There’s lots of talk about niching down by industry, but what about becoming the go-to person for a specific offering? Freelance writers see success when they’re THE person for a particular thing. In this episode, we talk about our experience niching down and how you can get people to remember you as the “go-to person for writing podcast summaries,” for example.

Making efficient use of your time is essential to running a successful freelance business, but lots of freelancers waste time on tasks that have little impact on revenue or lifestyle. In this episode, we discuss how we create efficient work days. We get into how many hours we typically work, tools to help ensure efficiency and focus, and what we recommend to freelance writers on how to divide their time.

DISCLAIMER: We are not lawyers, and this episode is not official legal advice. However, we both use contracts with our clients… or sometimes we use the contracts they send to us. These contracts ultimately protect us and our businesses. When it comes to contracts, what should be included? What are red flags to look for? And, if you don’t have a contract already, how do you create one?

Once you get going as a freelance writer, you’ll have projects to manage, each with their own details, nuances, and due dates. How do you manage these projects so that you’re on top of your work? How do you ensure nothing gets lost in the shuffle? In this episode, we share how we manage projects and keep track of assignments. There isn’t one right way to do this! But we have lots of ideas.

Over the years we’ve attended many events, conferences, and retreats designed to help us improve our businesses. At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, we’re not getting much out of them these days. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place in your business. Should you go to events? If so, which ones?

Most freelance writers specialize in either copywriting or content. Although we consider ourselves content writers, we have experience in copy, as well. Emma’s even written copy for Kaleigh! But what’s the difference between copy and content… and why does it matter?

A plethora of new AI tools are on the market, all claiming to help you write. Are these tools a threat to our livelihoods? Or is it possible that we can use these tools to make our offerings as freelance writers better? Kaleigh and Emma share their experiences with the latest AI tools to help you suss out whether they’re helping or hurting.

Everyone and their mom says they’re a business coach, which might make you wary of hiring someone to help you grow and shape your freelance career. But we’ve both worked as coaches and hired them– we’ve seen the good and the bad and are sharing our experience with freelance writing coaching.

Freelance writing has a ton of benefits, but it’s not for everyone. We’ve known many who’ve decided to hang up their freelance coats and go to a more traditional, full-time job. And many love this trade! In this episode, we share why some freelancers give it up for a regular, full-time job, as well as when you might consider this option. Spoiler: going in-house is not a failure.

Is writer’s block even real? Kaleigh isn’t sure. At the very least, writer’s block isn’t an excuse to go months and months without writing. But what happens when you’re just uninspired? How can you get the words onto the page and break through…especially when you have deadlines?

We had to delay the release of this season due to personal disaster. Unfortunately, these types of disasters are part of life. When you’re battling chronic health conditions, a family emergency, sudden lack of child care, or any other disaster, it can be hard to power through and focus on work. In this episode, we discuss how we navigate these disasters so they have minimal impact on our relationships and careers.

The internet is a weird place full of weird people. While we’ve met many of our closest friends, colleagues, and clients online, we also have encountered our fair share of online bullies, devil’s advocates, and naysayers. As a freelancer, you’re the face of the business, and whatever you say online is fair game to the internet’s trolls. How can you deal with it?

The economic landscape is a little unstable. Rising interest rates, sinking stocks... is this going to affect your freelancing career? Hmm. In this episode, we discuss our perspective on a changing market and share some strategies for recession-proofing your freelance business.

Disclaimer: we are not lawyers. However, someone told us to get business insurance so we looked into it. In this episode, we discuss business insurance. One of us has it and one of us doesn’t. If you’re looking for a brief overview of what two experienced freelancers know about business insurance, listen in.

Speaking is a great way to share your authority and meet new people. You may want to start booking speaking gigs so you can share your knowledge with the world. In this episode, we discuss how to start small and what to keep in mind as you embrace speaking as a freelance writer. Emma also shares a comedic and bizarre tip for getting people into your talks.

Kaleigh got a new L-shaped desk. Emma’s is vintage. In this episode, we’re sharing our freelance desk and office setups. You’re going to hear about a zen-like place and a corner of chaos. By the end of this episode, you’ll want one of our desks and not the other’s… ;-)

WE ARE GETTING REAL ABOUT WHAT WE CHARGE FOR CERTAIN ASSETS. In this episode, we share what we think are reasonable rates for blog articles, case studies, websites, and more. There is always nuance when it comes to pricing but if you’re wondering if you’re totally off base with your rates, give this a listen.

Neither of us is a LinkedIn master, but we’ve seen freelancers get massive amounts of value from the platform. We call out Michal Eisikowitz and Leah Neaderthal, who are both doing awesome things with the platform. In this episode, we discuss how we approach LinkedIn and how we’ve seen others leverage it.

Some freelancers work with one or two long-term clients while others do a series of one-offs. It can depend on the type of work you do, what you like and what matters to you. In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of long-term clients, retainers, and one-off projects, and what’s best for you?

Are your clients texting you in the middle of the night? Do they expect instant responses on Slack? Do they want you to deliver a draft within 24 hours or hop on a call right now? In this episode, we cover everything client boundaries. We discuss how to create them and uphold them so you can take back control of your business (and your life!)