podcast for freelancers

In this week’s episode, we talked to Carl Smith from Bureau of Digital. In our I Make a Living Nerdisode, he gives us his top tips for building organic and authentic communities.

1. Building community isn’t something you check off a list: it requires a commitment and a purpose to keep it going.
2. Communities evolve to reflect their members’ needs: what you start with might not be what you end up with.
3. When you’re scaling an intimate group into thousands of members, insist on a strong code of conduct.
4. Don’t be scared of your communities taking off without you: you wanted a group of people to get together and do something, so let ‘em!
5. Meet your community where they live: for Bureau of Digital, it was Slack. Where is yours?  

Join #IMakeALiving alum Elaine Pofeldt for our next webinar “Building A High-Revenue One-Person Business In Challenging Times” on November 19! Elaine and her four expert guests will walk us through fail-proofing your business and scaling revenue. The first 100 attendees will receive a free copy of Elaine’s book “The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business.” Sign up today!

Ruth Elnekave knows what stress is. After all, she’s got five different degrees and diplomas, ranging from an MBA to her chef’s papers. Her business Joya combines her far-ranging professional experience (including business and marketing) with her life-long passions (cooking and holistic nutrition); the end result is wellness-oriented products that bridge the gap between soothing stressed-out customers (hello, paging 2020!) and being totally delicious. 

In this episode, we talk to Ruth about connecting with her grandmother through childhood family feasts, how her personal experience with stress led her to create Joya, and the silver linings of launching a business during a pandemic—turns out it’s pretty good for connecting with customers on social media. We also dive deep into the effects of stress on the body and why food is a “beautiful way to experience other cultures.” 

Join the conversation on Facebook in our #imakealiving group, where you can chat about challenges, find resources for success, and stay connected with other entrepreneurs!

When times get tough (like, say, most of 2020), it can be easy to dismiss an accountant or a bookkeeper as a business frill. Let Twyla Verhelst change your mind. She’s the Head of FreshBooks’s Accountant Channel, and while she’s got a numbers background, her greatest strength is bridging the gap between small business owners and the accounting professionals who work with them. She’s a former start-up founder and one of Practice Ignition’s 2018 Top 50 Women in Accounting, and she’s “an entrepreneur at heart.” 

Only half of all small businesses use accounting professionals, but they’re now more efficient and affordable than ever before. Today, Twyla talks to us about some of their lesser-known benefits, like helping you craft a powerful 90-day forecast, and finding efficiencies when you feel squeezed. We also talk about why your relationship with your accountant should be great (not just good): you should feel like your business would flop without your accounting professionals.

Join the conversation on Facebook in our #imakealiving group, where you can chat about challenges, find resources for success, and stay connected with other entrepreneurs!

“At the root of our work is education, civic engagement, youth leadership, and wrapping it up with a bow of creative problem-solving.” This is how Antionette D. Carroll explains her work on the Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit that trains Black and Latinx youth to redesign their own communities for better health and racial equity. We sit down with her to talk about Black Lives Matter, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and white supremacy, and how it all relates to entrepreneurship in 2020.

Carroll gives us the background on what white supremacy actually is (and why you don't have to be white to perpetuate it), and why companies need to start paying for DEI work in their organizations. We also talk about code-switching, the importance of lived experience, and what makes a good ally. This episode is for all our listeners: we want to unpack the assumptions we make in business and in daily life to help create a more equitable society. As Carroll says, "I am continuing to learn and unlearn, and my discomfort is a good thing."

Join the conversation on Facebook in our #imakealiving group, where you can chat about challenges, find resources for success, and stay connected with other entrepreneurs!

Guest- Antionette D. Carroll- https://www.antionettecarroll.design/ 

Nicole Gibbons wants to change how we make our homes beautiful. “My aspiration was to be the next Martha Stewart,” she says, and she's on her way. The former PR rep has leveraged years of networking, blogging, media experience, and PR savvy to launch Clare, a direct-to-consumer business selling interior paint.

In this week's episode, Gibbons gives us behind-the-scenes access to how she landed an on-air hosting gig soon after leaving her day job (hint: it involves a lot of networking!), and how she used that opportunity to get VC funding and launch Clare as a brand. We also talk about the unexpected visibility of being a Black entrepreneur in 2020, how the pandemic enabled online shopping for unexpected products, and why networking and creating relationships really is that important. Clare is now taking aim on an industry dominated by legacy brands with nine-digit valuations, and Gibbons feels prepared. “A lot of time was put in before it was actually successful,” and she's now ready to go global.

Join the conversation on Facebook in our #imakealiving group, where you can chat about challenges, find resources for success, and stay connected with other entrepreneurs!

Nadieh was working full-time when she launched a personal project with a friend. They documented the process closely, sharing in-depth blog posts that explained the hows and whys behind their decisions. Six months later, Google reached out to them and became a first client. And so Nadieh’s freelance story begins.

She talked to friends, read books, got an accountant and started putting herself out there. She kept sharing those in-depth blog posts and soon started speaking at events.

“I’m not a person that does sales,” Nadia says. Instead, she shows what she can do and hopes that people who like it will get in touch.

And it’s working for her this far. Tune in to hear her story.

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Hash landed his first freelance gig by accident while he was still a student at uni. It’s seven years later now and he’s never looked back. He got some studio space from that first client in return for the odd bit of work, and through word of mouth and meeting people, he was able to build up his contact list and bring in a steady flow of work.

Hash has learnt as he’s gone along, bouncing back from mistakes to keep pushing forward. “When it comes to freelancing,” he says, “It’s a marathon, not a race.”

He’s worked on plenty of side projects during his time freelancing, including a guide for new freelancers, and he says “You’re only as good as your portfolio. Putting stuff out there that you believe in and that you want to create is so important.”

This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.

Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. 

Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.com

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Joe’s been making music forever, but his first real-world project came during an internship he took after leaving school. He freelanced on the side after that while waiting tables, and then landed a corporate sales job which he really, really hated.

With help from a friend, Joe found his way back to music and began studying for his masters and picking up freelance work once again.

He had a stint in-house before taking his freelance business full-time, and eventually, when an office in-joke caught on, he rebranded from Joe Basille Music to The Chicken.

He chats to Steve about finding work, building a network, attending events, and diversifying his income.

This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze.
With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax.
To claim your 1-month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance

Support also comes from With Jack
With Jack exists to help keep you in business by supporting you financially or legally if you have problems with a client.
With Jack is all about giving freelancers the insurance they deserve.
Visit withjack.co.uk and be a confident freelancer.

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be?
Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Ready for a change, Seattle-based Evan and his wife bought one-way tickets to Argentina, and Evan went freelance full-time.

That’s a sizeable change. Especially with 4 daughters under 10 in tow.

Evan had never been to Argentina, but he did have some experience being freelance. He’d done it on the side of permanent jobs for years, always with the idea that he’d freelance full-time one day.

Evan chats to Steve about relocating his family, going freelance full-time in a new country without a financial safety net, and finding his way with the tough stuff, like accounting and work-life balance.

This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze.
With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax.
To claim your 1-month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be?
Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

He’s now based in Amsterdam, but South African born Devon’s freelance story kicked off in New Zealand, where he worked as a motion designer and videographer for a church.

After one of the congregation offered him his first freelance gig, Devon was hooked. “It’s like that first taste of bacon…” he says, “I got the bug.”

Devon freelanced on the side for years while working full-time at Xero in Wellington. When he and his wife became restless, they decided to hit the road and move somewhere new.

They spent a year in Australia, where Devon finally took the plunge and went freelance full-time, and then settled in Amsterdam.

Devon chats to Steve about how the move affected his client base, how he balanced his time while freelancing and working a full-time job, and how he finds clients and makes time for fun now that he’s working for himself.

This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze.
With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax.
To claim your 1-month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance

Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!

You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Who the hell is Steve Folland?

You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be?
Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com
Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!

The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop

Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland