Deliberate Freelancer

Today's guest is Jenni Gritters, from Oregon. She is a business coach for freelancers and creators. She's also a former journalist, and a current writer who runs a small content and community agency called The Riverwoods Media Group. Jenni is the former co-host of The Writer's Co-op podcast and workshops.  Be sure to check out Jenni's group coaching program for freelancers, called  SUSTAIN . In to...

In today's episode, I am turning the microphone over to some of you, the listeners. Last fall I asked listeners to share their successful marketing tactics that landed them new clients. Today, eight listeners share their marketing wins with you.  While each unique to the freelancer, there are a few themes. Often, the win originated from something simple, something that might not even have felt lik...

Today's guest is business coach and author C.J. Hayden, who lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  C.J. Hayden is the author of seven books and hundreds of blog posts, articles, and courses on marketing, self-employment, and productivity. Her bestselling book "Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants and Coaches" has become the marketing bible for thousands of self...

As we wrap up 2023, please consider donating $25 to this podcast . With more than 175 episodes and almost five years of content, I'm sure you've received at least one nugget of information or tactic that has helped your business. If so, please consider donating at Buy Me a Coffee . It really helps offset the costs of producing this show. In today's episode, I'm counting down my top 10 books of the...

It's the end of the year! On today's show, I give a recap of my fourth quarter (hint: things are looking up!) and then a recap of my entire 2023. What goals are you setting for yourself? Do you set an annual income goal or a word of the year? What are you most excited about for 2024 in your business? And what do you need to work on? Join me and fellow listeners in the  Deliberate Freelancer Facebo...

On today's show I share my thoughts and answers to commonly asked questions I hear from freelancers of all levels and in all industries. These are questions that seem to come up time and time again. There is no one right answer, and each question may have different answers depending on the service, the client and so many other variables.  That said, I hope my answers to the following questions hel...

Listeners, I need your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at  melanie@meledits.com  to be considered for a future episode that will include...

Listeners, I need your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at  melanie@meledits.com  to be considered for a future episode that will include...

Listeners, I would love your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to be considered for a future episode that will incl...

Today's guest is Wudan Yan, a narrative writer and independent journalist from Seattle. Wudan is also host of The Writers' Co-op, a podcast, online community and learning academy for freelance creatives. In this episode, we talk about:  The different ways to define an "anchor client." Why and how Wudan is rethinking the concept of an "anchor client."  How the current economy is affecting freelance...

It's time for my analysis and reflection on how my third quarter of the year went.  Here's what I share with you in this episode: The many ways tracking my time helps my business.  How I use Freshbooks and Toggl to help me analyze my progress.  The steps I use to analyze my quarter:  Calculated how much I invoiced for that quarter. Counted how many clients I worked for.  Used time tracking data to...

On today's show I discuss how I think about freelance "dealbreakers," which aren't only the red flags I've noticed over time but also may simply be quirks of my personality or assumptions I've made.  Here's what I share with you in this episode: Rethinking "strategy" and whether saying "I don't do strategy" is holding me back. What I learned from Ed Gandia's thoughts on strategy. Why I like to cre...

This month, I am celebrating 10 years of full-time freelancing! I can't quite believe it's been that long, but I've loved nearly everything about it. 10 years of freedom!  Here's what I share with you in this episode: What the freedom of freelancing has meant to me and what it has allowed me to do. How I now realize I was never cut out for a desk job.  How I adapt my work schedule around my life s...

Today's guest is Brian David Hall. Brian is a fellow freelancer who lives in Alabama. He focuses on website strategy for B2B clients. Specifically, he works on conversion optimization, which basically means trying to improve the experience of potential clients going to your website.  Brian is the author " Your Website Sucks, Here's How To Fix It ," and he has run hundreds of experiments across doz...

On today's show, I analyze how the second quarter of the year went for me. It's delayed because of my summer hiatus, but the "delay" doesn't really mean anything to listeners — just think of it as "how these three months in a row went." Learn how many clients I had, how much I earned, and how many hours I worked.   Here's what I share with you in this episode: A quick update on a project I talked...

Today's guest is Cassandra Le, owner of The Quirky Pineapple Studio, a brand strategy and content marketing studio that works with Black, Indigenous and people of color, queer folks and intersectional feminists.  Cassandra is originally from Virginia in the United States, but she now lives in Spain. For more than 13 years, she has been creating content across all mediums (written, graphics, audio,...

On today's show I provide a recap of The Content Byte Summit , which was held in Sydney, Australia, September 15-16. I attended virtually and was super impressed with the content, particularly all the discussion around artificial intelligence. There was also a lot of great tactical advice about running your freelance business, so even if you're not a writer, I think you can learn from some of the...

The podcast is back after my summer hiatus! Thanks for continuing to listen and support the show.  Here's what I share with you in today's episode: The importance of taking breaks for your mental fitness and for better client work.  The types of breaks you should be thinking about and planning for. Why planned and unplanned mental health breaks are important. What happens when you neglect your net...

Deliberate Freelancer is on a summer hiatus and will return toward the end of August or early September. Take this time to listen to some previous episodes or relisten to favorite guests! Or make a playlist of specific topics, like finding clients or pricing projects.  The  Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group will be active during this time, so please join us over there for great conversations wi...

Today's guest is Austin Church from Knoxville, Tennessee. Austin helps e-commerce founders stand out online with their brand strategy. Lately, he's been working as a fractional chief marketing officer (CMO), consulting for creator economy companies. He also coaches freelance creatives. Austin was one of the six-figure freelancers I featured on the show in May 2021. We've since become friends, and...

Today's guest is Helen Jane  Campbell. Helen is from Wales and recently moved from Hay-on-Wye, Wales, to Worthing, England. Helen is a life and business coach for ambitious and creative entrepreneurs, bringing authenticity and energy to all she does. Clients turn to Helen when they feel ready to bring more joy, energy, and abundance into their lives and their teams. She helps people create space a...

On today's show I share my structure, agenda and my action plan developed during my most recent solo business retreat. Here's what I share with you in this episode: Please leave a rating and review for Deliberate Freelancer on Apple Podcasts or any other podcast platform.  Why I chose Thomasville, Georgia, for my latest solo business retreat. How I structured my retreat and my theme for the two da...

Today's guest is Eman Ismail, an email strategist and copywriter who is originally from England and now lives in Finland. She also coaches copywriters.  Eman is the person to call when you want to make money from your emails. As an email conversion strategist and copywriter, she helps six-figure-plus online business owners and ecommerce brands fire up their conversions, evergreen their sales and t...

On today's show, I discuss how I found myself in the dreaded "famine" part of the feast-or-famine cycle and what I'm trying to do about it. Here's what I share with you in this episode: A few tips when you're in the "feast" phase. How to tell clients no — and turn down work when you're too busy.  My three-pronged approach to get out of the famine stage.  The importance of figuring out where your p...

Today's guest is Ernie Smith, a longtime writer for nonprofits and membership associations. He also has a lot of experience in graphic design, content strategy, content management systems, newsletter creation, and content. Ernie is also a tech writer — that includes writing about technology for Vice magazine — and Ernie is a self-proclaimed tech nerd. His name and voice might sound familiar becaus...