The show for those who want to build a successful freelance business. We are NOT about the hustle. We are NOT about the feast-or-famine cycle. We are about building a business. Deliberately.
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The show for those who work at and with membership associations in the areas of content, publications and media. You are the innovators, the creators, the strategists and the doers — serving your association members and their industry.
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This is the Guidebook. We’re sharing tips for freelancers, raw conversations with risk-takers, how to become a digital nomad, and the emotions behind it all. On the show, Rachel Meltzer shares everything she's learned in the past five years of freelancing and living nomadically – showing you how you can work to live instead of living to work. She's interviewing some of her favorite digital nomads and entrepreneurs to help you unlock your bravest self. We’re unveiling the challenges and joys ...
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Maari Casey is making it easier for freelancers & companies to find each other
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In the last episode of season 4, I chat with Maari Casey. Maari is an ad agency art director turned freelancer turned entrepreneur. In this episode with Maari, we chat about: ✨ The benefits on personal life of entrepreneurship✨ Money Mindset ✨ The abundance of opportunities for freelancers You can learn more about Maari at: LinkedIn…
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Marie-Pier Tremblay wants to help you overcome fear
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Overcoming Fear: 5 Barriers Holding You Back from Major Life Transitions - with Marie-Pier Tremblay This week we have a special surprise! Me and Marie from Self Growth Nerds are doing a collab podcast episode! Marie is a former designer and illustrator turned certified coach, who discovered the transformative power of pursuing her wildest dreams af…
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Wudan Yan is more than a journalist
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On this weeks episode of the Guidebook podcast, I'm talking to Wudan Yan from the Writers Co Op. In this episode with Wudan, we chat about: ✨ The twists and turns that her career took before she got to where she is now. ✨ What kind of journalism work she currently does. ✨ Wudan's new business venture, which is a fact checking agency and so much mor…
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Melanie Padgett Powers on being deliberate
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This week, we are talking to Melanie, a freelance writer and editor, and the host of two podcasts: The Deliberate Freelancer and Association Station. In my episode with Melanie, we chat about: ✨ Travel and solo travel ✨ Melanie's journey from journalist to freelancer ✨ In's and outs of how to start a podcast You can learn more about Melanie at: …
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Daniel Brenneman leverages empathy for deeper connections in business
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My chat with Daniel has to be one of the most energetic conversations on the Guidebook Podcast. And with the guests I've had so far, that's a big claim. I had a blast chatting with Daniel Brenneman, co-founder of Empathy Marketing Co, an agency helping you find marketing clarity through the power of emotional marketing. In my episode with Daniel, w…
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I will be on summer hiatus from June to September. This episode gives you a quick update about my summer plans and provides a sneak peek into what I’m looking forward to talking about in September. Resources: Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect wi…
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Dyslexia is a strength with Ray Slater Berry
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In this episode, I chat with Ray Slater Berry, founder of DSLX, a tech content agency on a mission to empower diverse and minority group writers to write. In this episode, we chat about: ✨ Getting started freelance writing ✨ Beach volleyball and fiction writing ✨ Starting an agency and business with a partner ✨ Balancing work and passion You can le…
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#190: Unpack and Improve Your Money Beliefs with Austin L. Church’s Book “Free Money”
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Today’s guest is Austin L. Church, who returns to the show to talk about his book “Free Money.” Austin lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. He helps e-commerce founders stand out online with their brand strategy. Lately, he’s been working as a fractional chief marketing officer, consulting for creator economy companies. He also coaches freelance creative…
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Mara Watts on balancing motherhood and freelance life
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This week I'm joined by my new friend from LinkedIn Mara Watts. Mara is a mom of 3, a yoga instructor, a freelance writer, a plant mom, and full-time latte sipper. We cover loads of ground in this episode including: ✨ Tips for balancing freelance writing, and self-employed work with motherhood ✨ Overcoming rejection and asking for more from clients…
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#189: Evicting Freelance Scarcity Mindset and Jealousy, with Rachel Meltzer
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Today’s guest is Rachel Meltzer. Rachel lives in Massachusetts after doing the “van life” thing for a few years. She is a freelance writer for software as a service companies or SaaS. She’s written for Lenovo, Grammarly, Loom, FarOut, Six Moon Designs and more in the tech and outdoor recreation industries. She’s also a coach. She’s coached over 100…
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#188: What You Need to Know Before Getting Headshots and Branding Photos, with photographer Louis Tinsley
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Today’s guest is Louis Tinsley, a DC-based commercial photographer. Louis has been working in the industry professionally for more than 10 years and sits on the board of the DC chapter of American Photographic Artists, where he runs the annual Photo Assistant Workshop. He also recently joined the Northern Virginia Community College Photography & Me…
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Getting over perfectionism with Will Stevens
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This week on the Guidebook Podcast I'm joined by my new friend Will Stevens. Will is a fractional leader and go-to-market specialist, who founded Gain Growth Consulting, a practice that simplifies strategy and develops execution plans for clients. Will also hosts his own podcast called Solopreneur Stories. In my chat with Will we cover a lot of gro…
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Blair Sharp is learning to thrive with ADHD
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This week we have Blair Sharp on the podcast. She's a mum, wife, and writer from Minnesota, who specializes in mental health, parenting, and wellness content, regularly shares her insights on LinkedIn, and writes a newsletter called Hey Freelancer to motivate others to build their dream businesses. In this episode, we talk about: Pros and cons of w…
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#187: Offering Video Script Writing and Webinar Moderating, with Kelly McSweeney
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Today’s guest is Kelly McSweeney, a content marketing writer. Kelly works from her home office in Massachusetts with a small dog by her side. She has been a self-employed writer for nearly eight years, with clients that include research institutions, big tech companies and marketing agencies. Kelly explains cutting-edge science and emerging technol…
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Sarah Anto wants you to think like a startup founder
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In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Anto. Sarah helps female founders in the tech industry to start their businesses and prepare for fundraising. As a passionate advocate for women in entrepreneurship, Sarah shares her wealth of experience and insights. From launching her startups to empowering other women, she's full of really interesting insig…
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Monica Shaw juggles multiple revenue streams
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This week in The Guidebook I'm joined by Monica Shaw. Monica is a freelance writer, mountain leader, blogger and SAAS business owner. I loved talking to Monica as she has so much going on at once and somehow finds time to work on them all. This is such an interesting conversation, diving into the mind of somebody who juggles multiple revenue stream…
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#186: Creating a Netflix-like Membership Program for Your Clients, with photographer Annemie Tonken
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Today’s guest is Annemie Tonken. Annemie lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has been a professional photographer since 2010 and is the owner of Megapixie Photography. She also teaches creative entrepreneurs how to run profitable, sustainable businesses they love, by focusing on how they can develop helpful business systems and strategies. An…
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Marie Pier Tremblay wants to change the way you think
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I'm joined this week by Marie Pier Tremblay. Marie is a life coach, bookworm, kinkster, and close friend of mine. She lives in Montreal, Canada, and after completing her dream of thru-hiking the PCT in 2019 she transitioned from freelance illustrator to full-time entrepreneur. Through her work as a coach and the host of the Self-Growth Nerds podcas…
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#185: My First Year of Freelancing after Corporate Burnout, with Abby Nieten
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Today’s guest is Abby Nieten. Abby lives in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area, with her husband and three sons. A year ago she launched her freelance business, Shining Waters Editorial, where she is a copy editor and proofreader specializing in business content and nonfiction manuscripts. Abby also recently launched a monthly newsletter called Stream…
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Johanna Flashman wrote a book (while living in a van)
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This week I'm chatting with Johanna Flashman. Johanna is a freelance writer, journalist, and SEO strategist in the outdoor industry. Rachel also runs the website The Freelance Outdoorswoman which shares stories of other freelancers in the outdoor industry. In this episode, we talk about: Johannas started as a freelancer, some of her early challenge…
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#184: Becoming Comfortable and Knowledgeable with Contracts and Other Legalese, with Lawyer Brionna Ned
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Today’s guest is Brionna Ned, a former big-law lawyer and in-house counsel for tech companies. She is now a legal educator and a writer. Her company, The Everyday Lawyer, is a legal education and consulting service for small business owners that provides you with the legal knowledge you need to create solid foundations in your business. She also ha…
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Rachel Ayotte on self care through freelancing
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I'm talking to one of my favourite humans Rachel Ayotte, where we dive into our Pop Club community, her freelancing background, and our thoughts on mindset and self-care around the freelance lifestyle. In this episode, we talk about: Rachel's experience of Pop Club The importance of taking time off and self-care Saying no to work The best bits abou…
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#183: The Weird State of Freelancing Right Now
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On today’s show, I discuss the current state of freelancing, which includes massive layoffs and shuttered clients in the media and tech world. But even if that isn’t affecting you — maybe you’re even having your best year yet — you need to be prepared for the lean times and to set up your business to lessen the risk of feast-or-famine. That include…
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Rachel Dilliplane discovers freelancing on the road
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This week I'm chatting with Rachel Dilliplane. Another Rachel! Rachel is a voice-over artist and freelancer. Rachel is super funny, sharing her adventures on her TikTok along with her 2003 Ford E350 Shuttle Bus aks, the Rollsbud Motel. In this episode, we talk about: Comparisons between building a Van and building a business Balancing vanlife and a…
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#182: A massive pivot from freelancing to owning a business with her husband, with business coach Jenni Gritters
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Today’s guest is Jenni Gritters, from Oregon. She is a business coach for freelancers and creators. She’s also a former journalist, and a current writer who runs a small content and community agency called The Riverwoods Media Group. Jenni is the former co-host of The Writer’s Co-op podcast and workshops. Be sure to check out Jenni’s group coaching…
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Austin L. Church's morning marketing habit will change your life
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Join me, as I sit down with Austin L. Church, a seasoned writer, marketing consultant, and business coach. Having weathered the storm of a layoff from a marketing agency in 2009 Austin now shares invaluable insights with freelancers and consultants. In this episode, we talk about: Austin's Morning Marketing Habit 6 Levers that will propel your busi…
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Sarah Collie started freelance writing with no experience
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This week, I'm joined by my dear friend Sarah Collie. Sarah is a Virginia-based freelance writer for sustainable outdoor brands and horticulture companies. You'll often find Sarah hiking, planning next year's garden, or snuggling her puppy. In this episode, we talk about: Starting a freelance writing business with NO experience Living an intentiona…
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#181: Successful Marketing Tactics from Deliberate Freelancer Listeners
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In today’s episode, I am turning the microphone over to some of you, the listeners. Last fall I asked listeners to share their successful marketing tactics that landed them new clients. Today, eight listeners share their marketing wins with you. While each unique to the freelancer, there are a few themes. Often, the win originated from something si…
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#180: How to Crush Your Fear of Self-Promotion and Get Clients Now, with C.J. Hayden
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Today’s guest is business coach and author C.J. Hayden, who lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. C.J. Hayden is the author of seven books and hundreds of blog posts, articles, and courses on marketing, self-employment, and productivity. Her bestselling book “Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants and Coaches” has…
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As we wrap up 2023, please consider donating $25 to this podcast. With more than 175 episodes and almost five years of content, I’m sure you’ve received at least one nugget of information or tactic that has helped your business. If so, please consider donating at Buy Me a Coffee. It really helps offset the costs of producing this show. In today’s e…
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It’s the end of the year! On today’s show, I give a recap of my fourth quarter (hint: things are looking up!) and then a recap of my entire 2023. What goals are you setting for yourself? Do you set an annual income goal or a word of the year? What are you most excited about for 2024 in your business? And what do you need to work on? Join me and fel…
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#177: Your Burning Freelancing Questions Answered
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On today’s show I share my thoughts and answers to commonly asked questions I hear from freelancers of all levels and in all industries. These are questions that seem to come up time and time again. There is no one right answer, and each question may have different answers depending on the service, the client and so many other variables. That said,…
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#176: How to Use Conscious Language in Content Creation, with Crystal Shelley
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Listeners, I need your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to be co…
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#175: How to improve your article pitches and land your dream publications, with Ericka Andersen
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Listeners, I need your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to be co…
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Megan K. Bradley quit her 9-5 with Camp Moxie
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This week, I have Megan Kitzmiller Bradley on the show! Megan attended Camp Moxie, my bootcamp for new freelance writers in 2021. At the time, she still had a full time job and started her biz as a side hustle during the bootcamp. Since then, she’s launched her own freelance writing business earning $70k in her first year! She’s also been able to t…
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#174: Wrap Up Your Year with These 5 Questions
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Listeners, I would love your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to…
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#173: How to Rethink — and Land More — Anchor Clients, with Wudan Yan
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Today’s guest is Wudan Yan, a narrative writer and independent journalist from Seattle. Wudan is also host of The Writers’ Co-op, a podcast, online community and learning academy for freelance creatives. In this episode, we talk about: The different ways to define an “anchor client.” Why and how Wudan is rethinking the concept of an “anchor client.…
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#172: My Q3 Audit: Better, But Still Room for Improvement
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It’s time for my analysis and reflection on how my third quarter of the year went. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: The many ways tracking my time helps my business. How I use Freshbooks and Toggl to help me analyze my progress. The steps I use to analyze my quarter: Calculated how much I invoiced for that quarter. Counted how many cli…
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#171: Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Freelance “Dealbreakers”
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On today’s show I discuss how I think about freelance “dealbreakers,” which aren’t only the red flags I’ve noticed over time but also may simply be quirks of my personality or assumptions I’ve made. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: Rethinking “strategy” and whether saying “I don’t do strategy” is holding me back. What I learned from Ed…
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Jenni Gritters is a business coach for freelancers, a mostly retired journalist, and a mom of two. You might recognize her from the podcast she used to host, The Writer’s Co-op. Now, she’s helping freelancers build agile businesses while occasionally writing product reviews for Wirecutter, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and more. She’s an avid ad…
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#170: Happy 10 Years of Freelance Freedom!
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This month, I am celebrating 10 years of full-time freelancing! I can’t quite believe it’s been that long, but I’ve loved nearly everything about it. 10 years of freedom! Here’s what I share with you in this episode: What the freedom of freelancing has meant to me and what it has allowed me to do. How I now realize I was never cut out for a desk jo…
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5 months ago, Nick Lafferty quit what seemed like the perfect job for him to start his own business. Nick is a growth marketing consultant and creator of Early Exit Club a newsletter and community for solopreneurs. We met back when he worked at Loom. He actually hired me as a freelance content writer there. We’ve stayed in touch ever since and it’s…
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#169: Quick Website Fixes to Attract More Clients, with Brian Hall
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Today’s guest is Brian David Hall. Brian is a fellow freelancer who lives in Alabama. He focuses on website strategy for B2B clients. Specifically, he works on conversion optimization, which basically means trying to improve the experience of potential clients going to your website. Brian is the author “Your Website Sucks, Here’s How To Fix It,” an…
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#168: My Q2 Audit: It Can Only Go Uphill from Here, Right?
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On today’s show, I analyze how the second quarter of the year went for me. It’s delayed because of my summer hiatus, but the “delay” doesn’t really mean anything to listeners — just think of it as “how these three months in a row went.” Learn how many clients I had, how much I earned, and how many hours I worked. Here’s what I share with you in thi…
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#167: How to Use a “Cornerstone” Piece to Build a Content Marketing Plan, with Cassandra Le
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Today’s guest is Cassandra Le, owner of The Quirky Pineapple Studio, a brand strategy and content marketing studio that works with Black, Indigenous and people of color, queer folks and intersectional feminists. Cassandra is originally from Virginia in the United States, but she now lives in Spain. For more than 13 years, she has been creating cont…
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#166: Smart Advice from the Content Byte Summit
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On today’s show I provide a recap of The Content Byte Summit, which was held in Sydney, Australia, September 15-16. I attended virtually and was super impressed with the content, particularly all the discussion around artificial intelligence. There was also a lot of great tactical advice about running your freelance business, so even if you’re not …
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Liz Heflin has been freelancing since 2006
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Liz is a freelance marketing consultant, business coach for freelance writers, and the founder of MACE writing. She’s been freelancing since 2006. She’s done so many cool things, like traveling to all 7 continents, living abroad, and becoming a mom. Liz has been popping’ off on LinkedIn, and I know y’all are gonna love our conversation because it’s…
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#165: I’m Back! Time to Get My Act Together
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The podcast is back after my summer hiatus! Thanks for continuing to listen and support the show. Here’s what I share with you in today’s episode: The importance of taking breaks for your mental fitness and for better client work. The types of breaks you should be thinking about and planning for. Why planned and unplanned mental health breaks are i…
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Shelbi Polk shares all of her travel & budgeting tips for freelancers
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This is part 2 of a two-part series with Shelbi! Go back and listen to part 1 from last week if you haven't already. Shelbi is a freelance writer, book nerd, and world traveler. She’s traveled with friends and solo both internationally and around the US. In this episode, we talk about travel and money as freelancers: - How to afford travel multiple…
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Shelbi Polk left newspapers to nerd out about books
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Shelbi is a freelance writer, book nerd, and world traveler. She’s traveled with friends and solo both internationally and around the US. We talked for TWO HOURS, so I’ve split our casual conversation up into TWO episodes! The second episode will air next week. In this episode, we talk about: How Shelbi got started freelancing Our opinions on low-p…
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