidence Through Experience
31:00 Getting Help and Guidance When Starting Out
33:00 Developing Systems That Can Be Repeated
35:00 Scaling Your Business Without Losing Control
37:00 The Difference Between Building a Job and Building a Business
39:00 Making Your Business More Efficient
41:00 Turning Expertise Into Content and Opportunities
43:00 Why Being Seen and Heard Matters
44:00 Clarifying Your Offer and Serving Your Audience
46:00 Focusing on the Client Instead of Yourself
48:00 Building Trust and Making It Easier to Hire You
50:00 Final Lessons on Growth, Systems, and Entrepreneurship
Resources Mentioned
Deals on Wheels by Lonnie Scruggs
Connect with Major Hillard
Website: https://mhestates.com
Connect with The Freelance Insider Show
Website: https://remoteofficeworld.com
Listen to more episodes: https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391
If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Freelance Insider Show for practical conversations about freelancing, finding clients, AI, productivity, and building a sustainable freelance business.
You can be great at what you do and still struggle to get clients if nobody knows who you are.
In this episode of The Freelance Insider Show, I’m joined by Christine Blosdale, an expert authority coach with 25 years of media experience, including work with AOL and Microsoft. Christine helps entrepreneurs and business owners become more visible, build trust, and communicate their expertise so the right people understand what they offer.
We talk about why talented freelancers often hold themselves back, how to build credibility without feeling like you're bragging, and why being good at your work isn't enough on its own. Christine also shares practical ways to make your expertise more visible, stand out from the competition, and turn that visibility into real business opportunities.
In this episode, we discuss:
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Visibility, Expertise, and Freelancing
00:29 Christine's Journey From Broadcasting to Expert Authority Coaching
02:45 Why Being Seen and Trusted Matters
03:18 How Podcasting Can Build Long-Term Visibility
04:19 Why Talented People Struggle With Imposter Syndrome
06:13 Using Your Experience to Build Credibility
08:29 Why Freelancers Need Practical, No-Nonsense Advice
09:14 Networking on LinkedIn Without the Hard Sell
11:23 Building Relationships Before Selling
13:15 Turning Conversations Into Opportunities
16:51 Finding a Unique Angle That Helps You Stand Out
17:15 Why Christine Became an Expert Authority Coach
20:03 How to Make Your Expertise More Memorable
21:52 Using Stories to Connect With Your Audience
23:38 Can Expertise Make Imposter Syndrome Worse?
24:01 Overcoming the Fear of Being Seen
26:28 Why Confidence Isn't the Same as Arrogance
27:13 Communicating Your Value With Confidence
28:52 Why Freelancers Shouldn't Compete on Price Alone
29:07 Clarifying Your Offers and Pricing
30:15 Demonstrating the Value of Your Experience
31:29 Why Visibility Can Feel Uncomfortable
32:05 Building Confidence Through Experience
32:43 Getting Testimonials When You're Starting Out
34:14 Self-Promotion vs. Demonstrating Expertise
34:37 Using AI Without Sounding Like Everyone Else
35:17 A Simple Test for Better Messaging
37:03 Becoming More Visible Without Being Everywhere
37:23 Choosing Visibility Strategies You Actually Enjoy
38:09 Turning Recorded Content Into Books and Other Assets
39:24 Why Sharing Your Expertise Builds Authority
40:08 Why Talent Alone Isn't Enough
40:47 Turning Workshops and Videos Into Written Content
41:06 Using Video to Blog to Repurpose Your Content
43:12 Turning Visibility Into Clients and Opportunities
43:30 Why Your Offer Needs to Be Crystal Clear
44:23 Making Your Potential Client the Focus
45:00 Simplifying Your Offers to Help People Decide
45:49 Why Testimonials Help Build Trust
46:15 The Missing Link Between Being Seen and Getting Paid
46:38 Building Trust With Potential Clients
47:18 Making It Easy for Clients to Hire You
48:41 Where to Focus When You Have Limited Time
49:06 Finding the Platforms Where Your Audience Already Is
50:28 Why Desperation Can Push Potential Clients Away
51:04 Get Your Website and Offers Right First
52:19 How to Work With Christine
53:14 Christine's Advice for Freelancers Who Are Hiding
54:00 Final Thoughts on Visibility, Trust, and Getting Paid
Connect with Christine Blosdale:
Website — https://expertauthoritycoach.com
Book a complimentary discovery call — https://chatwithchristineb.com
Video to Blog — https://videotoblog.ai
Connect with The Freelance Insider Show:
Website — https://remoteofficeworld.com
Podcast Episodes — https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
LinkedIn — https://ca.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391
Subscribe to The Freelance Insider Show for practical conversations about freelancing, finding clients, AI, productivity, and building a sustainable freelance business.
You can be incredibly motivated and still be heading in the wrong direction.
When you're constantly chasing the next client, worrying about your pipeline, and trying to keep up with everything, it's easy to sacrifice your well-being in the name of performance. But what if the ability to focus your attention—not simply working harder—is one of the keys to better results?
In this episode of The Freelance Insider Show, I sit down with Aaron Hendon, a real estate professional and mindfulness teacher who has spent 30 years helping people perform at higher levels and has coached more than 10,000 people. Known as the Mindful CEO, Aaron shares how mindfulness and meditation can help entrepreneurs and freelancers improve their focus, build stronger client relationships, and create a more sustainable way of working.
We explore why mindfulness isn't just about relaxation or personal well-being. It's a practical skill that can help you stay present, listen more effectively, make better business decisions, and stop letting fear dictate your next move.
In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 Introduction: Mindfulness, Performance, and Freelancing
00:24 Aaron's Journey From Business Owner to Mindfulness Teacher
01:42 The Desire to Make Your Life Matter
03:42 Why Well-Being Is the Foundation of Performance
04:42 The Problem With Hustle Culture
05:30 Why Mindfulness Should Be Framed Around Performance
07:22 Intention vs. Attention: Where Does Your Focus Go?
08:21 How Mindful Listening Can Improve Sales
11:55 Why Motivation Alone Doesn't Create Lasting Change
12:22 The Modern Battle for Your Attention
14:00 How Meditation Trains Your Attention
15:20 What Sports Can Teach Us About Mental Performance
18:37 Why High Performers Need to Train Their Minds
20:03 Understanding Your Brain's Pull Toward Distraction
23:37 Learning to Return to the Present Moment
25:33 What Meditation Changes in the Brain
28:20 Bringing Mindfulness Into Everyday Life
30:54 What to Do When Your Mind Wanders During Meditation
32:20 Can Five Minutes of Meditation Make a Difference?
33:18 Meditation, Awareness, and Listening to Your Intuition
34:28 How Scarcity Affects Your Freelance Business
35:38 Why Fear Can Lead You to the Wrong Clients
36:21 How Being Present Helps You Make Better Business Decisions
38:46 Imposter Syndrome: Your Brain's Protection Mechanism
41:16 The First Step for Exhausted and Overwhelmed Freelancers
42:09 Where to Learn Meditation With Aaron
43:14 A Simple Starting Point for Your Mindfulness Practice
43:51 What a Healthier Freelance Business Could Look Like in Six Months
Website: https://aaronhendon.com
Website: https://remoteofficeworld.com
Podcast Episodes: https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391
Subscribe to The Freelance Insider Show for practical conversations about freelancing, finding clients, AI, productivity, and building a sustainable freelance business.
One of the biggest advantages of freelancing is having full control over your work and income.
But that control can easily turn into a trap.
When your work becomes your entire identity, every client loss feels existential, burnout becomes inevitable, and you end up good at the work but bad at the job of being yourself.
In this episode of The Freelance Insider Show, I sit down with Sunnet Bhat, USA Today best-selling author of *Making Sense of Purpose*, EOS Implementer, and former executive who helped scale an organization from 200 to 1,200 people.
Today, Sunnet helps individuals and business owners excavate their core purpose, overcome burnout, and decouple their self-worth from their workload.
We talk about why tied identity leads to bad business decisions, how to break out of single points of failure in your freelance business, and how practical frameworks can help you regain clarity and momentum.
In this episode, we discuss:
■ Good at the Work vs. Bad at Being Yourself: Why high performers often lose their authentic selves inside the roles they play.
■ The Single Point of Failure: Why tying all your happiness, energy, and identity into work creates constant vulnerability.
■ The Feedback Trap: Why 30–40% of feedback becomes counterproductive—and the 3 conditions needed for feedback to actually land.
■ Decoupling Work from Identity: How treating work as just one component of your life frees up space for genuine fulfillment.
■ Making Sense of Purpose: Why purpose isn't something you simply "find" while hungry at the grocery store, but something you excavate from the inside out.
■ The Happy, Proud, Not Yet Satisfied Framework: How to offset natural negativity bias and set goals from a place of positive momentum.
■ Overcoming Burnout: Why burnout is actually a sign of extraordinary strength and how to reframe your work's place in your life.
■ Values Before Everything: Why defining your core values is the essential starting point for every client, pricing, and business decision.
00:00 Introduction & Keeping Freelancing Real
00:31 Sunnet’s 25-Year Journey & The Wake-Up Call
03:56 "Good at the Work, Bad at Being Myself"
07:11 The Common Denominator in Career Patterns
09:09 Why Most Feedback Fails (And How to Fix It)
11:27 Avoiding Single Points of Failure in Identity
15:13 Breaking the Trap of Scarcity Thinking
17:48 Warning Signs Your Work Is Your Whole Identity
19:48 How Identity Distorts Business & Pricing Decisions
22:20 What to Do When You're Successful But Unfulfilled
26:06 Why Purpose Must Be Excavated, Not Discovered
29:22 How Much Time Does Finding Purpose Really Take?
30:51 USA Today Bestseller & *Making Sense of Purpose*
32:00 Looking at Yourself Through Multiple Lenses
36:04 Do These Exercises Actually Work?
38:09 The "Happy, Proud, Not Yet Satisfied" Framework
44:48 When What Makes You Happy Isn't What Makes You Proud
46:04 How to Navigate Burnout & Reframe Your Work
49:48 The First Question to Ask Yourself: Core Values
51:28 Where to Find Sunnet’s Book & Final Thoughts
Connect with Suneet Bhatt:
◼ Website — https://MakingSenseOfPurpose.com
The Freelance Insider Show:
◼ Website — https://remoteofficeworld.com
◼ Podcast Episodes — https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
◼ LinkedIn — https://ca.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391
Subscribe to The Freelance Insider Show for practical conversations about freelancing, finding clients, AI, productivity, and building a sustainable freelance business.
One of the biggest advantages of freelancing is that you don't need a big team to build a business.
But that can also become one of your biggest problems.
When you're the business, everything depends on you. More clients can mean more money, but they can also mean more work, more admin, more emails—and ultimately less freedom.
In this episode of The Freelance Insider Show, I sit down with Jordan Solander, an entrepreneur and business coach who has been building businesses since he was 13, starting with a snowplow business and eventually building and exiting an eight-figure company.
Today, Jordan helps business owners identify and eliminate the bottlenecks that keep their businesses dependent on them.
We talk about why doing everything yourself can actually prevent your business from growing, how freelancers can create leverage without hiring a large team, and how systems, virtual assistants, contractors, automation, and AI can help you get your time back.
In this episode, we discuss:
■ The Bottleneck Problem: Why the skills that make you successful in the early stages of a business can eventually become the very things that hold it back.
■ "Nobody Can Do It Like I Can": Why entrepreneurs struggle to delegate—and why someone doesn't need to do something exactly your way for it to be valuable.
■ Systems Before Employees: Why freelancers don't need a staff of 30 people to start creating leverage in their business.
■ The Leverage Stack: How virtual assistants, contractors, automation, and AI can take repetitive work off your plate without requiring a traditional team.
■ The Ego Trap: Why doing everything yourself isn't always hustle or work ethic—and can sometimes be ego disguised as productivity.
■ Delegation vs. Abdication: How to give someone an outcome, guardrails, and the authority to make decisions without simply handing over the keys to your business.
■ The Pick One Thing and Remove Yourself Sprint: A simple way to start identifying the work you shouldn't be doing anymore.
■ Building Institutional Knowledge: How documenting repetitive processes can turn the knowledge in your head into systems that allow your business to operate without you.
■ The 30-Day Test: Jordan's ultimate test for determining whether you've actually removed yourself as a bottleneck.
00:00 The Freelancer's Bottleneck Problem
01:11 Jordan Solander's Entrepreneurial Journey
01:16 Starting a Business at 13
02:36 How Jordan Became the Bottleneck
04:20 You Didn't Build a Business—You Built Yourself a Job
04:38 Systems and Leverage for Freelancers
06:09 Why Doing Everything Yourself Isn't Always Hustle
06:31 The Ego and Control Problem
07:55 Delegation vs. Abdication
09:20 What Should You Actually Delegate?
11:10 Building Leverage Without Employees
13:00 How to Start Working With a VA
15:00 The Right Way to Delegate
17:00 Why Smart People Leave When You Micromanage
19:00 Finding the Bottlenecks in Your Business
21:00 The Pick One Thing and Remove Yourself Sprint
23:20 Building Institutional Knowledge
26:00 The 30-Day Test
32:00 How to Safely Delegate and Protect Your Business
34:00 Removing One Thing at a Time
44:00 Turning Freed-Up Time Into Revenue
45:46 Jordan's Business Coaching and AI Agency
46:39 The Ultimate Test: Can You Walk Away for 30 Days?
47:24 Final Thoughts
Connect with Jordan Solander:
◼ Business coaching — https://JordanSolander.com
◼ AI agency — https://solander.ai
The Freelance Insider Show:
◼ Website — https://remoteofficeworld.com
◼ Podcast Episodes — https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
◼ LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391
Subscribe to The Freelance Insider Show for practical conversations about freelancing, finding clients, AI, productivity, and building a sustainable freelance business.
The freelance playbook has changed.
If you're still relying on generic proposals, polished portfolios, and Upwork to land clients in 2026, you may be competing with thousands of freelancers using exactly the same strategy.
In this episode of **The Freelance Insider Show**, I break down why so many freelancers are struggling to get hired—and what actually needs to change if you want to attract better freelance clients in 2026.
AI has made it easier than ever to create portfolios, write proposals, and compete on freelance platforms. That means the things that used to make you stand out may now be nothing more than the minimum expectation.
I'll walk you through the four biggest mistakes keeping freelancers stuck, and then show you the 2026 freelance client-acquisition strategy I believe makes far more sense.
What you'll learn:
• Why static portfolios aren't enough to differentiate you anymore
• Why selling your services instead of the outcome is a losing strategy
• Why asking a potential client for a 30-minute call creates unnecessary friction
• How to address the anxiety clients have about hiring remote freelancers
• The Micro-Value Pitch Formula for getting conversations started
• How a "predictability clause" can make you a safer choice for clients
• How to use LinkedIn to find potential clients instead of fighting for attention on Upwork
• Why your first freelance projects should be about building social proof—not getting rich
• How to use testimonials to eventually move toward better clients and higher rates
The good news? "Freelancing isn't dead."
But the old, lazy approach of sending dozens of generic proposals and hoping someone bites is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
The freelancers who can identify real problems, demonstrate value before asking for anything, reduce client risk, and focus on outcomes instead of commodities will have a much better chance of standing out.
If you're a new or struggling freelancer trying to figure out how to get freelance clients in 2026, this episode is for you.
👉 **Subscribe to The Freelance Insider Show** for more practical strategies on freelancing, finding clients, AI, productivity, and building a sustainable freelance business.
Having a high paying retainer client feels like the ultimate freelance dream - until it becomes your single point if failure.
In this episode, I share how relying on just one main retainer client backfired when they suddenly ghosted me, taking $2000/week off my bottom line overnight.
Learn why single client dependency is a dangerous trap, how to spot the warning signs in your freelance business, and the exact steps to build a diversified client portfolio that keeps your income secure.
🔔Subscribe for weekly freelance strategies and practical business advice.
RESOURCES & LINKS
🌐website: https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
🎙️ The Freelance Insider Show 🎙️
Subscribe so you never miss an episode ➡️
I spent years blaming everything except the mirror. In this episode of The Freelance Insider Show, I share my origin story — the one mindset mistake I made at the start of my freelance career that cost me 10 years of growth, and the simple shift (the Creator Success Staircase) that changes everything.
🔑 In this episode:
✔️ The Creator Success Staircase framework explained
✔️ Why imposter syndrome is the real barrier — not circumstance
✔️ Why platforms like Upwork keep you stuck
✔️ How cold pitching beats competing against 50 proposals
✔️ The one thing you need to commit to starting today
📌 Highlights:
– The Creator Success Staircase
– My 2012 story: nearly losing the house
– The early 2000s web design business mistake
– The mindset shift: stop waiting for permission
– Upwork vs. cold pitching strategy
– How to unlock the gate and keep going
🎙️ The Freelance Insider Show 🎙️
Subscribe so you never miss an episode ➡️
https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
➡️ Other Resources & Links:
✔️ Freelance Reset Checklist (free):
https://remoteofficeworld.com/
✔️Al’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391/
Google Is Hiding the Good Stuff — Here's How to Find It
You've been trusting Google's top results your whole career. What if that's exactly why your content sounds like everyone else's?
In this episode of the Freelance Insider Show, I share a small but unsettling discovery I made while researching a client article — and what it revealed about a two-tier content system most freelancers don't know exists.
Google's AI and Google's search results are pulling from completely different pools of content. The AI cites sources that are deeper, more specific, and far more useful than anything sitting in the traditional top 5. Same search. Two very different answers. And the better content? It's being quietly buried.
If you and every other writer in your niche are all starting from the same mediocre top results, your content will naturally sound like the same mediocre content. That's not a writing problem. It's a research problem — and this episode gives you a simple fix.
In this episode:
Better research builds better content. Better content builds a better business. Start here.
Subscribe to the Freelance Insider Show for weekly practical insight designed to help freelancers move beyond platform dependency and build businesses worth running.
➡️ Resources & Links:
✔️ Freelance Reset Checklist (free):
https://remoteofficeworld.com/
✔️Al’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391/
✔️ Podcast website & subscribe links:
https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
Are you still managing your freelance business with sticky notes, scattered spreadsheets, and a prayer? There's a better way — and in this episode, I'm showing you exactly what it looks like.
This is Part 3 of my Task Management for Freelancers series, and we're going big picture. Because being productive day-to-day means nothing if your business has no foundation underneath it.
In this episode I cover:
✔️ The tools that replaced my sticky-note chaos — and which ones are actually worth your time
✔️ How automation (Zapier, Make.com) can quietly run parts of your business while you focus on paid work
✔️ The client boundary mistake that almost broke me — and what I do differently now
✔️ The systems that protect your income, your portfolio, and your sanity long-term
I also share the story of a high-paying client I had to let go — because money isn't everything when your business is running you instead of the other way around.
If you're ready to stop reacting and start running a freelance business that actually scales — this one's for you.
🎯 Pick one idea from this episode and implement it this week. Small changes build momentum. That's what long-term success is made of.
👇 Drop a comment — what tool or system are you going to try first?
📌 Watch the full series:
▶ Part 1 – [Mindset & Productivity for Freelancers]
▶ Part 2 – [Daily Productivity Systems]
▶ Part 3 – You're here
➡️ Resources & Links:
✔️ Freelance Reset Checklist (free):
https://remoteofficeworld.com/
✔️Al’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-calder-59066391/
✔️ Podcast website & subscribe links:
https://remoteofficeworld.com/the-freelance-insider-show/
From the publisher's feed
The Freelance Insider Show gives you a real-world look at what it takes to build and grow a successful freelance business. Whether you're just starting out or leveling up, each…
🎯 Ready to hit reset and build a freelance business that works for you? Grab your free Freelance Reset Checklist at https://alcalder.eo.page/hq52z and start strong.
Let’s get started!