Enthusiastically Self-Employed: LinkedIn tips, Business tips, and Marketing tips for the self-employed & small business owner

Brenda Meller
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated weekly

Enthusiastically Self-Employed is designed for you if you’re self-employed as a coach, consultant, speaker, author, solopreneur, or small business owner. Listen in for business, marketing, and LinkedIn tips, sprinkled in with my candid insights along the way.   Listen to Enthusiastically Self-Employed to support the love you have of your business, while also supporting your bottom line. That means growing your revenue, reducing your expenses, and optimizing your processes.Download a FREE LinkedIn Checklist:www.mellermarketing.com/checklists

  1. 14 Sept

    MwM Member Spotlight: Tom Wells & Wells Virtual Bookkeeping - Ep 227

    This episode is a member spotlight interview from my Marketing with Meller membership and learning community. Tom Wells is the Chief Connector at Wells Virtual Bookkeeping, a women-owned, family-run virtual bookkeeping firm based just outside Kansas City. Tom spent 42 years in healthcare (radiology tech, radiation oncology, heart cath lab, and 22 years as a department director) before leaving corporate life in January 2024 to join his wife Sharon full-time. Sharon founded the business seven-plus years ago on 30-plus years in accounting experience, starting with a few hours of cleanup work for a local remodeler and growing it into a practice that now serves businesses from New York City to Southern California. Tom handles business development; Sharon does the books; their son Alex rounds out the team with a math degree and a sharp eye for process improvement. Since Tom joined, they've more than doubled their clientele. Tom shared how Wells Virtual Bookkeeping helps service-based businesses get financial clarity and their time back: from brand-new businesses they set up from scratch, to owners who've been white-knuckling it in spreadsheets, to established companies managing close to $30M in revenue. We covered what they do (bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, invoicing, accounts payable and receivable, payroll) and what they don't (taxes, though they have strong CPA relationships for that handoff). Tom also walked through a LinkedIn strategy pivot that quietly changed his business: he stopped targeting business owners directly and started building relationships with CPAs and fractional CFOs instead, and shifted from posting every day to spending that time commenting strategically on others' posts. The result? A post he thought was going nowhere hit 20,000 impressions. In Q&A, Elaine Belson asked about the most common problem they find when onboarding new clients (hint: "are your books current?" means something very different to every business owner, and usually the honest answer is no, which is where the dental hygienist analogy comes in). Liz M. Lopez asked the succession question many prospects are probably thinking but won't say out loud. And Lori Vajda asked about Tom's LinkedIn strategy for reaching ideal clients, and his answer genuinely surprised her. 00:00 Episode Preview  01:42 Member Spotlight Format  03:10 Meet Tom Wells  04:10 Tom's Role: Chief Connector  04:20 42 Years in Healthcare: Tom's Background  05:20 Sharon Wells and the Origin of Wells Virtual Bookkeeping  06:30 The Decision to Go All-In  07:00 LinkedIn, Referrals, and Growing a Virtual Client Base  08:00 Son Alex Joins the Team  08:40 What They Do (and Don't Do)  09:10 QuickBooks Online and Sharon's Intuit Relationship  10:30 AP/AR Explained  11:10 Listening First: Tom on Leadership and Communication  12:40 A Tribute to Tom's Dad  13:00 Who Is a Good Fit?  13:40 The Roofer Story: When Bookkeeping Becomes a Family Issue  14:20 Larger Clients and How They Decide What to Take On  15:00 The Niche Question (and Their Answer)  15:40 Level 60: Age, Wisdom, and Business Priorities  16:20 Expense Management and Tax Strategy  17:10 Working with CPAs and Fractional CFOs  17:50 Audience Q&A Setup  18:00 Elaine Belson: What's the Most Common Problem You Find?  19:00 The Dental Flossing Analogy  19:30 Liz Lopez: Succession Plan and Longevity  21:10 Level 60 Revisited  21:40 Lori Vajda: How Do You Use LinkedIn to Reach Ideal Clients?  22:20 The Pivot: Targeting CPAs and Referral Partners Instead of Business Owners  24:00 Posting vs. Commenting: Tom's LinkedIn Strategy Shift  25:50 The 20,000-Impression Post He Thought Sucked  26:30 Reposting and What the LinkedIn Experts Are Actually Doing  27:30 Brenda's LinkedIn Advice: Post Once a Week, Comment Strategically  28:20 LLC vs. S Corp: Does It Matter?  28:50 The "I Have a Friend" Story: When Bookkeeping Goes Sideways  29:40 How to Work with Tom  30:30 Final Thoughts: Five Kids, Six Grandkids, and Working from Hawaii Connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwells-wvb/Visit Wells Virtual Bookkeeping: https://www.wellsvirtualbookkeeping.com/Shout out to Elaine Belson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainebelsonlcsw/ Shout out to Liz M. Lopez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizmlopez/Shout out to Lori Vajda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorivajda/ Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    MwM Member Spotlight: Tom Wells & Wells Virtual Bookkeeping - Ep 227

  2. 8 Sept

    MwM Member Spotlight: Rose Madison Jenkins & Speak to Inspire Group Coaching - Ep 226

    This episode is a member spotlight interview from my Marketing with Meller membership and learning community. Rose Madison Jenkins is a speaking and storytelling coach, transformational keynote speaker, and best-selling author who I was thrilled to spotlight here. She was referred into Marketing with Meller by longtime speaking community friend Liz M. Lopez, and it's easy to see why Liz raved about her. (Spoiler: Liz coined a phrase during this episode that I think you'll want to steal.) Rose shared how she helps speakers, professionals, and entrepreneurs craft the stories that draw in their ideal audience and further their purpose. We focused on her Speak to Inspire Group Coaching Program (a nine-week virtual cohort): how she helps complete beginners get over their fear and onto a real stage, how she helps experienced speakers go deeper and test new material, and why she ends every round with a live Night of Inspiration, where each student gets five professionally recorded minutes on stage.  In Q&A, Pam Lippitt asked about TEDx prep, Sam Jennings sparked a conversation about the neuroscience of stage fright versus excitement, and Rose shared her personal origin story rooted in military service, social work, and a childhood of being told children are to be seen and not heard. 00:00 Episode Preview 01:42 Member Spotlight Format 03:30 Meet Rose Madison Jenkins 04:10 The Speak to Inspire Group Coaching Program 05:50 Who It's For (Beginners and Veterans) 07:10 The Night of Inspiration and Five-Minute Stage Experience 09:00 The Five-Minute Formula: Story + Content Block 10:30 Value for Experienced Speakers 11:50 Professional Marketing Material as a Built-In Deliverable 13:10 Audience Q&A Setup 13:30 Pam Lippitt: TEDx Prep 15:40 Is This Program for Everyone? Cohort Makeup 16:20 Liz Lopez on "The Rose Effect" 19:30 Sam Jennings: How Do You Create a Safe Space? 21:00 Nervousness vs. Excitement (Same Neurons, Different Story) 23:40 Brenda's Toastmasters Funeral Home Story 24:40 Helping Fast Talkers: Pacing and the Pregnant Pause 26:10 Annette Richmond: Eulogies and Origin Stories 27:10 Liz's Final "Question" (a Birthday Surprise) 28:40 How to Work with Rose Connect with Rose on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-madison-jenkins/Book a 30-minute discovery call with Rose: https://calendly.com/roseinspires/30minShout out to Liz M. Lopez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizmlopez/Shout out to Pam Lippitt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalippitt/Shout out to Dr. Sam Jennings II: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsamjennings/Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    MwM Member Spotlight: Rose Madison Jenkins & Speak to Inspire Group Coaching - Ep 226

  3. 31 Aug

    Why Speakers Need Feedback (and How / Why Hosts Should Give It) - Ep 225

    I share why giving feedback to speakers matters, especially for self-employed hosts and presenters.  I describe two experiences speaking on virtual events:  one free Zoom interview where I followed up for feedback, needed to nudge the host, and eventually received confirmation it went well; and one paid LinkedIn training for a leadership program where the audience was unusually quiet and the host didn’t respond for weeks until I learned the group simply wasn’t receptive to LinkedIn that day. I explain why feedback is essential for improvement, meeting client expectations, and protecting reputation, encourage speakers to ask and follow up, and urge hosts to thank speakers and offer supportive, permission-based constructive feedback. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:21 Why Feedback Matters 00:59 Story One No Response 02:36 Story Two Quiet Audience 05:06 What Was Really Happening 06:30 How to Ask and Follow Up 07:25 Host Etiquette Tips 08:07 Closing and Connect Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    Why Speakers Need Feedback (and How / Why Hosts Should Give It) - Ep 225

  4. 25 Aug

    4 Fast Cash-Infusion Strategies for Self-Employed Business Owners - Ep 224

    This episode shares practical ways to raise money quickly when self-employment income fluctuates.  First, I recommend personally emailing former clients one-to-one to rebook the same service at their previous rate (while noting your current rate), using a single clear call to action and a limited-time window. Second, I suggest finding cross-selling opportunities by inviting people who bought a low-cost standalone offer (like a masterclass) to join a larger program, potentially applying their prior payment toward the upgrade. Third, I encourage re-engaging lost clients or paused prospects—especially those you had strong rapport with—to revisit memberships, courses, or proposals that previously stalled. Fourth, I advise prompting monthly members to convert to an annual plan for savings and better cash flow, possibly adding bonuses to incentivize upgrades. Listeners are invited to send additional ideas via LinkedIn audio messages for future episodes. 00:00 Quick Cash Intro 01:30 Tip One Past Clients 02:43 Email Outreach Playbook 04:05 Tip Two Cross Selling 06:18 Tip Three Reengage 07:39 Tip Four Annual Upgrade 09:09 Bonus Incentives Merch 10:09 Listener Audio Messages 11:17 Wrap Up Thanks FIND THIS HELPFUL? Share this episode with a self-employed friend! Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    4 Fast Cash-Infusion Strategies for Self-Employed Business Owners - Ep 224

  5. 10 Aug

    From the Vault: Mic Adam on a 15-Minute LinkedIn Social Selling Routine - Ep 223

    I introduced a “from the vault” LinkedIn Live episode of Social Media Pie featuring my 2020 conversation with Mic Adam about building a simple social selling routine that creates relationships and conversations. Mic, a Belgium-based B2B social media consultant with a long sales and marketing background, defined social selling as a salesperson’s approach for reaching prospects, adding value, and ultimately driving sales (distinct from social media marketing).  He broke an effective routine into three daily priorities that could fit into about 15 minutes: grow your network (add people you meet and use personalized connection notes), keep your network warm (proactively message contacts and ask questions to spark replies), and stay visible by posting consistently—ideally once per day at a tested best time.  We also discussed repackaging older posts, tips for students building networks, and the value of warm networks during lockdowns. 00:00 From the Vault Intro 01:18 Meet Mic in Belgium 03:19 Mic Background and Services 04:48 LinkedIn Rockstars Mindset 07:06 What Social Selling Means 10:06 15 Minute Routine Overview 11:49 Step One Grow Network 15:07 Step Two Keep Warm 21:10 Step Three Post Visibility 21:50 Posting Frequency Algorithm 23:49 Stop Overposting 24:14 Manual Posting Workflow 25:41 Weekly Content Template 26:14 Polls And Customer Questions 27:06 Lockdown And Networking ROI 28:49 Audience Q And Feed Tips 30:46 Repurpose Old Posts 32:06 Students LinkedIn Networking 33:29 Prioritize Warm Network 35:08 Connect And Find Mic 38:21 Final Wrap And Calls Connect with Mic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micadam/ Watch original interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/nRC8RWNqITQ?feature=share Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    From the Vault: Mic Adam on a 15-Minute LinkedIn Social Selling Routine - Ep 223

  6. 3 Aug

    Member Spotlight: Liz M. Lopez on Permission to Dominate Your Success - Ep 222

    I hosted a Marketing with Meller Member Spotlight interview with Liz M. Lopez, a coach, author, and speaker who has written two best-selling professional development books and has nearly 19 years of experience helping leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals build success strategies.  We focused on her book Permission to Dominate Your Success and the related coaching that addresses mindset, self-doubt, and self-imposed limitations through seven “permissions,” developed organically from talks and workshops. Liz shared how the work evolved into offerings including a 90-minute masterclass; The Success Reset, a newer masterclass called Growing Your Business Without Doing More, and a deeper group program called The Dominate Your Success 4-Week Accelerator™ planned for the Fall.  We discussed who the work is for, who it isn’t for, and how to choose between masterclasses, coaching, and group support. 00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup 01:16 Spotlight Format and Perks 03:12 Meet Liz Lopez 05:00 Book and Coaching Focus 06:50 Origin Story and Permissions 10:21 Masterclasses and Offer Ladder 15:56 Who Its For and Not For 18:14 Audience Q and A 25:54 Next Steps and Links 27:59 Marketing With Meller Updates 30:13 Final Thanks and Wrap Up  Book — Permission to Dominate Your Success: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL2FPW8S Schedule a Complimentary Conversation with Coach Liz: https://schedulesessionwithlizmlopez.as.me/ Upcoming Workshop — Grow Your Business Without Doing More: https://liz-lopez.mykajabi.com/support-growth-model Connect with Liz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizmlopez Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    Member Spotlight: Liz M. Lopez on Permission to Dominate Your Success - Ep 222

  7. 28 Jul

    LinkedIn Post Inspector Not Working: What I Found and How I’m Contacting LinkedIn Ep 221

    In this episode, I talk about a little-known LinkedIn tool called the LinkedIn Post Inspector, which refreshes the social share image and description LinkedIn pulls from a webpage when you share a link. I explain that when you update a page’s thumbnail or metadata, LinkedIn often keeps showing an outdated preview unless you run the URL through this tool. Over the weekend and again today, the Post Inspector wouldn’t work for me, and people in an Espresso+ community call confirmed the same issue across multiple countries. I tried incognito and mobile with no success, even though Facebook showed the updated image. I attempted to report it through LinkedIn Help but only got an unhelpful chatbot, so I used my own contact-linkedin resource page and submitted a form, though I’m not optimistic LinkedIn will fix it. https://www.linkedin.com/post-inspector/ LinkedIn Help Form: https://www.mellermarketing.com/contactlinkedin 00:00 What Post Inspector Does 00:49 Why It Matters for Links 01:07 Tool Suddenly Not Working 02:06 Troubleshooting Attempts 02:40 Is LinkedIn Disabling It 03:14 Help Center Chatbot Frustration 04:36 How to Contact LinkedIn 06:08 Updating My Resource Page 06:43 Submitting a Support Ticket 07:06 Follow the Money Theory 08:17 Wrap Up and Call to Action  Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    LinkedIn Post Inspector Not Working: What I Found and How I’m Contacting LinkedIn Ep 221

  8. 20 Jul

    MwM Member Spotlight: Judi Hays & 90-Day Authority Intensive - Ep 220

    This episode is a member spotlight interview from my Marketing with Meller membership and learning community. I encourage you to embrace and "abundance mindset" and “coopetition” approach to collaborating with overlapping LinkedIn professionals like today's featured interview with Judi Hays.  Judi explained how she helps seasoned executives—often laid off, aged out, or seeking more fulfillment—transition from corporate identities into their next chapter by becoming visible experts through clear positioning in high-trust B2B industries.  We focused on her 90-Day Authority Intensive (12 weeks): Elevate (profile and visibility plus sharper positioning language), Expand (network growth and strategy), and Engage (content, messaging, and converting conversations into calls). In Q&A, she shared a supply-chain client example that started with reconnecting to 10 contacts and led to a seven-figure contract, discussed niche vs brand, credibility signals like accurate photos, and described her lifestyle-business goals and remote work experiences. 00:00 Episode Preview 01:42 Member Spotlight Format 03:49 Meet Judi Hays 05:20 How Brenda and Judi Connected 07:02 90 Day Authority Intensive 09:16 Elevate Your Presence 12:08 Expand Your Network 13:53 Engage for Trust 16:58 Accountability and ROI 18:58 Remote Lifestyle Business 20:47 Night Owl Banter 21:12 Audience Q&A Setup 22:58 Pepper and Rescue Talk 23:50 Case Study Big Win 26:58 Serving Seasoned Executives 30:06 Brand Versus Niche 33:16 Outdated Photos and Trust 36:20 How to Work Together Connect with Judi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judihays/Work with Judi — 90-Day Authority Intensive: https://judihays.com/90-day-authority/Visit Judi’s website: https://judihays.comShout out to Terry Bean: linkedin.com/in/terrybeanShout out to Kevin D. Turner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/president/Support the show ************************************** My name is Brenda Meller. I'm a LinkedIn coach, consultant, speaker, and author. My company is Meller Marketing and I help business professionals get a bigger slice of the LinkedIn pie.  Visit mellermarketing.com Let's connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brendameller  (click MORE to invite me to connect and mention you listened to my podcast)

    MwM Member Spotlight: Judi Hays & 90-Day Authority Intensive - Ep 220
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Enthusiastically Self-Employed is designed for you if you’re self-employed as a coach, consultant, speaker, author, solopreneur, or small business owner. Listen in for business, marketing, and LinkedIn tips, sprinkled in with my candid insights along the way.   Listen to Enthusiastically Self-Employed to support the love you have of your business, while also supporting your bottom line. That means growing your revenue, reducing your expenses, and optimizing your processes.Download a FREE LinkedIn Checklist:www.mellermarketing.com/checklists

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