Freelance To Founder

When subcontracting becomes your main income source, it's easy to lose your business identity in someone else's brand—almost like you're getting swallowed up. In this solo episode, Preston tackles a question from Garrett, a 30-year-old nonprofit consultant who's concerned about being overshadowed by the seasoned consultant he subcontracts for. Should he merge his business, continue the partnership, or strike out on his own? Preston shares practical strategies for testing your market, setting boundaries, and transitioning from subcontractor to independent consultant without burning valuable bridges. Support our show sponsors → https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question → https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every freelancer faces this dilemma: A dream client wants to hire you for a project that's bigger than anything you've tackled solo. Do you hire help first and risk the overhead, or do you say yes and scramble to build a team afterward? Preston and Austin dive deep into this classic chicken-and-egg problem, offering a surprising third option that could save your reputation and your sanity. They break down exactly how to de-risk those make-or-break moments when you're ready to level up from solo freelancer to agency owner. Support our show sponsors → https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question → https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Join Austin's Premium Community → ⁠⁠https://www.freelancecake.com/community⁠⁠ Get Austin's Book, Free Money → ⁠⁠https://austin-l-church.kit.com/cf0feb3e27⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered if your location outside the US is holding you back from landing American clients? In this episode, Preston and Austin tackle a question from Dieter in Europe who's hesitant about offering his services to the US market. You'll discover how to flip perceived geographical disadvantages into powerful positioning strengths, why cultural differences might matter less than you think, and the surprising ways that being "foreign" can actually make you more attractive to American clients. If you've ever doubted whether distance or cultural barriers are limiting your freelance potential, this episode will shift your entire perspective. Support our show sponsors → https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question → https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Join Austin's Premium Community → ⁠⁠https://www.freelancecake.com/community⁠⁠ Get Austin's Book, Free Money → ⁠⁠https://austin-l-church.kit.com/cf0feb3e27⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ready to hire your first virtual assistant but not sure where to start? Elena's question hits on something every growing freelancer faces: you have a million different tasks that need doing, but how do you find the right person to handle them all? In this episode, Preston teams up with Austin Church (founder of Freelance Cake Community) to break down the hiring process from character evaluation to smart delegation strategies. Austin shares real insights from his 4+ year relationship with his VA, including why he prioritizes character over skills and his brilliant low-stakes/high-frequency framework for deciding what to delegate first. Support our show sponsors → https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question → https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Join Austin's Premium Community → ⁠https://www.freelancecake.com/community⁠ Get Austin's Book, Free Money → ⁠https://austin-l-church.kit.com/cf0feb3e27⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Worried about raising your rates and losing clients? You're not alone. In this episode, Preston and Austin Church tackle one of the most common freelancer fears: how to increase pricing without damaging client relationships. But here's the twist—your clients might care about way more than just saving money. Austin shares eye-opening insights about client psychology, the hidden costs of replacing good freelancers, and why charging higher prices can actually earn you more respect. If you're planning to transition from freelancer to agency owner, this conversation will shift how you think about value, pricing strategy, and positioning yourself as an authority. Support our show sponsors → https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question → https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Join Austin's Premium Community → ⁠https://www.freelancecake.com/community⁠ Get Austin's Book, Free Money → ⁠https://austin-l-church.kit.com/cf0feb3e27⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice

Lana from Homewear Designs has cracked the code on getting home staging clients through real estate agent relationships in New York and the Hamptons. But she wants to grow faster. Should she double down on what's working or branch out into new channels? Preston and Austin dive into strategies for scaling your proven client acquisition methods while exploring smart ways to reach broader audiences through visual content and strategic partnerships. Support our show sponsors → https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question → https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Join Austin's Premium Community → https://www.freelancecake.com/community Get Austin's Book, Free Money → https://austin-l-church.kit.com/cf0feb3e27 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, how can you possibly hire other freelancers to help grow your business when it’s hard to know if you can trust them? After all, if someone you hire misses a deadline, you’re on the hook with your client. That’s where Tina finds herself on today’s call.  She’s thinking about hiring and is willing to trust other freelancers' creative processes.  But what about their ability to deliver on time? Can she overcome that somehow? We tackle that question and lots more on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. This episode was originally aired on January 11, 2024. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, 

On today’s Q&A episode, A former guest on the show, Jim, writes in with an important question: I know I shouldn’t charge by the hour, but shouldn’t I pay my subcontractors by the hour? You might be able to guess our answer. Or it might just surprise you.  Let’s find out on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go! This Q&A episode was originally aired on November 7th, 2023. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com⁠ Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's show, we get called out by our call-in guest, Erik. Here's the thing: Clay and I are always talking about finding referral partners—other freelancers or businesses who can send you new clients as a sort of trade. You'll refer them to clients, and they'll refer you. It sounds magical. But Erik's question is this: how do you actually FIND these kinds of partners? So we get into it on today's episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on March 17, 2022. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, ⁠click here⁠. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: If you enjoy the show, can you d

I am joined by special guest co-host Austin Church on today's show. He is a very talented freelancer and the author of the new book, Free Money. It's all about growing your revenue as a freelancer, and we talked today about calculating your survival rate. That's the rate you need to stay in business as a freelancer. What's the minimum amount you need to make to stay in business? So, if you've wondered how to calculate that rate best, stay tuned for today's Q&A episode with Austin Church and me, Preston Lee. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 25, 2024. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com⁠ Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, ⁠Molly Cox⁠ calls in with questions about the freelance business she started just six months ago. Top of mind for her: Should she stay a sole–proprietor or form an LLC? Before the legal terms tempt you to click away, consider this. This single question could save you thousands of dollars a year in taxes. So keep listening. That’s just part of what we chat about with Molly. This episode was originally aired on July 20, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, ⁠click here⁠. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: If you enjoy the show, can you do us a favor and leave us an honest rating and review on App

On today’s Q&A episode, Luqman writes in with a question.  He’s a brand-new freelancer and wants to know exactly how to build a freelance network and attract more clients.  We all know your network can lead to massive growth for your business. So Clay and I break down what has worked well for us and what has totally bombed when it comes to networking.  If you want to build your network fast, you should try FeedCoyote, the all-in-one freelance collaboration network platform. Click the link in our show notes to sign up for FeedCoyote completely free. Then, browse, search, and pick fellow freelancers with the right expertise to collaborate on your projects. It’s a referral network for freelancers, and it’s free to try. Click the link in this show’s description or ⁠visit this link⁠. Alright, now on with today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 19, 2024. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you o

On today’s show, how do you escape the trap of one-time projects and convince your clients that they need what you have to offer on a repeat basis? That’s part of the hurdle Aurelie faces as she aims to grow her 3-year-old freelance business.  Aurelie has worked with some huge clients like Wendy’s and the United Nations.  But almost all of her work has been on one-time projects.  Which naturally has its limitations. So we walk Aurelie through a few options for building repeat client work into her business in order to make her company more scalable and predictable.  It all starts right now on Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on December 21, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to f

On today’s show: how many people does it take to call yourself an agency officially? Is it one, two, or more than that? This question got us thinking about what it means to be an agency. Plus, we discuss our ideal team size and answer the question: How many are too many for your team? It’s all on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 5, 2024. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com⁠ Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show: do you ever feel trapped by the decisions you make in your business? Our guest Morgan loves to write. But, early on, she took on quite a few social media clients. Then, those clients referred more clients. And suddenly, most of her client work is focused on social media marketing — not writing. So what do you do when your former choices have boxed you into a future you don’t necessarily want? It’s all on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go… This episode was originally aired on December 14, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, ⁠click here⁠. Leave us a review on Apple Podc

On today’s Q&A episode, let’s talk about money. Exactly how much should you save before you can start your agency? We do our best to answer this question, and it got us wondering: What in the world are we spending all of our money on these days in our own businesses? So, as a bonus, we break down our finances a bit more to round out the episode.  It all starts right now on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 5, 2024. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com⁠ Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show: have you ever wondered when is the right time to start calling yourself an agency? It can be a bit awkward early on. So Clay and I coach our call-in guest Austin through the right timing. Austin has many other questions as he grows his 6-month-old business. Thanks for joining us. This episode was originally aired on July 13, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, ⁠click here⁠. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: If you enjoy the show, can you do us a favor and leave us an honest rating and review on Apple Podcasts? We'll love you forever. ⁠Click here to leave a review⁠. More Recommended Listen

In today's Q&A episode, Travis writes about a problem: a few years ago, he moved from Australia to the U.S. to grow his video business. While things went well at first, work has really slowed down, and he's wondering if there's something about the U.S. market he's completely missing.  Clay and I have never lived "down under," but we have a few things to consider for anyone looking to break into the US market. It's all on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go… This episode was originally aired on February 27th, 2024. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com⁠ Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, your messaging matters. And when it comes to getting new clients, it probably matters more than anything else. So then, why do so many of us miss the mark when explaining our business to potential clients? It’s something we tackle on today’s episode with call-in guest Tianna. It’s happening right here on Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on November 16, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors⁠ Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, ⁠click here⁠. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: If you enjoy the show, can you do us a favor and leave us an honest rating and review on Apple Podcasts? We'll love yo

On today’s show, we’ve got the longest Q&A episode we’ve ever published—coming in at a whopping 50 minutes plus. Why so long? Well, I asked Clay a question that really got him riled up.  It has to do with his experience using the software GoHighLevel—which has exploded in popularity lately. But Clay’s experience was anything but ideal. You’ll see what I mean in this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on October 24, 2023. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming episode. Listen to our full-length coaching calls: ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com⁠ Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. ⁠https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices