Freelancers Guide to Life, and Business

In this episode, I’m joined by Benjamin Portnoy, “Hustler-in-Chief” at Side Hustle Elevator. Benjamin’s long freelance career has gone through many phases. He’s worked as a freelance musician, voiceover talent, marketer, copywriter and designer, just to name a few. Benjamin has been hustling throughout his adult career to find out not only what makes him happy, but also what makes him financially secure. He's found that a key to the big picture is to identify your roadblocks and find your motivation. Do that, and your hustle will follow.      More About Benjamin Benjamin Portnoy is the "Hustler-In-Chief" of SideHustleElevator.com, which provides support, tools, training and community to help people make more money and passive income through fun and fulfilling side jobs. His own list of side hustles includes voiceover, marketing automation, real estate investor/rehabber, and professional musician.   You can find Benjamin at: https://www.SideHustleElevator.com https://www.facebook.com/sidehustleelevator https://www.linkedin.com/in/bportnoy/ https://instagram.com/sidehustleelevator

In this episode, I am joined by speaker, author, and freelance writer, Laura Briggs. Laura started freelancing as a side hustle, before realizing it was something she could turn into a career. She began her online freelance career in 2012 and has worked with clients all around the world. Laura scaled her business to six figures and now works with aspiring and successful six-figure freelancers as a coach. Today, Laura shares her thoughts and advice to freelancers just jumping into the game.   More About Laura Laura Pennington Briggs is a former middle school teacher turned freelance writer, project manager, and online course creator. She’s helped more than 8,000 students launch or optimize their freelance business since 2012. Laura is the author of Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business: The Complete Guide to Starting and Scaling from Scratch.   You can find Laura at: www.betterbizacademy.com https://www.facebook.com/laurapenningtoninternational/ www.linkedin.com/in/laurapenningtonwrites https://www.instagram.com/authorlaurabriggs/

In this episode, I welcomed Sara Caso Conde. Sara has what many of us strive for, her dream job! As the director of consultant services at MBO Partners, she helps independent talent, freelancers and consultants. Known internally at the company as the 'independent consulting therapist', Sara works with consultants on everything from setting up their business from a legal and tax perspective, redlining their contracts, helping them with their website, and positioning themselves to work with larger firms. She helps independent talent from all over the spectrum, whether they are just beginning, early in their career, or later in their career. Sara realized she had a deep subject matter expertise, but it dawned on her that she wasn't taking her own advice. So, she found her space and was able to find her voice.   More About Sara Sara has 15 years of experience in developing, selling, and optimizing programs designed for both sides of the independent consulting equation (e.g., Fortune 500 enterprises and elite independent talent). Inspired by her freelance clients, Sara recently started a sales consulting business, Sara Caso Conde, LLC. In addition to her LLC, Sara is responsible for talent-facing products and services and acts as a brand ambassador on behalf of her employer, MBO Partners, Inc. You can find Sara at: www.saracasoconde.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracasoconde/ https://twitter.com/SaraCasoConde

In this episode, I welcomed the "project whisperer" for digital products and experiences, Jewel Mlnarik. Jewel has a career spanning over 20 years and what began as a side gig eventually led her to a startup. She went through many of the ups and downs that startups face, maxed out credit cards, and cashed out retirement funds--things she’d NEVER recommend to anyone! When all else failed, she knew she had a backup plan of being a freelancer. Freelancing allowed her to take a break, and she now looks back at these ups and downs as her "founder recovery period". Jewel's recovery period was really about reinstating good habits and establishing them in a low-stress environment. Through freelancing, she was able to reset, recover and regroup her priorities. More about Jewel. In Jewel's 20-year career, she's architected digital products to last, recruited teams, scaled companies, managed remotely, failed fast, led clients to success, produced award-winning experiences and founded a few communities, local and global. She's been a freelancer and entrepreneur since 2003 as a sole proprietor, LLC, S-Corp, and C-Corp and has worked as a consultant, general contractor, and subcontractor. She enjoys cross-pollinating ideas and tactics to increase our collective potential, clarifying expectations, and leaving every space/group/one better than she finds them. You can find Jewel at: Jewel.mlnarik.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/jewelmlnarik http://twitter.com/juellez http://twitter.com/juellez

In this episode, I was joined by the host and producer of Change Your Attitude…Change Your Life’s Conversations, Joan Herrmann. Joan shares her path into the freelance world from being a stay-at-home mom for 17 years and losing herself in the process. Joan decided to take the plunge and make a change. What Joan calls a crazy idea has led her to a more fulfilling life learning first hand that if you change your attitude, you can change your life.  Joan publishes a monthly digital magazine, 24/seven, which is distributed to hundreds of thousands worldwide, and is now read by more than one million monthly. Her guest and magazine contributors list reads like a who’s who of the most influential and inspirational people in the world.  Joan is a published author and motivational speaker on the topics of transition, self-esteem, mind-body connection, and self-empowerment. When presenting, she speaks from the heart, not only because she has been taught by the greatest teachers in the world, but because she has experienced self-doubt, tremendous loss, and change.  She has taken her message to print and broadcast media and has been featured in Forbes, the BBC, and other major media outlets.  Joan is a firm believer that knowledge is power and she works tirelessly to become a conduit of information. From that vision, today, the CYACYL brand has more than one half million Facebook followers, millions of magazine readers, and a dedicated listening base. You can find Joan at: https://cyacyl.com https://www.facebook.com/changeyourattitudechangeyourlife/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanherrmann

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with mobile app startup founder and industry vet, Holly Jee. Holly and I talk about some of her favorite tools and how they can help you stay organized. Later, she gives us insight into how she tends to find clients. We also speak about challenges freelancers face, and ways to better cope with the day-to-day of working for yourself.  Holly has nearly 10 years of experience in digital marketing and events. She has proven to be a vital pillar in the small business and technology community in Austin having a skillset that some say make her a one-woman agency.  She has put her experience to good use in founding her company, heirlum, a social memory app for preserving the legacies of those most important to us through Augmented Reality and Cloud Computing. Heirlum is just one of the few new legacy startups in the U.S. that are working toward modernizing the remembrance experience in unique and personalized ways.   You can find Holly at: www.hollyjee.com https://www.facebook.com/hollyjeeatx https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/hollyjee https://www.twitter.com/holly__jee https://www.instagram.com/holly__jee/

It was perfect timing when I met Kim in Buffalo, NY last summer. She was just 90 days into starting up her freelance business and eager to share some specific lessons she learned that could help her peers looking to jump off into starting a freelance business. Kim believes it’s time to change the way we work. Be more positive, collaborative and creative. Involve our community and partners in building our future. Activate our true brand to better connect with our customers. Kim Marie McKernan founded Inspired Outcomes to offer a new, modern approach that combines Appreciative Inquiry, Creative Problem Solving, and advanced Marketing techniques. Her services are customized and personal for startups, individuals and businesses that want to build a unique brand, find new opportunities, and leverage an international marketing leader. By meeting you where you are, taking you where you want to go and making the experience easy, enjoyable and meaningful – the result is the inspired outcome you need to succeed.

An award-winning advertising/marketing copywriter, Julie Cortés has run her own freelance business for more than 20 years. Best known as the founder of The Freelance Exchange of KC, Cortés created her own much-needed college-level course, Freelancing 101, and teaches as an adjunct professor at the world-renowned KC Art Institute. Recognized with awards dozens of times over for her work, leadership, volunteerism and community involvement, this freelance rockstar is regularly sought out for media interviews, public speaking, and professional coaching for freelancers as well as those who hire them. Cortés is loving life, living out her passion of helping others succeed.

Daniel Hall is a 'Top Rated' member of the website Upwork and has earned over $1 million as a freelancer. He has subsequently written the book "The Million Dollar Freelancer", which is available to buy on Amazon now.

Join me in a conversation about how Shoshanna Cogan overcame one hell of a tough place in her life, being homeless. Shoshanna shares details about her mindset and the external influences that kept her in an abusive relationship, and she found the courage and inspiration to change it all. She now runs a global freelance consultancy company making a consistent six-figures.  More About Shoshanna: Shoshanna Cogan, M.S. Counseling Psychology is an international Leadership Consultant, Trainer and Coach who has led thousands of events with local, national, and global corporate, nonprofit, and governmental organizations for over 26 years. She specializes in Leadership Development and Coaching, Emotional and Social Intelligence, Train-the-Trainer, Train-the-Facilitator, Conflict Resolution, Crucial Conversations, Critical Communication, Building Resilience, Women's Leadership Coaching, and Emotional-Social Intelligence.

Every podcast has a story behind it, and so does every successful freelance business. Getting to listen in on the journey people take to overcome challenges and arrive on the other side is the secret sauce.  Sharing our stories is what makes us #StrongerTogether as freelance business owners. Grab a chair, beach towel or jump in the car and enjoy the show.  

Join me in a conversation about how Aaron Welch made the leap back into freelancing, this time with the financial responsibility of a young family and house. Find out how he and his wife negotiated a plan that worked for both of them and is now running a successful and growing freelance business. More About Aaron: I'm a former Marine who started doing small business marketing in 2000, internet marketing in 2001, and social media marketing in 2006. I have started multiple businesses (both successfully and unsuccessfully), raised venture capital and partnered with billionaire investors, grown a thriving consulting business, and worked in startups, small businesses, agencies, and Fortune 100 businesses.