Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
Joining me this episode is Alex Hillman, or as I call him, “The Hillman.” Basically if you start researching coworking on Google, you’ll find all sorts of ties back to Alex and the the strides he’s made for the industry and the movement through his space, Indy Hall.
Alex and I connected a while back when what would eventually be WIMPspace was only a blip on the radar. I’ve been an admirer of Alex’s not only because of his work in coworking, but his approach to realizing life-long goals. He lives by a “JFDI” mantra. Got an idea? Just Fucking Do It. I could write an entire post write an entire book, teach an entire class on how acting on your ideas and making them happen no matter what is always a worthwhile endeavor. Another time, perhaps.
This episode meanders along the loose guidelines of how people that run coworking spaces can encourage freelancers can make the most of their investment into a space. We also touch on how finding people to work with is a lot like picking a restaurant or finding what kind of music you enjoy.
Show Notes
We discuss the following topics/themes in this episode:
- Indy Hall
- Coworking Weekly Podcast
- The Face of Coworking
- Brad Neuburg
- Open source movement
- Coworking Google group
- Thinking about how / where / why we work together
- How coworking will change in the future
- “Coworking space” is as specific as the term “restaurant”
- It’s our job to “set the bar” of what coworking should be
- Coworking experiences vary just as much as genres and sub-genres in music
- The mistakes that some coworking spaces make
- It takes a special type of person to operate a coworking space
- Coworking Africa conference
- Why opening a coworking space without having freelance experience can be a detriment
- SpareChair could set the trend for future coworking experiences
- People still don’t know how to find each other
- Tim Ferriss curious, The Tim Ferriss Show
- Finding people to work around is a lot like dating
- Getting to know people is waaaay more valuable than trying to sell them something
- YouNeedaBudget.com
- Using a set of rules to make what you’re already doing easier
- How freelancers work together in coworking spaces and how to be a better coworker
- Managing expectations
- Prioritize relationships above transactions
- The best collaborations and getting to know people before you know you need them
- 30×500 and how to make $180k a year by being a freelancer
- Freckle Time Tracking
- Solving a problem by building trust and value with your ideal clients
- Mindset by Carol Dweck
- Fixed mindset vs growth mindset
- The unfamiliar feeling of being bad at something, and the fear of learning something from the ground up
- Amy Hoy’s Blog: UnicornFree.com
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
We continue the conversation about coworking with a panel of four individuals connected to the coworking industry. In this episode we talk about the relationship between freelancers and coworking spaces. We discuss how freelancers can make the most of their experience at a coworking space to successfully impact their businesses and find a sense of belonging in a world that might be a little bit too flexible. This episode was recorded live at the GCUC Conference in Berkeley, CA, backstage at Freight & Salvage, coffee house and music venue.
Joining me in this episode are the following four lovely individuals:
Paul Searle is a freelance event videographer from Los Angeles, CA. Paul plans to open up a small coworking space for artists in his neighborhood.
Oren Salomon is the Founder of Dallas Fort Work, a coworking space in Fort Worth, TX. Oren is also a part of Open Coworking and manages the Coworking Map project.
Abrahim Nadimi is the Founder and CEO of ReferMe. Abe has been a coworker for a year in Arlington, TX and is building his referral platform to help small businesses.
Amy King is the Founder and CEO of Nested Strategies, a creative consulting studio that brings humanity to brands. Amy is a self-proclaimed coworking junkie in Dallas, TX.
There’s an open discussion on the flexibility of freelancers and coworking spaces in the forum. All are welcome.
On a personal note, I’m excited to announce I’ll be a new member of the leadership team of Open Coworking! More on that as things develop 🙂
A huge thanks to all my guests on this episode as well as everyone who had a hand in planning and producing GCUC, the incredible event that we were at that brought together so many inspirational community leaders from all over the world.
Show Notes
We discuss the following topics/themes in this episode:
- GCUC Coworking Conference
- Searle Video
- Dallas Fort Work
- Open Coworking
- Coworking.com
- Coworking Visa
- The Coworking Wiki
- The Coworking Map
- ReferMe
- Nested Strategies
- Who is coworking good for?
- Coloft in Santa Monica
- Shut up and take my money
- It’s not just an industry, it’s a movement
- Feeling grounded without being trapped
- Finding your community
- The Grove Coworking in Dallas, TX
- Floating freelancers
- Weld Coworking
- Justin Nygren, owner of The Grove
- Coworking doesn’t automatically make you awesome at your job
- How to be a better coworker, how to be a better freelancer
- Colearning
- Creative Mornings
- Swiss Miss Blog
- Friends Work Here
- Steal ideas and make them your own
- Dedicated desks vs flex seating
- Let’s discuss flexibility here!
- Over-helping and setting boundaries with your clients and coworkers
- Being forced to co-mingle will help your growing freelance business
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
This episode is the first of two I recorded live at GCUC, the Global Coworking Unconference Conference. Coworking and the relationship between it and freelancers is going to be the central part of my focus for the next few episodes.
Not only do I run my own coworking space in Santa Rosa called WIMPspace, but I’m also a new member of the leadership team for Open Coworking. Coworking is a global movement, not just an industry, demonstrating the strength of cooperative and collaborative relationships between independent workers with one another and their communities. It’s something I’m passionate about, and I hope you get something out of listening to these episodes.
My guest for this episode is Melissa Mesku. She is a freaking rockstar. I met Melissa online and couldn’t wait to meet her in person at GCUC to record this session. Melissa has done a lot for the coworking movement and continues to be at the forefront of trends in coworking.
And let me tell you, the girl knows how to bring people together. She’s charming and a natural born leader and I admire her quite a bit. Thanks, Melissa!
#teammelissa
Show Notes
We discuss the following topics/themes in this episode:
- Pure Cure Dental Technology
- New Worker Magazine
- Coworking from a meta perspective
- GCUC Coworking Conference 2015 in Berkeley
- NextSpace
- Coliving and Cooperative Housing Movement
- The benefits of cooperative and collaborative working methods
- Shared projects with friends is heaven on earth
- Lindsey Rima
- Coworking is doubling every year
- Different kinds of coworking spaces
- Being an introvert in a coworking space
- New Work City
- The kinds of problems that can get solved by coworking
- The magic is in the interaction
- Publishing critiques on what works and what doesn’t
- AKA “Coworking Magazine“
- Work is supposed to be a boring topic but it’s totally not!
- Embracing working for yourself
- Firing yourself and rehiring yourself
- Melissa’s advice on how to be a coworking slut
- Coworking does not have to be monogamous – grrrowl!
- The Rise of the Workspace Marketplace
- Liquidspace
- ShareDesk
- Vaga
- SpareChair
- I AM NOT ELOQUENT
- Down with the competitive
- Coworking is a movement
- WIMPspace: The clubhouse to your club
- Reverse Retirement and being a Digital Nomad
- Coworking Visa
- Copass
Melissa’s Links
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
When I was in 4th grade I was really into ecological activism. The 3 Rs ran through my head constantly “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” I wanted to make a difference. So one day, I got out my notebook and with writing “Trash Busters” underlined at the top, my first club was formed.
I had almost all the kids in my class sign up and in doing so we would spend recess picking up trash out in the field and on the playground. It was awesome! Even though it was short-lived, I would much later in life come to realize that I love bringing people together for a common mission or purpose.
The thing is, you don’t have to be a leader to realize the importance of community and to get a lot out of one.
Many of us who have gone off on our own to start our own business out of our homes can probably relate. It can get lonely! You can get so used to being closed off from other people that you forget to be open to new ideas and influences.
Maybe it’s my self-diagnosed ADD that kicks in, but I’m never satisfied staying in my own little world 24/7. Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking it’s fine, because if you’re like me you’ve got deep roots in introversion, but we don’t realize what we’re missing.
There are all different types of communities out there to get you out of the house and break up the daily routine. Here are some great things to look into and why they can better yourself and your career.
* Personal Note: Yes, I was a Catholic school girl. I went to Holy Family Educational Center (Now Holy Family School) in San Jose, California for 10 years followed by Presentation, an all-girls Catholic college-prep high school. I never really felt like I fit in, but I got a pretty good education.
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Find a Coworking Space Nearby
Coworking is the best way to get work done while simultaneously investing in a collaborative community environment. I could go on and on about coworking since I run WIMPspace, a coworking and colearning space in Santa Rosa, CA. I just can’t begin to explain how much value a person can get out of being a member of a coworking space.
It doesn’t even have to be a full-time commitment. Most spaces have drop-in rates and even comp the first day to try it out for free. Just from working alongside other people you can make friends, find opportunities to collaborate and build companies, get and give referrals, and participate in a number of different events. I could go on and on about this… but for now I’ll just say give coworking a try!
The Coworking Wiki has a list of coworking directories depending on where in the world you live.
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Find a Meetup group
Meetup is by far one of my favorite things to ever come out of the Internet. You can easily find a group in your area with a common interest, from hiking to vegan living to business networking and everything in-between. It’s all about building local communities and it’s the best way to start one too. In fact, the WIMP community was started on Meetup and still relies on it heavily for all its events. Aside from word of mouth, it’s the best way to build an audience.
I even met my husband, Cole at our very first Meetup, so you never know! (I like to say I had to start an entire organization in order to find the man I was going to marry.)
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Start a Mastermind group
Mastermind groups have been picking up in popularity recently. It’s essentially a small intimate group of people who come together regularly for the purpose of setting goals, sharing achievements and holding one another accountable for them. It’s a great way to build a solid support network and many really successful people including Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income swear by them.
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Join an Online Community
The least amount of commitment really, but you can get a lot out of a community even if it’s just virtual. These can come in all forms and be based on professional or personal interests, but can be a good way to interface with real humans and build some real solid relationships.
A great example of this is our very own community at The Naked Freelancer. Join and get to know other freelancers from all over the place!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
Shana Bull is a digital marketing and social relations strategist. Shana is one of my very best friends and just so happens to be a genius when it comes to building a stable freelance career in social media.
Shana works with a lot of luxury lifestyle brands doing social relation strategy, consulting and training. She’s famous in wine blogger circles and takes some of the most scrumptious photos of food I’ve ever seen on the interwebs.
She’s also a few months pregnant and talks about how she’s able to build in flexibility to her schedule to accommodate the unpredictability of not feeling 100% herself all the time. We’ll definitely be following Shana’s story once she has her baby to see if her career ends up going just as smoothly as she expects. Good luck, Shana!
Randy “The Man” Hall also makes his first appearance in this episode!
Show Notes
We discuss the following topics/themes in this episode:
- Working with hospitality and luxury brands
- Iron Horse Vineyards
- Wine bloggers
- Word of Mouth Marketing
- Instagram takeovers!
- #walkthewalk
- Productivity tracking and building in marketing time and professional development time
- Following trends, reading articles
- Having clients on retainer
- Hourly rates depending on project
- American Heart Association
- Make a Stand
- The power of Twitter
- Forgetting how you know your friends
- The Beer Wench
- Kerry Rego
- Randy Hall
- James Marshall Berry in the 80s
- Shana’s pregnancy announcement!
- Day planning and hourly tracking
- Flexibility for a pregnancy schedule
- Dogs and kids are the same
- We are plant killers
- Go for walks!
- Saying no
- When to fire a client
- 3 criteria for selecting clients
- “It’s not me, it’s you.”
- Planning your social media schedule
Shana’s Links
Shana on Instagram
Shana on Twitter
Shana on LinkedIn
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
Ryan Williams is building an empire on his ability to tell the stories of what he calls the influencer economy. Ryan’s take on an influencer is someone who has a successful career in new media, music and sports while remaining accessible to their fan-base.
Ryan’s freelance career consists of balancing between the production of his podcast, Stories From the Influencer Economy, his book titled The Influencer Economy, and his consulting business.
The Influencer Economy podcast is really what got me thinking about starting The Naked Freelancer. Having an actual conversation with Ryan is what sealed the deal for me. His support and encouragement are a big reason why I followed through with this show. Seriously – listen to his podcast. You’ll be glad you did.
Show Notes
We discuss the following topics/themes in this episode:
- Reaching out to people who have influenced you
- Importance of first followers
- Machinima
- Helping podcasters get paid and grow their audiences
- The importance of building an email list
- The Influencer Model, a course on how to sell products to your audience
- Monetization for content creators
- Creating to gain professional credibility and survive as a freelancer
- How to overcome mental blocks
- Evil laugh
- Podcast time travel
- Consistency is hard
- Creating a podcast network
- Ryan’s Episode with Jeff Ullrich of Earwolf
- How to prioritize and delegate
Ryan’s Links
Check out Ryan’s Podcast Stories From the Influencer Economy on his website or on iTunes
Take Ryan’s course, The Influencer Model: Sell Products Directly to Your Audience
On Twitter @ryanjwill
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
I had a blast with Katy Tynan from indieworking.com! Katy had a background in consulting before entering the world of freelancing. The change in lifestyle was a welcome one for Katy, but she has experienced certain challenges when defining her job title.
I’m sure you’ve all been there: you’re at a party or a networking event. You’re in a group of people talking and the inevitable question arises:
“So, what do you do?”
You pause while you read the room and decide just which answer to give.
What do you say? What are your reactions if/when you tell people you are a freelancer? Join the Conversation.
Show Notes
We discuss the following topics/themes in this episode:
- Going from consultant to freelancer
- Why does the term ‘freelancer’ get a bad rap?
- The “quiet assumption” or even stigma of freelancing
- Being a girl in IT
- Free Agent FTW
- Amanda Palmer’s TED talk
- How going to public school can make you scrappy and resourceful and learn how to be self-sufficient
- How being a free agent automatically makes you a role model
- Tiny houses
- Planning your life around a big life goal instead of conforming to expectations
- Designing your life
- Collaboration vs competition
Katy’s Links
Read Katy’s article “Please Don’t Call me a Freelancer” in New Worker Magazine
Get Katy’s Book Free Agent: The Independent Professional’s Roadmap to Self-Employment Success
Visit Katy’s website www.indieworking.com
On Twitter @katytynan
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
For episode three, I wanted to go a little bigger. I think it’s important that we understand just what it means to be a part of the freelance economy, so I reached out to Jeff Wald, a thought leader on labor force evolution. Jeff is co-founder and President of Work Market and frequently writes for Forbes as the authority on the Freelance Economy and how it relates to the global employment system.
Show Notes
- The difference between a temp and a freelancer
- On-demand nature of labor
- Creation of talent pools and how large corporations hire freelancers
- Labor laws and risk management for employers hiring freelancers
- Managing your reputation and human capital
- Modernizing work forces
- Acronyms are crazy!
- Freelancer == entrepreneur, freelancer /= unemployed
Jeff’s Links
Jeff is President and Co-Founder of Work Market
Jeff on Twitter @jefferywald
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
Episode two! Yeahhhh!
My co-founding partner of WIMP, Josh Simmons, joins me to talk about all things fail. Josh works full time as a community manager for O’Reilly Media, the best media publisher for web technology (the books with the animals on the covers) AND producer of fantastic tech conferences such as Fluent and OSCON.
Show Notes
Josh and I talk about his experience going from floundering freelancer to doomed start-up and we get to know the truth about what happens when it all hits the fan.
- Embracing failure
- Don’t start a company if you suck at freelancing
- The potential fallout from a failed business
- Quantifying your overhead – don’t fail to measure
- Time tracking and estimates
- Ponzi scheming yourself
- What it’s like to get sued and go to small claims court
- Seeing an opportunity vs admitting defeat
- Finding your calling
- Taking care of yourself
Josh’s Links
Josh is a community manager at O’Reilly Media
Josh’s WIMP Presentation: Fail Well: Freelance Pratfalls & Coping with Failure
Josh on Twitter @joshsimmons
Josh on LinkedIn
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
Like what you hear? Please leave a review on iTunes!
I’m beyond thrilled to announce the very first episode of The Naked Freelancer podcast!
This first episode features Ben Klocek of Bracia. Ben is a freelance web designer, or as he defines himself: an artist. I know Ben from the WIMP community and he’s a force to be reckoned with.
The format of this first episode is more of a co-host vibe, since you won’t be just getting to know Ben, you’ll be getting to know me and all that I’m about as well. In fact, I plan to have Ben back often to have some discussions on some issues having to do with freelancing. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Note: Please bear with us in the beginning. I was really nervous and there are a few awkward silences, but it doesn’t take long for us to get in the groove of things!
Show Notes & Resources
The intro to the first episode features an unintentional appearance by Ascii the cat. Sorry Ben, looks like you weren’t actually my first guest after all!
Here is Ascii on a rocking horse. She’s a pretty cool cat.
Ben and I discuss WIMP and the importance of being involved in a community of peers. We discuss the concept colearning and not having a “percieved authority” when it comes to learning from one another on certain topics. We try to set a precedent for transparency for the show in the future.
- Creating a client qualifiers list / screening and rating potential clients
- Getting great lead generation by pre-qualifying
- Word of mouth marketing
- The Sustainable Freelancer: Is the life you’re creating as a freelancer something you can keep up long-term?
- Methods of working with clients: 1 Day Web Designer
- Content delivery
- Kathy Pine and thischerishedlife.com
- Measuring success by having a community to compare yourself to
- WIMPspace and other Coworking spaces
- Defining a freelancer
- Generation Z
- How far in advance do you make plans?
- Unroll.me – unsubscribe from e-mail lists
Ben’s Recommended Reading List
- Paul Graham on the the importance of the Top Idea in Your Mind
- Rands on learning to write as an essential skill
- Wilson Miner on a designers responsibility to the world
- Ira Glass on storytelling and leading a creative life
- Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield about transitioning from an amateur to a professional
- Manage your Day-to-day by 99u about building your routine, focusing and staying creatively sharp
Ben’s Links
Ben’s design business Bracia
The Sustainable Freelancer: Freelancer Tools & Tips For A Sustainable Lifestyle – WIMP Meetup Talk
Ben on Twitter @benklocek
Ben on Instagram @benklocek
Ben on LinkedIn
Credits
Music: The Naked Freelancer Theme is by Ransom Rath. Listen to the full version here.
All of my podcasts are recorded and edited on my kick-ass Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Visit my tools and equipment page to find out more about what I use for my podcast and my website!
