The Freelancers' Show

00:52 - Marcus Blankenship Introduction Twitter Blog 01:38 - Moving Towards Management Having Difficult Conversations/Don’t Hire Friends or Family 09:12 - Firing/Letting People Go ABC = Always Be Communicating 20:04 - Growing your business doesn’t always mean hiring more people. Being the “Lone Wolf” or “Small Pack” 26:16 - Quality Control 28:33 - How do you find, hire, and keep good people? Try Before You Buy 30:52 - Trust and Communication “Self-Managing Individuals” 48:26 - Checking In and Setting Milestones Picks Drip (Jonathan)100 Percent Up Front (Jonathan)Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom DeMarco (Reuven)MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins (Chuck)Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans by Rush Limbaugh (Chuck)Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management by Johanna Rothman and Esther Derby (Marcus)The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister (Marcus)

Preface: The Positioning Manual for Technical Firms by Philip Morgan   01:20 - Identifying the “Who” 06:16 - Providing Added Value 10:39 - Identifying Potential Clients and the Ideal Target Market 27:41 - Showcasing Demonstrated Skill and Being Accessible 34:19 - Narrowing It Down 36:55 - Communication Tactics 42:51 - Takeaways Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy...Create a Mass of Raving Fans...and Take Any Business to the Next Level by Ryan Levesque Picks This American Life Episode #569: Put a Bow on It (Reuven)Steal the Show by Michael Port (Jonathan)MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins (Chuck)The Positioning Manual for Technical Firms by Philip Morgan (Chuck)

00:55 - Laura Roeder Introduction TwitterLKR Social Media BlogEdgar@meetedgar   Facebook 01:10 - How Edgar Works 03:31 - Why should you share you own content more than once? 06:25 - What is the most effective approach to scheduling content? 09:01 - Getting Over the “Spammer” Mentality 11:51 - Scheduling 14:47 - Handling Feedback (Complaints) 16:43 - What should you be saying on social media? 19:59 - Should you have multiple accounts? Should you use different platforms for different purposes? 26:06 - How do people even keep up with social media? 30:27 - Hashtags Conference/Event News 33:58 - Facebook Pages 36:14 - Social Media Etiquette 39:42 - The Business and Background of Edgar 42:17 - “Request Access” (List Building) 43:51 - Getting Started with Social Media 45:58 - Twitter Cards 46:23 - Email Marketing 49:56 - Keeping Up with Social Media (and targeting the wrong ones)   Other tools mentioned on today’s show FacebookTwitterHootsuiteTweetbotSnapchatPeriscopeMeerkatInstagramPinterest

00:57 - Jonathan’s Career Path Background and Transitions FileMaker 06:21 - Chuck’s Crossroad Remote Conferences Angular Remote ConfSponsorship/Advertiser LiaisonApple TV 08:16 - Reuven’s Crossroad: Development => Training 11:35 - How do people recognize that they need a change? (Transitioning) 23:00 - How do you make THE decision and know that it’s the right decision? Lightbulb MomentPassion 33:16 - Scheduled Self-Evaluation 35:42 - The Identity Crisis Picks Startups For The Rest Of Us Episode #225: Moving on From Auditshark (Reuven)Remarq (Jonathan)RCA Outdoor Digital HDTV VHF UHF Yagi Type Antenna (Chuck)TV Fool (Chuck)

00:51 - Jeremy Green Introduction Twitter GitHub BlogRemarq@remarqio 01:10 - “Good-looking Documents” 07:13 - Use Cases The Positioning Manual For Technical Firms by Philip Morgan 08:07 - Typography, Branding, and Spacing 13:00 - Audience & Users 14:20 - Images, Charts, and Graphs 15:30 - Markdown Softcover 19:35 - Formatting For Books vs Reports 20:42 - Fonts 21:47 - Image Enhancement 22:36 - Modifying Style Standards 24:14 - Horizontal Rules 25:50 - Decoration 26:38 - White Space and Bulleted Lists 27:53 - Breaking Up Content / Page Breaks 28:59 - How Remarq Works Pandoc LaTeX 30:24 - The Business Side 31:50 - Upcoming Features Dropbox IntegrationZapier Integration 32:55 - Marketing   Friends of The Freelancers’ Show: Get 25% off Remarq with this special discount code!   Picks Planet Money: Episode 650: The Scariest Thing In Hollywood (Reuven)Planet Money: Episode 651: The Salmon Taboo (Reuven)Planet Money: Episode 653: The Anti-Store (Reuven)Stripe (Chuck)Crowdcast (Chuck)C

00:55 - Host Updates 07:24 - Let’s say you’ve been billing by a week on a large project. The project slows down, meaning there is less to do and requests are sporadic and unpredictable, so weekly billing no longer makes sense to you or the client. What do you then switch to keeping in mind that it’s unpredictable work? 11:27 - ^^ I’m trying to avoid hourly. They don’t know my hourly rate. 14:35 - When other contractors on a client project go MIA off and on, and the work plays a vital role in the project, do you suggest replacements to the client? 24:22 - Company Structure and Business Entities 43:00 - Merchant Accounts and eCommerce 51:47 - Do you let clients text you about projects? I found that once you let that happen, they start texting about things that should be emailed or handled elsewhere. Or, texting expecting a faster response. Or, texting at inconvenient times like when you’re driving with your family. Picks Naomi Dunford: How To Confidently Raise Your Rates (Eric)Blair Enns: Seven Univers

01:56 - Rest & Leisure Time (Away From the Computer!) 100 Days of Burpees Facebook Group 11:44 - Making Time and Creating Habits & Routines 22:23 - Professional Development Training The Miracle MorningDaily Tech VideoTerrifying Robot Dog Podcast 30:11 - Days/Nights Out with Family & Friends and CoWorking & Networking (Getting Your People Fix) Toastmasters International 37:03 - Scheduling Commitments 41:19 - Business Upkeep (Bookkeeping, Client Follow Ups, etc.) 48:07 - Make Small Changes Picks 100 Days of Burpees Facebook Group (Jonathan)Kirk Parsley: America's biggest problem @ TEDxReno (Jonathan)Philip Morgan: CTA-able Content Marketing (Eric)Twitter Analytics (Reuven)Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food For Life by Barbara Kingsolver (Reuven)ElectoralVote (Reuven)15 Minute Podcast Listener chat with Charles Wood (Chuck)Pebble Time (Chuck)

00:55 - Paul Jarvis Introduction and Background TwitterCreative ClassSmashing Magazinepjrvs.com 01:42 - Freelancing Patterns Frustration 04:38 - Contracts and Negotiations 08:12 - Coaching Creative People Slack Channel 12:35 - Why work as a one-person business? 14:53 - Marketing NichesNetworking 20:55 - Gaining Audience and Getting Booked Creating Specific and Focused Content 32:01 - Testimonials and Feedback Picks DYFConf 2015 Video Conference Sessions (Jonathan)Mr. Robot (Paul)Huawei P8 lite - 5" Unlocked Android 4G LTE Smartphone (Reuven)

00:50 - Managing Multiple Projects & Clients (Context & Experience) 13:46 - Committment Management 16:19 - Communication & Setting Expectations Systems & Tools SlackBasecampTrelloKanbanFlowAsanaEmailRedbooth 30:07 - Avoiding Overwhelm The Pomodoro Technique Delegation & Automation Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen Habits and Routines 45:58 - Managing Requests for Your Time on Multiple Projects and Contracts 47:27 - Calendaring Picks The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (Eric)Philip Morgan: 3 Content Marketing Ideas For the Time-Constrained Dev Shop (Eric)Mojca Mars: Get High-Value Clients With Social Media (Eric)Android Wear (Jonathan)Calendly (Jonathan)Double Your Freelancing Conference (Jonathan)Connie Chan: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China (Reuven)Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Reuven)Reuven's Training/Coaching Program (Reuven)15 Minut

01:06 - How do you deal with unexpected requests for your time? INBOX PAUSE 07:57 - How do you find your first few clients? “eBombing” Podcast Appearances Incentivization 19:14 - Having trouble finding clients as a junior developer => going freelance     Open SourceRecruiting/Recruiters 28:26 - Is it wise to rely on one big client or many smaller ones? Reinventing your business & creating new offeringsEstablish savings for job security Picks Zapier/Slack Hack (Eric)IKEA Wireless Chargers (Jonathan)Cell Phone Tripod Adapter (Chuck)NeewerHandheld Video Stabilizer for DV GoPro Mini Cameras (Chuck)  

01:05 - Sunny Bonnell Introduction TwitterMotto@wearemottoAshleigh Hansberger: @ashleighsnotes (Sunny’s Co-Founder) 01:38 - Archetyping Is Your Brand the Rebel, Hero or Lover? Discovering Brand ArchetypesUnderstanding The Brand Archetype 05:48 - Is archetyping important for the solopreneur? Johnny Cupcakes 12:21 - Identifying *Your* Archetype 15:37 - Branding ROI 21:44 - What do you do once you choose your archetype? Munk PackAnthony Bourdain 25:12 - Implementing Motto’s Archetype 26:04 - Can you blend archetypes? 28:47 - Finding a Target Audience 33:54 - Changing Brands 42:27 - Client Intake Process/Discovery Red Flags/Turning People Down 49:14 - The Audience TOMS Shoes 51:51 - Changing Archetypes Levi's   Extras Best Advice I Ever Got: Don't Be a Slave to the Ordinary10 Ways to Find Your Purpose as a Designer12 Principles For Leading An Extraordinary CompanyFive questions to get to the heart of your businessFollow Your “Why,” Not Your “What”   Picks Circa Notebooks (Jonathan)Expensi

Checkout RailsClips and Angular Remote Conf!   01:03 - Panelist Experiences With Hiring 03:00 - Hiring Virtual Assistants (VAs) Mandy = @therubyrep / DevRepsVirtual Staff Finder 10:02 - Hiring For Design Work / One-Off Projects Wet Frog Studios (Aaron Mahnke)Podcast Motor ElanceFiverrOdesk => Upwork 16:23 - Hiring Subcontractors Infinum 27:58 - Hiring Employees Picks Uber (Reuven)Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson (Reuven)Morgan’s Paradox for Freelancers (Eric)Marcus Blankenship (Jonathan)The Mortified Podcast (Jonathan)Developer On Fire Episode 017 - Charles Max Wood - Get Involved and Try New Things (Chuck)Elevator Saga (Chuck)

Check out RailsClips and Angular Remote Conf!   01:39 - Purchase Criteria 08:09 - At what point to do you switch/kill off/upgrade services and/or hardware? Lost Productivity Costs 21:03 - Justifying Big Equipment/Furniture Purchases 32:58 - Try Before You Buy 37:04 - Travel Expenses 47:33 - Quality = Positive Return On Investment (ROI)Self-Representation      Products and Services Referenced During This Episode: BuiltWithEdgarBufferBasecampDropboxCleanMyMacSynologyDrobo EmacsKeynoteIPython NotebookUber Picks ExpressVPN (Reuven)Young Money: Inside the Hidden World of Wall Street's Post-Crash Recruits by Kevin Roose (Reuven)CommitStrip: A Very Common Coder’s Youthful Mistake (Eric)Paul Jarvis: The one thing every aspiring freelancer, college student or person with access to a time machine should know (Eric)Amazon Echo (Jonathan) 1-877-223-0342 (Chuck)freelancershow.com/15minutes (Chuck)

00:57 - Do you find it hard to work 40 billable hours in a week? If so, how do you explain it to an outsider? 08:59 - How do you set aside time for admin work? Billing, blogging, etc. 15:41 - How can someone measure when they are "ready" in their skills to break into freelance from a full-time job? Is it better to just dive in and see what happens? 26:26 - Is it still important to niche down right away? Might it be more helpful to wait a little longer until I have more experience to choose a niche from? 32:55 - When do you suggest is an appropriate time to start billing when you’re ramping up a project? Picks Proposal Template PDF (Jonathan)Existential Comics (Reuven)

Check out RailsClips!   00:58 - Marie Poulin Introduction Twitter BlogDigital Strategy SchoolDoki 01:42 - Marie’s Background and Digital Strategy School Evolution 04:57 - Working with Breanne DyckThe Freelancers' Show Episode #164: Teaching and Learning Courses wit Breanne Dyck 06:55 - Freelancer => Strategic Business Owner “Everything that’s on your plate is there because you said yes to it.” -- Danielle LaPorte 09:33 - Mindset: Looking At Your Business as a Business (Getting Serious) 14:55 - Business Audit: Why are you doing what you are doing? What do you want to accomplish with your business? Tara Gentile: Know Where You’re Headed (Your Chief Initiative)Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly Check-insChanging Your Business Takes Time 21:38 - Execution 24:27 - Accountability and Discipline BJ Fogg The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg What’s happening now? What’s happening later? “Work with your energy” Track Tasks [Skillshare] Get Stuff Done Like

Check out RailsClips and RemoteConfs!   01:14 - Breanne Dyck Introduction Twitter My Name Is Breanne: Master the Business of Teaching Online 02:13 - Transitioning: Contracting => Teaching Courses Content Marketing 05:59 - Structuring Content Deep vs Wide Business Model 10:19 - Where do you start? 13:05 - Getting Results Levels of Mastery Surface-Level LearningHigher-Level MasteryBadass: Making Users Awesome by Kathy Sierra Spectrum of Confidence/Competence      The Backwards Brain Bicycle 24:15 - Setting People Up to Succeed Pilots, Alpha and Beta Phases Outcomes and Objectives 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)     33:57 - Should I charge for pilots? (Pricing) Ramit Sethi 35:39 - Experimentation > Textbook/Traditional Learning 43:22 - Selecting Content For Your Course The 5 Whys TechniqueDon't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug 52:50 - Getting and Keeping People Interested in Your Courses Through Completion Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs

01:47 - Context For Discussion 05:13 - Getting That Last Check 08:03 - When Things Aren’t Working Out… Business Value 11:26 - Pricing Features (Billing) 18:20 - “Offboarding”: The Handoff Phase/Transitioning Client Mailing List Screencasts/Video Tutorials Transcripts 27:30 - Parting Ways on a Good Note 30:44 - Asking For Referrals, Gaining Introductions 37:59 - Horror Stories? Uncertainty Sucks Working With Startups 45:47 - “Offboarding” Cont’d Picks Podcast for America (Reuven)HRV4Training (Eric)Terrifying Robot Dog (Jonathan)Bartesian: the Ultimate Home Cocktail Machine (Jonathan)Mandy's Fiancé's Video Game Fund (Chuck)Downcast (Chuck)Aftershokz AS500 Bluez 2 Open Ear Wireless Stereo Headphones (Chuck)

01:23 - Matt Inglot Introduction TwitterTilted Pixel@tiltedpixel Freelance TransformationPodcast 02:22 - Transitioning (Mistakes Made) ScalingGeneralizationFixed Overhead 04:13 - Specialization, Positioning, and Targeting Clients and Customers Virtualization 08:30 - Pivoting to Being a Remote Agency Getting Clients Networking and ReferralsInbound MarketingDirect Outreach 13:34 - Running a Remote Team Contractors, Subcontractors 16:55 - Company and Team Identity Adding Overhead 26:57 - Scale 28:10 - Pricing and Billing; Recurring Revenue 30:18 - Recurring Services Campaign ManagementSEOBuilding Email Marketing Services 31:16 - Prompting Change in a Business 34:52 - Specialization (Cont’d) 39:49 - Being a “Web Agency” / Calling Yourself ____ 49:05 - Choosing a Niche Picks aText (Jonathan)Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are (Eric)Sonic Pi (Chuck)Freelance Transformation (Matt)Kirk Parsley: America's Biggest Problem | TEDxReno (Matt)

01:40 - Prepayment, Deposits, Trust, and Risk 14:55 - Pricing a SaaS (Software as a Service)Tier Pricing Grandfather ClausesBeta Test FeaturesUnlocking Features 27:02 - Scope 30:07 - Tier Pricing (Cont’d) The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns 38:49 - What’s a marketing/lead generation channel that’s been successful for you that you hadn’t expected to be successful for your consulting business? PodcastingSpeaking Engagements 45:03 - The Get Clients Now Approach The Freelancers' Show Episode #20: Get Clients Now! with C.J. Hayden 46:47 - If you could give yourself two or three bits of advice when you first started out, what would they be? Specialize Book Yourself Solid by Michael PortCharge MoreDon’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes 51:03 - Mastermind Groups Picks Pay Your Love First (Eric)The Consulting Pipeline Podcast (Eric)Drip Sherpa (Jonathan)Double Your Freelancing Conference (Jonathan)CodeNewbie Podcast (Chuck)This Is Your Life Podcast (Chuck)

02:02 - “Budgeting” 04:01 - Incentive Jesse Mecham 11:09 - Time Cost/Emotional Cost 14:47 - Approaching a Budget YNAB Features (Desktop)YNAB for iPhoneYNAB for iPadYNAB for Android 21:31 - Keeping Up a Budget (Discipline) Financial AccountingManagerial Accounting 39:14 - Amending Budgets Budgeting for TaxesDepreciation Expenses 46:19 - Expense Division? Dave Ramsey 54:15 - Getting Started Buy YNAB 55:56 - Default Questions Cash Flow StatementIs it worth it?Do I have enough extra to invest? 59:34 - Reconciling Accounts (Transfers) Using PayPal Picks The Positioning Manual for Technical Firms by Philip Morgan (Jonathan)Econtalk (Reuven)Blair Enns: 5 Reasons You Should Offer Guarantees (Eric)YNAB (Chuck)Serial Podcast (Chuck)Startups For the Rest of Us (Chuck)Aftershokz AS500 Bluez 2 Open Ear Wireless Stereo Headphones (Chuck)