The Live Free Podcast with Micala Quinn

2.1 million women left the paid workforce in 2020 - can you believe it? I am chatting with Chandra Sanders of The Mom Project about why so many women (especially moms) are leaving the paid workforce in search of other options and what those other options are. In this episode we talk about how freelancing moms can land contractor roles at larger companies like Chandra has, what companies are doing...

Have you thought about becoming a social media manager but aren't sure what it entails or if you know enough? Over the next few weeks we're taking a deep dive into the different services you can offer as a freelancer and in this episode we're talking all about becoming a social media manager! I cover what a social media manager is, what they do for their clients, why clients hire so...

Have you heard how powerful storytelling can be in marketing yourself and your services? Stories are so powerful but storytelling or story writing can be intimidating. On this episode, I am chatting with professional storyteller, Kindra Hall, about how freelancers can use storytelling to stick out from the rest! Kindra shares the story of how she became a professional storyteller, how we can pinpo...

This episode is for ALL of us! I chat with Jamie Kern Lima on her new book, Believe IT, and how we can believe in ourselves and listen to our inner knowing while building our freelance businesses. Jamie Kern Lima is a self-made entrepreneur, champion of women, philanthropist, keynote speaker and Co-founder of IT Cosmetics, a company she started in her living room and sold to L’Oreal for $1.2 Billi...

The OTO summer bootcamp is here! To kick it all off, I'd love for you to join me in a LIVE workshop where you'll learn how to get started freelancing and land your first client now! Grab your seat at MicalaQuinn.com/LIVE. In this episode we talk about tonight's workshop, the summer bootcamp, and who shouldn't start freelancing. Mark you calendars for TONIGHT, June 14 at 8pm CST...

Over the next few weeks we're taking a deep dive into the different services you can offer as a freelancer! In this episode we're talking all about being a virtual assistant! I cover what a virtual assistant is, what they do for their clients, why clients hire virtual assistants, who hires virtual assistants, and more! If you are just getting started and not sure what service you want to...

How do you put your best foot forward when applying for open positions as a freelancer? We're so lucky to have Julie Calcote on the show today to share how freelancers can WOW potential clients during the hiring process. In this episode Julie and I talk about what you can do to set yourself apart when applying for job ops, what mistakes to avoid, and how to find the best fit clients. As a Cer...

We've got a special WAHM success story episode for you this month! In this episode you'll hear from not one but four OTO moms on how they built their successful freelance businesses. Not only will you hear how they actually did it but you'll hear what made their paths the same and what made them different. If you're new to freelancing or have just landed your first few clients,...

Would it be a dream to work with a product-based business you love? Well you can make that happen because product-based businesses are looking for virtual support in many areas. In this episode, Katie Hunt of Proof to Product, shares how freelancers can support product-based businesses, what they're struggling with and how their businesses have changed in the last year. Katie is the founder o...

Have you tried cold pitching but didn't get the results you were looking for? In this episode I am sharing what 2 things you should do to fix your cold pitch! Focusing on these two things will dramatically increase the likelihood that a potential client opens and responds to your email. We also talk about two examples of how cold pitching was done really well and ended in paying clients. You...

Freelancing has changed a lot in the past year, in the past 5 years, and in the past 10 years! In this episode I am chatting with the co-founder of FreelanceU, Craig Cannings, on what freelancing looks like in 2021! Craig, together with his wife, started freelancing more than 15 years ago. They then founded FreelanceU where they teach people how to start a freelance business. In this interview, Cr...

If you're looking for a way to land clients quick, you won't want to miss this episode with Athena Crumpler! Athena shares how she launched her freelance business and landed clients in her first 4 months.  Athena is a former elementary teacher turned virtual assistant, social media manager and OBM. In this episode we dive into her specific technique for landing clients and the tips she h...

This episode is for the established freelancers but if that isn't you, still listen so you can be ready when you get to this spot in your business' growth! In this episode, I am sharing the simplest way to scale to 6 figures! Take a deep breath because reaching 6 figures is much simpler than you may think. Simple but not easy! Because if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, right?! W...

It's too often that I hear from you that your employer isn't being fair because of your pregnancy, your need to breastfeed, or pick your kids up from daycare when they're sick! For that reason we brought attorney Emily Kearney on the show to discuss the laws that protect us while pregnant and postpartum and what to do if you run into any problems in the workplace. Emily is a busines...

What do you do when you aren't getting any responses when pitching yourself to potential clients? In this episode I am sharing how to troubleshoot this problem so you can start getting responses! This is a 2-part episode and in this first part, we are talking about what to do if you aren't getting responses when you respond to a job posting or job lead. Don't miss part 2 where I&apo...

Forty days - that's how long it took Sarah Randel to go from overwhelmed to booked out in her freelance business! In this month's success story episode, Sarah is sharing her story and how she landed 6 clients in the first 40 days of her business. We chat about where Sarah's confidence comes from, what daily mantra she uses, how she learned social media strategy, and what her mom lif...

Vidya Ravi was tired of hustling to work and missing so many moments with her son so she launched a freelance business in hopes to get the best of both worlds. As she improved her skills and scaled her prices, potential clients started questioning her pricing and the worth of her services. In this episode, Vidya shares how she has built her Facebook Ads business despite all the excuses she could h...

Lindsay White is on the show this week to talk about what it looks like to be a freelance Director of Marketing! If you are a social media manager, help your clients with content, marketing or more, this might be a great role to scale into! In this episode Lindsay and I talk about how she scaled into the Director of Marketing role and how you can provide this service as a VIP day, Retainer, and Pa...

Tammy saw a need in her client's businesses - they weren't seeing the results they wanted from launching their digital products - and decided to fill that need with a new marketing tactic - running challenges! Not only has this pivot exploded her monthly income, her clients are so happy with their results that they are running challenges every month. In this episode, Tammy shares how to...

Amber jumped into freelancing at the end of Nov 2019. In less than a year, she left her job as a teacher, had her first son, and quadrupled her teacher income (all in 2020!) In this episode, Amber shares her story from teacher to freelancer, how she landed her clients, and where she sees her business going from here. Amber works with TpT authors as a social media manager and copywriter, is a wife...

Nothing is guaranteed - in life or in business! There may come a time that one of your clients wants to end their services with you and I want you to be prepared. In this episode I am sharing 4 things to do when you need to find replacement clients asap! In this new series on the podcast, I am giving you solutions to common problems you may face as a freelancer! Have something you want me to cover...

Whether you love data or it makes you want to run, this episode with Jennifer Graybe is a must-listen! In this episode, we are chatting about how to dive into data to help you grow both your business and clients'! Jennifer was an English major that hated math who then worked in corporate PR before helping online business owners with their data! She shares how she became an online service prov...

I don't want to sugarcoat it - starting a freelance business isn't easy! In this episode, Nikki Gerber shares her work from home mom success story. We cover how Nikki started her freelance business, the struggles she ran into along the way (like a tough situation with her first client!), and where she is now! Want to hear more Success Stories from my program, Overwhelmed to Overbooked? H...

Dreaming about niching down into web design? This episode is for you! Mackenzie, our go-to web designer and branding queen here at HQMQ, is sharing the 3 pillars you must master to build a booked-out web design business! She shares the story behind building her 6 figure design business and how she is teaching freelancers to do the same! Not sure if you're ready to niched down? Don't feel...

As a new freelancer, Emilee never thought she'd be confident going into a discovery call and she wondered if she would be successful as an introvert in the online space. Along the way, she learned a lot about how her introvertedness helped her and how she could use it to her advantage. In this episode, Emilee Fry is sharing how she built her business as an introverted freelancer and what limi...