When was the last time you took a whole week off from your business, switched off your emails, and relaxed? We all need time off to recharge our batteries, but as freelancers, many of us find it really difficult to take a proper break. In this solo episode, I share my tips for how to take time off without worrying that your business will disappear while you're gone, including; How to plan for your break Budgeting for a pause in income How to tell clients you will be away How to step away from th...
Jun 17, 2022•12 min•Ep. 63
A podcast episode about podcasting! Have you ever considered appearing as a podcast guest to share what you do with a new audience - or even start your own podcast as a way to get freelance clients? My guest is Anne Claessen, founder of Podcast Babes, and in this episode, she shares with us her tips and tricks on how to use podcasting to grow your freelance business. In our conversation, we cover: How podcast guesting is an underrated way for freelancers to grow their businesses How to pitch you...
Jun 10, 2022•15 min•Ep. 62
How to position yourself in the market and set your rates can be one of the biggest challenges as a freelancer. If you can't describe your services, process and value in a way that resonates with clients, you'll struggle to charge the rates you'd like. Maybe you know you're undercharging, or you want to move away from using an hourly rate that you KNOW isn't working for you, but you just aren’t sure how to sell your new pricing to your clients. In this episode, I chat to Samantha Anderl and Andr...
Jun 03, 2022•15 min•Ep. 61
Support the podcast! If you find this episode helpful and you'd like to show your appreciation, consider leaving a tip over at ko-fi.com/15minutefreelancer . Donations help cover the cost of running the podcast and are very much appreciated. In this episode, Louise is joined by Fi Shailes to talk about what it's like running a freelance business while also holding down a full time job. Fi works at award-winning B2B marketing agency twogether as a social strategist, and is a part-time freelance c...
May 27, 2022•17 min•Ep. 60
If you find this episode helpful and you'd like to show your appreciation, consider leaving a tip over at ko-fi.com/15minutefreelancer . All donations help cover the cost of running the podcast and are very much appreciated! When SaaS writer and content consultant Annabel Fay lost almost all of her clients overnight at the start of the pandemic, she wrote to 200 of her LinkedIn contacts and asked for a favour... On this episode, Annabel shares her steb-by-step approach to LinkedIn referral hacki...
May 20, 2022•16 min•Ep. 59
On this episode, Louise is joined by freelance podcasting royalty! Frankie Tortora and Steve Folland are not just co-hosts of the brilliant Doing It For The Kids podcast, but they've also been co-mentoring each other as freelance business owners (with kids and mammoth side projects) over the last few years. Here, they share their experience of co-mentoring and the impact it's had on their businesses and their lives. Listen in to hear: What is co-mentoring and how it can change your business (and...
May 13, 2022•16 min•Ep. 58
Who's on your imaginary board of directors? In this episode, Louise shares a fun strategy for figuring out business problems with a little help from your (imaginary) business friends). Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter and a big fan of finding your freelance niche. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites. LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_ Website: t...
May 06, 2022•10 min
In this episode, freelance copywriter and LinkedIn superstar Dave Harland shares his unique approach to making marketing fun. Dave's known for stirring up trouble on LinkedIn, poking fun at self-acclaimed thought leaders and brightening up the feed for the rest of us. Here, he breaks down his strategy and tells us: How he uses humour and parody to stand out on LinkedIn How he creates content and manages his time on social media Selling silliness to serious stakeholders How his marketing has chan...
Apr 28, 2022•23 min•Ep. 56
Discovery calls – those introductory conversations with prospective new clients where you size each other up and decide if you want to work together – are often seen as an essential part of securing new business. But for some freelancers, they're a major source of stress, wasted time and frustration. Imagine if you could skip them altogether! In this episode, PR expert Kerri Watt shares how she sets up her processes to avoid time-consuming discovery calls and focus only on her most valuable lead...
Apr 22, 2022•18 min•Ep. 55
As a freelancer, it's lovely to get that little ping in your inbox from someone saying you've been recommended as the number one person to help with their next project. But those referrals don't just happen by accident. There's plenty you can be actively doing to make sure that you are making yourself as referrable as possible. In this solo episode, I talk about: How you can become the first name that comes to mind for a referral My five top tips for getting referrals What not to do when request...
Apr 15, 2022•13 min•Ep. 54
Do you know if you’ve been pwned? If you don’t even know what that means, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The world of internet security can be a scary place, and it’s not always easy to know where to start with protecting ourselves online. But as freelancers, it’s a subject we can’t afford to just ignore and hope it won’t affect us. In this episode, Ross Wintle, a software developer and former freelancer, shares his tips to keep our online assets safe and sound. Listen in to hear: The four criti...
Apr 08, 2022•16 min•Ep. 53
Have you ever considered partnering up with another freelancer to expand your business? Teaming up could be a great way to attract bigger projects, expand your services and grow your business without doubling your hours. But how does it work? How do you find the right business partner? What happens if you disagree?! In this episode, I chat to Adam Pearson, one half of the research powerhouse that is PS Research, which he runs with his business partner, Emma Slater. He shares his experiences of g...
Apr 01, 2022•18 min•Ep. 52
Freelance graphic designer and creative lead at Freelancer Magazine Angela Lyons joins Louise to talk all things learning. Keeping your skills fresh is essential if you want to stay on top of the latest industry trends and do the best possible work for your clients. And let's not forget the strategy, finance and marketing skills we need to build a sustainable business. It's a lot to fit in! Listen in to hear: How Ange has been using #Write52 to record her journey as a 'forever learner' The mento...
Mar 18, 2022•18 min•Ep. 51
Do you cringe at the thought of walking into a networking event? Waste hours trying to find the right people to connect with on social media? As a freelancer, you know what they say – your network is your net worth... or at least a nice steady pipeline of leads, collaborators and people to cheer you on when you need it. So how do we go about building a network? In this episode, Katie Sandow, marketing consultant and founder of The Marketing Forum, shares her advice on the art and science of netw...
Mar 04, 2022•16 min•Ep. 50
Planning the next step in your career can be tricky when you aren't following a conventional path. When you work for yourself, you have to plan our own careers – there's no management programme or promotion pathway. In this episode, career wing woman Laurie Macpherson shares her advice for freelancers who are pondering the next step. We cover: how to ease the transition into self-employment so you can hit the ground running what to do if family and friends don't get it how to manage growing pain...
Feb 25, 2022•17 min•Ep. 49
"Productised services" are when you package and sell your freelance service as if it were an expensive pair of jeans or a tasty vegan sausage roll. In other words: it's a service that's designed and delivered the exact same way, every time. This episode covers: Why you should consider offering productised services as a freelancer How much to charge for your productised service to help build a sustainable business What worked and what didn't when Louise created a productised service Mentioned on ...
Feb 11, 2022•17 min•Ep. 48
This episode is a Q+A on some gnarly freelance pricing issues, which popped up when Louise was a guest on a recent ContentUK panel on freelance pricing. Find out more about ContentUK: contentuk.co Mentioned on this episode: Ep 15: Is it time to raise your freelance rates? Ep 4: The pricing advice I HATE Ep 3: How to find your best-fit clients Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and a big fan of finding your freelance niche. She's on a mission to help others build a...
Feb 04, 2022•14 min•Ep. 47
It's much easier (and mroe fun!) to build an audience and attract your ideal clients when you know what you stand for. But figuring that out can be tricky. Gill Hill is a brand voice expert, copywriter and editor, and on this episode she shares the secret to authentic personal branding and how to own your voice. The discussion covers: how to feel confident marketing yourself online finding your voice by uncovering your purpose building a personal brand that feels easy and authentic is it ok to s...
Jan 28, 2022•16 min•Ep. 46
Diane Wiredu is a Messaging Strategist and Conversion Copywriter, and the founder of Lion Words. Diane is an expert in using storytelling and customer research to attract perfect-fit clients, and in this episode, she shares how freelancers can use the same strategies to market their services. We cover: How Diane came up with her ROAR framework and how having a structured way to talk about your services helps you stand out from the crowd (and makes discovery calls much easier) How to come up with...
Jan 21, 2022•16 min•Ep. 45
Continuing on a theme of getting into good freelancing habits to kick off 2022, this episode looks at 7 bad habits or pitfalls that you might be accidentally falling into when you're working with clients. Get ready for some tough talk about why ditching these habits is important if you want to build a successful freelance business. Remember, you're the boss! Mentioned on this episode: Ep 10 with Sophie Cross Ep 30 with André Spiteri Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywri...
Jan 14, 2022•11 min•Ep. 44
It's time to dive back into business after the new year, so of course we had to talk about if and how you should set goals to grow your freelance business in 2022. In this episode, Louise shares her six-step process for setting goals that actually mean something to you (so you can actually achieve them!), plus her number one business goal for 2022. What do you have planned for your business in 2022? "If you don’t make plans or set intentions about how you want your business to look or to evolve,...
Jan 07, 2022•16 min•Ep. 43
It's a freelancing podcast–YouTube crossover! Emma Cownley is a freelance copywriter, heavy metal hobbit (her words), and host of the irreverent freelance writing show on YouTube, Kiss My A's. On this episode, she shares her experience of building an audience on YouTube, the ups and downs of creating a side project, and how a side project can help you attract freelance clients who really get you. Bonus! We also recorded a video for Emma's channel. Head over to Kiss My A's for a special ep on how...
Dec 10, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 42
What are your red flags when it comes to deciding whether or not to work with a freelance client? Do you have any orange flags – the situations that could be turned from a definite "no" to a "maybe" if certain criteria are checked off? As we head into 2022, it's worth thinking about what makes you say "hell yes" or "no way", so you can make faster and better decisions in your freelance business. In this episode, Louise shares her top 9 red (and orange!) flags and some strategies for avoiding the...
Dec 03, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 41
A huge thank you to everyone who has listened and subscribed and supported the podcast over the last 40 episodes! To celebrate this nice round number, this episode is a look back on what I've loved and learned on this little podcasting journey, answering listener questions such as: Why did I decide to start a podcast in the first place? How did I land on the 15-minute format? What tech do I use and how long does each episode take? what are my favourite episodes? Have there been any unexpected up...
Nov 26, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Many freelancers and small businesses use Facebook, Google, and other big tech companies to attract clients and deliver services. There's a growing movement of freelancers that would like to be less reliant on these tech giants, but where do we start? Whether you're concerned about having all your eggs in someone else's basket (where the rules can change on a whim), or you're concerned about data privacy, digital ethics, or surveillance capitalism – Dave Smyth has some suggestions for you. Dave ...
Nov 19, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 39
#FreelanceChat is a weekly Twitter chat for freelancers around the world, hosted by Michelle Garrett ( @PRisUs ) on Thursdays, 12 noon ET. On 21 October, Louise had the pleasure of co-hosting a chat about designing freelance services that get results for clients, but are also enjoyable, practical and profitable for you to deliver. This episode of 15 Minute Freelance is a super-fast round-up of all the brilliant tips and advice shared by the #FreelanceChat community in response to these Qs: How d...
Oct 29, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Which books have had the biggest impact on your freelancing career? In this episode, Louise shares her favourite books about business, freelancing and creativity. Mentioned on this episode: The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss Tools of Titans by Tims Ferriss The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield Feck Perfuction (Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life) by James Victore Show Your Work by Austin Kleon Steal Like an Artist by Austin K...
Oct 15, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 37
This week, Facebook went down! Was your thumb twitching nervously all of Monday evening? Did you rush to update your Pinterest account or sign up for MailChimp? As everyone is reminded yet again of the dangers of building your business on borrowed land (i.e. relying on one company's apps as a source of leads and clients), this episode digs into some of the single points of failure that can arise in a freelance business. Specifically: Are you relying too much on one industry, channel or tool? How...
Oct 08, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 36
"Being helpful is a rock-solid strategy for attracting clients." And what better place to find people who need your help than on Twitter? In this episode, Louise shares some tips to help you attract more clients on Twitter (and avoid getting sucked into doom-scrolling rabbit holes!). Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and content marketer. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites. Mentioned on this...
Sep 24, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Would you ever work for free? Most freelancers have been asked to do unpaid work at some point in their career, and usually the golden rule is to grab that big red flag and say no. After all, exposure doesn't pay the bills. But what if there are some situations where it makes sense? In this episode, Louise Shanahan shares three scenarios where working for free might be worth it. Louise Shanahan is a freelance health copywriter and content marketer. She's on a mission to help others build a freel...
Sep 17, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 34
