The Future is Freelance

Joel Sousa is a brand strategist and designer who helps solopreneurs stand out as experts. After a decade of freelancing, Joel made a bold pivot in 2020 - firing all his corporate clients to focus exclusively on serving independent business owners. In this episode, Joel shares his journey from working with large corporations to finding fulfillment helping fellow solopreneurs build authentic brands...

Matt Dowling is the founder of Freelancer Club, a platform born from his personal battle with an unpaid invoice that gained national attention. Freelancer Club equips over 72,000 freelancers with the tools, skills, and connections to thrive professionally. In this episode, Matt shares the evolution of Freelancer Club from a Facebook support group to a comprehensive platform that combines education...

Natalie Serkin is the President & Co-Founder of Collective IQ and brings over 20 years of experience in art direction, production, and studio management to her role leading creative product and process design. Throughout her career, she has led studio and design departments at several major agencies, including restructuring 13 different agencies, before founding her own company built on the pr...

We're bringing back Anna Burgess Yang to help us think about how to plan for the new year as a freelancer! Anna is a former product manager who left an executive role in 2021 to pursue an entirely different life. After bouncing around a few different jobs for two years, Anna is now a freelance technology writer and journalist. She is also obsessed with workflow automation and removing boring/tedio...

Amy Choi is the co-founder of WorkFree , the first freelance platform powered by communities. As a former freelancer and global professional with 15+ years of experience across tech sales, recruitment, and digital marketing, Amy understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities in the freelance ecosystem. In this episode, Amy shares how her transition to freelancing after becoming a moth...

Melisa Liberman is a business coach for independent consultants and author of "Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality." In this episode, she shares her journey from corporate executive to accidental entrepreneur, offering deep insights into the mindset shifts required when transitioning from corporate to independent work. Her story is...

Rachel Renock has been an incredible innovator in the freelance space, and this conversation barely scratches the surface of her expertise in helping independents build more profitable and collaborative businesses. In this episode, we dive deep into the future of freelance work, exploring what Rachel calls "virtual studios" - a model where freelancers team up fluidly to tackle bigger projects and...

It was a pleasure having Steve King, a founding partner of Emergent Research, on the podcast. With over 25 years of experience, his work focuses on the future of work, particularly how it impacts small businesses, independent workers, and the gig economy. Our conversation covers a range of topics, including the post-pandemic rise in full-time freelancing, the impact of AI on independent work, and...

Matthew has been an invaluable thought leader in the freelance ecosystem, and this conversation barely scratches the surface of his deep expertise in the future of work and the freelance economy. We dive into some fascinating topics that are crucial for both freelancers and the companies that hire them like:  The "Expert's Curse" in consulting and how it affects freelancers transitioning from...

Laura has been an amazing thought partner and this conversation is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of her deep expertise helping independent consultants build sustainable businesses. In this episode we talk about her consultant blueprint, becoming an accidental entrepreneur, and the future of work. To learn more about Laura, go to her website , LinkedIn , Youtube , or Medium . To learn more a...

Kristin and I are kindred spirits! I’ve been taking on more fractional COO engagements, and I’m not alone.   The rise of the Fractional C-suite freelancer has been prominent over the last few years. That’s one of the many reasons why I wanted to talk to Kristin and compare Fractional COO experiences.   In 2021, Kristin took a leap of faith by leaving her secure job to pursue a goal she'd...

Yurii is on a mission to build connections among freelancers and bring greater visibility to the joys and sorrows that we all deal with. We had a great conversation about the power of community, defining work for ourselves, and holding space for each other. Learn more about Yurri on LinkedIn and Substack . To learn more about Sarah, go to www.fruitioninitiatives.com . For early access and transcri...

Reuben created the “anti-CRM” for freelancers and consultants based on his own experience building a solopreneur business. His platform is based on key values that successful freelancers share, including valuing relationships above all else. In this episode talk about the power of positioning, the “relationship business,” and the non-linear journey that is freelancing. To learn more about Reuben,...

Úna and Peter are some of my most favorite people and this conversation was one of the best so far. They started their freelance ecosystem in Ireland in response to the need for support during the pandemic and it has grown exponentially since then. In this episode we talk about having each others’ backs, learning how to build a business based on values, elevating freelancing, and much more. To lea...

I had a great time talking with Ryan about all things soloprenuer finances. Ryan is a solopreneur finance expert who is committed to helping business owners understand their numbers and feel in control of their money. He grew up in Southern California and went to college at Arizona State University where he graduated with a Master's Degree in Accounting and started down the typical accou...

David Kaplan might be a new-ish freelancer, but he already knows the key to success - you just have to try! I had such a great conversation with David talking about learning by doing, mindset shifts, and the rewards of perseverance. David is 29, from the Czech Republic, and now lives in Squamish, BC, Canada. He has a master's degree in engineering and started his web development business right aft...

When you bootstrap a micro-consulting platform as a side-hustle, you are for sure a hustler. Chrissy and Jim not only have created an awesome platform for people to share and monetize their unique talents, they’ve done it in a way that honors the unique contributions of their micro-consultants (aka Aces). Chrissy is a co-founder and Chief Ace at Aces on Tap . She's passionate about helping people...

In this episode of The Hustlers Manifesto podcast, I interview Joe Sanok, a father, entrepreneur, and author of the book "Thursday is the New Friday". Joe shares his journey of starting his counseling private practice in 2006 and realizing he had no business skills whatsoever. He then started a podcast to interview people and learn tips, which eventually led him to grow his practice and sell it in...

In this episode of The Hustlers Manifesto podcast, I interview Adam Faulkner, a proud freelance business owner and creator of the " Be FreelanceAF " course. Adam shares his journey of founding his freelance video production business "CreativeAF" at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and how he hasn't looked back since. We discuss the importance of creating opportunities for yourself, the myth o...

Karina Rehavia isn't building "just" another freelance marketplace; she's building an ecosystem for freelancers and their clients that focuses on an amazing experience on both sides of the equation. Plus, she's one of the most dedicated and passionate people I know. We talk about freelancing in Latin America, her no a**holes policy, and hope for 2024. Karina is an accomplished entrepreneur and bus...

Anyone who names her business Uncompany is clearly a hustler at heart. Maari Casey cares so deeply about freelancers and the clients they serve. She's built an amazing company that helps freelancers build their businesses and find the right clients. We talk about the crazy year freelancers have had in 2023, what it's like to run a business where almost every is or has been a freelancer, and what i...

Jon is one of the most knowledgeable people about the freelance global context, and we get to pick his brain about what we can expect on the horizon for the freelance revolution. We talk about how both freelancers and platforms need to define what makes them special, the stages all freelancers go through in their work, and of course, what 2024 has in store for freelancers and the organizations tha...

We're bringing back Anna Burgess Yang to help us think about how to plan for the new year as a freelancer. If you're ready to stop making the same New Year’s resolutions for your business but never achieving them and start investing in the support + structure you need to run your business instead of letting it run you, you can also sign up for my new year planning workshop series, The 2024 Freelan...

When I came across John's company, Opolis, I knew we had to talk. Opolis is one of the companies pioneering the infrastructure that freelancers everywhere need for the future of work. John Paller is a Denver-based blockchain entrepreneur, inventor and futurist, and the Founder and Executive Steward of Opolis, a Digital Employment Cooperative for independent workers. He is also the founder and Exec...

The first time I met Adrianna, I knew she was a true hustler. We talk about charting your own path as a "blue collar" freelancer and the biases/assumptions people make about working with your hands vs. working in an office. Not to mention what it's like to be a 26-year-old female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry. Adrianna Baros is the owner/repair technician at Second Love Restoration. Sh...