indie business club

Hello, If you enjoy the show, you can chip in on our production costs at ko-fi.com/indiebusinessclub please and thank you 💖 In episode 16 “Heart Shaped Box”, we talk about… how and why to niche ikigai (Mel had written it down wrong, no wonder she couldn’t say it) Voicenoted We’ve got a voicenote in from marketer Ayo Abbas, an award-winning strategic marketing consultant who specialises in working...

Hello, and welcome to our first full-length podcast episode of 2025 🙌🏻 If you enjoy the show, you can chip in on our production costs at ko-fi.com/indiebusinessclub please and thank you 💖 In episode 15 “The Masterplan”, we talk about… how setting goals can help you to protect your boundaries the power of writing your goals down how setting a specific number as a target can have a limiting effec...

On this minisode we discuss the concept of having a "word of the year". In case you missed it, we’re speaking at the Alt Marketing School open day on Thursday 16th January. There are 14 speakers and we’re talking about tone of voice and why it’s important for your brand and your business. Click the pic for tickets . It’s an affiliate link so if you opt for the paid ticket for lifetime access to th...

Hello, Mel here, We’re rounding off the year with a b-side to revisit LinkedIn. The b-sides are shorter chats than a normal episode, so if you've got any topics you'd like us to chew over for 10-15 minutes, let us know. A brief, unimportant disclaimer Turns out I got my Paul brothers mixed up in this b-side. Apologies to any boxing fans. Though, true boxing fans probably don't know their Jake from...

Hello, Award-Winning-Copywriter Mel and Non-Award-Entering Ben here. Today’s episode is called Handbags And Gladrags. It’s all about industry awards and whether they’re worth entering as an indie business owner. Spoiler: Mel says yes. Industry awards don’t always come with a great reputation. I (Ben) have definitely been a bit sniffy about them in the past. But it’s been a lovely thing to see the...

Today’s episode is called You’re The Voice, and we talk about what tone of voice is, why it’s important to you and your business, and how to get in touch with your own unique verbal identity. It’s a bit of a high-pressure episode because we both offer tone of voice work in our businesses (me as a freelancer , Ben as part of Copy Or Die , the copywriting agency he runs with friend of the show Dave...

There’s so much tech around nowadays, it’s hard to know where to start. Today’s episode is called Plug In Baby , and we talk about which software we use in our own indie businesses. Safe to say, we aren’t the techiest of bros. Tetchiest, more like. We’ve got a voicenote from exec VA and all-round processes legend Jo Shock , who talks us through what to consider when choosing your software. You can...

We met up in Norwich this week (thanks, half term) to plan out our upcoming episodes. We’ve got topics up to #20, but we always welcome suggestions. Themes include tone of voice (suggested by Amy Nolan), software, and copywriting (it’s probably about time). Today’s episode is called Somebody Told Me, and we talk about how inbound referrals can boost your business. We picked this theme because both...

Hi, Mel here, Today’s episode is called Paranoid Android, and it’s all about AI. Specifically, generative AI. Even more specifically, the large language model (LLM) kind. Think ChatGPT and the suchlike. This one's a re-record because my mic - despite being plugged in and switched on - wasn't picked up by the software. Even though the software said it was. I’m over it, though. Quick disclaimer...if...

Hallo, Ben here, Today’s episode is called Shiny Happy People, and it’s all about building a personal brand. Mel and I dig into what a personal brand actually is, and what having one might do for your business. Have you got a personal brand? Do you want one?? Do you need one??? In this show, we’ll ask and answer all those questions and more. As a slight spoiler, Mel will say that we’ve all got a p...

Hi, Mel and Ben here, Today’s episode is called Chasing Rainbows , and it’s all about business planning . There’s a strong theme of “do as we say, not as we do” in this episode 🙃. We both tend to approach our business planning with the start point of, “how do we want our family life to look?” We both have young children and share school run duties with Mr Barfield & Mrs McKinney. For others, busi...

I’ve got a special guest co-host this time, because Ben’s been on paternity leave. This one’s called A Design For Life and features the lovely Dan Nelken . In this episode we talk about the importance of creating stuff for ourselves. It’s a long one, as we covered a lot of ground. Dan explains how adding structure into your routine can improve your creative output, even if it feels counterintuitiv...

This episode is called I Bet You Look Good on the Timeline, and we’re talking about everyone’s favourite/most hated social media platform… LinkedIn. In the episode we talk about how incredible LinkedIn and how much Mel (hi) loves it. Ben is… slightly less enamoured. We went to top LinkerInner and Friend Of The Show Dave Harland for a voice note about the impact a single post can have. And as alway...

This episode is called Flaming Lips, and we’re talking about public speaking as a way to build your profile and attract more clients. We’ve both spoken on large stages, and one of the reasons we wanted to start a podcast was to… * improve our public speaking * get more speaking gigs, both in-person and on podcasts In the talk we mention Ben’s speaker performances at Creator Day this year and at Co...

This episode is called A Little Respect, and we’re talking about Client Relationships. We’ve got a contribution from creative force of nature Jodie Newman at The Business Allotment and as always we shout out an indie business owner we think is ace. One thing that came out in the discussion is just how much running an indie business relies on having processes and boundaries in place. We also touch...

This episode is called All Together Now and we’re talking COMMUNITIES. We’ve both been part of various communities as freelancers, and in this episode we mention… Freelancer Magazine including its virtual co-working sessions and The Marketing Movement on LinkedIn by editor Sophie Cross . You Are The Media including the annual event Creator Day by Mark Masters (who features on the episode). Being F...

Ben McKinney and Mel Barfield discuss strategies for attracting clients during economic downturns, emphasising the importance of diversifying marketing efforts, posting on LinkedIn, and avoiding relying solely on one platform or approach. They also discuss the value of authenticity, consistency, and specificity in leveraging social media platforms for business growth, and share tips for managing c...

Ben McKinney and Mel Barfield discuss pricing strategies for freelancers and small business owners. They emphasise the importance of understanding value propositions, having a sales process, and being confident in pricing. They also addressed gender disparities in confidence and pricing, with findings from Ben's call for writers revealing a consistent gap in rates charged by men and women. Mel and...

Mel Barfield and Ben McKinney have been learning all about podcasts. Especially about how microphones work. And how they don’t. First sound guy (and sound guy) Ant informed Ben his microphone was back to front. Then Ant insisted an episode be re-recorded because Mel ’s mic was “way too hot”. All good fun though. This episode is “What’s The Story” - a shorter introductory episode to give some backg...

A podcast for independent creatives. Packed with tips, advice, and food for thought for freelancers, founders, and business owners in creative industries. Hosted by Mel Barfield and Ben McKinney . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com