High-Income Business Writing Podcast

I'm all for efficiency. And I'm all for tools and systems that help us become more efficient. The problem is that it's too easy to get caught up in the efficiency game and lose sight of the end goal: to get better clients, higher fees, more rewarding work. I don't know about you, but I don't want to become more efficient at getting crappy results! In this interview, Kai Davis, a business developme...

One of the biggest fears/concerns of new freelance writers: "Who's going to hire me?" That fear is based on the following assumption: that you need to impress "IBM." But that's an incorrect assumption. You can't be everything to everyone. I've met very few successful freelancers who got a very impressive start and didn't struggle to get to where they are today. Most success stories are messy! The...

Self-employment is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because we get to chart our own course. We get to pursue projects and clients that are interesting to us. And we can adjust our workload and schedule however we want. But that kind of freedom can also lead to lack of discipline and motivation if we're not careful. How do we stay on track? How do we find the motivation to do the work w...

James Chartrand is the owner of Men With Pens, a web design and copywriting company. She's also the creator of "Damn Fine Words," one of the best and most popular writing courses in the business. Yes, I said "she." If you're not familiar with James, he's actually a she. The story behind that is pretty interesting. So is the story of how she came clean. In this episode, James and I talk shop about...

Are Elance, Upwork and other online job boards a good place to land freelance work? Yes and no. It really depends on a number of important factors. And it's certainly not for everyone. But there's no denying that some people have figured out a way to launch their freelance business with these platforms. My guest for this episode is one of these people. Her name is Laura Pennington, and she has a g...

This week's episode is shorter than usual. It's also different. I take you on a random journey of what I'm doing, what I've been up to, what I'm currently enjoying ... and a few things I'm planning this year. Follow along at your own risk...

This is part two of a two-part series on money and freelancing. In part one Dianna Huff talked about how to manage cash flow more effectively when you have a variable income. Today's episode is a bit different. We get into the mindset of earning more as a freelance professional. My guest is Rhonda Page. Rhonda is an ideator, clarifier and forward thinker. She's worked at top graphic design and bra...

As freelancers we don't have the luxury of a fixed paycheck. Even when you're booking work like crazy, your cash flow is going to be irregular. Sometimes unpredictable. This is an issue that financial experts and money-management books rarely address. They're geared to helping people with steady paychecks—NOT self-employed professionals. In this episode you'll hear from my friend and colleague Dia...

You've heard the advice before... Position yourself an authority in your field ... and business will start coming your way. I think many of us understand this idea conceptually. But it can be hard to figure out exactly how to become that authority. And the negative self talk and self-sabotage doesn't help ("Who do you think you are? You're no expert! You're no authority!"). Sound familiar? This is...

There's a growing interest among freelancers in the idea of "value pricing." The concept of pricing your work based on the value it will generate for the client is interesting. But it still feels theoretical and pie-in-the-sky to most creative professionals. In this podcast episode, we discuss how to make the idea practical — including three simple ways you can start transitioning to this lucrativ...

Do you sometimes feel like a bit of a fraud? Are you sometimes surprised that clients pay you to do your work? Do you feel unworthy compared to many of your colleagues? Like you will be found out soon enough ... and all your success so far is undeserved? You're not alone. Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Jimmy Fallon and many other people many of us consider incredibly talented — they often feel the...

In this episode I interview Cesar Abeid, author of the newly published Project Management for You: How to Turn Your Ideas Into Reality, Deliver on Your Promises, and Get Things Done. Cesar and I focus our discussion not on client projects, but rather on all those internal projects we all keep meaning to do ... but never get around to doing. He shares plenty of simple and practical tips for breakin...

I love to read. In fact, I have more books I want to read than I have time to read them. Sound familiar? Yes, I've tried some speed-reading courses. They helped, but I've yet to reach a level where I can read 50+ books a year. So when I came across Brandon Hakim's techniques on how to read and absorb dozens of books a year, I was intrigued. Just by applying a few of his simple ideas, I've read two...

If you're in the U.S., this is an important interview. It's about your health insurance options as a self-employed professional: The ins and outs Where to shop What to look for How to make the best decisions for you and your family With open enrollment coming up soon ... and fines going up significantly for those who don't enroll in a plan ... this is the time to get educated and to investigate yo...

In today's episode, you'll hear from my friend and colleague Michael Katz. Michael is an authority on launching, publishing and leveraging a newsletter to grow your service-based business.

"How do I successfully transition out of a day job and into full-time freelancing?" That's one of the most common questions I get asked by aspiring freelance writers and copywriters. And in today's episode, you'll get yet another perspective from someone who's made the leap successfully and coached many others on how to make this challenging transition — Michelle Ward, a.k.a. the When I Grow Up Co...

Trying something a little different this week. I'm doing a Q&A show with questions you submitted through a recent survey. I'd love to get your feedback on this format. If you like it, I'll do more of these in the future.

Over the past three years, I've worked with hundreds of new freelance writers and copywriters. I enjoy mentoring and coaching these new and ambitious freelance professionals, helping them build and grow their businesses. But through this process, I've uncovered a disturbing trend. This is not something I enjoy talking about. Mainly because it requires that I be blunt about some issues. But it's ti...

If you've been freelancing for a few years, chances are you've had trouble getting paid at some point. The client was slow to pay. Or they lost your invoice. Or they held your payment for some weird and unfair reason. When that happens, you have a choice. You can rant about it. Foam at the mouth. Call Tony Soprano. Lose sleep. Or you can use that as a learning experience. And change what you do in...

The process of picking a niche can be extremely stressful. But I've found that most of that stress and frustration is the result of bad advice. In fact, most of what I read and hear on the topic of picking a niche is misguided. It treats the issue as a simple, one-dimensional decision. But in reality, this is a complex, multi-faceted topic that requires you to think about your business at a deeper...

Do you use a creative brief when working with clients? Have you thought about using one but not sure what to include? Do you even need one? You'll get direct answers to these important questions in this week's show. My guest is Pam Foster from Content Clear Marketing and Petcopywriter.com. Pam is a seasoned marketer with extensive corporate communications experience. She's a big believer in using...

Email is dying. Not really. But that's what some social media pundits are claiming. Fact is, it really doesn't matter how much texting, tweeting and "Facebooking" people are doing these days ... email is not going anywhere. Love it or hate it, email is a wonderful tool. It's convenient and dependable. It's ubiquitous. The trick, however, is knowing how to keep it under control. In this week's sess...

Growing your income as a freelancer doesn't need to be that difficult. In fact, there's a very simple way to do that. I've used it for years to multiply my income. And I've taught it to many of my coaching clients who have used it successfully. But there's a problem. The idea is so simple, it's often dismissed and never put to use. So before I reveal too much, I'd like to give you some context.

As a freelancer, there are few things more frustrating than a prospect who suddenly disappears for no apparent reason. He reached out to get some information, indicated a high level of interest, was fine with your ballpark fee — maybe even gave you a verbal confirmation that he was going to move forward. But then ... nothing! You can't get him to return calls or emails. You have no idea why. And n...

Many of us have been brought up to believe that talent and hard work are the keys to success in business. But as competition stiffens and clients find it harder to distinguish freelancers from each other, you need a different strategy. You need to capitalize on (and communicate) your unique perspective and knowledge. My guest for this episode is Dorie Clark, author of two business books, a consult...