Deliberate Freelancer Melanie Padgett Powers

Today’s guest is Rachel Meltzer. Rachel lives in Massachusetts after doing the “van life” thing for a few years. She is a freelance writer for software as a service companies or SaaS. She’s written for Lenovo, Grammarly, Loom, FarOut, Six Moon Designs and more in the tech and outdoor recreation industries.
She’s also a coach. She’s coached over 100 freelance writers on launching their businesses and getting clients and then scaling their businesses. She loves the freedom that freelancing gives her to thru-hike, live in a van, move whenever she wants, and spend time with her loyal cat, Bonnie. 
In this episode, we talk about: 
The winding journey that led her to a freelance writing career.  How her Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2018 changed her life. The value in community and sharing experiences with other people.  How she went from a scarcity mindset to a healthier perspective.  The jealousy we’ve had of other freelancers and how we fight against that.  What she learned from a failed project. The importance of perseverance in landing clients.  How to “ooch” up your rates.  A simple system and aggressive outreach to get clients via LinkedIn.  The script she uses in a LinkedIn connection request.  What her weekly structure looks like — and why she changes it up about every six months.  How she schedules time off in advance — instead of taking “burnout” vacations.  Biz Bite: Use ChatGPT to create your weekly schedule.  
One of several tips on how to use AI she learned from TikToker SuperHumanCo
Resources:
Rachel’s free Get Clients on LinkedIn webinar on June 11 Free Get Clients Guidebook Tons of free and low-fee resources from Rachel Rachel’s website and 1:1 coaching information  The Guidebook podcast Austin Church on The Guidebook: Austin L. Church's morning marketing habit will change your life Jenni Gritters on The Guidebook: Jenni Gritters slowed down Episode #182 of Deliberate Freelancer: A massive pivot from freelancing to owning a business with her husband, with business coach Jenni Gritters Episode #164 of Deliberate Freelancer: Using a “freakout” protocol to get work now, with Austin Church Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group

Today’s guest is Louis Tinsley, a DC-based commercial photographer. 
Louis has been working in the industry professionally for more than 10 years and sits on the board of the DC chapter of American Photographic Artists, where he runs the annual Photo Assistant Workshop. He also recently joined the Northern Virginia Community College Photography & Media Curriculum Advisory Board. His clients have included General Dynamics Corporation, the TED organization, local news station WTOP, and DASH Alexandria Transit Company in Virginia. 
In this episode, we talk about: 
How Louis got into photography.  What he loves about being a freelancer — and what he finds challenging.  What a good headshot and branding photos can do for your business.  What we should consider before we hire a photographer.  What should be included in the conversation with a photographer you are considering hiring — how much retouching is done, what to wear, whether a makeup artist is included. How a photographer should work to put a nervous subject at ease.  What happens after we do a photography shoot and what might be included in the package and services. How often we should update our headshots and business photos. How AI is affecting photography.  Advice for freelance photographers about how to keep enjoying the work. Biz Bite: Try to control the flow of time as best you can.  
Resources:
Louis Tinsley website Louis on Instagram Louis on Twitter Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #68 of Deliberate Freelancer: Yes, You Need to Build a Personal Brand, with Hilary Sutton
Episode #106 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Use Video to Connect with Your Audience, with Anita Kwan Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group

Today’s guest is Kelly McSweeney, a content marketing writer. Kelly works from her home office in Massachusetts with a small dog by her side. She has been a self-employed writer for nearly eight years, with clients that include research institutions, big tech companies and marketing agencies. Kelly explains cutting-edge science and emerging technology to intelligent, curious audiences. In recent years, she has added writing video scripts and moderating webinars to her services, which is today’s topic.
In this episode, we talk about: 
The micro services freelancers can provide as a part of the video creation package.  How Kelly learned the unique style of writing video scripts.  How script writing is more collaborative and creative than writing articles. The length of projects and time involved.  The different types of videos.  Working with a video producer (whether freelance or from an agency).  How to charge and the challenge with a longer pay cycle.  What to consider when creating the scope of work.  How to find clients.  What moderating webinars entails.  The qualities a good moderator needs.  How generative artificial intelligence is affecting content marketing. Biz Bite: Use mind mapping to brainstorm. 
Resources:
Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Kelly’s website Kelly on LinkedIn Episode #106 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Use Video to Connect with Your Audience, with Anita Kwan Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn

Today’s guest is Annemie Tonken. Annemie lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has been a professional photographer since 2010 and is the owner of Megapixie Photography.
She also teaches creative entrepreneurs how to run profitable, sustainable businesses they love, by focusing on how they can develop helpful business systems and strategies. And, she’s the host of a business podcast for photographers called This Can’t Be That Hard and the creator of the Simple Sales System, which is used by thousands of photographers worldwide to create in-person sales-level income and service in an automated way. 
In this episode, we talk about: 
How she became a photographer and later focused on family photography.  How a surgery left her income and business vulnerable — and she vowed to change that.  Her lightbulb moment that led to her membership program.  Why we should think creatively about the business side — and not just the creative services we provide.  The importance of listening to the challenges many of your clients continue to have.  Tips on how to set up and sell your own membership program.  Why this is a good model for branding photographers and writers, too.  How to adopt this model to service businesses beyond photography.  What freelance photographers struggle with and how Annemie responds.  The three phases of business Annemie thinks about.  Biz Bite: Conduct an audit of your business systems — with the goals of automation and outsourcing. 
Resources:
Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Annemie’s This Can’t Be That Hard website, podcast and courses Annemie’s This Can’t Be That Hard Instagram account Annemie’s photography website Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn

Today’s guest is Abby Nieten. Abby lives in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area, with her husband and three sons. A year ago she launched her freelance business, Shining Waters Editorial, where she is a copy editor and proofreader specializing in business content and nonfiction manuscripts. 

Abby also recently launched a monthly newsletter called Stream of Confidence, which is for authors, writers and other business professionals who want to create and publish content that impacts other humans. It offers a steady stream of encouragement, inspiration, connection and quality assurance tips to help you publish your work with confidence. 

In today’s episode, Abby and I talk about:

How a layoff led to her freelancing career.  Feeling undervalued and burnt out in the corporate world.  How she prepared for freelancing while still working full time.  How she’s getting clients. Trying to figure out pricing.  Four pivotal lessons she’s learned over the past year.  Why she wishes she had taken a break between being an employee and starting her freelance business.  Just do it — you don’t have to wait until you build the perfect structure and business plan before you start freelancing.  The challenge of finding the right client mix to provide more stability.  The importance of keeping a “sunshine folder” of evidence of your good work. 
Biz Bite: Explore the technology you’re already paying for before buying the new “shiny object.”  

Resources:

Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Abby’s website: ShiningWatersEditorial.com Abby’s Stream of Confidence newsletter Abby on LinkedIn  Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn

Today’s guest is Brionna Ned, a former big-law lawyer and in-house counsel for tech companies. She is now a legal educator and a writer. Her company, The Everyday Lawyer, is a legal education and consulting service for small business owners that provides you with the legal knowledge you need to create solid foundations in your business. She also has a course: Contract Foundations for Freelancers.
In this episode, we talk about: 
How Brionna went from lawyer to owning a legal education business.  What she loves about her business. The basics of contracts. Why all service providers need a contract — and the reason is probably not what you think.  How to put boundaries in your contract.  Why it’s important to customize your contract and be sure you understand what it says.  What to do if you — or your client — doesn’t want to use a contract.  What to look for in a contract that a client sends you.  How to explain to a client (and really, their lawyer) why certain contract provisions don’t apply to you and should be deleted.  Why indemnification clauses are harmful and how to try to get them removed from a contract. If you can’t get indemnification clauses removed, know how to suggest changes to limit them in a scope.  Don’t sign a non-compete clause.  The difference between a non-disclosure agreement and a confidentiality agreement.  How to be proactive in ensuring you will be paid and paid on time.  What to do when you are not getting paid on time.  Biz Bite: Not all money is good money. (Trust your instincts!) 
Resources:
Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group The Everyday Lawyer website Brionna’s Contract Foundations for Freelancers course Brionna on Threads Brionna on Instagram Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn