The Content Byte

Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni
  • 5.0 (53)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosts Rachel Smith (from Rachel's List) and journalist and content writer Lynne Testoni are serving up weekly short bites of advice, tips and strategies, plus special guests, for freelancers who make a living from using their words. We're shooting for 15-minute episodes, but can't promise anything because we can both talk the leg off a chair.

  1. How to nail client meetings

    5 DAYS AGO

    How to nail client meetings

    This week on the pod it's just Rachel and Lynne as we answer a listener question about how to nail client calls. We compare warm leads (often via referrals and niche networks) with cold leads (often from Google), and share tactics and tips on how we handle professional calls, including researching the client (website, socials, ABN and reviews); being punctual and prepared; using interviewing and soft sales skills along with reflective listening. We also discuss how to handle the question of budgets by stating indicative pricing, adjusting scope, offering tiered options, and focusing on value, plus being prompt with quotes, setting validity windows, and clarifying terms such as deposits, SEO non-negotiables, and limits on revisions. We also cover longer discovery calls for web copy projects, using transcripts/AI notes, and the value of meeting clients in person to build trust. Here are links to some of the article we discuss: Why to offer tiered pricing (blog) https://rachelslist.com.au/why-you-should-offer-tiered-pricing-as-a-freelancer/ Client brief template (shop) https://rachelslist.com.au/portfolio/client-brief-template/ Quoting freelance projects with Lynne Testoni (shop) https://rachelslist.com.au/portfolio/21062/ Gold members of Rachel's List can listen to the lunch club with Treasa Edmond on nailing discovery calls, which includes her downloadable checklist. https://rachelslist.com.au/freelance-writing-jobs-australia/lunch-club-library/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    36 min

  2. 5 DAYS AGO ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: Crime Scene

    Introducing The Boys on the Tracks from Crime Scene. Follow the show: Crime Scene Two teens are found dead on railroad tracks. The official ruling? An accident.  But the scene tells a different story.  In 1987, two Arkansas teenagers were found dead on a set of railroad tracks under circumstances that defied easy explanation. Despite unusual evidence at the scene--including a destroyed firearm and reports of missing materials--their deaths were officially ruled an accident.  In this episode, we examine the “Boys on the Tracks” case, unpacking the inconsistencies, investigative missteps, and lingering questions that have fueled decades of speculation. As the timeline unfolds, key details begin to challenge the official narrative and raise the possibility that the full story was never uncovered.  Note from Jonathan and Cooper: Journalist Mara Leveritt played a central role in documenting this case over many years. Her reporting is an essential starting point for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the story.  --------  For ad-free listening to Crime Scene and access to over 60 true crime series, subscribe to The Binge+ on Apple Podcasts, Patreon, or at GetTheBinge.com.  Watch Crime Scene on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBingeTrueCrime  Follow Crime Scene:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebingecrimescene/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebingecrimescene  Get our free true crime newsletter for behind-the-scenes details at Patreon.com/TheBinge.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. Writing in the mind/body/spirit field, with Maggie Hamilton

    22 MAR

    Writing in the mind/body/spirit field, with Maggie Hamilton

    This week, Rachel & Lynne welcome mind, body, spirit expert Maggie Hamilton – writer, social researcher, former publisher and founder of Allen & Unwin's Inspired Living imprint – to discuss opportunities and challenges in the genre. Maggie explains why the genre appeals to her, share the most influential titles and authors in the space, and outlines common mistakes writers make when exploring this space. She recommends adding case studies, interviews, research, and broader references to spiritual traditions and thinkers, plus using universal language for international audiences. It's a broad and inspiring conversation, covering ghostwriting, speaking opportunities, traditional vs self-publishing, and the importance of early structural guidance. Maggie also previews her Writing NSW online course, covering submissions, readership, permissions, genre "languaging," and creating punchy chapters and introductions. The Elif Shafak book on Rumi is The Forty Rules of Love.  Maggie's course for Writing NSW is here: https://writingnsw.org.au/whats-on/courses/online-mind-body-spirit/ Her website is: https://www.maggiehamilton.org/  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    37 min
  4. How to pitch to editors - with Lindy Alexander

    15 MAR

    How to pitch to editors - with Lindy Alexander

    This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne welcome back Lindy Alexander, to discuss how pitching is changing for freelancers and what it takes to get editors' attention. Lindy is an award-winning travel writer and founder of The Freelancer's Year and she explains why she created courses after readers asked about her pitching strategy, and describes the tighter commissioning landscape as budgets stagnate and editors become more time-poor. She outlines common pitching mistakes, including pitching broad topics instead of specific stories, writing lyrical but unclear subject lines, and not knowing a publication's voice, tone, readership, or sections. Lindy shares what gets commissioned now: concise, clearly angled pitches tailored to a particular vertical, with relevant sources where needed, and how strong pitches can build relationships with editors, even without prior contact. She also covers following up, learning from rejections, and balancing travel writing with running her Travel Writer Accelerator course. Connect with Lindy via: The Freelancer's Year The Travel Writer Accelerator   Here are also the links to the call outs she mentions: Study Hall newsletter  Travel writing call outs on IG   Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au   Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au   Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.   Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    42 min
  5. Establishing a freelance podcasting career, with Caroline Winter

    8 MAR

    Establishing a freelance podcasting career, with Caroline Winter

    This week, Rachel and Lynne discuss podcasting as part of a freelance content strategy with guest Caroline Winter, a former radio journalist and co-founder of POD Talk. Caroline shares lessons from creating her eight-part narrative series Sick as a Dog about the veterinary industry's mental health crisis and explains how her agency finds clients and produces podcasts for organisations.  She outlines what new podcasters need, including clarity of focus, defined audience, strong preparation, hosting skills, consistency, and good audio quality — plus practical ways to test an idea's longevity. Caroline also covers agency realities such as pricing, client psychology, measures of success beyond monetisation, emerging podcast trends, and tools and habits that help her work efficiently. Connect with Caroline here: https://www.podtalk.com.au/  Listen to her work here: Sick As A Dog https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sick-as-a-dog/id1675843578 The Widow Diaries https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-widow-diaries/id1820862923   Our People (CALHN) https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/our-people-central-to-healthcare/id1686295859   AgVic Talk https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/agvic-talk/id1528428798   Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    49 min
  6. Things that hold you back as a freelancer

    1 MAR

    Things that hold you back as a freelancer

    This week, Rachel and Lynne are without a guest, as they share six small, actionable things they wish they'd done sooner in their respective freelance businesses, to become more visible, win better work, and run their businesses better.    They discuss: How investing in professional headshots boosted Rachel's confidence and credibility How Lynne benefited from switching from a free Gmail address to a custom domain email Why Rachel put practical systems in place using tools like templates, trackers, Moxie, and Trello How Lynne found value in attending paid conferences and networking events to build relationships and create indirect opportunities  Why packaging her services (including creating a services guide) helped Rachel clarify offerings and pricing  And how regularly increasing rates – even in small increments – can keep up with rising costs while reinforcing value The professional photographer we mention is Simona Janek: https://simonajanek.com.au/   Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au ), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    24 min
  7. Moving from publishing to a comms role - with Jo Butler

    22 FEB

    Moving from publishing to a comms role - with Jo Butler

    This week, Rachel and Lynne chat with Jo Butler about switching careers from book publishing to marketing and communications at the University of Sydney. Jo shares her journey of nearly 30 years as a book editor, publisher and literary agent, and explains why she wanted a new challenge, as well as the appeal of more stable income and working with colleagues again.  She discusses: • how publishing has changed over the decades  • what she misses about editing  • what she wishes authors understood about publishing  • why comms still feels like storytelling, and how her skills feel more appreciated in a university environment • how she mapped her transferable skills for the move  • key skills for comms roles  • what her week looks like in internal communications  • the learning curve in university comms  • her ongoing connection to publishing through teaching in the Masters of Publishing program, and what she covers  • the 'hard truths' she shares with students  • AI in publishing  Connect with Jo via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-butler-bishops/  Read her blog on Rachel's List about book editing here: https://rachelslist.com.au/so-you-think-you-can-be-a-book-editor/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    37 min
  8. Breaking the freelance stress cycle - with Sabina Read

    15 FEB

    Breaking the freelance stress cycle - with Sabina Read

    This week Rachel and Lynne chat with psychologist Sabina Read about catastrophising, perfectionism and the freelance stress spiral. Sabina explains catastrophising as a cognitive distortion where we jump to the worst-case scenario and treat thoughts as facts, and why it can show up more in freelancing due to a lack of workplace "guardrails" such as regular income and employer support. They discuss: the difference between genuine, evidence-based concerns (like fewer jobs or more competition) and catastrophising how scarcity vs abundance mindsets influence freelance anxiety why perfectionism fuels anxiety, and why "good enough is good enough" how the brain reinforces threat-focused neural pathways – and how to build new ones by noticing what's working  practical circuit breakers and using breath to come down from fight-or-flight before making decisions  how avoidance fuels fear, and how resilience is built by tolerating discomfort without over-attaching to outcomes being discerning with social media and algorithm-driven negativity clarifying what you want to move toward (not just what you want to escape), and the power of saying no to misaligned work Find Sabina at sabinareadpsychology.com.au  She also hosts the Human Cogs podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/human-cogs-podcast/id1525840415 and The Separation Guide Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-separation-guide-a-starting-point-for/id1542151561  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

    39 min
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5
out of 5
53 Ratings

About

Hosts Rachel Smith (from Rachel's List) and journalist and content writer Lynne Testoni are serving up weekly short bites of advice, tips and strategies, plus special guests, for freelancers who make a living from using their words. We're shooting for 15-minute episodes, but can't promise anything because we can both talk the leg off a chair.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    276
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © This content is copyright and the property of Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni.
  • Show Website
    The Content Byte

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