The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset

We've all had coffee meetings where we sit down with someone just to "pick your brain". Today, we're talking about why those meetings are actually super important, and how you can maximize your ROI from a simple get-together. We'll dive into some strategies to help you make sure your meetings have a purpose, and both parties get value. While these meetings are important, you want to make sure that no one leaves feeling like it was a waste of time or that it was all give and no take. These meetings should be mutually beneficial. It is totally possible to make these kinds of meetings mutually beneficial and valuable for your business. "Prepare ahead of time and go into this meeting with a list of questions and ideas that you want to discuss and talk about. You should be going into that meeting knowing exactly what to say and how to say it confidently." 1. Know your purpose Why are you asking this person to meet? You need to know exactly what you want to walk away with, and it's important to begin with the end in mind because you don't want to waste your time or theirs. 2. Prepare ahead of time Go into this meeting with a list of questions and ideas that you want to discuss and talk about. Don't get caught saying, "um", and "uh", when you're in front of someone that you're asking for advice. You should be going into the meeting knowing exactly what to say and how to say it confidently. 3. Lead the meeting You called the meeting, you lead the meeting. This will come naturally if you prepare ahead of time, but don't make it feel like the person you're asking advice from needs to keep the conversation going. Lead the meeting confidently so you get what you want out of it. 4. Ask intelligent questions If you're prepared, go back over your questions and make sure that they're intelligent. These questions need to be crafted so that you can extract as much information in as little time as necessary. No one likes to sit around and talk about the weather. 5. Be mindful of the time This person took time out of their busy schedule to talk to you for a set amount of time. Don't make them feel like they are the ones that need to wrap up the meeting because you're talking so much. Have a plan to end the meeting so they don't feel like they have to. 6. Say thank you A "thank you" goes a long way. I recommend thanking them on the spot, and then sending a follow-up email thanking them for taking time to meet with you. They're giving you the gift of information, and that's worth saying thanks for. This will give you the bonus of being remembered by that person in the future. Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

You are your own boss, so why are you still working the same hours as a corporate gig? Today, we're going to talk about why the 40-hour work week is obsolete and inefficient. As entrepreneurs, we just don't need it any more. You can get as much work done (if not more) in less time! Why are we holding ourselves to a standard that is obsolete and doing it in our businesses where we're our own bosses? The standard work week is built on early industrial organizations where it was more efficient for companies to operate within a set number of hours, and owners wanted to get the most physical possible from each employees. This is not the age we live in any longer. Automation and technological advancements have made this mindset outdated and obsolete. These six simple steps will liberate you from an old-fashioned working stigma and put your wants and needs first. "Let's make sure that we have a life and we design our lives in a way that our business fits in and not the other way around." In this episode Avani talks about: Where the 40-hour work week came from and why it's irrelevant in today's world. How you, as an entrepreneur, are different than a 9-5 employee. Why you need to take back your time from work, and how it will benefit your life. 1. Designate theme days in your week I think theme days are really game changing because it allows us to focus on certain things and think a certain way on those specific days. If you are constantly switching the way you're thinking, you're losing energy! Try and group all your similar tasks for one day, so you can make the most of your mindset. 2. Plan around your life Take a step back from your busy schedule and find out what is important to you, then design your week around that. Life is too short to be completely consumed by your work. Put yourself and your health first. 3. Use your creative surges to your advantage We're not always going to have great ideas or feel creative, and that's ok. It's ok to work during nontraditional hours. If you feel that creative surge coming on, take advantage of it and get some work done, even if it's outside regular business hours. 4. Treat your desk as a sacred space Take charge of your time and don't procrastinate. If you're at your desk, eliminate distractions and focus on your tasks. One hour can be equivalent to three hours of a typical 9-5 employee if you concentrate. 5. Prioritize your tasks This one is critical. If you don't put a hierarchy around your tasks, there's no way you will be able to organize what you need to be working on right now. Figure out the ROI for your tasks and organize them appropriately. 6. Prioritize your inbox A million emails can feel overwhelming. You need to go through and triage your inbox and figure out what is actually important and what is just stressing you out. Figure out who needs responses and what can go in the trash. It will lighten your load significantly. Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

If you're anything like me, you're a perfectionist. This is great in a lot of ways and can really help your business grow, but sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind and stop being a perfectionist and people pleaser. In this episode, we're going to talk about five ways you can stop being a perfectionist and why it matters. Carve out some time to listen to this episode even if you have work to do because you need to hear it! "We can ditch the idea of being a perfectionist and get better. We should strive to be imperfect." In this episode Avani talks about: Why you should learn to put yourself first in a non-selfish way. How she learned to deal with letting people down. How focusing on yourself sometimes can benefit others. Five Ways to Stop Being a Perfectionist 1. Don't feel bad about letting people down. You can't hold yourself responsible for other people's actions or feelings. If you say no to a client, you don't need to feel bad that they have to find someone else. You are going to let some people down and you need to be ok with that. 2. Do the bare minimum. If you're an over achiever, sometimes it's ok to take the easy route and do the bare minimum. I guarantee no one will notice. It's a great way to eliminate some of your stress. 3. Allow people to be nice to you. Everyone is human. Your clients will understand if you need a break, you're sick, or if you're on vacation. Give them the opportunity to accommodate your "you time". They will understand. 4. Slow down and take breaks. It's ok to take a long lunch. It's ok to not work 40 hours a week. It's ok to breathe! Make sure that you are taking some time and not working yourself to death. 5. Take a vacation. Vacation is important. It's a great way to recharge and your clients will understand that you're out of the office. You don't need to punish yourself to please them, so get out there and take a trip! Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

In this episode, we're talking about one of my favorite things on the planet: Instagram. More specifically, Instagram Stories. I was checking my numbers and I realized that in the last 12 months alone I have had $35,000 of work come in just through Instagram stories. That is a crazy amount of money! I truly believe that stories are the most valuable part of the whole Instagram platform. Today, I wanted to talk about exactly how that's working for me, what I do in order to create relationships with people through Instagram Stories, and how you can play the long game on Instagram. Instagram doesn't have to work the same for each and every person. It depends on who you are and what you like and what you're hoping to accomplish with your business and the platform itself. This is just what has worked for me. "Clients or prospects feel like they know you and they like you because they keep watching you and they want to work with you somehow. So when you show them 'hey, this is what I do on Instagram Stories' and show behind the scenes, they're going to be wowed." Using IG stories to land clients 1. Show up every single day. Consistency is key. It doesn't matter if you have great content or not, it could be something basic or simple. Just make sure that you are posting something that your audience can engage with. 2. Document, don't create. Anything interesting that you experience in your day-to-day you should document. You don't need to make something super interesting, just capture what's going on in your every day life. 3. Show up on video. Videos with sound have very high rates of engagement on IG Stories. So it's important to show up on video, with sound, with your face at least a couple of times a week. And remember that analytics are important and you should be checking them. 4. Show off your brand. Your brand is who you are. You need to live it and show it off on Stories if you want to keep engagement up. People are interested in the little personal things that make you your brand. Make sure to show off bits of your day that make you, you! 5. Encourage engagement. Instagram has a lot of ways to get people engaged. Whether its polls or sliders or anything else they have, use these so that people will interact with your content. Post these frequently so that you stay at the top of people's minds. 6. Respond to people who interact with you. Don't just let comments and messages fall by the wayside. Respond. It's not hard to explore people's profiles and find out a little bit about them and craft a meaningful response to something they said. This is how new clients are made. Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today's guest is Ashlee Hightower. Ashlee is an attorney for creatives and the owner of Contracts for Creatives as well as Cobalt Chronicles. In this episode, she talks about what we're missing in our contracts as freelancers, as well as what we need to do to protect ourselves, protect our businesses, and make sure we're getting the most out of our contracts. Ashlee began her career as an attorney working at a large, national law firm. After a few years, she moved into the corporate world (freeing up a lot of her time) and began reading local blogs to find out about things going on in her city, Washington D.C. Intrigued by the idea of a blog, Ashlee started her own travel and wellness blog. This foray into the creative world allowed Ashlee to connect with more creatives in the D.C. area. She soon realized that many of them were having trouble with contracts, or were afraid of them, because they seemed to complicate the creative process. As people began to come to her with questions about contracts, word got out and her new business, Contracts for Creatives, was born. This episode is crucial. It's one of those things you don't want to mess around with in your freelance business and that's why I brought Ashlee onto the show. She has all the education, the background, the knowledge to give us the right advice to create the best contracts we can. "In the creative space, it's very important that the intellectual property rights are outlined thoroughly in your contract and that you're aware of what rights you're giving away to a client." In this episode Ashlee talks about: Her background in law and how she ended up in the creative space What a contract is in its most basic form and the biggest mistakes creatives are making in their contracts How freelancers can keep themselves safe through their contracts Main Takeaways A contract is just a simple document outlining the collaboration between two parties. Make sure every detail, especially payment plans, are in your contract and that there is no confusion on what you'll be delivering and how and when you will get paid. Be very specific about details in your contract and make sure that you give yourself a way out. Expect red lines (changes) to the contracts that you send over to your clients. It's a normal process and can actually benefit you. Pick your battles and decide if it the changes are worth potentially losing a client. Links Cobalt Chronicles Contract for Creatives Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

What does it mean to really listen to our clients? Have you ever gone back to a client asking for more clarification or a seeking a better understanding of the project even though you've already had a meeting? Here are fives strategies that I think will change the way you listen to your clients. They are effective, easy steps you can take to impress your clients right from the get go, and make your freelancing life a lot easier. "Listen to them [your customers] in order to deliver better, higher quality work that actually moves the needle for them. And then, in turn, you." 1. Ask a lot of questions Questions don't make you look dumb, they make you look like you care, and that you want to deliver the best possible product you can. So, ask away, because you will need that information. 2. Take notes Don't assume your clients are writing things down. Take notes in every meeting and even send out action items afterward if needed. Taking notes is critical in making sure you've captured all possible, relevant information that was given during a meeting. 3. Repeat and paraphrase A great way to show that you're listening well is to repeat back in your own words what you hear your clients saying (a good way of asking questions as well). This shows them that you grasp the concept and you understand what you will be working on with them. 4. Don't interrupt Interrupting shows that you're thinking about what you want to say and not what the client is saying. Wait for the right break in the conversation to make your point, but focus on listening! 5. Read between their words Sometimes, even after implementing all your listening strategies, you need to look for what's not being said. Connect the dots and dig a little deeper with your client so that you can get a full picture of their needs. Links Seven Thousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What Is Sacred by Mark Nepo Chris Sacca's Tweet on taking notes Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today's guest is Shaylene Cameron. Shaylene is a sales consultant for service-based entrepreneurs, helping them transform their limiting beliefs around success, and teaching them how to sell high-ticket services without feeling "salesy". Shaylene started in the health and wellness industry as a personal trainer, quickly moving into a management role. Over time, she hired 12 trainers and drove one million in sales. At that point, she envisioned climbing the corporate ladder in that space and moved across the country to pursue that path. However, she quickly lost interest in the corporate world, so she jumped ship and started her own business. Not something she ever intended on doing - at least not so early in her life. Today, she helps female entrepreneurs develop the mindset and habits necessary to have a high performing business without having to sacrifice who they are or what it is that they want. She's passionate about helping others understand their limiting beliefs about themselves and money, and works to help her clients create an abundance mindset. We talk about the limiting beliefs we have around money, and dive into some tips on how to throw out those beliefs and create a healthy relationship with money. "Whether somebody is really wealthy or somebody doesn't have a lot of wealth, we should be able to come to a place where we're fairly neutral about how we feel about our finances." In this episode Shaylene talks about: Why our relationship with money is important. How to change your limiting beliefs around money. Recognizing toxic thought patterns and how to shift away from them. Main Takeaways As entrepreneurs, we don't always have the benefit of a steady paycheck, so it's important to satiate our fundamental need for security by understanding where our money comes from and how it works. Write down your limiting belief, and then the opposite of that belief. Support both with three pieces of evidence and then rate them zero to 10. This will help you create new space in your mind for a positive attitude about money. Money doesn't buy happiness. If you find yourself defining your worth by your earnings, check it and work to shift it toward a more abundant mindset. Links Shaylene Cameron Mentoring Shaylene on Instagram Real Business | Real Talk Happy Pocket Full of Money Mind Your Business Podcast Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Money is money, right? What if I told you that I turned down a $35,000 project. That's right, it's a lot of money, but sometimes other things are more important. In today's episode, I talk about why I turned down such a big project and the lessons you can learn from it. In short, life happens and we have to understand where our business ends and where we begin in order to stay sane when things, like a wedding, come up. Our businesses are a lot of who we are as entrepreneurs and it is a huge part of my identity. While this alone is neither bad nor good, I think it's a good thing right now because it's really motivating to me to work hard. I have fun working hard and moving toward my goals at this point in my life, but I also have to find ways to balance that with my personal life. We'll dive into the details of this project, my thought process for saying no, why it's good to walk away from certain projects, and how you can get in tune with your inner voice to understand what you really want. "Saying no allowed me to strengthen my boundaries, reaffirm to my subconscious mind that I do things in a certain way, and that I respect myself, my brain, and my sanity." In this episode Avani talks about: Why this project wasn't the right fit. The emotions that came along with turning down such a large project. How you can make decisions that are in alignment with your inner voice. Main Takeaways Sometimes you need to turn things down that aren't in your zone of genius. It might sting at first, but in the long run you'll be happy you have that time to put toward projects you're passionate about. You might be a little apprehensive to turn down a project at first, but the stress and frustration you save yourself will be much better for your career and personal life. Knowing your inner feelings is important in making the right career decisions. Journaling and meditating are great ways to get in tune with your inner voice and will help you make the right decisions moving forward. Links The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today's guest is Case Kenny. Case is the founder of prsuit, a daily email newsletter dedicated to helping you become who you're meant to be. He's also turned it into a popular podcast. Case lives in Chicago where he runs his email list of 213,000 readers. While his focus is on self-development, he's also mastered the art of monetizing everything that goes along with it. At his core, Case is a writer and creator, whether it's through his podcast, newsletter, or products. He's built his career on creating compelling writing. He started out writing a blog, and building an audience through social media. Eventually, he switched his focus to something he could control more than social media: an email list. Through building his email list, he's also learned how to communicate better to customers and build true connections with readers. In this episode, Case give us some tips on how to use your email list properly, how to make money, and why it's an important tool in your marketing toolbox. "Create a product that certainly gives people value, but is also tool that has an appeal that they would like to share or at least be associated with it." In this episode Case talks about: Why email is the best way to connect with customers/clients. What kind of voice and content you should use in you emails. How to get started with a cold email list and how to figure out the strategy around monetizing it. Main Takeaways You own an email list, it's not going anywhere and your communication can't be hampered by third parties like Google's SEO. Approach your email list as a way to converse instead of announce. You will have better conversion rates because people view it as more personal. If you have an email list you're not using, send some emails to warm it up. Ask your readers what they want to see and strategize your content from there. To connect with your audience, you need to be honest and real. People don't want clones of big email marketing lists, they want content they can connect with. Links prsuit Case Kenny Instagram New Mindset, Who Dis? Podcast Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

We've all been there. Life gets crazy, work gets busy and before you know it, you feel overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you have to do. Today we're going to be talking about just that: Overwhelm. The tough truth about being overwhelmed is that it's our own fault. It's a decision that we can train our minds to get out of with the right mentality. Sometimes being overwhelmed can make us feel powerless, but we do have the power to fight back against those feelings and it starts with taking control and responsibility for what we let into our lives. At the end of the day, it comes down to creating a code to live by that allows us to combat overwhelm. In this episode, we'll cover some tips on how to get out of feeling overwhelmed and how you can prevent that feeling in the future. "When we are blaming overwhelm on other forces, when we feel like we just have clients coming at us and that everyone wants a piece of us and that we can't seem to keep up with the things around us, this is admitting to the universe that we are victims." In this episode Avani talks about: Driver vs. victim mentality and how they play into feeling overwhelmed. Strategies you can take to combat feeling overwhelmed and prevent it in the future. Keeping an eye out for triggers that cause overwhelm. Main Takeaways Feeling overwhelmed is allowing life to take control of us instead of the other way around. Don't let this happen because it's a hard cycle to get out of. Throw obligations out the window and only take on the ones that you want to. Don't worry about other people's lives, worry about yours. Execute and take action: When you start to take action on the things that are overwhelming you, the fear and paralysis goes away. Plan ahead! The best way to combat becoming overwhelmed is to plan your day/week/month so that you can stay ahead of the business that is sure to come. Stay in Touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today's guest is Alexandria Hart. Alex runs GoodJooJoo, a digital marketing agency that focuses on digital acquisition channels, email marketing, and marketing automation. She and her small team work with a range of e-commerce clients, but one thing remains consistent: they work with people who inspire them. Alex used to be a one-woman show, but over time, her business grew and she brought on employees to help out. While she could do everything herself, at some point it was going to cause burnout. Being able to identify when you should hire comes down to being highly self-aware. It took feeling exhausted all the time and having a hard time meeting deliverables before Alex realized it was time for her to grow her team. But it's easier to get out of the hole before you dig yourself too deep into it. When she began hiring, Alex recognized that just having someone on board to do menial, repetitive tasks was not what she needed. Instead, she needed to find someone to fill in the gaps on tasks she felt she wasn't good at so she could focus on her strengths. Making the leap to hiring can be scary, but it can also be an essential part of building a business without burning out. At some point you are going to run out of steam doing it all yourself. Alex and I talk about how hiring can help you avoid that. As well as how to hire, when to hire, and why. "Just like any mistakes or any experience, if something goes wrong with hiring, you should say, 'Ok, this is what I learned and this is what I'm going to apply to the next person I hire.'" In this episode Alex talks about: Why and how employees can help you both personally and professionally. How to figure out who you should hire and what skills they should have. How to calculate who you can afford and how to think about the money you spend on an employee. What "red flags" you should be looking for before hiring. Main Takeaways Make sure your hire someone before you get burned out. Having a team will help you avoid that. Good leaders hire for the gaps in their own skill set. Take stock of what you are good at and find someone to fill the roles you're not good at. Think about the investment in your employees not just from a money perspective, but from a time perspective as well, and see if that makes hiring worth it. Lack of willingness and poor communication are the biggest red flags in hiring. You don't want people who aren't willing to try something new and potentially fail. Links GoodJooJoo Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Working with a team is one of the best things that you can do to help accomplish your goals. It refocuses your time on the important high-value tasks that only you do, and that make your business work. Here are some tips for managing your team more effectively. 1. Clearly communicate expectations When you're hiring someone, it's a good practice to write out an in-depth job description so that you know what kind of skills are needed. It also helps clarify things such as pay and time commitment. Make sure the person you end up hiring is aware of your expectations. 2. Define KPIs KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are critical. Every person you hire will need to handle a different role and there should be different benchmarks by which they are evaluated. It's important to let your team members know what success looks like for their position, so make sure that KPIs are clearly communicated. 3. Set up weekly one-on-ones It's important to meet with your team at least once a week. Ask them how they're doing, show empathy, care about them and their position. Ask how you can support them in their role, and they'll return that favor. 4. Schedule tasks ahead of time Before you're done with work on Friday, assign all the next week's tasks for your team so that they know what is expected of them. No one likes surprises in a work environment, so try and be thorough in assigning your tasks. 5. Estimate project timelines A lot of teams, including mine, rank time on a zero to three scale. Zero means it takes very little time, three means it takes a lot of time. This helps you and your team figure out how much time everything will take in a given day. 6. Ask how you can help Take time, maybe in the middle of the week, to check in with your team and ask what you can do to help them. Asking questions, even if they're not work related, makes them feel heard and supported. 7. Say "Thank You" People love being told "thank you," especially when they've gone above and beyond for a task. When you pay them a compliment or say thanks, really mean it. This is important not only for the sake of morale, but because it's the right thing to do. "You need to focus on your zone of genius. Your time is valuable and it's crucial that you're spending time on the things that you are best at and that produce money for your business." Main Takeaways You need a team to help you take over the small tasks so you can focus on growing your business. Communication is key. Whether you're describing a job, outlining expectations, or just checking in, communication is at the center of everything. Treat your freelancers like real human beings with feelings. Even simple conversation helps endear them to you and your work. Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Consistency is key to getting things done. If you truly want to change the way you operate your life and business, you need to be consistent in the actions that will get you there. After a while, these small, seemingly insignificant, changes can make a big impact. The compound effect of being consistent is hard to overstate. Today, we'll talk about how you can master consistency, and the results you can see from the compound effect. Ways to Stay Consistent Understand the "why" behind your consistency. If you don't know why you are being consistent, it will be impossible to change your habits and build long-term goals. Do your "consistent tasks" early in the day (within reason). Whether it's exercising or emailing clients, do it first thing when you wake up or soon after. Start before you're ready. You'll probably never "feel" like doing your tasks, but if you start the physical act of doing it, your feelings will follow. Stay accountable to someone. If you tell someone your plans and have a partner in your task, you're far more likely to stick with it for fear of letting them down. Create recurring tasks in your project management system. This enables you to check tasks off your list every day and get that feeling of accomplishment. "If you do the thing that you're being trying to be consistent with early in the day and get it out of the way, you will not make room for excuses and they won't get in the way of you seeing the manifestation of the compound effect." Main Takeaways Consistency and the compound effect can increase your earning power and business development. Always show up and do the work and the long-term impact will not disappoint. If you set a goal to reach out to to new people every day, eventually you're going to get better at talking to people and pitching your business, and figure out what works and what doesn't. The best way to start reprogramming your mind is to understand your "why". Take the time to figure it out because it's the pivotal point for getting results. Links The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

None of us work for free. Every dollar we make is important to living the entrepreneurial lifestyle we want, so it's important to know if we're maximizing the amount of income we could be making. Today, we're going to look at how you might be leaving money on the table, as well as some strategies for how you can re-capture some of that wealth. Drop low-value tasks Many of us spend too much time on low-value tasks. Small tasks need to be batched, automated, or hired out so you can spend more time creating valuable services or products. Streamline Streamlining your systems will allow you to use your time more efficiently on higher-value tasks, and pend time thinking about improving processes and solving for larger business cases versus one-off solutions. Hire help Hire some kind of help. Even if you're just starting out, hiring help will free up some of your important time and allow you to make more money. The best place for this person to start is with those low-value tasks. Payment reminder emails Payment reminder emails are a great way to make sure that you get paid. Batching your invoice emails at the beginning of the week will make sure that you're sending out reminders without spending time chasing down individual clients or payments. Have your VA scrape your inbox Having your virtual assistant go through your inbox once a day and look for client-related feedback is the perfect way to consolidate all your notes and tasks without spending a ton of time on email. Track your time Use a time tracking app like Toggl to find out how much time you're spending (or wasting) on any given project. This will help you prioritize, and increase efficiency and ROI. Have a qualifying call with potential clients Just because someone wants to hire you doesn't mean that you should take their business. Do a qualifying call so you can determine if they would be a worthwhile investment of your time and energy. "The fact that you're not doing this is keeping you from thousands of dollars in your business because you're not investing time in order to streamline your processes." Main Takeaways Time is money. The best way to stop leaving money on the table is to optimize your time. Batching, automating, and hiring are great ways to reclaim your time for high-value tasks. Tracking time and pre-qualifying clients is a simple way to make sure you're not wasting time. Links Drawn To Ecology Toggl Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Before we dive in to today's episode, I wanted to let you know my new, free webinar on how to get a steady stream of high-quality clients is now available. If you've ever struggled to balance working on your business and bringing in new clients, this webinar is for you. I've talked about zone of genius and niching down many times before. Getting into your zone of genius means that you are focusing on what you're great at — what you do better than no one else. As I've been niching down my own business, I was able to create processes for what I do, and it's given my business a clear blueprint for new projects. When you do this, you don't have to reinvent the wheel anymore. Today, we're diving deeper into those long-term effects, and what happens when you've been in your zone of genius for a while. What happens when you feel like you've already made it as a freelancer and you're continuing to refine your business and value proposition? "Niching down and staying in your zone of genius, figuring out what you're great at, is going to actually provide amazing long-term benefits in money, time, effort, and energy." In this episode Avani talks about: The results that come from staying in your zone of genius. How you can leverage those new results to move forward with your business. What you can expect from staying in your niche for the long-term. Main Takeaways As you narrow down and refine your zone of genius, you become more efficient. Processes put in place for new clients and projects will save you time and money, and increase your ROI. The more refined you are, the more profits you can expect because what you are offering is rare. Once you are more efficient and making more money, you can re-invest those profits into your team and grow even more. Growing your team and becoming more efficient frees you up to do more of what you do best. Links Free Quality Client Webinar Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Everyone needs a break every once in a while. If you're employed by an agency or traditional business, it's pretty easy to request PTO and take your time. The life of a freelancer is a little bit different. We have clients that demand our attention and it's not always easy to put down our phones or computers and get away. We often feel like if we step away from our business that it will fall apart in our absence. Taking a vacation or at least stepping away from work for a period of time is an essential part of ensuring that you remain your sharpest for your business. It doesn't just come from working nonstop all the time. Understanding how your work fits into the grand scheme of your life is an essential part of working for yourself and is what allows you to balance your time and energy effectively. It may require some journaling, but it's important to figure that out if you are working for yourself. Even though taking a vacation can be daunting for a freelancer, if you plan, communicate, and strategize appropriately, you'll be able to have the best of both worlds. In this episode we'll dive into how I take vacations and give you some tips so you can, too. "You don't have to be perfect and you can take an amazing workcation and still make money and still provide value to your clients. It is possible for this to be a win, win, win all the way around." In this episode Avani talks about: How to plan your vacation and the subsequent work that you will "miss". Managing business development while you're away. How to manage your communication while on vacation. Main Takeaways Cancel all your meetings and check-ins and handle feed back asynchronously, but make sure to keep clear lines of communication for your clients and team. Take a break from active business development. Only respond to inbound leads and put off actual meetings until you get back. Prioritize your messages and projects so that when you check in, you're efficient with your time and priorities. Adjust your mindset so you believe that your vacation is an important part of work-life balance! Links Free Quality Client Webinar Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today's guest is content creator all-star Nicholas Cole. Nicolas (aka Cole) is cofounder of Digital Press — a business that helps companies position their founders and CEOs as thought leaders through written content. Cole's background is a bit unusual. As a teenager, he was a top-ranked "World of Warcraft" player. As he got older, he moved into body building before finally landing in his career as a writer. Through his growth as a writer, he launched Digital Press. Today, Digital Press has an entire staff of copywriters and editors working to present CEOs and Founders as thought leaders in their given niches. In this episode, Cole gives us some tips on content creation, finding your voice, and building loyalty for your content. "I treat content the same way that I would approach investing: it's not the day trade method, it's the Warren Buffett method. Invest in something that's going to be sustainable over the long term." In this episode Nicolas talks about: How to make content that engages with your audience and keeps them invested in you. How to find your voice as a writer. How getting feedback is critical in figuring out how and what you content you create. Main Takeaways The more you can connect with an audience on a personal level, the more interested they will be in the content you're creating. You cannot find your voice unless you are actively speaking. You have to quantify how you will be better than those around you. Pay attention to what others in our sphere of influence are doing and then pivot to find a way to stand out. Look at the content you are creating as an investment in a library and as a way to build loyalty, instead of chasing viral content. Links Digital Press Sapiens (book) Nicolas Cole Website Nicolas on Quora Nicolas on Minutes Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today we're talking about my March income report. I know it's been a while since I've done one of these, but I wanted to give you a little insight into how I made what I did in March. A little background Before July 2018, my business was steadily bringing in about $10k-$15k every month. This was great because it was sustainable, consistent income that allowed my business to operate. In July, my business finally hit $20k in revenue and we continued that until the end of 2018. In January, I decided that (a little too ambitiously) I wanted to double my revenue. I needed to scale There is no way that the systems or team I had in place would be able to handle $40k/mo in revenue. This lead me to hire some more people for my team so that I could focus on business development. January and February were all about preparing for growth, which meant I was re-investing the money I was making back into my business. In March, we decided to open the floodgates: here are the results. The numbers In March, we pulled in $31,218. Of that, about 37 percent was teams and services (Designers, VAs, Health Insurance, etc…). On top of that, I am paying myself a salary and I'm putting money aside for taxes so that I don't have to scramble at the end of the quarter to find that cash. When it was all said and done, our company made about $10k in profit. Looking to the future Now that we've done the big stuff, such as hiring new people, we are ready for growth. Our expenses should stay fixed (in dollar amounts) moving forward and we will be able to take in more money as we get new clients. "My goal is to give you an insight into how I'm scaling and growing my freelance business in hopes that you can learn from my mistakes and from some of the good things that I'm doing. I want you to be able to apply those things in your business so that you can scale even more quickly, effectively, and sustainably." Main Takeaways You have to look inward when you want to know whether or not you should grow. Sit on this question and let the answer come to you so you can make the next best decision. Grow your team, and all of the systems in your business first and then the revenue will catch up. Set yourself a profit goal along with a revenue goal so you can feel like you're making real money for the work that you're putting in. Links Six Figure Freelancer Episode 117 Profit First Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today, I'm excited to share with you a great conversation with my good friend Carley Zuercher, or as I like to call her, "The Pinterest Queen". Carly runs CZ Invitations where she specializes in designing custom wedding invitations for couples. On top of that, she is an expert at curating and driving traffic to her website via Pinterest, resulting in over one million views each month. She also runs a small consulting business, aimed at Pinterest, called Two Can, and has written an ebook on how to effectively use Pinterest as a marketing tool. In our conversation Carly breaks down all of this for us, and shares a few things she's working on. It's chock full of good tips for how to have a Pinterest account that produces for you and brings you more clients and more dollars, not just traffic. "People search Pinterest when they want to learn something. So if you're a blog and you're teaching somebody something or sharing whatever it might be, people are searching for that on Pinterest." In this episode Carley talks about: Why she uses Pinterest and why you should too. How there is real money to be made on Pinterest and how much money she makes from it. How to format your pins correctly for optimal conversions. Main Takeaways Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform. As soon as you recognize this, you can use it as a really powerful marketing tool. Keep your Pinterest images clean, simple and straightforward. People like to know what they can expect when they click through. If you have something that you're selling, make multiple pins for it and direct it where you want it to go so that you have the best chance of converting a Pinterest user and reaching the broadest audience. Links CZ Invitations Two Can Pinterest e-book Carley on Instagram Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

We all know those days. The ones where you're running around, with barely enough time for lunch, let alone any time for yourself. Today, we're going to talk about how to find peace during those crazy days. Start the day with something to center yourself If you know you're going to have a busy day, try and start it off with something that helps you feel at peace. It could be meditating, taking time for yourself, or drinking a cup of coffee. If you can start the day right, then you have a great shot at tackling the rest of your busy day. Take deep breaths Breathing is so important, but we often don't give it the credit it deserves. When you're in the middle of a stressful situation, try taking a deep breath in and out. Pretend you are literally blowing away your stress and anxiety and you'll feel a million times better at the end. Keep a notepad nearby It could be a physical or a digital notepad, just something to record your thoughts. Use whatever it is as a way to dump all your thoughts and ideas out onto paper. This will help you remember important tasks that are getting thrown to the wayside by your busy day. Nothing is life or death I think this one is the most important. You need to remind your self that whatever it is you're stressing over can probably wait. You need to take a break, take some time to find peace, and stop thinking that everything has to be done right now. "Take the time to be quiet and center yourself, even if it's only five minutes. It really matters when you can do that pause and then proceed with the rest of your day. " Main Takeaways Finding inner peace is just as important as everything else in your day — make sure to find time for it. You have all the tools you need to find inner peace, you just need to decide how you will use them. Inner peace is always there, we just have things blocking it. Try and go out of your way to uncover it. Links Asana Trello Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

We talk so much about freedom and the digital nomad lifestyle on this podcast, and that's why I'm so excited to share this conversation with you. Rob Palmer is on the show today, and he's a pioneer in that digital nomad lifestyle and the founder of GoFreelance.com. Rob started freelancing nearly 20 years ago. He started as a journalist then shifted to copywriting, scoring work with big tech companies like Apple, IBM and Microsoft. When he began his freelance career, he spent most of his time marketing and making connections to help bring in work. But as soon as he landed his first big client, all of his marketing efforts took a backseat. He realized that this just created a cycle of having to start from scratch every time a project ended. This insight pushed Rob to help other freelancers avoid the same cycles. He founded GoFreelance.com, where he teaches other aspiring digital nomads how to live their dream life, and how to leverage marketing and networking on an ongoing basis to keep the flow of incoming clients consistent. In this episode, Rob talks about how he got started freelancing, his tips and tricks to make freelance fulfilling, and how you can live your best life as a digital nomad. "As a freelancer, you want to be more of the consultant who's not only doing work, but actually providing real value in helping clients achieve their goals." In this episode Rob talks about: Mistakes freelancers make when they first start out. How you can use LinkedIn to grow your network and land more higher paying clients. How to get into the swing of being a digital nomad, and tips for making sure you thrive and meet client's expectations. Main Takeaways You must think of yourself as a business person if you want your freelance business to grow, especially as a creative. Make sure that landing a big client doesn't eat into your marketing or your future potential to get more clients. Using a virtual assistant to make your connections via LinkedIn can land you connections with clients that have far larger marketing budgets than local businesses. Links GoFreelance.com GoFreelance on Pinterest Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Everyone in business wants to make money, right? Today, we're going to talk about prioritizing money-making tasks. Every task is different and we need to figure out how each one will benefit our bottom line. All tasks are not created equal There's no denying that some tasks are simply worth more than others. Your Instagram post for the day will not get you as much money as calling back a client. We need to be deliberate and careful about how we spend our time each day and assign an ROI (return on investment) to the tasks we choose to do. To understand this better, you need to understand the three types of money on which your business operates. 1. Money Now This is money that is coming in the next 1-30 days. These are generally quick turn around projects that are straight forward and require minimal discovery or research. 2. Maintenance Money Maintenance money is the recurring money. It's the retainers or recurring money that we work at to fulfill deliverables. A lot of people (for many reasons) choose to go for maintenance money first. Checking things off a to-do list feels good, but this doesn't bring in a whole lot of money. Maintenance money should really only occupy about 10 percent of our time. 3. Money Later This is the money that will come to you at a later date: Sales, marketing, business development, etc. This is the scary one that people love to put off, but it's very important for the health of our businesses. We should be spending somewhere about 70-80 percent of our time on money later so that we can continue to grow into the future. "If you really want real money coming into your business, there is a shift that you need to make in your prioritization. It might be hard, especially in the beginning, but I want you to at least have it in your mind and realize where your time is going." Main Takeaways Prioritize your money later tasks. They are the most important and are critical to growing your business and keeping it sustainable. Hire a virtual assistant to offload maintenance money tasks. They can take care of little things while you are growing your business. Block off time in your week to do nothing but money later tasks so that they don't slip through the cracks. Links "Money Matrix" LionHeart Workshop Stay in touch Get The Client Magnet Roadmap Follow Avani on Twitter Follow Avani on Instagram Follow Avani on LinkedIn

Today's episode is something special. I was recently a guest on the Today I Am podcast with Lauryn Miranda, and the conversation was so good. I wanted to replay this episode for you because she asked me so many great questions about money mindset, abundance mindset, and how those things can effect your live and business. Lauryn has done something amazing with her podcast — she's created a nourishing and supportive space dedicated to authenticity, spirituality, and social transformation. I highly recommend you check it out. I hope you guys enjoy this episode, and please go check out Lauryn's show! "If I'm able to put out into the world my intentions, where I want to go in this world, then I'm giving specific instructions to my brain for what I want to make happen and it will help me make that happen." In this episode Lauryn and I talked about: How I got to be the freelancer I am today, and the mindset that helped me get here (and helps me succeed today). My thoughts on money, and how I use it to further my business and cultivate an abundance mindset. How our generation differs in our priorities from past generations. Main Takeaways Hard work and going the extra mile are critical to succeeding and thriving as a freelancer, and will set you apart from others. Money is a tool that you use to grow, not something that you need to be a slave to, nor chase after just to have more of. Having an abundance mindset and not being scared of the numbers will allow you the freedom you've always wanted as a freelancer. Links Today I am Podcast Today I am Podcast on Instagram

Today's guest is Kate Jones. Kate is founder of Kate Waldo + Co. Kate loves helping influencers focus on their strengths by eliminating the stress and streamlining their businesses. Kate got started with her organizing business because she loved systems, and got her thrills from figuring out how to optimize and organize people's professional and personal lives. After struggling to scale the business, it was time for a major intervention on the administrative side. Though lots of experimentation and trail and error, she was able to figure out what worked for her business. In this episode, we talk about how to optimize your business and how to automate certain tasks so that you can keep doing what you love to do. "If you don't have a solid foundation and systems in place under the hood, it can look really good out in the world for a little while, but you can't maintain it. You're going to miss something." In this episode Kate talks about: How she manages her personal and professional life with tasks, organization, and automation. Why she uses a CRM tool and how it makes her life easier (and can make your's easier, too). Her strategies on systems and organizations for businesses that are just getting off the ground. Main Takeaways If you don't have a good foundation for your systems, things might look good from the outside, but you won't be able to maintain your pace. The two systems you absolutely have to have in place are a centralized task list/project management tool and a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) tool. One of the biggest mistake you can makes is not having any systems in place when you start your business. Links Kate Waldo + Co. Kate on Instagram Kate Waldo Webinar Kate on YouTube Kate on Pinterest Kate on Facebook Asana Trello Dubsado

Today's guest is Celia Yarwood. Celia is founder and designer at Blurred Pixel based in Tallinn, Estonia. After decided to step away from the corporate world, Celia started her own online agency to offer branding and website design services. She previously worked for Addison Group, which is part of WPP, the leading advertising agency in the world. She has been designing for more than five years and doesn't see herself stopping anytime soon. She loves getting in on the ground floor and working with entrepreneurs and companies who aren't sure where to start with their brand or website, and then helping take that branding to the next level. Celia's experience and knowledge about how to connect to your intuition and deepest self, come from her own life. She lives every day infused with fun and happiness and has a deep sense of contentment — something she hopes to bring to every interaction with others. "The small voice or instinct in your gut and heart that can offer guidance. And this can sometimes be gentle guidance or it can be coaching guidance. It all depends on what you're being guided to." In this episode Celia talks about: What that inner voice really is and how to use it to your advantage. How your ego can sabotage you, and ways to keep it in check. Ways to listen to your intuition when it comes to freelancing and accomplishing your most important tasks. Main Takeaways Your inner voice is there for a reason. Train yourself to listen to it so you can reap the full benefits of its guidance. Be careful of your ego. It covers up your inner voice and will often lead you to unhelpful or selfish solutions. Batch the tasks that tend to drain your energy and that you find yourself resisting. Try getting them out of the way all at once so your intuition can better guide you throughout the day. Links Blurred Pixel Celia Yarwood on Instagram Celia Yarwood on Twitter Pixel Mint Jess Lively

Getting clients is hard work, and it's even harder if you don't have the mindset for it. In the first few months of my business, I did not have a killer client mindset. But I worked at it, trained it like a muscle, and now I think I've got a pretty great client mindset! Today, I'm going to share with you a couple of tricks for cultivating a killer client mindset and taking your business to the next level. Using neuroplasticity to your advantage You can change your situation by changing your mindset. If I gave you a dollar for every red car you saw, you would start noticing a lot more red cars. The same is true with success. If you strengthen the neural pathway that tells you you'll land clients and be successful, then chances are, you will. This is the foundation for having a killer client mindset. Read your affirmations daily You need to have a list of affirmations to tell your brain what you want your reality to be like. To create your inner reality, write it down and describe it with great detail. Read it back every single day so that you can put yourself in the frequency that will help you attract the reality you want. Try reading it once in the morning, and once at night. Write every day The daily act of writing and that physical act of moving your hand on a piece of paper and seeing things come out is creating a relationship to your affirmations. This relationship, this act of writing, will make your brain associate with your affirmations even more strongly than just reading them. Write an affirmation or belief 10-15 times a day to make it stick. Look at the bright spots Look at your business and find the successes. Take that excitement and energy, even if the bright spot was a while ago, and channel it back into your business. Sink into that feeling and tap into that mindset because your mindset will attract more of the same bright spots you were so excited about. "The shortcut to being who you want to be is to change your mental state. The person who wins is just really skilled at programming his or her brain." Main Takeaways Your mindset is everything. You need to retool your mindset and strengthen your neural pathways to achieve the success you're after. Everything starts in the brain. Habits are the best way to strengthen your neuroplasticity. Create habits around your affirmations and you'll believe them more confidently. Links Avani on Twitter Avani on Instagram

Today's guest is Kristin Kaplan. Kristin runs a consulting business where she helps creative entrepreneurs and online experts create revenue quickly in order to gain freedom in their businesses. Before getting into consulting, Kristin owned and operated a wedding planning business. She noticed many of the small businesses she worked with were not making enough money, or weren't profitable at all. She decided to figure out a way to help them, and over time it grew into a fully-fledged consulting firm. Today, Kristin helps small businesses "Plan to Profit" and strategize approaches to their business' offerings, happily immersing herself in goals, action plans, budgets, marketing strategies, and mission statements. In this episode, we dig deep into how to create more profit for your business, how to price properly, and elevate your income. "It all comes back to taking action and executing because you can just keep sitting there and dreaming of all the cool things you want to do or the ideas that you have, but if you're not going to actually create a plan and execute it step by step, then you're never going to get there." In this episode Kristin talks about: How to price your services by looking at the numbers Planning and budgeting to make your profit goals Figuring out and properly charging for your unique value Main Takeaways It's critical to get a handle on your numbers, even if you're not inclined to think that way. They are as important as any other aspect of your business. Setting income goals is important. You need to visualize your expenses and know how much you need to make to be profitable. Figuring out your unique value and what separates you from your competitors. Links Kristin Kaplan Kristin Kaplan on Instagram Most Profitable Year Planning for Profit Podcast

We all want to grow our businesses. But are you going about it in the right way? Today we're talking all about the growth stages of your business — how they work, and how you can utilize them best to accomplish your goals. Preparing for Growth Before anything, you need to make sure that you prepare for growth. This means fleshing out the details of your businesses, making sure your finances are in order, and that all your other infrastructure is in place so that when growth arrives you're not unprepared. Growth Phase Now that you've prepared for growth, the growing phase is pretty straightforward: you're growing! This is the time when you need to be hitting the streets, talking to potential clients, and lining up new work. You also need to be communicating to existing clients why your growth phase will benefit them and how they will see value in your growth. Stabilizing Stabilizing is like moving into a light jog after being in an all-out sprint. You can finally breathe a little bit. While you are stabilizing, you should focus on bringing your expenses down, making sure that your business is supporting your lifestyle and taking time to relax. But don't spend too much time here — you want to get right back into the growth phase. "Preparation, growth and stabilization are critical for your business to run how you want it to, spin off and give you money how you want it to, and be something that is sustainable and also sustains your lifestyle." Main Takeaways If you don't grow, your business won't be sustainable. Always keep growth on your mind. Finances and infrastructure for your business are critical in every phase. You can never be sustainable if your systems aren't supporting your business. Links "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz

Katherine McDermott is back on the show! I was so excited to talk to her again, because she has so much great advice for freelancers. Before striking out on her own, Katherine managed the brand of an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Company while landing press in Buzzfeed, Forbes, Good Morning America, among others. She also served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for HGTV's Property Brothers. Katherine now runs Slightly Savvy, an influencer's sneak peek behind the scenes of the PR world, built to deliver the most transparent PR insights to bloggers and influencers who want to transform their blog into a business. Like many others, when Katherine was growing up, she was taught not to talk about religion, money, or politics with others. So most people just feel, from the beginning, that talking about money and pricing is tacky. However, she found that if you never bring it up with clients, you're never going to get paid what you want, and sometimes even end up working for free (or close to it). She wants to change that behavior for freelancers. We talked a lot about negotiation, pricing, when to say no, and other tips and tricks to get you the money you want to be making. "If you're not willing to negotiate, you're 100% not going to get what you want. You're never going to even get close. To get paid what you want, you have to build up to the practice of negotiating as a reflex." In this episode Katherine talks about: How she learned to talk about money confidently Her strategies for justifying price increases and talking about her fees The benefits that clients receive by working with her and how you can replicate them Main Takeaways If you don't talk about money, you end up avoiding conversations and you end up not getting paid what you want Rely on the actual value that you're providing to justify price increases. Show results and data if you can get them. Be firm on a minimum amount and be upfront about your costs. Just because a client can't afford it doesn't mean that it is a reflection on you as a person. Don't take it personally. Links Slightly Savvy Katherine McDermott on Instagram Katherine on Episode 90 Swipe Up Podcast

As freelancers, we generally don't have the luxury of a regular routine or schedule, which can effect our health and our bodies. Today, I'm sharing nine steps that I use to keep my body and mind healthy while keeping my stress levels at a minimum. 1. Drink water Our bodies are made of 70 percent water! We are constantly losing water during the day from different activities, so we should be drinking at least half our body weight in ounces every day. We need that water to function properly, so set a goal of how many bottles you'll drink a day and try to hit it. 2. Consume 30 grams of protein in the morning Protein gives you the energy you need to power through to lunch. You can accomplish this with things like Greek yogurt, eggs, or protein powder. Try adding in some leafy greens as well. It's easy to throw some of these items into a blender and make a smoothie and take it with you. You'll have the energy you need to take on the morning! 3. Pack healthy snacks ahead of time Do all of the prep work the night before, because as we all know, if we wait until morning, we won't do it. It only takes 10 minutes to cut up some apples, bananas, carrots, and a sweet pepper and then get some hummus ready for dipping. When your body starts telling you to refuel during the day, you'll have healthy options at the ready. 4. Take your daily vitamins Women especially can lose different vitamins and minerals through their every day existence, so it's important to replenish these and make sure that you're keeping your body balanced. I take Nutrilite vitamins and love them, they're an organic vitamin company and make a great product. 5. Exercise Ideally you should be exercising five to six times a week. If you're not there yet, try starting out with just three times a week. It's not only good for your muscles and your heart, it's good for your brain. Exercising releases endorphins, which make you feel great when you're done. 6. Limit caffeine Caffeine is fine to a degree, but too much can boost your cortisol levels, which stresses us out. Caffeine has a long half-life as well, which means if you drink it too late in the day, you can interrupt your sleep patterns. Avoid this by trying to make your afternoons caffeine-free. 7. Get sleep You should be trying to get eight hours of sleep a night, but if you can't make that happen, try and block time for a 30 minute nap in the middle of the day. Try to put blue light filters on your devices as well, because that blue light is preventing you from getting quality sleep. 8. Meditate One of my favorite activities is meditating. My brain is always on, so I love having that peace and quiet to center myself. This will help you get rid of some of that cortisol and lower your stress levels. Headspace has a really great meditation app if you're looking to try it for yourself. 9. Step outside The Japanese have a concept of "Forest Bathing," which is getting out into the forest and taking in everything around you. Get outside and get some fresh air. Take in nature. It will give your body new oxygen, some much needed vitamins, and reduce your stress levels. "If we don't have a healthy mind, body, and spirit, frankly we're not going to be able to reap the benefits and an enjoy the rewards of this life that we're building for ourselves." Main Takeaways Drink enough water, half your body weight in ounces is ideal. This is important because it flushes toxins out of your body and will give you energy. Eat a good lunch. Take a break from 12pm-2pm and get a nutritious, quality lunch. It will give you the energy you need to continue with your day. Get enough sleep. Sleep is important for how we feel throughout the day, so notice your quality of sleep and how much you're getting. Links Nutrilite Headspace

In today's episode, I talk with Elley Mae Charles. Elley is the founder of "Becoming Boss Society" a woman-focused consultancy aimed at transforming side hustles into full-time businesses. Elley has been hustling since high school. She started in photography before transitioning into a successful beauty and makeup blog. In her early 20s, she had a full-time job that was eventually eliminated by her employer. She was determined to use the opportunity to strike out on her own and be her own boss. She was drawn to the path of running her own business because of the freedom it offered. She wanted to make her own rules and be her own boss, rather than be seen as an expense to someone else. Creating a positive mindset, being intentional about her work, and batching monotonous tasks are just some of the things have helped her create a successful business. In this conversation, she shares some of the secrets and stories that got her to where she is today. "As long as you have unshakable faith in yourself that you've done everything you could do, that's all that matters." In this episode Elley talks about: Her history of side-hustling and full-time employment How she was able to transform her side-hustles into her own full-time business Why people should have side-hustles and how to successfully transition to full-time How to find the right side-hustle and how to take the next step Main Takeaways If it's not making you money, batch it, automate it, or eliminate it to free up your time. You need that time to grow your business and accomplish tasks that add value. You need to be intentional about your work and clear on the fundamental reasons why you're doing it. It's important to know why you want your side-hustle to succeed both personally and professionally. When you start focusing on helping people, ideas for your business and services will begin to flow. This means nurturing the community around your business and focusing on them instead of just chasing new leads. Links Elley Mae Becoming Boss Society Elley Mae on Instagram Toggl Time Tracker

Proposals are an important part of freelancing. There isn't "one way" to write proposals. Different situations require different kinds of proposals. However, we can always improve, and here are some strategies that will help you write great proposals your clients will love. 1. Cut the fluff Your clients are busy people. They are CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, etc. They don't have time to wade through a giant proposal filled with extra "stuff" designed to make it look important. Streamline your proposals so they can be digested in five minutes or less, but be sure to include all the information your client may need. 2. Do a discovery call The key to a good proposal is information. You need to find out what your client is thinking, what their problems are (in depth), and sell them on how you will be able to fix those problems. Do a discovery call, and make sure you ask as many questions as you need to get a full understanding of what their problems are, their timelines, and your deliverables. 3. Streamline one-time job proposals One-time jobs are always a good source of income, but they don't need to eat up a lot of your time. Use apps and tools to help streamline proposals, but be clear to your client that they can always ask more questions. 4. Spend more time on bigger proposals or retainer work It's worth it to spend more time on proposals that involve more money, such as large projects or retainer work. Here are some things to keep in mind with these proposals. Give them a scope of work. Outline what their problem is and the solution you will implement to fix it. Be sure to explain your process and how it will solve the problem they're hiring you to fix. Give pricing options. Add options for your pricing. This will have a dual effect of allowing you to up-sell a bigger package (and make more money), and it will also put the client in a position of picking at least one of the options. Giving people options forces them to think about which option to chose, rather than a simple "yes" or "no". 5. Iterate with your client Your ability to create custom proposals and do custom work is what will set you apart from other agencies. Let your clients know that they can always ask questions and work with you on your proposal, so that they are more inclined to sign the contract. "If you don't have a good foundation for your proposal, your proposal is not going to be the best, and it's not going to be one that they're going to want to jump up and down and say yes to." Main Takeaways Streamline. Whether it's for one-time work or big projects, make sure that your clients can quickly digest what you're offering. Be thorough. Make sure you've done your research, made calls, and provided them with in-depth information if they need it. Iterate with your clients and make them feel heard. Work together to get your proposal, deliverables, and price to a place where you're both happy. Links Avani's Instagram

In today's episode, I talk with Giselle Field. Giselle is a one-woman branding and design company. She loves to travel, and uses her travels as inspiration for her work. Giselle started college as an art major, but realized it wasn't for her. She quickly stumbled upon a graphic design class and has never looked back. After college, she had a hard time finding full-time design work, and this pushed her to pursue freelancing and build her skills as an entrepreneur. Overcoming fear and getting out of her comfort zone were crucial in getting Giselle to where she is today. Diving into freelancing full-time can be a scary scenario, especially if it's not something you're choosing. But Giselle realized she had to find ways to move out of her comfort zone in order to move forward personally and professionally. Along the way, her now husband introduced her to rock climbing, which was helped her carry her confidence into the business world. The sport has taught her a lot about fear and perseverance, and has helped her overcome similar challenges in her career. "You just have to put yourself out there, get out of your comfort zone, and think, what's the worst that can happen?" In this episode Giselle talks about: Her journey to freelancing and entrepreneurship The fears she faced along the way and what strategies she used to overcome them Advice and tips for freelancers who are starting out and what they can do to be successful How calculated risk is important for getting ahead in the freelancing world and how to get comfortable with taking risks Main Takeaways Calculated risk is the best way to expose yourself to different things and grow as a freelancer. Fear is holding you back from moving to the next level, but you can overcome it. You won't get to where you want to be if you keep waiting for everything to be perfect, or if you stop learning about your industry. Links Wander Design Co. Giselle Field on Instagram

Creativity can be a hard thing to recapture. With our busy lives and all the distractions, sometimes it can fall by the wayside. As freelancers, we need this creativity to move forward with our businesses. Here are a few tips to getting your creative spark back. 1. Change Your Environment When you're stuck in the same place day in and day out, it can wear on you. Try changing it up a little bit and working from a new location. It can be a coffee shop, a friend's house, or on a hike. Try to change up your surroundings and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel. 2. Get Human Contact Humans are social creatures and we thrive on interactions. We all get busy and forget to go and hang out with our friends or have lunches with peers. Go interact with people (and get some hugs if you can)! The exchange of energy between you and another person is a great fix for a creative slump. 3. Make A Bliss List I truly believe that the energy we're feeling will attract more of the same. Write down a five-point list of your favorite feelings, favorite people, and things about yourself that make you happy. Then go back to the second list (people) and do something nice for one of them. It'll totally re-frame your mindset and help put you back on track. 4. Do Something Nice For Someone I'm saying this one twice because I really believe it's important. Do something nice for someone (even if it's yourself) and you will immediately feel better. Helping others or yourself really puts you in a positive mindset and helps refresh your creativity. 5. Create White Space Whether this is in your brain, your closet, your desk, or somewhere else, you need to give yourself some breathing room. Clean things up, get organized, put your thoughts on paper, but just clear things out a bit. Being in the moment and enjoying your space will definitely help get your creativity back on track. 6. Have Fun! Life is way too short to not have a little bit of fun. We spend so much time stressing or looking at our phones, no wonder our creativity takes a nose dive. Go have some fun, it's the perfect way to center yourself and revive your creativity. "We need emotional energy to access our creativity, to be able to bring out those good ideas, and to have that white space in our day when we can just sit and let our brain work its magic." Main Takeaways Creativity can be hard to hold on to — you need to take steps to either maintain or reboot your creative mindset. Positive mindset and positive energy are a must in recapturing creativity. You need to frame your mindset and put yourself in a positive place to get out of a creative slump. Take action. You won't be able to get back in the creative zone by sitting around and waiting. Links Avani's Instagram

In today's episode, I talked with Court Baker. Court is a six-figure business coach for women launching online coaching business. She's an expert in online marketing strategies that help coaches build six- and seven-figure businesses. Through working with other coaches, Court learned how to help them with their businesses, and, specifically, how to increase their social followings. She knew where people wanted to be and how to get them there, and her business was born out of her talent for marketing and advising. Authenticity and personal branding are key to growing a coaching business, and Court helps her clients create authentic social media strategies. As you'll hear, this expertise comes from her own personal experiences with letting people peek into her life and showing vulnerability. It's allowed her customers to trust her and feel connected to her as a consultant. Court has been in the industry for 10 years and knows how to help clients get what they deserve. "Share your heart, your vulnerability, your story or emotions to build that connection with them, but also talk about the problem that you solve." In this episode Court talks about: Personal branding and building trust with clients. The top mistakes that online entrepreneurs are making and how to fix them. How she uses Instagram Stories to help sell herself and her services. Getting comfortable on camera, overcoming anxiety or introversion with social media, and creating engaging content for Instagram. Main Takeaways Personal branding is everything in online marketing. People are choosing you because of who you are and what you can offer them. Sales is built on authenticity and an emotional connection between you and your clients. Use this to guide your marketing and social media presence. Using video, especially on Instagram, is critical in capturing clients' attention and the key to showing them the problems you can solve for them. Links Episode 44: Lazy Marketing with Court Baker Court Baker on Instagram Court's website Enneagram Test Myers Briggs

Working with a team is one of the best things that you can do to help accomplish your goals. It refocuses your time on the important high-value tasks that only you do, and that make your business work. Here are some tips for managing your team more effectively. 1. Clearly communicate expectations When you're hiring someone, it's a good practice to write out an in-depth job description so that you know what kind of skills are needed. It also helps clarify things such as pay and time commitment. Make sure the person you end up hiring is aware of your expectations. 2. Define KPIs KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are critical. Every person you hire will need to handle a different role and there should be different benchmarks by which they are evaluated. It's important to let your team members know what success looks like for their position, so make sure that KPIs are clearly communicated. 3. Set up weekly one-on-ones It's important to meet with your team at least once a week. Ask them how they're doing, show empathy, care about them and their position. Ask how you can support them in their role, and they'll return that favor. 4. Schedule tasks ahead of time Before you're done with work on Friday, assign all the next week's tasks for your team so that they know what is expected of them. No one likes surprises in a work environment, so try and be thorough in assigning your tasks. 5. Estimate project timelines A lot of teams, including mine, rank time on a zero to three scale. Zero means it takes very little time, three means it takes a lot of time. This helps you and your team figure out how much time everything will take in a given day. 6. Ask how you can help Take time, maybe in the middle of the week, to check in with your team and ask what you can do to help them. Asking questions, even if they're not work related, makes them feel heard and supported. 7. Say "Thank You" People love being told "thank you," especially when they've gone above and beyond for a task. When you pay them a compliment or say thanks, really mean it. This is important not only for the sake of morale, but because it's the right thing to do. "You need to focus on your zone of genius. Your time is valuable and it's crucial that you're spending time on the things that you are best at and that produce money for your business." Main Takeaways You need a team to help you take over the small tasks so you can focus on growing your business. Communication is key. Whether you're describing a job, outlining expectations, or just checking in, communication is at the center of everything. Treat your freelancers like real human beings with feelings. Even simple conversation helps endear them to you and your work. Links Instagram

Taking action quickly is the most important thing that you can do to accomplish your goals. Sometimes it seems scary or intimidating. It can also be hard to know where to start. So, here are some tips on how to take action so that you can feel like you're getting stuff done. Action brings clarity Taking action allows you to test results. It brings validation to what you're doing and you eliminate some of the confusion (or at least options) in your brain, which creates more clarity on the direction you should be heading. Action helps manifestation Your brain truly can attract the reality that you desire. But attracting the opportunities is only the first step: you need to take action on the opportunities that come to you. The more opportunities you take action on, the more opportunities will come your way. It's a positive cycle of manifestation and taking action. Schedule action Put your action items on the calendar and make time for them so that you are forced to take action on it. If that's not working, try breaking it into smaller parts and accomplishing bite-sized tasks over time instead of everything at once. In addition, make yourself accountable to someone else so that they can keep you on track! Take baby steps The best way to take action quickly is to start with the tiniest, easiest thing you can do. These baby steps will snowball and you will end up accomplishing a lot, without it feeling like a giant project. "We're go-getters. We're making things happen. We're changing the world. We're dream chasers, and these are the types of people that take messy and massive action." Main Takeaways Action cures fear. It's hard to take action if we're letting our doubts and fears control us. But taking action actually helps melt away the fear. Our brains are powerful. We can attract what we want, but we also have to take action to make these things happen. No matter what we do, we're not going to be perfect. It's better to take messy action than no action at all. Links Marie Forleo Amy Porterfield Haley Burkhead

Today we're talking about networking. Networking is crucial for getting more business and referrals, so you want to try to expand your network at every opportunity. Here are three tips for how I expanded my network when I first moved to Austin, and how you can replicate these strategies for your own success. 1. Attend local events Interacting with people in your space and sharing tips and ideas with them is a great way to quickly expand your network. Remember to ask people how you can support them. This gesture means a lot, and they'll be sure to remember your kindness. 2. Say "Hi" to strangers Some of my current friendships came from saying "Hi" to random people in coffee shops! Set a goal of saying "Hi" to two people every day for a month and watch how your network explodes. It's easier than it sounds. Start by complementing someone on something relevant, and use that as a gateway to a bigger conversation. 3. Use your existing network Pick someone in your network that you admire and ask them to put you in touch with someone who's knowledgeable in a field you're interested in. Try checking out their LinkedIn profile and looking at their connections. If there's someone at a company or organization you want to be involved with, ask your connection to put you in touch with them. "We're human beings and we thrive on human relationships. So get out of your Instagram feed and go look around you." Main Takeaways Find groups and events that are exciting to you. Make sure you're getting value out of the events so you don't feel like you're wasting your time. Add value to others. Ask how you can support them and make sure you've created a two-way street. Don't just ask others for help. Take advantage of every opportunity to work on your human-to-human interaction. This includes talking to strangers. It will help with all aspects of your business. Links Meetup.com

In today's episode, I talked with Jen Davis. Jen owns and operates Jen Davis Design, a branding company focused on small, women-owned, creative businesses. Jen is a self-taught designer and started her career studying journalism. After graduating, she realized she was drawn more to the visual side of journalism, which led to learning design. Though she's not a journalist, storytelling is a big part of her job as a designer. After a few stints with magazines, she ended up moving to Texas and her freelance career was born (mostly out of necessity). Building an abundance mindset has been one of the best things Jen has done for her business. It has allowed her to create opportunities for her business that she never thought possible. It's also enabled her to start saying "no" more often, which is a critical component of running a successful freelance business. Jen has also learned a lot from failure along the way and, more importantly, has learned how to use failure to grow. She also emphasizes the importance of learning how to be the one driving your fear rather than letting others do it for you. Fear can actually be empowering if you learn how to control it. "As creatives, we need to realize that we're actually good at what we do." In this episode Jen talks about: How she got started in design/branding and how she transitioned to opening her own studio. Figuring out the details of running her own business, pricing, working with clients, and everything else involved. How she overcame self-doubt and fear around opening her own business. Building an abundance mindset and the shift it has created for her. Main Takeaways An abundance mindset, and believing that there are opportunities out there for you, are critical for reaching your goals. Opening a studio is more about learning to run a business than it is about designing. Don't let the fear of failure hold you back from pursuing something you are passionate about. Failing can help you build a better business. Links Jen Davis Design Elizabeth Gilbert: Big Magic | Creative Living Beyond Fear

Today we're talking about money and reaching that elusive goal of a six-figure salary. I really believe that all of you have the potential to be making $100k per year (or more.) Here are five tips on how you can get to a six-figure income. 1. Conviction You need to believe that you are selling the absolute best product someone can buy. People can tell when you're not convicted about what you're selling and that will end with you not making the sale. Really believe that you are doing right by your customer and that they are getting a premium product. 2. Educate yourself You are a business owner, you are in charge of marketing and sales. You need to be continually educating yourself on how you can do a better job, how you can make more sales, and how you can share value with your clients. 3. Persistence Keep going even if you get a lot of "No's". Every time you get a no is an opportunity to refine and practice your sales skills, and you're getting closer to the "Yes". 4. Selling is a good thing The exchange of goods or services for money is an amazing thing. It's energizing for both parties and results in a win-win situation. Make selling your friend and get comfortable with it — it can actually be a lot of fun! 5. Be a human Don't be a robot when selling. Listen, care, and show empathy for your client and the sales will follow! Your potential clients are humans just like you and they want to be treated as such. "Sales and marketing are the lifeblood of our businesses. These are the things that make our businesses thrive. This is what makes them grow and what makes them survive!" Main Takeaways Sales and marketing are the core of your business — don't fight it, instead learn everything you can about it. Provide a high-quality product to your customers and really believe that you are delivering something of value. Value your customers by listening to them and treating them as you want to be treated. Links How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger Why She Buys: The New Strategy for Reaching the World's Most Powerful Consumers by Bridget Brennan

Eden Fried from Bread and Butter Blogging is on the show today. We talked about the Rebel Boss Ladies Podcast and a framework for launching your first digital product. Eden started her entrepreneurial journey between college and entering the workforce. She was set to start law school when her brother gave her the words of wisdom she needed hear, which was to head out on her own and figure out what she truly want to do. In the beginning, blogging was tough, with lots of ups and downs. However, it set her on her current path. About a year into her journey, she launched her first online course. After realizing that she could generate passive income from her online courses, she focused on putting more and more effort into the creating those products. A passive income is less about finding the right audience for your product and more about finding the right product for your audience. You should already have those people before you start building any kind of product. My hope for all of you is that Eden's story will help you think outside the box, and push yourself to figure out how you want to live differently. "We live in a society where they tell you to do this, do that, and live by certain rules. So you need to figure out how you can live differently. Selling a digital product is just one example." In this episode Eden talks about: How she got started on her path to entrepreneurship Coming up with a digital product idea How to address your customers' needs through your digital product Figuring out your sales and marketing funnel Main Takeaways Anyone can be an entrepreneur — you just need to have the right mindset to accomplish it. Just start. You might not know how or what to do when getting started, but you'll figure it out along the way. The important thing is to just do something that moves you in the right direction. Passive income is better than trading time for money, but you'll have to invest some time up front to get to that point. Create an outline of your ideal customer before creating your digital product. Once your figure out what their biggest problem is, that's your product. Know yourself and what you like (and don't like) doing. For example, if you hate being on camera, an online course may not be the product for you. Links Bread and Butter Blogging Rebel Boss Ladies Podcast Marketing Personalities Digital Product Idea Workbook

Sometimes life gets a little crazy and we lose sight of the big picture. That's why I am slowing down in January and February, so that I can speed up later on. I've had six months of consistently good income. I'm working on integrating a new team member, thinking about adding another team member, and working through my knee injury. I want to take this "break" to plan, strategize, and share my thoughts with you! To help us get better at realizing when we need to take a break to regroup and recharge, I came up with an acronym called B.E.E.S., which stands for Breathe, Evaluate, Empathize, and Strategize. Breathe Literally taking a big deep breathe feels great, so why not do the same thing mentally? You need to give your brain time to breathe. Make sure that you take a break! Recharge your batteries, go on a trip, sit around for a day, whatever it is make sure you don't burn out. Evaluate After you take a breather (or while you're doing it) take stock of the things around you. Make sure you look closely at what's going well, what's not going so well, what can go better, what you need to start (or stop), etc. Detach your emotions from this process so you can look at it clearly. This will really help with focusing your vision and achieving what you want. Empathize Empathize with yourself. Recognize that you're only human and that you can't do everything. Acknowledge the great job you've been doing. Try to look at yourself from a higher level and acknowledge all the accomplishments you've made. Strategize Now is the time to get tough! Sit down and come up with a plan for how you want to move forward and the obstacles standing in your way. Based on your evaluation stage, figure out what you're going to change, start, or accomplish. I recommend starting with a 90-day plan so that you can flesh out the details. "You can make miracles happen. You can turn things around. It's amazing what we can do with a little bit of a plan and daily persistent action." Main Takeaways When you need to slow down, remember the B.E.E.S acronym: Breathe, Evaluate, Empathize, and Strategize. Detach your emotions from evaluating yourself. Stay focused on what's going well and what you can do better. Be kind to yourself! Use a 90-day plan to keep your goals moving forward. Links Client Attraction Method Course Danielle Laporte

This year has started off with a bang. On a recent skiing trip, I injured my MCL and was put in a brace for two months! I'm still in that brace, but instead of feeling sorry for myself and letting my injury get me down, I've decided to re-frame this event into something positive. Today I'll be talking about the three questions I asked myself to help me look at my injury as an opportunity, rather than a setback. 1. What can I be thankful for? The times when you're most bummed about your circumstances are also the most important times to focus on gratitude. Ask yourself, "What am I thankful for?". When I asked myself this question, I found I was thankful for a lot. 1) I got injured day three, instead of day one, 2) The injury forced me to just sit and hang out with my friends, and so on. When you find yourself feeling down, ask yourself what there is to be thankful for, it's a really powerful way to change your attitude. 2. What did I gain from this? Stop and ask yourself how you can grow from your experience and what you can take away from it. For me, I gained an appreciation for my friends, who helped me through it, and for my way of life. The fact that an office wasn't waiting for me at 9 a.m. the next day was wonderful. Also, taking the time I needed wasn't going to affect me that much. It was really liberating, and it caused me to view my employment situation a little differently. 3. What did I learn from this? This question is important because it helps you contextualize the event. One of the more obvious things I learned was always wear a helmet. But more than that, I learned I have amazing friends, and that sometimes it's ok to need help. All three of these questions are really important for me to consider as I move forward in life, and I'm grateful I got an opportunity to learn from this experience! When you find yourself feeling down, ask yourself what there is to be thankful for—it's a really powerful way to change your attitude. Main Takeaways Practice gratitude and be thankful for the things that went well. Don't let one negative event overshadow all of the positive. There's always something to be learned from any event, positive or negative. Don't let the opportunity to learn and grow pass you by.

Today we're talking about money and reaching that elusive goal of a six-figure income. I really believe that everyone has the potential to be making $100k per year (or more.) However, a lot of us just can't seem to reach that threshold. Today I'm going to give you four tips on how you can reach that goal. 1. Raise your rates If you're setting your rates based on your previous agency or full-time salary, then you're not charging enough. If you're providing a premium service to your customers, your rates should reflect that. Be confident in your abilities and people will pay your rates. 2. Don't put your prices online When you put your prices online you're automatically leaving money on the table and boxing yourself in. If you put your prices online, you're unable to give your clients customized services and loosing the ability to create a premium "feel", which ultimately costs you money. If your prices are already online, take them down! 3. Don't ignore the bottom line Clients are what bring you income. Not your brand identity, not your fancy website, but your clients. It's easy to get caught up in branding, but you have to remember that you are your brand. Spending too much time on your logo or website will ultimately take away from time spent on business development, marketing, and the things that make you money. 4. Make business development a priority We've all been in a position where our plate is too full and potential clients fall off the map. Don't let this happen! Make sure you keep an open line of communication with potential clients even if it means putting them on a waiting list. You do not want to loose their business! "I think most of you are leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table with your business and that hurts me for you. I want you to have all the money that you deserve and more!" Main Takeaways Be confident in your abilities and people will be more than happy to pay the rates you set for your projects. You cannot earn more in your business if you're not making business development a top priority. You have to work on your business as much, if not more, than you work in you business. Links Pricing Creativity by Blair Enns The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns

We did it. We made it to episode 100. In honor of reaching this goal, we're doing a little rebranding and changing the name of the show to The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast. Thanks you so much for listening and sharing this podcast with your friends. Now, on to the show! In today's episode I talked with Shruthi Parker, a blogger, Instagrammer and content creator. Shruthi started out as a photographer and then moved into corporate marketing before finally landing where she is today as a full time blogger. Her passion for photography and storytelling is a big part of what lead to her success as an entrepreneur. But her journey wasn't without challenges. In fact, the thing that gave her the push to focus on her blog was having a contract job fall through. Rather than focus on the negative, she pursued her blog and turned it into a full-time career. Throughout the process of shifting her mindset from stable job to independent business owner, Shruthi had a lot of support from her husband. And much of her success has come from her drive to produce content that has value and purpose. Her focus on being consistent and adding value is the driving force behind all of her projects. In this episode Shruthi talks about: How she became a blogger, making the transition from stable and predictable to independent. How she manages her life, relationships, and time as an independent content creator. How she creates content, the strategy behind it, and the importance of regular content creation. Main Takeaways Know what you're good at and where you focus will land. Don't be afraid to make a leap. Create content on a regular basis and be obsessive about it. "Genuinely just do you and the right people will be attracted to that and they will be your tribe. Those are the people that you want to create content for and those are the people you want to build relationships with." Links Shruthi Parker Shruthi Parker Instagram Be Obsessed or Be Average by Grant Cardone

Today we're going to talk about that big, beautiful brain you have inside your head. Mastering your mindset and controlling how your brain thinks about certain things is fundamental in creating and capturing your goals. Your mind can be trained like any other muscle, and these are the best tips and tricks on how to master your mindset and accomplish your most ambitious goals. 1. Believe in yourself Am I good enough? Do I even provided enough value to know what I'm talking about? These are questions we all deal with. The key thing to remember is that people who accomplish great things believe in themselves. You need to rewrite your story in your brain to believe in yourself. 2. Have an abundance mindset We live in a world where almost everything we could ever want or need is at our fingertips - we just have to go out and get it. The abundance mindset is important because it keeps the "lack mindset" at bay. And the "lack mindset" can put you in a negative place and prevent you from achieving your goals. Don't hold on to one opportunity because you think it's the only one you will get. You need to believe that better opportunities will come your way. 3. Have a growth mindset A growth mindset means acting like you've never "arrived". You are continually looking for ways to improve, you always have something to learn, and there's a big beautiful world out there that you can take advantage of. Don't let your ego trick you into a "fixed mindset" - the idea that you've already arrived and don't need to learn or do more. You need to become the best version of yourself every day. 4. Practice Gratitude I talked about practicing gratitude in episode nine and how it can transform your life. There are neurological shifts that happen in your brain when you practice gratitude. You can change the entire outcome of your day just by being grateful. You can find a way to be thankful about everything in your life. When you practice this mindset, your whole outlook on life changes and your brain rewards your thankfulness by releasing positive chemicals that make you feel happy. Practicing gratitude is an important step in becoming the new you. 5. Have a healthy money mindset It's important to look at your finances and your income and feel positive about them. One of my favorite affirmations is "money comes to me freely and effortlessly". Having the mindset of someone who attracts money is so powerful because you're then going to be able to ask for that raise you want or negotiate a project because you know you're someone who deserves money. "Mindset is the thing that you need to have in place to make your wildest dreams come true and to reach your big, hairy, audacious goals." Main Takeaways Your mindset is key to accomplishing your goals. Believe in yourself. Believe that there is enough to go around. Never stop improving. Practice gratitude for everything. Believe that money will come to you. Links Beyond the Status Quo Ep 009: How to Use Gratitude to Transform Your Life Beyond the Status Quo Ep 014: How to Develop a Healthy Money Mindset and Re-Write Your Money Story with Tushar Jain How to Cultivate Your Healthy Money Mindset + Prepare for the Wealth You Deserve

Today is going to be more a "quick tip" kind of episode, but I wanted to give you guys a few ideas on how to take sick days as a freelancer. It's an important topic because it's something we don't talk a lot about and is generally something we don't often give ourselves. Here is a list of things you should have in place for when you need a sick day, and I recommend putting these into your project management software so that your VA or other contractors know exactly what needs to happen when you're out. 1. Check urgent items If you can move urgent items to another day, do so. If not, assign them to another member of your team or your VA. 2. Cancel or move meetings Go through your calendar and cancel (my preference) or reschedule any meetings you have. 3. Notify your clients Let them know you won't be as reachable as usual because you aren't feeling well. Once you've done all that, get some rest and get ready to come back at it energized and feeling at your best. "A lot of times we don't let ourselves take breaks and heal and we feel very guilty about it, but in order to serve your clients the best you can, you need to rest." Main Takeaways Take sick days when you need them. You are of no use to clients if you aren't at your best. The world won't end and things won't fall apart if you take a day off - so do it when you need to. Be thankful for the flexibility and freedom your business gives you, and be sure to keep the lines of communication open with your clients during any time away. Links Beyond the Status Quo Ep 087: How to have less meetings Asana

I think we can all agree that one of the main reasons people start freelancing is because they want more control over their day and to live their best lives, but sometimes it just doesn't happen that way. To avoid that scenario, it's really important for us to talk about how we run our businesses. A good place to start is by understanding the four levels of business activities that we all encounter in our freelancing: The Technician. This is the base level where most of us start out. This is where you're doing admin tasks, designing things, number crunching, working on spreadsheets, implementation, etc. The Manager. This is more of a project management role. You're assigning tasks, checking in with your team or contractors, and making sure everything in on track to meet deadlines. The Integrator. The integrator is someone who gets things done and has an intense focus on execution. This role creates systems for the business that enables the business to keep moving forward while still being efficient. The Visionary. The visionary role is where you get to be creative and spend time thinking about new projects and initiatives. This is high-level thinking that focuses on problem solving and innovation. If you're working alone, then you're likely performing tasks in all of these roles, and that's ok. However, in order to level-up your business, you have to be able to recognize where your time is most valuable and focus on that. One way to do that is to batch your work according to role. For example, one week, you may spend three days as a technician, one day as an integrator, and one day as a visionary. Each week can be different, depending on what you need to get done. Now, how do we use this understanding of roles to stop feeling like a minion in our businesses? Hire a VA. Find someone for $15/hr you can bring on to do some of the administrative technician work. Hire another technician. Spend the time to hire someone who can contribute to your team out of the gate. Start with just a few hours a week and grow as needed. Drop client work that makes you feel like a minion. If it's draining or doesn't feel like a good fit for you, then don't be afraid to drop that work or that client altogether. Say no to production work. Don't take work that doesn't align with the value you bring to the table. Think bigger picture. Start thinking about your role as the integrator and visionary and commit to spending more time in those roles. Delegate. You have to delegate, but try not to micromanage. Work on being able to truly step back from certain aspects of the work. These tips will help you get back to the core of why you started your freelance businesses in the first place. "A lot of times we're the ones stunting our own business growth. We're the ones keeping ourselves from six figures. We're the ones making it hard on ourselves." Main Takeaways Think big picture. Give yourself time and space to think about the next week, month, and year of your business. Drop clients who don't provide work that excites you or is moving your business forward. Delegate, delegate, delegate. And don't micromanage. Links Traction by Gino Wickman Upwork

In Part 2 of our series on habits, we're going to talk about five habits every freelancer should have. However, before we begin, I want to make it clear that I don't recommend adding these into your routine all at once. Use the strategies we discussed in Part 1 to make sure these habits build on each other and stick over time. If you've already listened to Part 1, then let's dive into the five habits I think every freelancer should have: 1. A mindfulness practice Having a mindfulness practice, even if it's just stopping to take deep breaths, can help ensure that you don't get swept away by the ongoing deluge of tasks, emails, etc., and keep you focused on the task at hand. 2. Project management Assigning tasks to yourself and your team, and ensuring that the workload is even and manageable, is key to ensuring a smooth work week. 3. Keep your inbox closed The email inbox is a trap for most people that can lead to hours of feeling busy without actually getting anything done. Set specific times to check your email each day and resist the urge to check-in outside of those times. 4. Mindfulness in the middle of the day Yes, mindfulness is on the list twice. It's critical to have a mindfulness practice to start your day, but just as important is checking in with yourself throughout the day. Find a way to squeeze in a break or change of pace in the afternoon and it will save your sanity and your business. 5. Learning Freelancers should constantly be learning something new or learning more about a topic they already understand. Take a course, read a book, do what you need to do to ensure that you are always learning. "Having a mindfulness practice puts you in a mode where you're present, you're there, and you're not necessarily swayed by everything that's happening around you." Main Takeaways Unless they are business development related, emails don't make you money. Organize, prioritize, and put guardrails in place for checking your email. Mindfulness is a crucial part of productivity. It's not only valuable for moments of anxiety or stress, but also for overcoming creative roadblocks. You need to have a mindfulness moment where you can break away in the middle of the day and feel refreshed. Continuous learning is an essential part of every freelancer's success. Build it into your schedule and make it happen. Links Atomic Habits by James Clear The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson Headspace App Asana Productivity Course

Today we're talking about habits. In fact, it's Part 1 of a longer discussion on habits and the types of habits that all freelancers should have. In Part 1 (today's episode), we're going to talk about how to create sticky habits. Part 2 will focus on the five habits every freelancer should have. So, how do we make sticky habits this year? First, habits don't have to be massive changes that happen overnight. Often, the most impactful habits are the ones we build every day through small repeated actions. Small changes each day can lead to big ones in the long-run - similar to how compounding interest works in your finances. The problem is that it can be really hard to make new habits stick. And one of the big reasons for this is because we don't actually address the underlying issue that will anchor our new habits. I like to think about that anchor as a target. Picture four concentric circles. The outer most circle represents our goals. The second circle represents the tasks necessary to reach those goals. The third circle is the processes and systems you put in place to accomplish those tasks. And, finally, the fourth circle - the bullseye - is your identity. The tricky part is that you have to have each layer in place to support the one outside of it. So, to gain any traction with your systems and processes, you have to first understand who you are and ensure everything else aligns with that. One hack to help you build sticky habits is to use habit stacking. In other words, attach your habits to other activities. For example, let's say you have a business goal of getting new leads, and the way you're going to accomplish this is by reaching out out to new people online. You can attach this new activity to your existing morning habit stack. For me, this might look something like, I wake up, shower, get ready, go make tea, eat breakfast, meditate, and then I add in messaging two new leads to setup discovery calls. After doing this enough times, messaging new leads becomes a habit. Another habit hack is accountability. If you have a goal or habit you want to build, tell it to someone close to you. Tell them what you hope to accomplish and ask them to keep you accountable. The feeling of letting people down is a strong deterrent from letting your goals fall by the wayside. I've done this myself with some of my fitness goals this year and am excited to see what I can accomplish. "I like to think of habits as tiny gains, which means that I can do something small on a daily basis and it can make a big impact in the long-run." Main Takeaways Don't wait - small, daily, consistent actions lead to big changes in the long-run. Be -> Do -> Have - you have to understand who you are in order to support the rest of the layers (your systems, tasks, and goals). Habit stacking is a habit-building hack that works by building a sequence of habits that reminds you to do the next habit - each habit is a trigger for the next. Tell people about the habits you want to build so you have accountability. Links Atomic Habits by James Clear