The Freelance Podclass

In this class we talk about how to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. This is a topic that is of utmost importance to freelancers, virtual assistants and online professionals who provide a service. The reality is we all probably started as employees and adopted an employee mindset. In this class, you will discover the 10 characteristics of an entrepreneur and 7 steps to help you shift from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial one.

Podcast Outline:

0:00 - Opening thoughts

1:01 - Introduction to topic: “The Entrepreneurial Mindset”

2:21 - Discussion about question: “Do you believe that entrepreneurs are born or made?”

• 3:32 - Craig’s story
• 8:40 - The challenges of leaving one’s comfort zone

9:14 - Shifting from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial one

• 9:53 - How an employee mindset can shape our business and hold us back

10:33 - 10 Characteristics of an Entrepreneur:

• 11:08 - #1: Risk taker
• 11:44 - #2: Adaptable and flexible
• 12:39 - #3: Problem solver
• 12:58 - #4: Self-starter and initiator
• 13:19 - #5: Planner and goal setter
• 13:33 - #6: Decisive
• 13:55 - #7: Focussed
• 14:06 - #8: Leader
• 14:28 - #9: Optimistic
• 14:51 - #10: Curious learner

15:26 - 7 Steps to Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset:

• 15:42 - #1: Define and regularly review your big WHY.
• 17:33 - #2: Own your schedule.
• 20:22 - #3: Focus on value, not time spent.
• 22:30 - #4: Create an entrepreneurial tribe.
• 24:22 - #5: Learn to make decisions quickly.
• 25:42 - #6: Never stop learning.
• 26:39 - #7: Protect your lifestyle.

28:19 - Recap of 7 Steps

29:09 - Closing thoughts

Resources discussed in this episode:

Mindset by Carol Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322

Freelance University course, “Setting Boundaries and Building Healthy Client Relationships”: https://my.freelanceu.com/courses/setting-boundaries-and-building-healthy-client-relationships

In this Podclass, I am joined by the co-founder of Dubsado.com, Jake Berg, who shares some helpful strategies for building a good relationship with your clients right from the early stages and effectively onboarding them into your systems and business. He also shares some thoughts on Dubsado, their client intake and management software, that is helping many freelancers successfully streamline and manage their client relationships.

Podcast Outline:

0:00 - Opening thoughts

0:55 - Introduction to Jake Berg

2:28 - Jake’s story of building the business, Dubsado

• 4:50 - How having kids motivated his business
• 5:25 - How his work experience inspired the Dubsado platform

7:23 - What it’s been like starting a business with his wife and how he makes it work effectively

9:37 - How Craig works effectively with his wife

10:41 - How Jake and his wife respect each other’s roles in the business

11:29 - How to onboard a client with confidence so it builds your credibility:

• 11:54 - An example of a copywriter who built credibility by using Dubsado
• 12:49 - How a freelancer onboards a client well
• 16:17 - How Dubsado streamlines processes and saves time
• 17:12 - How Dubsado is a philosophy first
• 21:18 - How Dubsado helps people become better entrepreneurs and business owners

21:41 - An overview of what Dubsado is and how it’s serving the freelance community

• 23:51 - Key integrations
• 25:45 - The Workflow

26:15 - How Dubsado integrates with project management tools

28:19 - Final thoughts

Resources and tools discussed in this episode:

Dubsado: https://www.dubsado.com/

WordPress: https://wordpress.org/

Gmail: https://www.google.com/gmail/

Excel: https://products.office.com/en-us/excel

PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/home

Webflow: https://webflow.com/

Typeform: https://www.typeform.com/

Google Forms: https://www.google.com/forms/about/

Zapier: https://zapier.com/

QuickBooks: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/

Xero: https://www.xero.com/us/

MailChimp: https://mailchimp.com/

ConvertKit: https://convertkit.com/

Insightly: https://www.insightly.com/

Trello: https://trello.com/en-US

Asana: https://asana.com/

In this class we show you, as freelancers, how you can boost your visibility, increase your credibility, and ultimately land more clients by delivering high-value content through a whole variety of mediums including Facebook Live, podcasting, YouTube, or blogging. Our expert instructor today, Susan Weeks, will show you five steps to building a content marketing system within your freelance business.

Podcast Outline:

0:00 - Opening thoughts

1:01 - Introduction to Susan Weeks

3:02 - Susan talks about her podcast: “Stitchery Stories”

5:11 - Why Content Marketing is important for freelancers:

• 5:57 - Susan talks about her experience:
• • 8:01 - The importance of building your expert brand
  • 8:36 - Positioning yourself above the competition
• 10:41 - Craig talks about his experience.
• 11:59 - How content gives you opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and what it’s like working with you

13:07 - Steps to setting up a Content Marketing strategy that will work:

• 14:23 - Where do you start?
• • 15:28 - Starting at the end - the buyer’s pathway

• 16:29 - Introducing the Five Steps:

• 17:08 - Step 1: Your journey ahead

• 20:13 - Step 2: You as the guide

• 21:31 - Step 3: How you’re going to help your prospects:
• • 21:49 - Different types of content
  • 22:30 - Repurposing content to suit different learning styles
  • 23:36 - A plug for podcasting
  • 25:03 - How content creation helps you find your “voice”

• 25:56 - Step 4: What do you need to make that journey

• 28:27 - Step 5: Build it - create your content
• • 29:20 - An example of creating content to attract people to your services
  • 31:48 - The benefits of giving away free content

• 34:32 - Action steps:
• • 34:35 - Start with the end in mind.
  • 34:53 - Decide what type of content you will deliver and how much you can sustain.

• 36:12 - How to connect with Susan

• 38:23 - Final thoughts

Resources and tools discussed in this episode:

• Connect with Susan on her website: https://podcastprogress.com/
• Susan’s video series: “Is a Podcast Right for You?” https://podcastprogress.com/videos/
• Stitchery Stories Podcast: https://www.stitcherystories.com/
• Content Channels
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
  • Facebook Live: https://live.fb.com/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

In this class we talk about how you can build a profitable niche in your business. This is one of the most commonly asked questions at Freelance University. “What niche should I choose?” “What niche is in demand?” “How do I know what type of service I should be offering?” Craig Cannings will answer all of these questions today and give you a free guide on the 150 best ways to freelance in 2019. You will also discover five practical steps you can take to build a profitable niche in your business.

Podcast Outline:

0:00 - Opening thoughts

1:04 - Introduction to the topic of freelance niches

3:00 - Five Steps to Building a Profitable Niche in Your Business:

• 3:36 - Step 1: Assess your current interests.
• 6:06 - Step 2: Identify your top skills and see where your interests and skills overlap.
• 8:10 - Step 3: Research potential niches.
• • 9:02 - Three types of niches:
  • • 9:13 - Client Niche
    • 10:14 - Skill Niche
    • 10:49 - Hybrid Niche

• 12:29 - Introduction to 7 core categories in Free Guide: “150 Ways to Build a Profitable Freelance Business”:
• • 13:42 - Digital Marketing
  • 14:13 - Technology Support
  • 14:54 - Online Business Management & Support
  • 15:28 - Content Creation & Management
  • 15:43 - Graphic Design
  • 16:06 - Digital Media & Events
  • 16:34 - Web Developer

• 17:29 - Step 4: Test the niche.

• • 18:07 - Four questions to ask:
  • • 18:15 - What do my clients say?
    • 18:53 - What do my colleagues say?
    • 19:40 - What do the stats say?
    • 21:01 - What does Google say?
• 23:01 - Step 5: Determine your core and complementary niches.
• 26:57 - Summary of Five Steps to Building a Profitable Niche
• 27:42 - Closing thoughts and instructions for accessing Free Guide

Resources and tools discussed in this episode:

• Access Free Guide, "150 Ways to Build a Profitable Freelance Business," at https://www.freelanceu.com/
• ConvertKit: https://convertkit.com/
• Active Campaign: https://www.activecampaign.com/
• AWeber: https://www.aweber.com/
• MailChimp: https://mailchimp.com/
• Infusionsoft: https://keap.com/infusionsoft
• Google Analytics: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/
• WordPress: https://wordpress.org/
• Canva: https://www.canva.com/
• Adobe Illustrator: https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html
• Adobe InDesign: https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html
• “2018 Social Media Marketing Industry Report” by Social Media Examiner:  https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2018/
• Google Trends: https://trends.google.com/trends/
• Moz: https://moz.com/
• Freelance Podclass site: https://www.freelanceu.com/podcast/

In this class we talk about building profitable packages for your business. As you probably know, building service packages can be a difficult task that is hard to get right. Our expert instructor today, Lisa Wells, will show you how you can both save time and make money by transforming your services into profitable packages. She will unpack three simple steps to building the right kind of packages now!

Interview Outline:

0:00 - Opening thoughts

0:40 - Introduction to Lisa Wells

1:56 - Lisa tells her “Freedom Story”

6:31 - Introduction to the topic of “Building Profitable Packages”

7:25 - Why Lisa thinks it’s important for freelancers to consider packaging their services

10:18 - How packages help freelancers save time and make more money

11:58 - The importance of specializing when marketing packages

12:54 - “Three Simple Steps to Building Your Perfect Package”:

• 13:34 - 1) Know your value.
• 17:31 - 2) Create packages that appeal to different segments of your market.
• 25:34 - 3) Use Lisa’s “Lifestyle Formula” to price packages.

31:58 - How to build custom packages

35:16 - How to connect with Lisa and access a Free Gift

37:10 - Closing thoughts

Resources and tools mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Lisa: https://lisarwells.com/
• Free Gift for podcast listeners: https://lisarwells.com/FreeUGift
  • Client Benefit List
  • Training Video
  • “The Art & Science of Naming Your Packages”
• Hootsuite: https://hootsuite.com/
• LinkedIn Groups: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/186/finding-and-joining-a-linkedin-group?lang=en
• SendOutCards: https://www.sendoutcards.com/
• Freelance Podclass site: https://www.freelanceu.com/podcast/

The Freelance Podclass is not your ordinary podcast! It features a series of actionable lessons designed to help you solve the biggest challenges you are facing in launching and growing a profitable Freelance Business. Join the founder of Freelance University, Craig Cannings, and an amazing faculty of Freelance experts as they offer valuable and practical step-by-step lessons and guides to up-level your skills and make you competitive in this rapidly growing Freelance economy. As a Freelancer, you need to "keep learning to keep earning," so access fluff-free, practical mini-classes that will inspire and propel you to live a flexible, thriving and profitable Freelance life!