15 Minute Freelancer

Did you know this podcast has been going for 2 years? That's a lot of freelancing chat. In this episode, I share some thoughts about where the podcast is going in 2023 (spoiler in the title?). And in case you're pondering a similar conundrum about how to move forwards (or not) with a particular project, I'm sharing some questions to consider to help you decide when to quit/take a break/power on, along the following themes: Thanks to everyone who has supported the podcast so far. Until next time (whenever or wherever that is), happy freelancing! Stay in touch! Newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan Website: thecopyprescription.com Support the podcast! If you find this podcast 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.

This is part two of my conversation with visual storytelling expert Jude Charles. If you haven’t yet listened to part one, go back and check that out first. “As a freelancer in 2023, it is no longer an option whether or not you tell stories, it is imperative for you to tell stories.” In this episode, Jude shares more tips and examples of how visual storytelling can build trust with clients, and we dive into the practicalities of using video to market ourselves. We cover: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in this episode: Website: http://JudeCharles.co Newsletter: http://JudeCharles.co/newsletter Dramatic Demonstration: https://judecharles.co/book Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in regular snack-sized bites. LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan Twitter: @LouiseShanahan_ Website: thecopyprescription.com 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.

How can a pair of white shoes help someone land a new client? Jude Charles is an expert in visual storytelling – and specifically, using video to tell stories that build trust with potential clients. Because Jude had SO much brilliant advice to share, this episode is split into two parts. In this first part, Jude explains how to harness the power of storytelling to connect with clients. As well as telling a few of his own inspirational stories, Jude also shares: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in this episode: Newsletter: http://JudeCharles.co/newsletter Story Bank Journal: http://storybankjournal.com Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in regular snack-sized bites. LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan Website: thecopyprescription.com 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.

Today we're taking a look at what the future of freelancing might look like as working culture evolves. My guest is Paul Evans, director of Fourth Estate Creative and creator of the Freelance Fellowship platform. As a small business owner and someone who hires freelancers, Paul sees the opportunities and challenges from both sides. Our conversation unpicks what recent shifts in working culture might mean for freelancers, including: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Paul: LinkedIn: Paul Thomas Evans Fourth Estate Creative website: https://www.fourthestatecreative.com/ Freelance Fellowship website: https://www.freelancefellowship.com/ Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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: thecopyprescription.com 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.

Keeping the project pipeline flowing means we always need to be on the lookout for the next lead. But rather than chasing down new clients, why not focus on creating an amazing experience for your existing clients? Happy clients are more likely to come back again and again – and refer you to their contacts. My guest today is Gigi Davarashvili from Yocory, an all-in-one business hub for freelancers and small business owners. Gigi joins me to chat about how she creates memorable experiences for her clients that keep them coming back, including: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Gigi: Website: https://yocory.com Instagram: @yocoryapp Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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: thecopyprescription.com 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 :)

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 :) It's the last episode of 2022, which means it's time for everyone's favourite format at this time of year: the annual review. Do you review the ups and downs of the previous year? Do you set goals for the following year? We don't need to get too corporate about it, but since we don't have a boss to do a performance review, we have to do our own. In this episode, I share my review process, reflect on 2022 and share three wins and three not-so-wins. You'll also hear how I'm setting my goals for 2023 and how my business will have to change as a result. Until next year, happy freelancing! Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 43: How to set goals to grow your freelance business in in 2022 Episode 66: My 6-month review: what worked and what didn't? Episode 64: A day in the life of a freelance copywriter Episode 29: Land your wishlist clients with cold pitching (with Bree Weber) Episode 57: Build your own board of directors Dr Julie Gurner's newsletter Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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 Website: thecopyprescription.com

This week I take you behind the scenes at the Magazine Street conference. (You may remember my interview with Nikki Simpson, organiser of Magazine Street, back in Episode 75.) I share my top takeaways from a few of the many brilliant speakers who shared their stories of creativity, resilience and problem-solving – relevant to all freelancers, not just those in the magazine industry. Vox-pop quotes from other attendees and speakers will be included in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in this Episode: International Magazine Centre: https://internationalmagazinecentre.com/ Magazine Street Speakers: https://internationalmagazinecentre.com/magazine-street/ Episode 75: Create your own conference! (With Nikki Simpson) Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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: thecopyprescription.com Ask a question for a future episode on memo.fm/15/ 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.

"All freelancers should have an email newsletter for their business, 100%, without a doubt!" My guest today is Eman Ismail, email strategist, email copywriter extraordinaire and host of the excellent Mistakes That Made Me podcast. If you've been thinking about starting a newsletter, this episode is packed with tips to help you get set up, grow your list, and use email marketing to attract clients. We discuss: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Eman: The Email Rules: https://data.inkhouse.org.uk/the-email-rules/ Website: https://emancopyco.com/ Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter at The Copy Prescription. She's on a mission to help others build a freelance business that feels easy and works for them – in weekly snack-sized bites. Find her on LinkedIn: Louise Shanahan. 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.

Are you missing a trick if you don't use TikTok to market your freelance business? My guest today is Chloe Barnes, a freelance copywriter at The Write Chloe who successfully operates a TikTok-first marketing strategy for her business. Chloe shares her top tips for navigating the platform and makes creating “real person TV” easy and effective, including: And since we had SO much to talk about, there are not one but TWO bonus clips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter (previous issues listed here too): 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Chloe: TikTok: @thewritechloe Instagram: @thewritechloe Website: thewritechloe.com Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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: thecopyprescription.com 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

It's the health episode! Working alone, from home, jumping from one task to another – it's all too easy to forget to take care of our physical and mental well-being properly. Sally Duffin is a freelance writer and nutritional therapist, and she joins me to share some of her favourite healthy habits to help you feel and perform at your best. We pack a lot into this one, including: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in this episode: Ep. 64: A day in the life of a freelance copywriter Book: ‘Natural Nutrition for Perimenopause: What to Eat to Feel Good and Stay Sane’ Say hi to Sally: Website: www.nutritioninyork.com Instagram: @nutritioninyork Twitter: @nutritioninyork Facebook: Nutrition in York LinkedIn: Sally Duffin Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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: thecopyprescription.com Leave me a question or comment on memo.fm/15/ 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.

One way to charge more (and work less) as a freelancer is to shift from implementing the client's brief to selling strategy. When you help to set the direction for a project, you're also far less likely to find yourself navigating the awkward gaps in expectations that can arise from missing or outdated strategies. But how do you transition to selling strategy? What do the deliverables look like? How much should you charge? My guest today is Austin Church, a brand strategist, business coach, host of the brilliant Freelance Cake podcast and all-round entrepreneur. He shares his experience of shifting from selling implementation to strategy and his tips on how you can do the same. We cover: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Austin: LinkedIn: Austin L. Church Website: https://freelancecake.com/freelance-fixes Say hi to Louise: Louise Shanahan is a freelance health and medical copywriter. 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: thecopyprescription.com Ask a question for a future episode on memo.fm/15/ 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.

Do you have a niche or specialism as a freelancer? Choosing a niche can be a powerful way to use your expertise to stand out, attract clients and charge more – but what if you want to change your mind? People have big opinions on this topic, but the truth is you can run a perfectly successful business whether you decide to niche or not. And crucially, that decision isn't irreversible. In this episode, I'm joined by website consultant Tom Garfield to hear about his experience of choosing (and changing) his business niche. We talk about: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Episode 77 - Don't be afraid to change your business (with Heather Pownall) Episode 56 - Dave Harland: how to stand out on LinkedIn Say hi to Tom Website: https://tomgarfield.co.uk/ LinkedIn: Tom Garfield Twitter: @TomGarfield_ 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: thecopyprescription.com Leave me a voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.

So you know you should be working ON your business as well as IN it, but how do you actually do that when you're busy? If you've got more work than you can handle, need some help to trim your to-do list, or want to outsource but are not quite sure where to start, this episode is for you. Outsourcing expert Lisa Tennant runs a virtual assistant service and joins me on this episode to talk about all things delegation and outsourcing. Letting someone else into our business for the first time can be a daunting prospect, but Lisa shares some great tips about how to go about it. Our chat includes: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Toggl: https://toggl.com/ Say hi to Lisa: Website: www.ltvaservices.com LinkedIn: Lisa Tennant Instagram: @ltvaservices Twitter: @LTVAservices 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: thecopyprescription.com Record a question or leave a voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.

Want to attract great freelance clients? You've probably tried content marketing and cold pitching – but what about PR? My guest for this episode is Melissa Hobson, a PR consultant who is here to help us with how to get started with PR and get those all-important eyes and ears on our businesses. We discuss: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: HARO: https://www.helpareporter.com/ Help a B2B Writer: https://helpab2bwriter.com/ #prrequest: https://twitter.com/hashtag/prrequest Say hi to Melissa: Website: www.melissahobson.co.uk LinkedIn: Melissa Hobson 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: thecopyprescription.com Ask a question for a future episode via voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.

Regular listeners know that I love hearing how other freelancers stay organised – if you do too, I think you'll enjoy this episode. Bonnie Harrington, freelance writer, host of Tomato Tuesdays, and Pomodoro enthusiast joins me to discuss: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Find out more: Tomato Tuesdays: wordsbybonnie.com – AM session or PM session Say hi to Bonnie: Website: wordsbybonnie.com LinkedIn: Bonnie Harrington Twitter: @_wordsbybonnie Instagram: @wordsbybonnie 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: thecopyprescription.com Leave me a voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.

Are you worried about what the current economic situation might mean for your business? If so, please know you are not alone. In this solo episode, I share the questions I'm considering to prepare my freelance business for economic disruption, including: Our financial situations and businesses may be different (I'm not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice), but hopefully this will spark some ideas to consider for yourself. Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Find out more: Episode 54: Make yourself ridiculously referrable Episode 21: Stress-free accounting with Martin Brooks Want to feature in my Ask Me Anything episode? Record your question here: memo.fm/15/ 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: thecopyprescription.com Leave me a voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.

Do you need to make a change in your business? Feeling a bit daunted? This episode is for you. My guest is Heather Pownall, a media marketing and comms specialist who has been making some big changes in her business. Heather shares what prompted her to pivot and how it’s going so far. We discuss: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Heather: LinkedIn: Heather Pownall Twitter: @Heathershub Website: https://www.hmhub.co.uk/ 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: thecopyprescription.com Ask a question for a future episode at memo.fm/15/ 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.

Forget those "find your purpose" pdf worksheets that get forgotten about as soon as you hit save and get back to the day job – this episode will help you figure out what really drives your business so you can transform it from ticking along to truly thriving. Matt Saunders, former freelance web designer and creator of the Freelance Business Builder, shares how finding his vision set him on the path to building a successful and scalable business. We discuss: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Say hi to Matt: Freelance Business Builder: https://mattsaunders.uk/course/fbb LinkedIn: Matt Saunders Twitter: @MattSaundersUK Website: https://mattsaunders.uk/ 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: thecopyprescription.com Ask a question for a future episode at: memo.fm/15/ 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.

Joining me for this episode is Nikki Simpson, someone who truly embodies the idea that if you want to see something exist in the world, then you should just go ahead and create it yourself. Nikki is the founder and director of the International Magazine Centre and the brains behind the brand new conference Magazine Street, which takes place on 29 September 2022. We chat about: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Get tickets to Magazine Street: https://internationalmagazinecentre.com/magazine-street/ Say hi to Nikki: LinkedIn: Nikki Simpson Twitter: @NikkiSimpson3 Website: https://internationalmagazinecentre.com/ 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: thecopyprescription.com Leave a voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.

One of my goals for 2022 was to shift from working five (or sometimes seven!) days a week to a consistent four-day week. If you listened to episode 66, you'll know how that has been going... My guest this week heard that episode and offered to share her experience of reducing her hours while still delivering fantastic work for clients. Alicja Tokarska is a freelance translator and subtitler who, after working round the clock for far too long, made the decision to transition to a new working pattern and now works Monday to Thursday. Alicja shares her experience of moving to a four-day week along with tips on how she makes it work, including: Get bonus clips and tips in the 15 Minute Freelancer newsletter: 15minutefreelancer.substack.com Mentioned in this episode: Boomerang for Gmail: www.boomeranggmail.com Episode 66: My 6-month review: what worked and what didn't? Episode 23: Saying no and beating burnout with Sarah Townsend Say hi to Alicja: LinkedIn: Alicja Tokarska Instagram: @polkadottranslations Website: www.polkadottranslations.com 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: thecopyprescription.com Leave me a voice note on memo.fm/15/ 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.