The Content Byte

Former freelancer, now agency owner, Mike Hanley joins Rachel and Lynne on the podcast this week. Mike talks about moving from Bondi to Geneva to take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the World Economic Forum and how it helped him grow and develop as a writer and leader. He shares the difficulties of moving his family halfway around the world and how the pandemic led him and his wife to make the huge decision to return home. He also talks about the pressures of starting and running your own business and how tech tools help him keep on top of costs, while maintaining quality content. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hanley-723292/ You can find The Content Engine here: https://www.thecontentengine.com/ Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded https://rounded.com.au/ for sponsoring The Content Byte!

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne chat with writer Pip Harry, an award-winning children's author, journalist and copywriter. Pip talks about: all the different marketing channels that a modern author needs to be across how awards make a huge difference to sales (especially with children's fiction) how she juggles writing her novels with journalism and copywriting how rejection is part of the writer's journey how long she had to wait before she could create a picture book The social media training she talks about is: https://thetandemcollective.com/ Ginger Gorman and Sue White's media bootcamp is: https://mediabootcamp.com.au/ Find Pip here: https://www.pipharry.com/ Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded https://rounded.com.au/ for sponsoring The Content Byte!

This week on the podcast Rachel and Lynne's guest is accountant Heather Smith. As well as consulting with small business, Heather has created a side hustle as a writer, creating content and writing some successful 'For Dummies' books. She is also a columnist for Acuity magazine. She talks about creating a career that uses her professional knowledge and how she's honed her writing skills, often using AI to help her in terms of ideas and a framework. We talk about: The tough editorial demands of the 'For Dummies' brand How she splits her work between accountancy and writing What she loves about the two careers Where and how she finds her work Contact Heather via her website: https://heathersmithsmallbusiness.com/contact-me/ Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded https://rounded.com.au/ for sponsoring The Content Byte!

This week Rachel and Lynne chat with subeditor, writer and podcaster Leigh Livingstone about creating a successful career as a freelance subeditor (sometimes called a copy editor). We talk about: the role of a modern subeditor where and how she finds her work working with regular clients and maintaining those connections how it gives her a good mix of work how subediting helps your writing Connect with Leigh here: https://leighlivingstone.com/ Listen to her podcast, Popcorn Podcast, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/popcorn-podcast/id1461702059 Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte!

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne talk to freelance writer, podcaster and multi-tasker Lee Tran Lam about food, podcasting and trying to carve out a career as a freelancer, while still doing what you love. We talk about: The need to support young journalists Why podcasting is the future - and how you can make it pay Creating a podcast with the Powerhouse museum Her favourite meals and why writing about it helps to capture those moments forever How her early days as a subeditor informed and helped her writing Where to find Lee Tran Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leetranlam/ Patreon podcast and newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/leetranlam Culinary Archive podcast (for the Powerhouse): https://omny.fm/shows/culinary-archive-podcast New Voices On Food #1: https://somekindpress.com/products/new-voices-on-food New Voices On Food #2: https://somekindpress.com/products/new-voices-on-food The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry podcast: https://theunbearablelightnessofbeinghungry.com/ Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte!

This week, Rachel and Lynne are talking to publicist, PR mentor and founder of Odette & Co, Odette Barry, about promoting yourself and raising your profile without the 'ick'. It's a fun conversation with lots of practical tips. We talk about: How to handle networking events as an introvert How and where to show up on social media What it's like operating out of a regional city Why you need a good website How to 'hack' your own PR The tech tips you didn't know you needed Find Odette at: https://www.odetteandco.com.au/ Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte!

In this age of AI and the associated panic that many writers are facing, content creator and agency founder Brooke Hill talks to Rachel and Lynne about Brand Voice - why it is important and how it can be the differentiator for writers. We chat about: What Brand Voice is Why it can't be replicated by bots How AI can be an effective tool for writers, without compromising our livelihood How to deal with cost-conscious clients How she finds work And why she wrote her first children's book Where to find Brooke: https://thecontentedcopywriter.com.au/ Where to find us: Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte!

Rachel and Lynne's guest this week – our first for 2023 – is Charlotte Dallison. Charlotte's mantra is Blonde not Beige and she has built a successful career as a writer, podcaster and vintage fashion aficionado. We chat about: How she built her vintage fashion business and used that following to leverage her writing career Using Substack for her newsletter and how the platform has grown The story behind securing her book deal, which is coming out late in 2023 Being a digital nomad Working on her book thanks to a creative residency in Sardinia Connect with Charlotte here: https://www.charlottedallison.com/; or on Instagram @charlottedallison Her substack is https://blondenotbeige.substack.com/ Her podcast is Chez Charlotte Vintage: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/chez-charlotte-vintage/id1628495225 The Creative Residency can be found here: https://www.nocefresca.it/ Connect with us: Rachel's List for job-seekers: www.rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsmith.com.au Thanks, as always, to our sponsors www.rounded.com.au Easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. Don't forget, if you're a Rachel's List Gold member, you'll enjoy 20 percent off an annual subscription plan!

So often, we're talking to journalists who've jumped into other related industries, or added other skills to their bow to carve out a portfolio career. But our guest on this episode music and pop culture journalist and author Barry Divola - is refreshingly old-school. Barry chats to us about how he's carved out an enviable career writing for outlets like Rolling Stone, the SMH, Qantas Mag and Entertainment Weekly, as well as belonging to three bands. We also talk about: + Pitching, how long he works on the average pitch (and how many get commissioned) + The long-form features he loves writing and some of his favourites from recent years + What it's like meeting your musical heroes, including THAT Lou Reed story + How he combines writing books with his journalism work + Commercial writing and his experiences with copywriting + And much more! Where to find Barry On Authory: https://authory.com/BarryDivola On the Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.smh.com.au/search?text=Barry+Divola Barry's latest book, Driving Stevie Fracasso https://www.booktopia.com.au/driving-stevie-fracasso-barry-divola/book/9781460759479.html Spotify playlist for Driving Stevie Fracasso: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4q9yBFpOmUtCXcSndKYtGy?si=c098614c9c814acc Where to find us Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website https://lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's List https://rachelslist.com.au/ As always, thanks to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte!

This week, Rachel and Lynne are preparing for the holiday break - and we share our best-ever tips on how to manage cash flow, clients and set yourself up for a great 2023. We talk about: Taking on lots of work in November and December to build up a financial buffer Creating an Out-of-Office message for clients Working inhouse to take the pressure off the hustle Pre-scheduling social media Writing SEO-optimised blog posts ahead of time Thanks as always to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte. Connect with us: Rachel's List for job-seekers: www.rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsmith.com.au

SEO is becoming more of a must-have than a nice-to-have skill for journalists, copywriters and content writers. And if you're considering learning SEO or boosting your existing knowledge, this episode is a fascinating one. We chat to US-born Liam Carnahan, an SEO coach and copywriter and content strategist, about his career journey and process of going into business for himself. Liam worked for many years in Sydney as a writer at digital marketing agencies before settling back in the US, where he launched his business Inkwell Content, and began offering SEO services to businesses in both Australia and the US, and training and coaching to a range of writers. (Liam's very first client was our wonderful sponsor Rounded and they're still going strong.) In this episode, Liam talks to us about: His career journey and how his skills and business have evolved Getting on the radar of star copywriter Jacob McMillan Being a digital nomad and working with clients across different time zones The importance of learning SEO as a writer (and why) His course, SEO Bridge Builders for freelancers who want to turn their SEO skills into high-ticket services And much more! Where to find Liam His website: https://inkwellcontent.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/liamcarnahan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamcarnahan/ Thanks as always to Rounded for sponsoring The Content Byte.

Fans of TV show Offspring will be no stranger to the name of its creator, Debra Oswald - who is a celebrated and highly prolific stage, television and fiction writer. In this episode, we chat to Debra about the start of her career (her first play was broadcast on the ABC when she was just 17) and the varied type of work she does. How does she switch between writing a crime novel to a TV script, to a one-woman stage show? She also shares the behind-the-scenes Offspring story - and reveals what it's really like inside those secretive TV writers' rooms. Find out: Debra's writing process and the 'mud hut' she escapes to for a change of scenery How she juggles multiple projects How TV and stage writers find clients (and how things have changed) Her recommendations for aspiring writers And much more! Find out more about Debra Her latest novel, The Family Doctor Her stage show, Is there something wrong with that lady? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debraoswaldoz/ Twitter https://twitter.com/debraoswald1

Imagine if you could ask your client to record 7 minutes of audio for you on a specific topic - which you could then transcribe and turn into all kinds of written content for them? That's the system copywriter Rananda Rich from The Ink Rat devised, and it's a genius way to save time and get the information you need for client projects, be that a blog post, email funnel, series of social posts or another form of content they're after. In this episode, we chat to Rananda about: How her 'Sparticles' service started - and how it's evolved What clients think of it and how it helps her own workflow The kinds of content she creates with client-supplied audio Repurposing audio from podcasts, webinars, Zoom meetings Creating a system for storing / managing the audio Other services you can offer like SEO and metadata Rananda's favourite tools and services Resources Rananda's website and more info about Sparticles: https://www.theinkrat.com/sparticles/ Find Rananda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranandarich/ Read our blog post on repurposing audio content https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/3-smart-ways-to-repurpose-audio-content/ Check out Lynne's website: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/ Check out Rachel's website: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Visit Rachel's List: https://rachelslist.com.au/ Visit our sponsors, Rounded, for easy invoicing and accounting software (and if you're an RL Gold member, talk to us about how to get 20% off an annual subscription): https://rounded.com.au/

What happens when you're freelance... and you keep getting distracted by cool permanent jobs passing you by? When you're a bit over the hustle, and want to go back to the 9-5 - even for just a year or two? It happens, as we talked to Joh Leggatt about in this recent episode. So, for a bit of a follow-up from that, we're talking to career and interview coach Leah Lambart about what happens next: + how to get into the 9-5 mindset when you're used to being your own boss + how to show employers you're serious about a perm role and why you'd be an asset + tweaking your CV and cover letter to better your chances of making the short list + how recruiters and career coaches can maximise your chances of success + when to talk salary and what else you can leverage Resources Find Leah at her website: https://www.relaunchme.com.au/ Or follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahlambartcareercoach/ Track your job applications with our free job tracker: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/job-tracker/ Connect with us: Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsmith.com.au Thanks, as always, to our sponsors www.rounded.com.au. Easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. Don't forget, if you're a Rachel's List Gold member, you'll enjoy 20 percent off an annual subscription plan!

This week Rachel and Lynne chat with copywriter and ghost writer Annie Reid about her career writing copy for the architectural, design and property industries. She shares how she finds clients, how she started in her niche and what she loves about writing the words in beautiful coffee table books. Find Annie at https://atrium.media/ Connect with us: Rachel's List for job-seekers: www.rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsmith.com.au Thanks, as always, to our sponsors www.rounded.com.au. Easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. Don't forget, if you're a Rachel's List Gold member, you'll enjoy 20 percent off an annual subscription plan!

This week Rachel and Lynne chat with launch copywriter and psychotherapist Kirsty Fanton about 'social proof' - what it is, why it's an important (and powerful) part of your marketing efforts and how to get it. An inspiring and informative discussion. Find Kirsty at https://www.kirstyfanton.com/ Connect with us Rachel's List for job-seekers: www.rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsmith.com.au Thanks, as always, to our sponsors www.rounded.com.au. Easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. Don't forget, if you're a Rachel's List Gold member, you'll enjoy 20 percent off an annual subscription plan!

True crime podcasts are hugely popular - but who's behind the scenes creating the episodes we can't help but go back for again and again? Meet Gemma Harris, a podcast scriptwriter who specialises in true crime. In this fascinating episode, we talk to Gemma about: + her criminology degree and psychology and how helpful it is to her in her work + how she finds work as a true crime podcast scriptwriter + the polarising question of whether true crime podcasts are exploitative + her podcast script-writing process + the cases she's researched and written about that she'll never forget + her advice to others thinking about a similar niche. More about Gemma Her website: https://gemmaharrisfreelance.com/ Q&A with Rachel's List: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/meet-gemma-i-write-scripts-for-true-crime-podcasts/ Links to mentions in this episode Renae Marsden - https://obscuracrimepodcast.com/podcast/2020/11/28/renae-marsden-with-friends-like-these-part-01-amp-02 Bogle/Chandler case - https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/category/season-4/ Petition: https://www.change.org/p/dominic-perrottet-driven-to-suicide-but-renae-s-abuser-in-the-clear-criminalising-catfishing Bourke Street Massacre - https://obscuracrimepodcast.com/podcast/2021/9/1/s3e1-the-bourke-street-massacre-part-01 https://obscuracrimepodcast.com/podcast/2021/9/22/s3e2-the-bourke-street-massacre-part-02 https://obscuracrimepodcast.com/podcast/2022/2/8/s3e3-the-bourke-street-massacre-part-03 Rachel Barber - https://casefilepodcast.com/case-112-rachel-barber/ Leigh Leigh (the case I used as the basis for my masters thesis) - https://obscuracrimepodcast.com/podcast/2020/3/11/s2e18-leigh-leigh-property-of-the-clan

The usual lead magnet writers and marketers are familiar with is some kind of deal or download customers receive in exchange for opting in to your email list. But could a quiz funnel do a much better job? Quiz and email strategist Melissa Payne knows so, and in this fascinating episode she talks to us about: her career journey and how she moved from agency work to starting her own business using quizzes for lead generation how quizzes work and what they can be used for the research and planning that goes into writing a quiz the types of clients who use quizzes the skills and training you need to become a quiz and email strategist and much more! Where to find Melissa Her website: https://storyscoutdigital.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyscoutdigital/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-payne/ Resources + courses mentioned Kirsty Fanton's Brain Camp: https://kirstyfanton.com Codex Persona (Abbey Woodcock and Justin Blackman's course on brand voice): https://www.codexpersona.com Chanti Zak's quiz funnels course: http://chantizak.com Charlotte Isaac, operations consultant: https://charlotteisaac.com

If there's something freelancers know all about, it's the humble side hustle - which could be a passion project separate to your work, or something connected to your work that enables you to use your skills to make money in a new way. In this episode, we talk about: what a side hustle is small side hustles vs scalable ones when a side hustle becomes a business the different kinds of side hustles specific to writers and other creatives freelancers and small business owners who've successfully turned side hustles into their main focus And lots more! Who we mention in this episode John Burfitt - writer + university lecturer Kirsty Fanton - launch copywriter and Brain Camp extraordinaire Lindy Alexander - writer + course legend Emma McMillan - copywriter + small business copy coach Jay Crisp - copywriter, coach + creator of resources Belinda Weaver - Copywrite Matters - copywriter + copy mentor + resources Kate Toon - courses on SEO, digital marketing and a copywriting community and jobs board Sarah Townsend - copywriter and author of Survival Skills for Freelancers Anna Featherstone - writer and author of Look! It's Your Book

Have you ever found yourself just not engaged with your freelance business anymore, sick of the hustle and the invoice-chasing - and dreaming about taking a permanent 9-5 job? Joh Leggatt did - and in our latest episode, she talks to us about why she left her successful freelance business behind to take a full-time role with Forbes Australia. It's a fascinating chat in which we discuss: When Joh knew it was time to return to the 9-5 The challenges of dismantling a 6-figure freelance business The advantages and benefits of going in-house The bargaining power job-seekers have right now How going in-house could benefit your freelance business later Why it's a knowledge intensive, taking a full-time job How it can help you get a new niche and upskill in tools + tech Joh's advice for other freelancers considering going perm And much more! Resources Want to get in touch with Joh or pitch her a personal finance story? Pitch Joh Leggatt via LinkedIn Blog A simple strategy successful freelancers use to get work

In this episode, we delve into the successful freelance journey of creative director Hieu Nguyen, who moved from a busy print publishing career in Australia to working in New York and starting his own design agency. Find out about: + Hieu's early years, including coming to Australia on a boat from Vietnam + How he got into graphic design and some of the amazing brands he's worked with, including Gourmet Traveller, The Australian Women's Weekly, Amazon Publishing, AT&T and many others + His tips for creatives keen to move to New York - from visas and sponsorship to how to pick up clients + And much more! Connect with Hieu Contact Hieu and check out his work at: www.hieunguyendesign.com Connect with us Rachel's List for job-seekers: rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: rachelsmith.com.au Thanks, as always, to our sponsors Rounded.com.au. Easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. Don't forget, if you're a Rachel's List Gold member, you'll enjoy 20 percent off an annual subscription plan!

Continuing on with our successful freelancer series, we're chatting to journalist and editor Grant Jones, a former TV producer and newspaper section editor who now runs his own content agency and communications company. He's also cowritten the recent book, A Caring Life: What fifty years in nursing has taught me about humanity, compassion and community, by Keith Cox with Grant Jones. Find out how Grant had to reinvent himself during Covid, the skills he's picked up since starting out as a journalist so many years ago, and his tips for freelancers starting out. Connect with Grant On LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/grant-jones-content-media-marketing/ On Instagram - www.instagram.com/grant_jones_sydney/ Connect with us Rachel's List for job-seekers: rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: rachelsmith.com.au

Many experts say podcasting is still in its infancy for brands, but they're waking up to the huge potential benefits of audio content and using it to connect with their customers. In this episode, we talk about why journalists and content writers are in a great position to offer podcasting as a service to clients - and why it's a good time to upskill in this area. Tune in to find out: the transferrable skills you have that are great for podcasting (and the ones you might want to learn) why it's easy to outsource the bits you can't do (and how to do it) an actual breakdown of costs so you can see what to charge a client And more! ResourcesBlog post - Your guide to starting a podcast Blog post - "I write scripts for true crime podcasts" Lynne's client podcast: Building Better with CSR

This week Rachel and Lynne chat with successful freelancer Martina Donkers, who is a specialist grant writer. In an inspiring talk, Martina shares her story about finding her niche, how grant writing works and why she loves being a digital nomad - all from a hammock in regional Western Australia! You can connect with Martina via her website: http://www.martinadonkers.com/ Lynne's website https://www.lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Rachel's List https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Many thanks to Rounded for sponsoring this episode! Rounded offers user-friendly accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. Visit https://rounded.com.au/

If you're as Mad Men-obsessed as we are, you're probably keen to know how copywriting on the agency side differs from, say, what other types of copywriters do. (And if you're like Lynne and Rach, that may mean sitting at home, writing everything from web copy to lead magnets.) So we're getting the goods from agency copywriter Damien Whelan. We ask: how DID he get into agencies? How does he come up with clever one-liners? What's it like working on an ad campaign for a billboard? How do pitch meetings pan out? Do they often pull all-nighters? How can freelancers get into agencies and become indispensible? And is there really is a decanter of whisky on everyone's desk? Where to find Damien Connect with Damien on LinkedIn

If you're setting yourself up to write copy or content for clients, it may be tricky to figure out the most important templates you need to have in place and why. These will be things you'll learn about, tweak and hone as you go, but in this episode we save you time and hassle by distilling it down to five templates we recommend you have from the start - and why they're so useful. Many thanks to Rounded for sponsoring this episode! Rounded offers user-friendly accounting and invoicing software, made just for freelancers and sole traders. The 5 templates and where to find them The rate card www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/rate-card/ A client brief template www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/client-brief-template/ A quoting template or statement of work www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/freelancer-statement-of-work-agreement/ An invoice template www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/freelancer-invoice-templates-4-pack/ Belinda Weaver's copy deck template www.copywritematters.com/copywriting-copy-decks/ Kate Toon's copy deck template www.clevercopywritingschool.com/product/copy-deck-updated/ More about Lynne and Rachel Lynne's website www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel's website rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List rachelslist.com.au Starting out - Rachel's List for job-seekers rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers

This week's guest on the podcast is the talented Claire Isaac. Currently working as Editorial Director of TV WEEK and WHO on a maternity contract, Claire divides her time by filling in senior roles for long-term stints and writing for a variety of magazines and content agencies including Medium Rare, New Idea, the Big Issue and more. She talks about her start in teen pop mags and why she loves the excitement and pace of weekly magazines as well as how she created a successful podcast with friend Lisa Sinclair - Playing Devils' Avocado. Connect with Claire on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-isaac/ Playing Devil's Avocado is here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/playing-devils-avocado/id1459329449 This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. It's everything you need to make freelancing easier! Find out more at https://rounded.com.au/ Rachel's List is: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Rachel's own website is: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website is: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/

Ever wanted to work with agencies? Lynne goes it alone this week with guest and agency owner Renee Francis, who talks about how freelancers can secure agency work, why she likes working with freelancers and the skills you need to secure good paying work. Renee's agency, The Bubble Co, is here: https://thebubbleco.com.au/ Connect with Renee via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-francis-7480a233/ This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. It's everything you need to make freelancing easier! Find out more at https://rounded.com.au/ Rachel's List is: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Rachel's own website is: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website is: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/

The pandemic may have changed the way we work forever, says Dr Marcus Bowles, Rachel and Lynne's guest on the podcast this week and he feels freelancing might be the way of the future. In this thoughtful and far-ranging discussion, he chats about the careers of the future and all about micro-credentials and why they are important. Prepare to be inspired and challenged! Dr Bowles' website is here: https://marcbowles.com/ This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. It's everything you need to make freelancing easier! Find out more at https://rounded.com.au/ Rachel's List is: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Rachel's own website is: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website is: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/

Savvy writers and freelancers all know that it's who you know, not what you know! A solid contact book is a huge asset for journalists, copywriters and content writers and this week Rachel and Lynne talk about how to find and nurture your contacts - and how to organise them so you can find the right expert at the right time. This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. It's everything you need to make freelancing easier! Find out more at https://rounded.com.au/ The Folk CRM system Rachel talks about is here: https://www.folk.app/ The Source tracker on Rachel's List is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product-category/freelance-trackers/ Rachel's List is: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Rachel's own website is: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website is: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/

This week - the end of our financial year - Rachel and Lynne talk about fatigue. Ever since we spoke to Madeleine Dore about the cult of productivity, we've been mindful of not ignoring our fatigue levels and trying to be kind to ourselves. We recognise when we're at our best and when we're just pushing through to feel a bit ahead the next day. We share our tips about how we stay fresh, relevant and how we both avoid burnout. This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. It's everything you need to make freelancing easier! Find out more at Rounded.com.au. Rachel's List is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Rachel's own website is: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website is: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/

Building a personal brand may sound a bit 'ick' to some writers, but it is a vital marketing tool for your freelance business. Branding expert Emma Lovell takes the awkwardness out of branding with her fun and practical approach. She is Rachel and Lynne's guest on the podcast this week, showing why creating your personal brand is important and how it can bring you more business - and the right clients. Find out more about Emma through her website: https://lovellycommunications.com/ Rachel's List is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Rachel's own website is: https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Lynne's website is: https://www.lynnetestoni.com/

We're long-time fans of Madeleine Dore, a writer and interviewer who's spent five years asking creative thinkers how they navigate their days on her popular blog Extraordinary Routines (and podcast Routines & Ruts). And in this episode, we chat to Madeleine about what she's learned from the project and the book it inspired: I Didn't Do The Thing Today. This lively episode delves into a completely different way to think about productivity, and freeing yourself from productivity guilt in general. Psst! Don't forget to head to the blog at Rachel's List to win one of 3 x copies of Madeleine's book (winners announced Friday, June 24!) More about Madeleine Extraordinary Routines https://extraordinaryroutines.com/ Madeleine's website https://www.madeleinedore.com/about Win the book! https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/holding-things-lightly-an-extract-from-i-didnt-do-the-thing-today-a-giveaway/ Buy the book https://www.booktopia.com.au/i-didn-t-do-the-thing-today-madeleine-dore/book/9781922351500.html?

After a successful career in high-profile magazines, including as editor of the Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine, writer Kayte Nunn turned her hand to commercial fiction. Now with seven books published, she shares her journey with hosts Lynne and Rachel talking about making a living doing what she loves and why writing novels is all about the long game. Connect with Kayte via her website: https://kaytenunn.com/ and pre-order her new book, The Only Child, due out in September.

Marketing expert Therese Tarlinton is all about partnerships - so much so that she wrote a book about it! Her book, SWAP - Marketing without Money, helps small businesses, including freelancers, develop partnerships and relationships that allow everyone to grow. In this episode, she talks with Rachel and Lynne about: What marketing managers need from freelancers How freelancers can add value and gain more work How to develop your freelance offering to be even more appealing to large corporates and companies Get in touch with Therese via her website: https://www.theresetarlinton.com/ or connect via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therese-tarlinton/

After a request from listener Jules, Lynne and Rachel talk about how to secure your first copywriting clients. We share our top six tips on how to start and build your own writing business. We talk about building a network, optimising digital marketing, branding and developing your website, why you shouldn't be fussy, being prepared and professional, and the importance of community. Some of the tips we mention are: Calendly, https://calendly.com/ The episode with Katie Hull on Google my Business is https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-content-writers-and-other-freelancers-need-a/id1478510876?i=1000519719074 The episode with Emma McMillan on great website content is https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-great-website-content-with-emma-mcmillan/id1478510876?i=1000554021064 Rachel's List: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/ Kate Toon's membership list is here: https://www.clevercopywritingschool.com/membership/

This week, Rachel and Lynne return to their occasional series of interviewing successful freelancers, with their chat with Lucy E. Cousins, who specialises in health and wellness and has her own successful content agency, Remedy Content. Lucy shares her journey in magazines and journalism, as well why she focuses on evidence-based science in her health articles and why she always adds the 'E' in her name. Find out more about Lucy here: https://www.remedycontent.com.au/ or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyecousins/

Procrastination is an age-old problem - particularly when you work for yourself. This week, Rachel & Lynne share their tips on how to get work done. Links to apps and ideas mentioned in this episode: Brene Brown talking with James Clear on her podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FCDXnrrXo9d7VTTX7bi4E Atomic Habits https://www.booktopia.com.au/atomic-habits-james-clear/book/9781847941831.html Forest App https://www.forestapp.cc/ Focus tool on Macs https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/mac-help/mchl613dc43f/mac# TeauxDeux https://teuxdeux.com/

Imagine spending your days coming up with recipes, baking and taste-testing and photographing your creations for your blog. Sound good? How about making a living out of doing that? Well, that's just what Jess Holmes from SweetestMenu.com does with her days - after a career as a copywriter and content designer for brands such as Flight Centre, Intuit and News Corp. In this episode, Jess talks to us about: + her journey from in-house writer to recipe tester and food blogger + how the pandemic helped her blog grow + balancing the need for SEO and also doing posts she wants to do + how she makes a living from food blogging + how advertising works on blogs and the numbers you need to get started + the social platforms that have been the most helpful in growing her blog and traffic + what she outsources, and much more. More about Jess Find recipes on her website Check out Jess's Pinterest Follow her on Instagram

Are you a print journalist considering making the leap into government communications? In this episode, we chat to Lisa Thomas, who worked on a number of glossy mags (including Vogue Living) before jumping ship to work in a number of leadership roles in the private and public sector. Lisa is currently the Director of Communications, Engagement and Education at the NSW Department of Parliamentary Services, and talks to us about her journey into government comms, the transferrable skills journalists have, how to get work in government departments, her advice for journalists considering a career in a senior government role and much more.

Do you get a horrid feeling in the pit of your stomach when your clients aren't happy - or when they come back with multiple changes? This week Rachel and Lynne talk about dealing with negative feedback and criticism. It is something that happens to all of us! We talk about learning from mistakes, repairing relationships and how to not take everything personally.

This week on the podcast Lynne and Rachel talk to Sue Bell, who is organising a festival for freelancers in her home town - Launceston, Tasmania. Rachel is a keynote speaker at the event and it's got some great speakers and events as part of the 3-day event in June 2022. Sue talks about why she thinks having a community is important for freelancers, how to put together an engaging conference program and how to do her day job at the same time. She also shares her amazing career journey (and a few laughs). Find out about the Launceston Freelance Festival here: https://launcestonfreelancefestival.com.au/

We continue our successful freelancer series with guest Rashida Tayabali, a copywriter and indie author who started her career in marketing but found her passion in writing copy. Rashida shares the ins and outs of her business journey, including: + Why she decided to niche into working with women business owners + What choosing a niche has done for her business and her growth + Learning SEO and why it's so valuable + How she finds clients and prices her work + Her favourite tools of the trade + Her tips for freelancers just starting out And much more! Find out more about Rashida Visit her website Find her on Instagram Connect with her on LinkedIn Read her book, Life After Ali Other resources Read her blog on writing great marketing copy Check out her masterclass, A starter guide to keywords and SEO for content writers

Life's too short to work for clients who pay you peanuts, make you miserable, refuse to respect your boundaries - or give you work that's just not a good fit for you. If you're getting that 'pit of dread' in your stomach when you see the client's email pop up in your inbox (or their name come in on your phone), it's time to assess whether you should take them off your roster - and open the door to better clients. Because they always DO come along! This episode is with Lynne and Rachel and features stories from the Rachel's List Facebook Gold community - about freelancers who said buh-bye to clients and were much happier for it.

Successful freelance writer Campbell Mattinson talks about how he secured the perfect gig - wine writing. In his chat with host Lynne Testoni, he also shared: How he copes with the delivery of 30 bottles of wine a day The changes in wine writing over the years How he finally published the novel that had been in his bottom drawer for 30 years How photography has made him a better writer Get in touch with Campbell via his website: https://www.campbellmattinson.com/

This week, Rachel & Lynne chat with successful freelancer Emma McMillan about creating quality website content that brings results. We chat about: What is different about writing for websites Whether it's a good niche to be in What key elements that people forget to include in their websites How to price website content Emma's website is https://www.emmamcmillancopy.com/ Emma's podcast is Not Just About Copy LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mcmillan-copywriter/

Does everyone have a book in them? It's just one of the questions we put to editor and publisher Rebecca Kaiser from Allen and Unwin, who joins us on the podcast to talk about ... so much! Including: + How book publishing has changed in 30 years + Her biggest publishing successes, what 'success' in book publishing actually means + The books that have gone gangbusters and what it's like when you think a book will do well and it doesn't + Tips on finding an agent for your book + Do you need a public profile to get published via traditional channels? + How has the marketing and promotional requirements changed for authors in recent years and what are you expected to do to sell your book? + Can you make a living from non-fiction books in Australia? + Does Allen and Unwin use freelancers and if so, how can you get work in book publishing? + Tips for wannabe authors And much more! More resourcesAllen and Unwin The Friday Pitch

How good are you at following up on story pitches or with new clients? If you could do better, you're in good company: apparently, 48 percent of us never make a single follow-up attempt. Another 44 percent follow up, but give up after one follow-up call. And yet, 80 percent of sales require FIVE follow-ups! In this episode, we talk about: + why we struggle with following up + what we do when following up + best practice in reaching out + when to leave it Resources ~ RL's famous lead generation tracker - to track letters of introduction and follow-ups https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/lead-generation-tracker/ ~ RL's pitch tracker - for tracking and monitoring story pitches and follow-ups https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/pitch-tracker/

Collaborating with other freelancers or small businesses can be a rocket-launcher to growth you couldn't achieve otherwise. Trouble is, it's tricky to get it right, and to know how to approach other brands you might like to team up with. In this episode, we chat to Jess Ruhfus from Collabosaurus, a match-making, marketing platform that connects brands keen to collaborate. Tune in to hear about: + How Jess started Collabosaurus + Why she feels collaboration is the future + How to get started collaborating with another freelancer or brand + How to communicate your value + Collaboration success stories + Jess's favourite tech tools Find out more Check out Collabosaurus Join the Partnerships Masterclass - Starts March 14th! Listeners of The Content Byte can receive $200 off by emailing Jess @ collabosaurus.com Listen to Jess's podcasts: Podcast: Stop, Collaborate & Listen and Podcast: This is How We Do It

If you're a writer thinking about edging into UX, you'll find this episode with UX copywriter Susan Reoch both fascinating AND super helpful. We chat to Susan about: + What UX actually means and how this emerging area is a great one to consider if you're a writer looking to upskill + Where microcopy fits in to the UX bigger picture + How Susan got started in UX and the resources and groups that have been most helpful in growing her business + The kind of work out there for UX copywriters, and why business owners need UX writers more than ever + Why journalists can make great UX copywriters + How to cost UX jobs with lots of moving parts + What you need to know about working in UX teams + Susan's favourite tools Find out more about Susan here: https://susanreochcopywriter.com/ https://www.instagram.com/susanreoch_copywriter/ Other resources Susan's UX Writer's Guide https://susanreochcopywriter.com/the-ux-writers-guide/ The Content Rookie podcast https://contentrookiepod.com/ A blog post on UX writing by Laura Luck https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/so-you-think-you-can-be-a-ux-writer/