The Marketing Freelancer: Unicorns Unite

If you’ve been giving your clients strategy, stop saying you’re "just a virtual assistant." That title is costing you money. My guest moved WAY beyond the basic VA title into a Social Media Marketing Strategist role and her packages start at $1500/month! Liz built a booked-out marketing agency by doing something most freelancers skip: owning the strategy, not just the deliverables. She's a Workgro...

Ways to drive more traffic to your freelancer website are changing fast. And if SEO is the only strategy you know, you're only halfway there. I brought on Krissy and Clarie to break down what's actually happening with search right now, including the shift from Google rankings to AI recommendations, and what you need to know about both SEO and AEO to stay visible to the clients you actually want. K...

Custom GPTs: Part 2 You've been using AI for your clients, but are you using it for your own freelance business? I brought three more members of our Digital Marketer's Workgroup on to pull back the curtain on how they’re using custom GPTs to market themselves as service providers. They share the ChatGPT and Claude projects running in the background of their businesses, saving them hours every week...

Custom GPTs: Part 1 Your clients are already asking for AI help. The question is whether you're the one getting paid to build it. In this episode, I brought four members of our Digital Marketers Workgroup onto the show to share exactly what they're building for clients with custom GPTs and AI agents — the real stuff, like what they charge and how they turn one-time projects into steady retainers....

Google and Meta ads in 2026 look different than they did two years ago. AI is baked into every platform. Search queries are getting longer. Buyer trust is harder to earn. And if you're managing ads for clients, or trying to understand enough to consult on the strategy, there's a lot to keep up with. That's exactly why I brought Danielle Migliaccio-Morse, founder of DM Squared Media, on the show. S...

Most freelancers discover their real rates are 30% to 50% lower than they think. I’m breaking down the math behind real freelancer rates in 2026. If you think you're making $50 an hour, you're likely making much less when you factor in the "just a quick question" Slack messages and the administrative black hole of invoicing. This episode is a reality check to help you face your numbers and stop tr...

We’re in the middle of a trust recession. It’s totally changing everything about buyer behavior and marketing in 2026. Selling feels slower and more personal. And maybe a little heavier than it used to. If you’ve been feeling that shift, you’re not doing anything wrong. In this episode, I’m sitting down with my friend Sheri Moise, and she offers a really refreshing (and honestly relieving) reframe...

The online marketing industry is shifting in 2026. And no, it’s not collapsing. It’s maturing. In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s actually happening behind the scenes, why panic isn’t the move, and how freelance service providers and implementers are more valuable than ever in this next phase. Listen to learn more about: Why the online marketing industry is NOT dying What big-name course cl...

Feel like you’re doing everything right as a service provider, but your freelancer business still hasn’t caught up? You know what to do, believe you deserve better clients and higher rates, but still default to playing small. It’s time for an identity reset, especially as you wrap up the year and think about what needs to change in 2026. In this episode, Mindi Huebner and I dive into identity rese...

Jan 27-29, 2026 - Become an OBM during Sarah Noked's Confident OBM®. save your seat here. The Online Business Manager role is exploding and for good reason. More entrepreneurs want leadership, strategy, and someone who can own operations instead of just checking off tasks. In this episode, we’re diving into how to become an OBM – a role that so many VAs and freelance service providers naturally gr...

We hear the corporate escape stories all the time. What we don’t hear as often is what happens after. My guest built a stronger, smarter, and more aligned freelance marketing business on the other side of it.  That’s why I loved this conversation with Tyneshia Dise. She walked away from a high-pressure corporate sales role after hitting burnout, went back to school for a marketing degree, and...

Black Friday is around the corner, and if your product-based clients aren’t ready with their e-commerce marketing, it’s not too late. Progress over perfection is the name of the game. In this episode, I’m joined by Business Strategist Carlyn Bushman to talk about e-commerce marketing, Shopify strategy, and how freelancers like you can confidently support product-based clients heading into Q4. We’r...

If you haven’t listened yet, here are Part 1 and Part 2 of our replay: 7 Ways to Land Clients . Landing clients as a freelancer starts with visibility that feels genuine. When you show up with purpose, speak your clients’ language, and stay consistent, opportunities start finding you. This is Part 3 of our live event 7 Ways to Land Clients , featuring freelance marketers from our Digital Marketer’...

If you missed it, here’s Part 1 of our live event replay: 7 Ways to Land Clients . This episode is Part 2, and I’m joined by three of our Workgroup members share how they consistently book clients without cold pitching or chasing leads. We’re talking about the real strategies that work—building genuine relationships, growing your reputation, and showing up with visibility that gets noticed. Angela...

Wondering how to get freelance clients without cold DMs, awkward pitches, or job board burnout? Welcome to Part 1 of our live event replay: 7 Ways to Land Clients . A panel of talented freelancers joins me to share the real strategies that helped them attract clients through warm leads, online directories, and word-of-mouth referrals. My guest speakers are Workgroup members who’ve mastered the art...

If you’ve ever walked away from a sales call thinking, “Ugh, I sounded so unsure of myself,” you’re not alone. Every freelancer has been there. But here’s the truth: your confidence is your most powerful marketing tool . And it shows up long before your proposal does. In this quick solo episode, I’m breaking down what really makes or breaks a sales call: your self-belief. This conversation is insp...

With this shifting economy, businesses aren’t just hiring task-doers—they’re hunting for problem solvers who understand strategy, systems, and results. Today I’m diving into the crossover skills that keep freelance service providers booked, referred, and recession-proof. We’re seeing many businesses cutting costs, hiring fewer employees, and leaning hard on contractors who can do more with less. T...

Freelancers get stuck between wanting to look professional and protecting their pricing power. Welcome back to another Ask Emily Anything episode — my mini-series where I tackle your real freelancer questions. Today’s question came in a DM from Adam, who’s in corporate strategic communications, and he asked a good one: “When quoting a price for a potential client, do you prefer giving one total fi...

Using AI in client work can save you time, spark ideas, and help you finally get ahead on that never-ending to-do list. But the wrong approach can blur boundaries, create awkward conversations, or even chip away at your clients’ trust. In this Ask Emily Anything episode, listener Danielle brings up a timely question: “As AI tools become part of everyday marketing work, what ethical considerations...

A client you admire tells you you’re not worth your rate… Ouch, right? That kind of feedback can rock your confidence and make you question everything, especially when you’re trying to grow your freelance business. But here’s the truth: no one else gets to decide your worth. In this Ask Emily Anything episode, I’m answering a powerful listener question from Nai, an operations assistant, who asked:...

Are you still thinking like a “grateful doer” instead of the boss of your business? If you’ve ever felt stuck in the freelancer-to-CEO mindset shift, this episode is for you. In this Ask Emily Anything episode, listener Candice asks a question so many of us freelancers secretly struggle with: How do you actually make the transition in your brain from service provider to boss?   It’s not just...

I’ve got some tough love for you today: it’s 2025, and you can’t afford to not have a website. Clients are vetting freelancers harder than ever, and your site is the first thing that tells them whether you’re worth the investment. The goal isn’t just to throw one together; it’s to have a website that books clients. That’s why I invited Brand & Web Designer, Alyssa Downey, to join me in this ep...

You can’t keep charging by the hour if you want to grow your service provider business. It’s time to package up your skills into high-ticket offers that show off your expertise and the transformation you bring to the table. I know raising your rates can feel scary, and sometimes it’s hard to even put into words the real value of what you do. I want you to step into those bigger offers with confide...

What if your dream clients could find you instead of you chasing them down? When you use SEO for your service provider website to get found on Google, you build a client pipeline that works for you 24/7 (no algorithms required). You don’t have to dance on TikTok, post and pray on Instagram, or wait for referrals. This episode will show you a smarter, long-term way to book clients. I’ve got SEO str...

Do test projects make you roll your eyes? Feel like you’re constantly jumping through hoops for low pay? You’re not alone and you’re not wrong for feeling that way. There’s a smarter way to approach these situations that actually opens doors, builds credibility, and leads to better-paying client relationships. In this episode, I’m talking with Lacey Cribb about how to approach freelance job applic...