Freelance to Founder

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...

On today’s Q&A episode, A former guest on the show, Jim, writes in with an important question: I know I shouldn’t charge by the hour, but shouldn’t I pay my subcontractors by the hour? You might be able to guess our answer. Or it might just surprise you.  Let’s find out on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go! This Q&A episode was originally aired on November 7th, 2023. To submit yo...

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...

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, ⁠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. This ep...

On today’s Q&A episode, Luqman writes in with a question.  He’s a brand-new freelancer and wants to know exactly how to build a freelance network and attract more clients.  We all know your network can lead to massive growth for your business. So Clay and I break down what has worked well for us and what has totally bombed when it comes to networking.  If you want to build your network fast, you s...

On today’s show, how do you escape the trap of one-time projects and convince your clients that they need what you have to offer on a repeat basis? That’s part of the hurdle Aurelie faces as she aims to grow her 3-year-old freelance business.  Aurelie has worked with some huge clients like Wendy’s and the United Nations.  But almost all of her work has been on one-time projects.  Which naturally h...

On today’s show: how many people does it take to call yourself an agency officially? Is it one, two, or more than that? This question got us thinking about what it means to be an agency. Plus, we discuss our ideal team size and answer the question: How many are too many for your team? It’s all on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 5, 20...

On today’s show: do you ever feel trapped by the decisions you make in your business? Our guest Morgan loves to write. But, early on, she took on quite a few social media clients. Then, those clients referred more clients. And suddenly, most of her client work is focused on social media marketing — not writing. So what do you do when your former choices have boxed you into a future you don’t neces...

On today’s Q&A episode, let’s talk about money. Exactly how much should you save before you can start your agency? We do our best to answer this question, and it got us wondering: What in the world are we spending all of our money on these days in our own businesses? So, as a bonus, we break down our finances a bit more to round out the episode.  It all starts right now on this episode of Freelanc...

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. This episode was originally aired on July 13, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠h...

In today's Q&A episode, Travis writes about a problem: a few years ago, he moved from Australia to the U.S. to grow his video business. While things went well at first, work has really slowed down, and he's wondering if there's something about the U.S. market he's completely missing.  Clay and I have never lived "down under," but we have a few things to consider for anyone looking to break into th...

On today’s show, your messaging matters. And when it comes to getting new clients, it probably matters more than anything else. So then, why do so many of us miss the mark when explaining our business to potential clients? It’s something we tackle on today’s episode with call-in guest Tianna. It’s happening right here on Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on Novemb...

On today’s show, we’ve got the longest Q&A episode we’ve ever published—coming in at a whopping 50 minutes plus. Why so long? Well, I asked Clay a question that really got him riled up.  It has to do with his experience using the software GoHighLevel—which has exploded in popularity lately. But Clay’s experience was anything but ideal. You’ll see what I mean in this episode of Freelance to Founder...

On today’s show: are you a bit of a control freak? To be honest, most freelancers and entrepreneurs we meet are. But if you never hand off smaller tasks, you never free yourself up to be a founder in your own business. We talk about that today with our call-in guest, Silvia.  It’s all happening today on freelance to founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on May 5, 2022. PS: Get fea...

On today’s show: if you work with a sub-contractor, something we highly recommend—how much extra should you charge your client? And do they have to sign two different contracts? That’s what Kiki asks us in this Q&A episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go… This episode was originally aired on June 21, 2022. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an...

On today’s show, can you grow without embracing hustle culture?  That’s just part of what we talk about with return guest: ⁠Travis Boyco⁠. A few months ago, Travis was trying to decide if he could actually quit his job and take his business full-time. Now, he’s back, freelancing full-time and hitting us with some of his biggest learnings from going full-time, plus questions he’s run into since. It...

In today's Q&A, Rachel Stoneking, from our free ⁠Facebook Mastermind Group⁠ asked how she could get the passion for her business back. She shares her personal feelings 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...

On today’s show, which comes first: hiring to free up time to land big clients or landing big clients to pay for hiring.  It’s a chicken and egg situation that our guest Zach has been stuck on. We do our best to answer that question, plus a few others he has, including how to combine two completely different offerings into one killer monthly recurring offer. It’s all in this episode of ‘Freelance...

On today’s show, where do you start when it comes to making a marketing plan for your business? That’s what Thomassina asks us and—since Clay and I both have extensive marketing backgrounds—we end up having a lot to say about it. If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to marketing, then this episode is for you. This is Freelance to Founder. Here we go! This episode was originally aired on...

On today’s show, we talk with ⁠Mannat⁠, a student calling from India, with questions about her freelance business. Mannat is a typographer—she works with lettering and fonts. But every time Mannat posts her work on social media, she gets packaging design clients and others who don’t match her target audience. This leaves Mannat asking, “what exactly should I be posting on social media to attract m...

On today’s show: can you become a millionaire as a freelancer? Podcast listener Suman wrote in with that simple yet not-so-simple question, and we do our best to reveal whether or not you can get rich working as a freelancer. It’s all in this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go! This Q&A episode was originally aired on September 26, 2023. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder....

Have you ever thought: “if I can just get the attention of more people, I could close more clients and grow my business” That’s where we find today’s guest, Jay. He’s a web developer and SEO expert in Kentucky, USA. And Jay’s only been freelancing for a few months. He’s off to a great start having already closed a half-dozen monthly recurring clients. Jay’s biggest question is how to get more volu...

On today’s Q&A episode, if you give your client full ownership of your creative work, how much should that cost, and how exactly do you even do that? That’s the question Nicole hits us with, and it opens up another discussion on who should own your work in the first place. It’s all in this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on December 26, 2023. To s...

On today’s show: do you keep hearing how important networking is, but you really just don’t enjoy it? In this episode, we chat with Morgan, a freelancer from Chicago. Morgan can see the potential in networking with local clients, but can’t quite figure out how to enjoy it. So, Clay and I start brainstorming a few fun and exciting ways she can leverage her unique talents to ⁠network with local busi...