Beyond The Status Quo Podcast | Entrepreneurship | Career | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Relationships

Eden Fried from Bread and Butter Blogging is on the show today. We talked about the Rebel Boss Ladies Podcast and a framework for launching your first digital product. Eden started her entrepreneurial journey between college and entering the workforce. She was set to start law school when her brother gave her the words of wisdom she needed hear, which was to head out on her own and figure out what she truly want to do. In the beginning, blogging was tough, with lots of ups and downs. However, it set her on her current path. About a year into her journey, she launched her first online course. After realizing that she could generate passive income from her online courses, she focused on putting more and more effort into the creating those products. A passive income is less about finding the right audience for your product and more about finding the right product for your audience. You should already have those people before you start building any kind of product. My hope for all of you is that Eden’s story will

Sometimes life gets a little crazy and we lose sight of the big picture. That’s why I am slowing down in January and February, so that I can speed up later on. I’ve had six months of consistently good income. I’m working on integrating a new team member, thinking about adding another team member, and working through my knee injury. I want to take this “break” to plan, strategize, and share my thoughts with you! To help us get better at realizing when we need to take a break to regroup and recharge, I came up with an acronym called B.E.E.S., which stands for Breathe, Evaluate, Empathize, and Strategize. Breathe Literally taking a big deep breathe feels great, so why not do the same thing mentally? You need to give your brain time to breathe. Make sure that you take a break! Recharge your batteries, go on a trip, sit around for a day, whatever it is make sure you don’t burn out. Evaluate After you take a breather (or while you’re doing it) take stock of the things around you. Make sure you look closely at what’

This year has started off with a bang. On a recent skiing trip, I injured my MCL and was put in a brace for two months! I’m still in that brace, but instead of feeling sorry for myself and letting my injury get me down, I’ve decided to re-frame this event into something positive. Today I’ll be talking about the three questions I asked myself to help me look at my injury as an opportunity, rather than a setback. 1. What can I be thankful for? The times when you’re most bummed about your circumstances are also the most important times to focus on gratitude. Ask yourself, “What am I thankful for?”. When I asked myself this question, I found I was thankful for a lot. 1) I got injured day three, instead of day one, 2) The injury forced me to just sit and hang out with my friends, and so on. When you find yourself feeling down, ask yourself what there is to be thankful for, it’s a really powerful way to change your attitude. 2. What did I gain from this? Stop and ask yourself how you can grow from your experience a

Today we’re talking about money and reaching that elusive goal of a six-figure income. I really believe that everyone has the potential to be making $100k per year (or more.) However, a lot of us just can’t seem to reach that threshold. Today I’m going to give you four tips on how you can reach that goal. 1. Raise your rates If you’re setting your rates based on your previous agency or full-time salary, then you’re not charging enough. If you’re providing a premium service to your customers, your rates should reflect that. Be confident in your abilities and people will pay your rates. 2. Don’t put your prices online When you put your prices online you’re automatically leaving money on the table and boxing yourself in. If you put your prices online, you’re unable to give your clients customized services and loosing the ability to create a premium “feel”, which ultimately costs you money. If your prices are already online, take them down! 3. Don’t ignore the bottom line Clients are what bring you income. Not yo

We did it. We made it to episode 100. In honor of reaching this goal, we’re doing a little rebranding and changing the name of the show to The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast. Thanks you so much for listening and sharing this podcast with your friends. Now, on to the show! In today’s episode I talked with Shruthi Parker, a blogger, Instagrammer and content creator. Shruthi started out as a photographer and then moved into corporate marketing before finally landing where she is today as a full time blogger. Her passion for photography and storytelling is a big part of what lead to her success as an entrepreneur. But her journey wasn’t without challenges. In fact, the thing that gave her the push to focus on her blog was having a contract job fall through. Rather than focus on the negative, she pursued her blog and turned it into a full-time career. Throughout the process of shifting her mindset from stable job to independent business owner, Shruthi had a lot of support from her husband. And much of her success has

Today we’re going to talk about that big, beautiful brain you have inside your head. Mastering your mindset and controlling how your brain thinks about certain things is fundamental in creating and capturing your goals. Your mind can be trained like any other muscle, and these are the best tips and tricks on how to master your mindset and accomplish your most ambitious goals. 1. Believe in yourself Am I good enough? Do I even provided enough value to know what I’m talking about? These are questions we all deal with. The key thing to remember is that people who accomplish great things believe in themselves. You need to rewrite your story in your brain to believe in yourself. 2. Have an abundance mindset We live in a world where almost everything we could ever want or need is at our fingertips - we just have to go out and get it. The abundance mindset is important because it keeps the “lack mindset” at bay. And the “lack mindset” can put you in a negative place and prevent you from achieving your goals. Don’t h

Today is going to be more a “quick tip” kind of episode, but I wanted to give you guys a few ideas on how to take sick days as a freelancer. It’s an important topic because it’s something we don’t talk a lot about and is generally something we don’t often give ourselves. Here is a list of things you should have in place for when you need a sick day, and I recommend putting these into your project management software so that your VA or other contractors know exactly what needs to happen when you’re out. 1. Check urgent items If you can move urgent items to another day, do so. If not, assign them to another member of your team or your VA. 2. Cancel or move meetings Go through your calendar and cancel (my preference) or reschedule any meetings you have. 3. Notify your clients Let them know you won’t be as reachable as usual because you aren’t feeling well. Once you’ve done all that, get some rest and get ready to come back at it energized and feeling at your best. “A lot of times we don’t let ourselves take bre

I think we can all agree that one of the main reasons people start freelancing is because they want more control over their day and to live their best lives, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen that way. To avoid that scenario, it’s really important for us to talk about how we run our businesses. A good place to start is by understanding the four levels of business activities that we all encounter in our freelancing: The Technician. This is the base level where most of us start out. This is where you’re doing admin tasks, designing things, number crunching, working on spreadsheets, implementation, etc. The Manager. This is more of a project management role. You’re assigning tasks, checking in with your team or contractors, and making sure everything in on track to meet deadlines. The Integrator. The integrator is someone who gets things done and has an intense focus on execution. This role creates systems for the business that enables the business to keep moving forward while still being efficient. The Visi

In Part 2 of our series on habits, we’re going to talk about five habits every freelancer should have. However, before we begin, I want to make it clear that I don’t recommend adding these into your routine all at once. Use the strategies we discussed in Part 1 to make sure these habits build on each other and stick over time. If you’ve already listened to Part 1, then let’s dive into the five habits I think every freelancer should have: 1. A mindfulness practice Having a mindfulness practice, even if it’s just stopping to take deep breaths, can help ensure that you don’t get swept away by the ongoing deluge of tasks, emails, etc., and keep you focused on the task at hand. 2. Project management Assigning tasks to yourself and your team, and ensuring that the workload is even and manageable, is key to ensuring a smooth work week. 3. Keep your inbox closed The email inbox is a trap for most people that can lead to hours of feeling busy without actually getting anything done. Set specific times to check your ema

Today we’re talking about habits. In fact, it’s Part 1 of a longer discussion on habits and the types of habits that all freelancers should have. In Part 1 (today’s episode), we’re going to talk about how to create sticky habits. Part 2 will focus on the five habits every freelancer should have. So, how do we make sticky habits this year? First, habits don’t have to be massive changes that happen overnight. Often, the most impactful habits are the ones we build every day through small repeated actions. Small changes each day can lead to big ones in the long-run - similar to how compounding interest works in your finances. The problem is that it can be really hard to make new habits stick. And one of the big reasons for this is because we don’t actually address the underlying issue that will anchor our new habits. I like to think about that anchor as a target. Picture four concentric circles. The outer most circle represents our goals. The second circle represents the tasks necessary to reach those goals. The

We don’t always have it all figured out, and that’s okay! Often times when we feel the most scared, is usually when life is about to blow our minds. Today I am introducing you to Adam Clark, the most humble and hardworking serial entrepreneur! From web development, journalism, to podcast production, he is conquering it all. He goes into his personal journey of self discovery, and all the gems he’s learned along the way. A true trailblazer to us all.   You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket, and trial and error is the best way to get there! Adam goes into the importance of evaluating your personal strengths and weaknesses, and then figuring out where you can provide the most value to others and yourself. This is a vital stepping stone toward designing your business around your ideal life. Check out the full episode to hear more!       Make sure to checkout E-Myth by Michael Gerber, one of the books that encouraged Adam to pivot toward entrepreneurship! I will be adding this to my

There are 7 days left in 2018 and we have full intention on finishing strong! In today’s episode I am going to be sharing with you guys a few secrets I personally use when comes to scaling my business. In hopes to save you guys as much time and resources as I can, trying figuring it all out yourselves like I did.   Today we will talk about growth, what building your team looks like, and dive into what has truly worked for me during the scaling process. What’s the difference between growing and scaling? I know the transition into becoming the entrepreneur and freelancer you so aspire to be can be a bit difficult and confusing. That is why I will walk you through each phase and the best approaches to take, and when. In efforts to ensure you don’t get overwhelmed with the amount of work that increases while your business growing to its fullest potential. As a freelancer, a lot of you may know it is a one man show until your business really starts to grow. Then you have to be strong enough to know when it is time

In today’s episode we have the opportunity to speak to the one and only, Naomi Mdudu, founder of The Lifestyle Edit, a platform for creative working women and female entrepreneurs who want to gain clarity and visibility in their business online. Naomi is known for being great at bringing the right conversation to the table, and helping business owners place themselves strategically to get that ideal client.   As business owners, we know that our product or service is the answer to a problem most (if not all) our targeted audience has. Today we will learn how to create the message that answers all of our future client's questions before they ask them! And why it is important to self reflect on our own experiences and unique parts of ourselves, in order to effectively connect with those we dream to do business with. We will learn how to create the foundation of this message and be fully aware of our ideal clients “why” behind their decision making, then allowing you to get into your clients head so they can’t h

One week away from Christmas and 9 episodes from episode 100! Crazy how this year has flown by! With the year coming to an end, it’s really easy to feel like you’re losing time and energy, and that you have to do everything right this minute! When that couldn’t be farther than the truth.   In today’s episode I breakdown 6 steps that you can do to have an amazing holiday and launch into 2019 positioned for success. It’s important to have a system in place to plan and prepare for an amazing, enjoyable, and relaxing holiday completely guilt free. As a freelancer, we know this is way easier said than done! But it isn’t impossible. It just takes a few strategic and intentional steps and you can do it! Ultimately learning how to fit and create the dream life you want to live, while continuing to add value to your business and the people you work with is our “Why”, right?! Let’s refocus and make that game come to life!   If you haven't yet, make sure you grab your 6-Figure Freelance Roadmap here!   In this episode

In today’s episode, we speak with PR Guru and Founder of Slightly Savvy, Katherine McDermott. She dives into the perfect PR plan you want to have for yourself as a blogger, influencer, or entrepreneur. We learned that public relations is always free (or earned), and advertising always costs. How you can figure out your own branding, then the audience, and then figuring out where you need to be to be seen effectively.         She encourages us to go beyond the status quo and take those crazy opportunities that scare you. Because those are the ones that are going to help you grow and most likely be the most fulfilling. And reminds us that there isn’t always a roadmap or just one path that leads us exactly where we are meant to be. In This Episode You Will Learn: Figuring out your audience The perfect PR plan    How to find your niche as an influencer   The difference between PR and advertising     Related BSQ Podcasts: How to Find your Freelance Niche Instagram Influencer 101 with Rachel Holtin How to Becom

First-time freelancers can oftentimes spend way more money and time than they need to setting up the front load of their business. The business cards, the website, the logo, the design. Although those things are very important, they aren’t the most important. They aren’t the things that make you money or keep you and your business afloat. Your business development strategy is. A clear and organized schedule and calendar is. Those are your priorities and the heartbeat of your business, and should be treated as such!            In today’s episode we are going back 2 years ago to my personal freelance journey, and sharing with you one of the main mistakes I, and most first time freelancers make. Priorities. Reminding you that it’s never too late to change your priorities, get yourself organized and focus on the important things! It is time to draw a line in the sand, get your eyes on the prize, and make 2019 your first 6 figure year! You’re never not going to have a 6 figure year after this! Get ready, it’s only

With just a few short weeks left of December, we often times forget or move to quickly into our New Year resolutions, to reflect on all of the things we have accomplished this year. Today I sit down again with recurring guest James Quigley, and he explains to us the importance of mindfully taking a step back and reflecting on those accomplishments, counting up the big and small. And how by doing so, we lay the foundation of effective goal setting in all areas of our lives.   We discuss the power of perspective and gratitude, and the importance of detail. We dive into the details of what the process of effective goal setting looks like, and how you can make the goal, the vision, the life you see for yourself come to manifestation, no matter who you are or what stage of life you’re in.     This episode teaches you just a few, intentional steps, you can take and apply to help you hit the ground running January 1st, and make 2019 your best year yet!   In This Episode You Will Learn: What you can do RIGHT NOW to

Are meetings controlling your weeks and overriding your productivity? I found that between client calls, team meetings and business development coffee talks I had little time to get my actual work done. On today’s episode, I share with you my recommended tips for having less meetings and getting more done.   Don’t get me wrong, I love meetings with my clients and team. I look forward to building, developing and nurturing our relationship as our projects advance. But somewhere down the line, I recognized that I wasn't nearly as productive as I should be. When I took a look at my schedule for the weeks ahead, I notice that my calendar was prefilled with scheduled meetings upon meetings...upon meetings. I needed to find a way to continue communication while protecting my time.   This episode is great for freelancer and entrepreneurs who need regain ownership of their calendar and are looking for tips and tools to help them do so. In This Episode You Will Learn: How to assess and prepare your meeting schedule fo

Growing your business is an incredibly rewarding experience! As your client list grows and the money flows, you should reflect upon the hard work that has gotten you here and be proud!  As you embark on the next phase of your entrepreneurial journey you might consider growing your team to help champion your mission. The transition from solopreneur to team manager AND business owner will be a whole new learning experience and today’s episode will help you prepare for that next stage of success.     Today on the show, I sit with my dear friend and regular guest on the BSQ podcast, Alexandria Hart! As the Founder and CEO of Good Joo Joo, a Digital Marketing Agency and remote workplace, Alex has first hand experience hiring and managing a team of remote freelancers. She will walk us through the lessons she has learned and her top recommendations for freelancers and entrepreneurs looking to grow their team and business.   In This Episode You Will Learn: When it is time to hire How to hire appropriately How to man

Do you ever find yourself apologizing for being a perfectionist or labeling yourself as OCD so that the people around you don’t feel intimidated by your attention to detail? After today’s episode, we apologize no more! I encourage you to embrace, nurture and challenge your inner perfectionist so that you can live your life Beyond the Status Quo.   In design school, I was trained to focus on the details, always polished and prepared. In the school of hard knocks, I am learning that things don't always play out according to our plans. This dynamic mix of attention to detail and preparedness vs. hurdles and roadblocks can be incredibly overwhelming. But no need to fret you guys, I got you covered!     In today’s episode, I walk you through the set of rules I use to manage my inner perfectionist so that I can produce my best work and bring my best self. These guidelines will help you observe, appreciate and implement your inner perfectionist characteristics while maintaining real world expectations.This episode i