Freelance to Founder

On today’s Q&A episode, "Can you grow without hiring?" It’s a pretty tricky question we got from Tony—a freelance videographer in Paris, France. He wants to add graphic design, web design, SEO, social media, and many other services. And he wants to hire freelancers to do it. Is this a good strategy? Stick around through this episode to find out.  You’re listening to Freelance to Founder. Here we g...

On today’s show: Do you ever feel like you’re just way too busy to actually spend time growing your business? If so, you’re not alone. We chatted with Will Gibbons, who works with cool clients like Peloton, 3M, and Vizio.  But Will’s got a problem. A great problem. He’s got too much work. Which means he’s busy. And he’s worried he doesn’t have time to grow. Clay and I help him punch through those...

On today’s Q&A episode, what are the best tools to use as your freelance business grows? That’s what Cesar asks us because his business is outgrowing tools like Google Drive.  So, Clay and I launch into our best advice on what makes a good business tool and what makes your business worse…  It’s all in this episode of Freelance to Founder. Let’s go! To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder...

On today’s show: Is a VA a good first hire in your company? We’re joined by call-in guest Nils, who wants to know when and how to hire a VA—a virtual assistant. But Clay and I slam on the brakes and force Nils to answer the question: Is a VA even the best first hire to make? The answer might surprise you. It’s all on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Let’s go! PS: Get featured in an upcomin...

On today’s Q&A episode, if a client is willing to pay by the hour or by the project, which one should you choose? That’s part of Pennygoo’s question, and our answer might surprise you… Here we go! To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: http://freelancetofounder.com Support our sponsors so we...

On today’s show: What should you do when you’re not getting the kind of respect you deserve from your clients? That’s just one of many questions we got today from our guest, Cathal, calling in from Germany. A few times now, Cathal has been hired by a manager only to later have that manager’s team give him pushback once he gets to work. So, we work with him on a few ideas on how to get everyone on...

In this Q&A episode, Oliver asks us what it takes to create a portfolio that actually brings in new long-term clients. And since Clay and I are real marketing geeks, we have quite a few ideas for turning your sleepy portfolio into a client-converting machine. It’s all in today’s show, and it starts right now. To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an up...

On today’s show, if you get most of your clients from referrals, is that a good thing? Or is your business at risk of failing? You’re about to hear a coaching call with Dwaynia, who’s calling in from Alabama in the USA. Dwaynia has a great writing business going. She’s working with clients she loves and has a small team to support her. But, Dwaynia literally lies awake at night worried about not h...

Today’s question comes from our free Mastermind group on Facebook. Anna Keith asks: "I’m getting ready to do my taxes and am considering trying software rather than hiring a CPA. What insights or pros/cons about using software vs. hiring a professional do you have?" This episode was originally aired on May 3, 2022. To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on...

On today’s show: Do lead magnets really work? Like, can you actually get new clients by giving away something for free first? Or are they a waste of your time? I’m flying solo today on a coaching call with Garrett—who has questions about using AI to generate lead magnets, how to price his work when he has a unique offering and non-traditional clients, and more. It’s all in today’s episode of ‘Free...

This episode's question came in via email. Nico works as a designer for a company right now, and he wants to start freelancing on the side and build a business. He said, “I was thinking of creating a portfolio, including the projects I've completed in my current company, but in a fictitious way (use different names, organizations, etc.) Also, state that this is a fictional project but that the pro...

Have you ever felt like you don’t know where you’re going in your business? It can be debilitating and frustrating. Not only that, but it can leave you spinning your wheels and wishing you knew what to do next to finally get some traction. That’s the situation Bernadette finds herself in. Today, she calls in from New Zealand with questions about how to restart her business and build something she...

Today’s question comes from our free Mastermind group on Facebook. Darielle asks: "What's the BEST Software for getting paid faster?" Getting paid for your work FAST is key, but how do you make it happen? You'll get the answer here! To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: http://freelancetofo...

On today’s episode: working with agencies is a great way to fill your client pipeline on a regular basis. But if an agency is going to “white label” your services, how does the money work? Who gets what? How much? And when? These are the types of questions Nathan is asking himself as he grows his business. He’s got a few partnerships in the works, but he’s not sure how to set up the money side of...

On today’s Q&A Episode, Noah Tetzner finds himself in a tight spot. He’s got a high-paying client on a monthly retainer. And while this makes a ton of financial sense for his business, this client is starting to go way over scope by treating Noah a bit like a BFF or even a therapist at times. What’s a guy to do? We’ll help Noah out on this episode. Here we go. To submit your question, visit Freela...

On today's show, we get called out by our call-in guest, Erik. Here's the thing: Clay and I are always talking about finding referral partners—other freelancers or businesses who can send you new clients as a sort of trade. You'll refer them to clients, and they'll refer you. It sounds magical. But Erik's question is this: how do you actually FIND these kinds of partners? So we get into it on toda...

Today’s question comes from our free Mastermind group on Facebook. Maja asks: "What are your best tips for writing proposals as a freelancer?" This episode was originally aired on May 17, 2022. To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: http://freelancetofounder.com Support our sponsors so we ca...

On today’s show, Molly Cox calls in with questions about the freelance business she started just six months ago. Top of mind for her: Should she stay a sole–proprietor or form an LLC? Before the legal terms tempt you to click away, consider this. This single question could save you thousands of dollars a year in taxes. So keep listening. That’s just part of what we chat about with Molly. PS: Get f...

In today's SHORT, Rachel Stoneking, from our free Facebook Mastermind Group asked how she could get a passion for her business back. She shares her personal feeling of anxiety and disappointment after losing clients with COVID-19 and getting burned out with everything around it. "How do you overcome these negative feelings and connect back with the passion for your business?" We'll learn a lot fro...

On today’s show: have you ever wondered when is the right time to start calling yourself an agency? It can be a bit awkward early on. So Clay and I coach our call-in guest Austin through the right timing. Austin has many other questions as he grows his 6-month-old business. Thanks for joining us. PS: Get featured in an upcoming FTF SHORT! Just visit http://freelancetofounder.com/ask and submit a q...

We’ve had a lot of you send questions about difficult clients. So for today’s short, I’m pulling some audio from our YouTube channel to help you out. The video is from a talented freelancer, Josh, on just how to handle 5 common nightmare clients.  If you’ve ever been stuck with a bad client and not sure what to do, this video is for you. We’ll also link to our YouTube channel in the description if...

On today's show: if you're a control freak, you're probably hurting your business. Not helping it. That's the tough news we have to give Silvia, who has a small team of contractors but finds herself reluctant to hand off her oldest or biggest clients. But the reality is: if you never hand off smaller tasks, you will never free yourself up to be a founder in your own business. If this sounds like y...

Today’s question comes from Kirsty. She says, “Do you charge a rush fee? For example, it’s 5:22 pm, and a client asked if I could do an ad tonight. Considering how busy I am, clients need to understand that I don't work weekends unless we have an agreement.” To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching c...

On today's show, is hiring a Virtual Assistant really worth it? Ben calls in from Rhode Island to get our take on VAs and other questions he has while growing his business. Plus, we share our best advice for making the most of your virtual assistant, and we talk about scaling your business vs. growing it. It all starts right now on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was...

Today's question comes from Jacquaniese, a member of our Facebook Mastermind Group. She says, “A client asked me to put “hours” on my work to justify it, but I don’t work on hourly rates. How do I kindly inform potential clients upfront that I work on project-based flat rates? I don’t want to sound rude, but I also will not put an hourly rate on my work to end up cheated.” To submit your question,...