If you're a freelancer, then you're not just an expert in your field. You're also a business owner, responsible for everything from bookkeeping to marketing to customer satisfaction to business development. On the Business of Freelancing, our panel of experienced freelancers discuss the issues that they have encountered while building up their business — and give you practical, actionable advice to take your career to the next level. We also invite expert guests to provide their opinions and ...
…
continue reading

1
Planning to Scale Your Practice to a Business
50:09
50:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:09In our final episode, our panel talks about scaling up, whether you should and how to do it: Pros and cons of scaling What you can do to prep Actionable quick tips Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource or something else that they're enjoying & recom…
…
continue reading

1
Resources and Career Development for Freelancers
52:59
52:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:59In this episode, our panel talks about how to improve your career when you're working on your own: Career development for freelancers vs employees What is career development, really? Self-evaluation – taking time to be deliberate about your practice Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their…
…
continue reading

1
Knowing When to Fold 'Em: When Should You Do Something Different?
49:12
49:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
49:12In this episode, our panel talks about knowing when to fold, knowing when to stop freelancing, and try full-time.: Advantages of a full-time job How often should you ask yourself this question/evaluate whether to keep going? Signs that you need to do something different Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (a…
…
continue reading
In this episode, our panel will be discussing everything you need to know about handling conflict with clients: Sources of conflict Horror stories Tactical conflict management best practices Avoiding conflicts Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource o…
…
continue reading

1
Customer Service and Client Retention 101 for Freelancers
46:35
46:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
46:35In this episode, our panel will be discussing everything you need to know about Customer Service and Client Retention: Why is customer service relevant? Upselling Best practice & more Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource or something else that they…
…
continue reading

1
Accounting and Finance 101 for Freelancers
44:31
44:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:31In this episode, our panel will be discussing everything you need to know about accounting & finance: What does business finance involve in the early days for a freelancer? Should you pay someone to help? If so, when, and for what? Taxes, and more Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their p…
…
continue reading

1
Pricing 101 for Freelancers w/ Jonathan Stark
1:00:22
1:00:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:00:22In this episode, we will be discussing everything you need to know about pricing with our guest, Jonathan Stark. Guest Our guest this week is Jonathan Stark — He is a former software developer who is on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing. He is the author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts, the host of Ditching Hourly, and writes a daily newslette…
…
continue reading

1
Engagement Negotiation 101 for Freelancers
53:43
53:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
53:43In this episode, our panel will be discussing everything you need to know about contracts and negotiating over them: When does negotiation begin (in the sales/marketing pipeline)? What is negotiation like with different kinds of companies? What might you negotiate? Dealing with contracts Re-negotiation for future engagements Tips and tricks/best pr…
…
continue reading
Once you're done with marketing, how do you actually start the sales funnel with a client? Today, our panel takes a deep dive into everything you need to know about sales. Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource or something else that they're enjoying…
…
continue reading
In this episode, our panel takes a deep dive into marketing for freelancers. All your questions will be answered: What is marketing? Where does marketing stop and sales begin? What are the prerequisites for marketing? What do we do for marketing? Best ways for getting started Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the pa…
…
continue reading

1
Positioning 101 for Freelancers w/ Philip Morgan
48:08
48:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:08Episode Summary We talk with Philip Morgan, coach & author of 'The Positioning Manual for Indie Consultants', about specialization & positioning - building a defensive advantage around your business by cultivating rare & valuable expertise. Links Philip Morgan Consulting The Positioning Manual for Indie Consultants Guest Our guest this week is Phil…
…
continue reading

1
Preparing Your Freelance Practice: Laying the Groundwork
48:46
48:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:46In this episode, our panel takes a deep dive into preparing your freelance practice and discusses: Their stories of how they got started What they would do differently, and The things to keep in mind when you're actually starting up your practice Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their pi…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the first episode of season 3! In this episode, our panel takes a deep dive into freelancing: What does it mean to be a freelancer? Is it for you? Panelists Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks In each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource or something else that they're enjoying & recommend y…
…
continue reading

1
Climbing the Value Chain & Growing Your Biz
53:46
53:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
53:46Episode Summary How can you grow your business as a freelancer? Our panel discusses the different paths to grow your business, hiring a team, climbing the value chain, and aligning your growth goals with what you want out of your business. Panelists Erik Dietrich Marg Reffell Kai Davis Meg Cumby Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share…
…
continue reading

1
Building Processes & Productized Services with Brian Casel
51:04
51:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:04Episode Summary We talk with Brian Casel, entrepreneur and creator of ProcessKit and Productize & Scale, about how to create systems that bring order to your business and how to productize your services. Links ProcessKit Productize and Scale Guest Our guest this week is Brian Casel — an entrepreneur and product designer who has built multiple self-…
…
continue reading

1
Using YouTube as a Marketing & Promotion Channel
53:42
53:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
53:42Episode Summary Thinking about using YouTube for marketing, promotion and audience growth? Our panel talks about our experiences using this channel and what we'd recommend for people considering adding this channel into the mix for their business. Panelists Marg Reffell Reuven Lerner Erik Dietrich Kai Davis Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and …
…
continue reading
The Elusive Work-Life Balance Episode Summary We talk about the struggles we face with the ever-present puzzle of balancing work and life as freelancers and indie consultants and the strategies and mindsets we've developed to have some modicum of balance in our lives. Panelists Meg Cumby Jeremy Green Marg Reffell Reuven Lerner Panel Picks Each epis…
…
continue reading
Episode Summary Where can you find leads in the short term if you're in need of work now? What are strategies you can use to find better quality leads? We answer those questions and share resources to help you on your journey to building leadflow and a sustainable business. Links Mentioned The Brain Audit by Sean D'Souza Get Clients Now by C. J. Ha…
…
continue reading

1
Money Psychology & Playing the Long Game with Alex Hillman
1:08:25
1:08:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:08:25Episode Summary We talk with Alex Hillman about lessons for freelancers and indie consultants from his recently released book, the Tiny MBA. Alex drops a lot of wisdom in this episode about how to tackle and unpack some of the issues we face with money psychology, playing the long game of business, and more. Links Mentioned Tiny MBA 30x500 Indy Hal…
…
continue reading

1
Making Sales Less Painful Through Marketing
54:53
54:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:53Episode Summary Today we'll be discussing sales and marketing and how to use marketing to improve the sales experience as a freelancer. Links Mentioned Cold Email Podcast Sales 101 for Freelance Devs — Avoiding the Pain You’re About to Experience (Erik Dietrich blog post) Panelists Erik Dietrich Meg Cumby Marg Reffell Reuven Lerner Panel Picks Each…
…
continue reading
Episode Summary Sales pages. As a freelancer or indie consultant, when does it make sense to use them? What's their "job" for your business? How should you approach writing them? How do you handle creating a sales page if you aren't yet specialized in a particular area? Our panel discusses that and more on this week's episode. Links Mentioned Pain,…
…
continue reading
Episode Summary Our panel chats about what building expertise and becoming an expert looks like as a freelancer or indie consultant and some steps you can take to better build and demonstrate your expertise. Panelists Kai Davis Meg Cumby Reuven Lerner Jeremy Green Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, servi…
…
continue reading
Episode Summary We chat with Annie Duke about her new book How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices, in which she teaches how you can improve your decision making process to ****feel more confident, second-guess yourself less, and ultimately be more decisive and be more productive. Guest This episode, we talk with Annie Duke. Annie is …
…
continue reading
Episode Summary Today our panel chats about proposals — including tips, techniques and tactics we've seen that makes the difference as you grow from freelancer to indie consultant and beyond. Links Mentioned Value Based Fees by Alan Weiss Hemingway Editor Full Proposal Guide by Margaret Reffell available on the BOF mailing list Panelists Marg Reffe…
…
continue reading
We're chatting all forms of client communication / account management this week, how to get better at it and make it less awkward — even enjoyable — for everyone involved. Links Mentioned Reply All Episode - Email Debt Forgiveness Day Panelists Margaret Reffell Kai Davis Reuven Lerner Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their pick…
…
continue reading
Onboarding new clients Episode Summary Our panel dives into client onboarding — what it means, how we've approached it in our businesses, and how you can customize and improve your onboarding over time. Panelists Kai Davis Meg Cumby Erik Dietrich Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or s…
…
continue reading

1
Diving into the World of RFPs with Dave Hulsen
52:07
52:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:07Episode Summary We talk with Dave Hulsen about the wild world of responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and why you may (or may not) want to consider diving into it. Links https://rfp360.com/resources/ https://twitter.com/rfp360 Professor Mark Wolters: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProfessorWolters/featured Guest This episode, we talk with Dave Hu…
…
continue reading

1
Bad Client Spidey Sense (The Freelancer Tingle)
50:41
50:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:41Episode Summary Our panel discusses signs that client isn't worth taking on and how you can guard against bad fit clients, saving yourself time and headaches in the process. Panelists Reuven Lerner Margaret Reffell Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or someth…
…
continue reading
Episode Summary We're going to talk about our experiences with burnout, what are the non-so-obvious signs of burnout, what's worked for us to buffer against it and how we make sure we're taking care of ourselves. Panelists Jeremy Green Margaret Reffell Kai Davis Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their…
…
continue reading

1
Using Profit First in Your Freelancing Business with Baz Baruah
49:55
49:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
49:55Our panel talks with Baz Baruah about Profit First — a cash-management system for your business designed by author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz. We discuss using the methodology of Profit First to build a reliable business, being a freelancer versus a business owner, and Baz's journey to becoming a Profit First coach. Links https://clientrobot…
…
continue reading
Episode Summary Our panel discusses the value of mastermind groups, how to find one, and the black magic it takes to do it well in our experience. Panelists Kai Davis Jeremy Green Meg Cumby Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or something else that they're enjoying and recommend you che…
…
continue reading
Panelists Erik Dietrich Kai Davis Meg Cumby Reuven Lerner Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or something else that they're enjoying and recommend you check out: Jonathan Stark on Laser-Focused Positioning Statement (Erik Dietrich) Calm (Meg Cumby) Make Money Online Episode 18 - What's…
…
continue reading
Links Mentioned mariepoulin.com twitter.com/mariepoulin https://mariepoulin.com/notion-mastery/ Guest This episode, we talk with Marie Poulin — Marie is a business strategist and productivity expert. She specializes in training individuals and teams how to organize and streamline their businesses with Notion. Strategy and design are in her blood, a…
…
continue reading

1
Freelance Horror Stories: Projects Going Terribly Wrong
45:49
45:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:49Panelists Reuven Lerner Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Kai Davis Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or something else that they're enjoying and recommend you check out: Patriot on Amazon Prime (Jeremy Green) The No Asshole Rule by Robert Sutton (Erik Dietrich) The Entrepreneur’s Guide to K…
…
continue reading

1
Thriving in the Passion Economy with Adam Davidson
47:00
47:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:00Links Mentioned The Passion Economy: https://www.passioneconomy.com Planet Money: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/ Guest In this episode, we talk with Adam Davidson about why it's an opportune time to succeed in business and about how to do it successfully. Panelists Reuven Lerner Margaret Reffell Meg Cumby Panel Picks Prepper Fantasy Fiction (A…
…
continue reading

1
Getting Closer to Your Financial Reality with Luke Frye
52:16
52:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:16Guest This episode, we talk with Luke Frye of TimberTax.co. TimberTax provides excellent Tax Services for Entrepreneurs. Panelists Reuven Lerner Kai Davis Jeremy Green Meg Cumby Erik Dietrich Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or something else that they're enjoying and recommend you c…
…
continue reading

1
Origin Stories: Who Are These People In Your Ears?
19:42
19:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:42Episode Panelists Kai Davis Reuven Lerner Marg Reffell Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Meg Cumby Panel Picks Each episode, the panel (and guest) share their picks: a book, app, service, resource, or something else that they're enjoying and recommend you check out: Glo: glo.com (Kai Davis) CleanShot: cleanshot.com (Reuven Lerner) Guesstimate Jones - Laye…
…
continue reading