This week Rachel and Lynne chat with copywriter and ghost writer Annie Reid about her career writing copy for the architectural, design and property industries. She shares how she finds clients, how she started in her niche and what she loves about writing the words in beautiful coffee table books. Find Annie at https://atrium.media/ Connect with us: Rachel's List for job-seekers: www.rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsm...
Nov 08, 2022•37 min•Season 11Ep. 9
This week Rachel and Lynne chat with launch copywriter and psychotherapist Kirsty Fanton about 'social proof' - what it is, why it's an important (and powerful) part of your marketing efforts and how to get it. An inspiring and informative discussion. Find Kirsty at https://www.kirstyfanton.com/ Connect with us Rachel's List for job-seekers: www.rachelslist.com.au/jobseekers Lynne Testoni's website: www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel Smith's website: www.rachelsmith.com.au Thanks, as always, to our spo...
Oct 31, 2022•34 min•Season 11Ep. 8
True crime podcasts are hugely popular - but who's behind the scenes creating the episodes we can't help but go back for again and again? Meet Gemma Harris, a podcast scriptwriter who specialises in true crime. In this fascinating episode, we talk to Gemma about: + her criminology degree and psychology and how helpful it is to her in her work + how she finds work as a true crime podcast scriptwriter + the polarising question of whether true crime podcasts are exploitative + her podcast script-wr...
Oct 26, 2022•36 min
The usual lead magnet writers and marketers are familiar with is some kind of deal or download customers receive in exchange for opting in to your email list. But could a quiz funnel do a much better job? Quiz and email strategist Melissa Payne knows so, and in this fascinating episode she talks to us about: her career journey and how she moved from agency work to starting her own business using quizzes for lead generation how quizzes work and what they can be used for the research and planning ...
Oct 16, 2022•40 min
If there's something freelancers know all about, it's the humble side hustle - which could be a passion project separate to your work, or something connected to your work that enables you to use your skills to make money in a new way. In this episode, we talk about: what a side hustle is small side hustles vs scalable ones when a side hustle becomes a business the different kinds of side hustles specific to writers and other creatives freelancers and small business owners who've successfully tur...
Oct 09, 2022•16 min•Season 11Ep. 4
Have you ever found yourself just not engaged with your freelance business anymore, sick of the hustle and the invoice-chasing - and dreaming about taking a permanent 9-5 job? Joh Leggatt did - and in our latest episode, she talks to us about why she left her successful freelance business behind to take a full-time role with Forbes Australia. It's a fascinating chat in which we discuss: When Joh knew it was time to return to the 9-5 The challenges of dismantling a 6-figure freelance business The...
Oct 03, 2022•40 min•Season 11Ep. 4
In this episode, we delve into the successful freelance journey of creative director Hieu Nguyen, who moved from a busy print publishing career in Australia to working in New York and starting his own design agency. Find out about: + Hieu's early years, including coming to Australia on a boat from Vietnam + How he got into graphic design and some of the amazing brands he's worked with, including Gourmet Traveller, The Australian Women's Weekly, Amazon Publishing, AT&T and many others + His t...
Sep 26, 2022•38 min•Season 11Ep. 3
Continuing on with our successful freelancer series, we're chatting to journalist and editor Grant Jones, a former TV producer and newspaper section editor who now runs his own content agency and communications company. He’s also cowritten the recent book, A Caring Life: What fifty years in nursing has taught me about humanity, compassion and community, by Keith Cox with Grant Jones. Find out how Grant had to reinvent himself during Covid, the skills he's picked up since starting out as a journa...
Sep 18, 2022•36 min•Season 11Ep. 2
Many experts say podcasting is still in its infancy for brands, but they're waking up to the huge potential benefits of audio content and using it to connect with their customers. In this episode, we talk about why journalists and content writers are in a great position to offer podcasting as a service to clients - and why it's a good time to upskill in this area. Tune in to find out: the transferrable skills you have that are great for podcasting (and the ones you might want to learn) why it's ...
Sep 12, 2022•21 min
This week Rachel and Lynne chat with successful freelancer Martina Donkers, who is a specialist grant writer. In an inspiring talk, Martina shares her story about finding her niche, how grant writing works and why she loves being a digital nomad - all from a hammock in regional Western Australia! You can connect with Martina via her website: http://www.martinadonkers.com/ Lynne's website https://www.lynnetestoni.com/ Rachel's website https://rachelsmith.com.au/ Rachel's List https://www.rachelsl...
Aug 21, 2022•40 min•Season 10Ep. 27
If you're as Mad Men-obsessed as we are, you're probably keen to know how copywriting on the agency side differs from, say, what other types of copywriters do. (And if you're like Lynne and Rach, that may mean sitting at home, writing everything from web copy to lead magnets.) So we're getting the goods from agency copywriter Damien Whelan. We ask: how DID he get into agencies? How does he come up with clever one-liners? What's it like working on an ad campaign for a billboard? How do pitch meet...
Aug 15, 2022•30 min•Season 10Ep. 26
If you're setting yourself up to write copy or content for clients, it may be tricky to figure out the most important templates you need to have in place and why. These will be things you'll learn about, tweak and hone as you go, but in this episode we save you time and hassle by distilling it down to five templates we recommend you have from the start - and why they're so useful. Many thanks to Rounded for sponsoring this episode! Rounded offers user-friendly accounting and invoicing software, ...
Aug 07, 2022•16 min
This week's guest on the podcast is the talented Claire Isaac. Currently working as Editorial Director of TV WEEK and WHO on a maternity contract, Claire divides her time by filling in senior roles for long-term stints and writing for a variety of magazines and content agencies including Medium Rare, New Idea, the Big Issue and more. She talks about her start in teen pop mags and why she loves the excitement and pace of weekly magazines as well as how she created a successful podcast with friend...
Jul 31, 2022•30 min•Season 10Ep. 25
Ever wanted to work with agencies? Lynne goes it alone this week with guest and agency owner Renee Francis, who talks about how freelancers can secure agency work, why she likes working with freelancers and the skills you need to secure good paying work. Renee's agency, The Bubble Co, is here: https://thebubbleco.com.au/ Connect with Renee via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-francis-7480a233/ This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing soft...
Jul 24, 2022•21 min•Season 10Ep. 24
The pandemic may have changed the way we work forever, says Dr Marcus Bowles, Rachel and Lynne's guest on the podcast this week and he feels freelancing might be the way of the future. In this thoughtful and far-ranging discussion, he chats about the careers of the future and all about micro-credentials and why they are important. Prepare to be inspired and challenged! Dr Bowles' website is here: https://marcbowles.com/ This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting an...
Jul 17, 2022•31 min•Season 10Ep. 23
Savvy writers and freelancers all know that it's who you know, not what you know! A solid contact book is a huge asset for journalists, copywriters and content writers and this week Rachel and Lynne talk about how to find and nurture your contacts - and how to organise them so you can find the right expert at the right time. This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy accounting and invoicing software, made just for Australian freelancers and sole traders. It’s everything you ...
Jul 10, 2022•26 min•Season 10Ep. 22
This week - the end of our financial year - Rachel and Lynne talk about fatigue. Ever since we spoke to Madeleine Dore about the cult of productivity, we've been mindful of not ignoring our fatigue levels and trying to be kind to ourselves. We recognise when we're at our best and when we're just pushing through to feel a bit ahead the next day. We share our tips about how we stay fresh, relevant and how we both avoid burnout. This podcast is sponsored by our good friends at Rounded, easy account...
Jul 04, 2022•24 min•Season 10Ep. 21
Building a personal brand may sound a bit 'ick' to some writers, but it is a vital marketing tool for your freelance business. Branding expert Emma Lovell takes the awkwardness out of branding with her fun and practical approach. She is Rachel and Lynne's guest on the podcast this week, showing why creating your personal brand is important and how it can bring you more business - and the right clients. Find out more about Emma through her website: https://lovellycommunications.com/ Rachel's List...
Jun 26, 2022•41 min•Season 10Ep. 20
We're long-time fans of Madeleine Dore, a writer and interviewer who's spent five years asking creative thinkers how they navigate their days on her popular blog Extraordinary Routines (and podcast Routines & Ruts). And in this episode, we chat to Madeleine about what she's learned from the project and the book it inspired: I Didn't Do The Thing Today. This lively episode delves into a completely different way to think about productivity, and freeing yourself from productivity guilt in gener...
Jun 20, 2022•39 min•Season 10Ep. 19
After a successful career in high-profile magazines, including as editor of the Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine, writer Kayte Nunn turned her hand to commercial fiction. Now with seven books published, she shares her journey with hosts Lynne and Rachel talking about making a living doing what she loves and why writing novels is all about the long game. Connect with Kayte via her website: https://kaytenunn.com/ and pre-order her new book, The Only Child, due out in September....
Jun 12, 2022•32 min•Season 10Ep. 17
Marketing expert Therese Tarlinton is all about partnerships - so much so that she wrote a book about it! Her book, SWAP - Marketing without Money , helps small businesses, including freelancers, develop partnerships and relationships that allow everyone to grow. In this episode, she talks with Rachel and Lynne about: What marketing managers need from freelancers How freelancers can add value and gain more work How to develop your freelance offering to be even more appealing to large corporates ...
Jun 05, 2022•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 16
After a request from listener Jules, Lynne and Rachel talk about how to secure your first copywriting clients. We share our top six tips on how to start and build your own writing business. We talk about building a network, optimising digital marketing, branding and developing your website, why you shouldn't be fussy, being prepared and professional, and the importance of community. Some of the tips we mention are: Calendly, https://calendly.com/ The episode with Katie Hull on Google my Business...
Jun 01, 2022•28 min•Season 10Ep. 15
This week, Rachel and Lynne return to their occasional series of interviewing successful freelancers, with their chat with Lucy E. Cousins, who specialises in health and wellness and has her own successful content agency, Remedy Content. Lucy shares her journey in magazines and journalism, as well why she focuses on evidence-based science in her health articles and why she always adds the 'E' in her name. Find out more about Lucy here: https://www.remedycontent.com.au/ or on Instagram: https://w...
May 23, 2022•56 min•Season 10Ep. 14
Procrastination is an age-old problem - particularly when you work for yourself. This week, Rachel & Lynne share their tips on how to get work done. Links to apps and ideas mentioned in this episode: Brene Brown talking with James Clear on her podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FCDXnrrXo9d7VTTX7bi4E Atomic Habits https://www.booktopia.com.au/atomic-habits-james-clear/book/9781847941831.html Forest App https://www.forestapp.cc/ Focus tool on Macs https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/m...
May 16, 2022•12 min•Season 10Ep. 13
Imagine spending your days coming up with recipes, baking and taste-testing and photographing your creations for your blog. Sound good? How about making a living out of doing that? Well, that's just what Jess Holmes from SweetestMenu.com does with her days - after a career as a copywriter and content designer for brands such as Flight Centre, Intuit and News Corp. In this episode, Jess talks to us about: + her journey from in-house writer to recipe tester and food blogger + how the pandemic help...
May 08, 2022•30 min•Season 10Ep. 12
Are you a print journalist considering making the leap into government communications? In this episode, we chat to Lisa Thomas, who worked on a number of glossy mags (including Vogue Living) before jumping ship to work in a number of leadership roles in the private and public sector. Lisa is currently the Director of Communications, Engagement and Education at the NSW Department of Parliamentary Services, and talks to us about her journey into government comms, the transferrable skills journalis...
May 02, 2022•33 min•Season 10Ep. 11
Do you get a horrid feeling in the pit of your stomach when your clients aren't happy - or when they come back with multiple changes? This week Rachel and Lynne talk about dealing with negative feedback and criticism. It is something that happens to all of us! We talk about learning from mistakes, repairing relationships and how to not take everything personally.
Apr 25, 2022•27 min•Season 10Ep. 10
This week on the podcast Lynne and Rachel talk to Sue Bell, who is organising a festival for freelancers in her home town - Launceston, Tasmania. Rachel is a keynote speaker at the event and it's got some great speakers and events as part of the 3-day event in June 2022. Sue talks about why she thinks having a community is important for freelancers, how to put together an engaging conference program and how to do her day job at the same time. She also shares her amazing career journey (and a few...
Apr 13, 2022•42 min•Season 10Ep. 9
We continue our successful freelancer series with guest Rashida Tayabali, a copywriter and indie author who started her career in marketing but found her passion in writing copy. Rashida shares the ins and outs of her business journey, including: + Why she decided to niche into working with women business owners + What choosing a niche has done for her business and her growth + Learning SEO and why it's so valuable + How she finds clients and prices her work + Her favourite tools of the trade + ...
Apr 04, 2022•36 min•Season 10Ep. 8
Life's too short to work for clients who pay you peanuts, make you miserable, refuse to respect your boundaries - or give you work that's just not a good fit for you. If you're getting that 'pit of dread' in your stomach when you see the client's email pop up in your inbox (or their name come in on your phone), it's time to assess whether you should take them off your roster - and open the door to better clients. Because they always DO come along! This episode is with Lynne and Rachel and featur...
Mar 27, 2022•20 min•Season 10Ep. 7
