Freelance to Founder

On today’s show: is it even worth trying to grow your freelance business? That’s where Rakesh finds himself. He gets most of his clients from freelancing platforms like Upwork.  And the market for web designers and developers is just so saturated, he doesn’t even know if he should continue with his business.  If you’ve ever felt this way, today’s show is for you. It all starts right now on this ep...

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...

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! This episode was originally ai...

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! This Q&A episode was originally aired on August 8th, 2023. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode....

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...

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! This episode was initially aired on September 12,...

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...

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! This episode was originally aired on September 5, 2023. To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls:...

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...

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. This episode was originally aired on August 29, 2023. To submit your question, visit Free...

On today’s show: you’re dead without a vision for your business. That’s because without a vision—or a north star—to guide your business, you can very easily end up chasing the wrong things. In today’s episode, we chat with Alan, who’s ready to grow his family business, but he’s not sure where to start when it comes to strategy and processes. If you find it hard knowing where to start, this episode...

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: should you spread yourself across each of your client’s project management tools? Or should you make them join yours? It’s a question Taylor’s facing as she grows her business.  We spoke with Taylor about a year ago, and things are going great.  But she works with so many clients now; they each have their preferred project management tool.  So, should she keep going from tool to t...

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! This Q&A episode was originally aired on August 8th, 2023. To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Lis...

In today’s episode, we learned that working with agencies is a great way to fill your client pipeline regularly. But how does the money work if an agency will “white label” your services? Who gets what? How much? And when? These are the types of questions Nathan asks himself as he grows his business. He’s got a few partnerships in the works, but he’s unsure how to set up the money side. Naturally,...

In 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. This episode was originally aired on...

On today’s show: how does working less while making more money sound? Of course, it sounds fantastic! But actually, making it happen is much more complicated. That’s where I find today’s call-in guest, Diana. She’s been freelancing for almost a year and has begun asking herself: what’s next? Diana left her corporate job to pursue freedom through freelancing. Now, a year later, she’s ready to dial...

On today’s Q&A episode - Nafeesa is wondering if there’s any way to keep the small, solo charm of her freelance business while also planning for an eventual exit. The real question: can you actually sell a freelance business? We’ve got the answer on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on November 21, 2023. To submit your question, visit FreelanceT...

On today’s show: how would you like to have clients like Nike, Netflix, Stripe, Twitch, Spotify and more? It’s a dream come true as a freelancer. And this dream is a reality for motion graphics expert Kate—who’s calling into the show today. Kate first talked with us a year ago, and since then, the entertainment industry has been through a lot, which leaves Kate wondering where her career is headed...

I am joined by special guest co-host Austin Church on today's show. He is a very talented freelancer and the author of the new book, Free Money. It's all about growing your revenue as a freelancer, and we talked today about calculating your survival rate. That's the rate you need to stay in business as a freelancer. What's the minimum amount you need to make to stay in business? So, if you've wond...

On today’s show, will you attract bigger and better clients if you treat yourself like an agency? That’s part of what we discussed with our call-in guest, Kate, who’s living and working in London. With Kate, we talk a lot about marketing, positioning, branding, and lots of other stuff she’ll need on her journey from a “4” on the freelance to founder scale to a “10”... Stick around to the end, wher...

On today’s Q&A Episode: Do you really need to go to college in order to be a successful freelancer? Listener Evan writes in to ask if he should invest in a master’s degree or skip the extra college.  And we’ve got our best answers on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go! This episode was originally aired on November 14, 2023 To submit your question, visit FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK, an...

On today’s show, how can you possibly hire other freelancers to help grow your business when it’s hard to know if you can trust them? After all, if someone you hire misses a deadline, you’re on the hook with your client. That’s where Tina finds herself on today’s call.  She’s thinking about hiring and is willing to trust other freelancers' creative processes.  But what about their ability to deliv...