Answers for Freelancers » Foundations

A4F 204: Interview with Mitch Joel: Taking Control of your Personal Branding

Chris — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:19:53 +0000

In this fantastic episode, we speak with Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image and host of 6 Pixels of Separation, about the value and importance of building, not just your company brand, but also, in building your personal brand.

We all have a personal brand, whether we work on it or not. What people think of you. What they think of your values, your personality, your dependability, the quality of your work and your character. Its something that just exists. Grabbing hold of your personal brand, and making sure that people see you for who your really are, is a task that most of us neglect.

The fact of the matter is, if YOU don’t take control of your personal brand, then either someone else will, or worse, no one will, and it will present itself differently to everyone you meet. How do you take control of your personal brand? What kinds of action can you take to promote it? How does your elevator pitch fit in, and what’s the best way to introduce yourself to those who are in your network?

This interview is a favorite of both Bob and Chris. However, because we had so much fun doing it, the interview definitely ran long. Its a full hour. Some of the language in this episode is a little harsh, thus the explicit tag, but its nothing racy or explicit.

Show Notes:

Twist Image Blog:
http://www.twistimage.com/blog/

Six Pixels of Separation Podcast:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=157616278

Mitch Joel’s presentation with C.C. Chapman at Podcamp Boston:
http://www.managingthegray.com/2006/09/11/
building-your-brand-podcamp-boston-presentation/

Just One More Book!
http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/10/28/listener-input-show-5/

This Week in Tech: http://www.twit.tv/TWiT

This week in Media: http://www.twit.tv/TWiM

Podcasting Software:

CastBlaster (Windows) – http://castblaster.com/

UberCaster (Mac) – http://ubercaster.com/

GarageBand (Mac) – http://www.apple.com/ilife/

A4F 203: The Money Show

bobostromstudio — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:18:49 +0000

Welcome to season 2 episode 3. In this exciting episode Chris and Bob talk about money. Addressing the age old question… As a freelancer, how much do I charge? Chris and Bob discuss the difference between a full-time salary and a freelance pay check. How much do you need to make to equal what you might be taking home from your full-time position. Chris helps us out with a handy simple to use equation. Finally the boys say good-bye to an old friend and hello to a new beginning.

http://thebatfry.com/

A4F 201: Networking: Its not Who You Know, its Who Knows You.

Chris — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 03:16:52 +0000

Know it or not, we all have a number of networks in our lives. Our friends. Our family. Our workmates. All are sub-networks within the larger network we call our lives. Networks happen every day, and as we change and grow, our networks change and grow with us. We use our networks for information, connections and help. We find great entertainment, deals, and services based on recommendations from our networks. Networking isn’t about selling, its about creating and passing along goodwill to those you work with, like, and respect. When you’re connected, it stops becoming about whether or not you can solve the problem, and instead becomes about whether or not your network can solve the problem. If you get that, you begin to see the power of networking. If you see the power of networking, then you start seeing the need to pay attention and manage your networking efforts. Networking isn’t about selling, its about connecting. It isn’t about selling, its about solving problems. It isn’t about selling, its about creating communities. It isn’t about selling, its about becoming top-of-mind to those who can help you build your business. Networking isn’t about selling, its about living.

Glad to get this interview out there. I interviewed Bill last November, just a couple of days after our interview with Michael Gerber, which caused such a stir amongst ourselves and some of our listeners, that we ended up revisiting the Gerber topic and sitting on this interview longer than we expected. Sorry, Bill!

Show Notes:

Networking You – http://www.networkingyou.com/
Why Don’t Doctors Cold Call – http://networkingyou.com/self_study.htm

Networking Boot Camp – February 1st – Glastonbury, CT

Books mentioned by Bill, written by Harvey Mackay:

Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty

Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten

You know, if we’re gonna keep linking to books, maybe we should get an affiliate account?

Online Networking Resources mentioned in the interview

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/
MySpace – http://myspace.com/
Second Life – http://secondlife.com/

A4F 108: Interview with Michael Gerber of E-Myth Worldwide and In The Dreaming Room

Chris — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 05:05:08 +0000

Michael Gerber, author, entrepreneur, and acclaimed business consultant, talks to us about what happens when Freelancers are ready to start growing their business into a true company. The kind of business that allows the owner to touch the world in a way that is truly meaningful and allows him the freedom to pursue those interests, both inside and outside of work, that he feels are the most important.

If you have reached a point in your career where you are looking for this kind of growth, then this is an interview you don’t want to miss.

Freelancing is an idea that is full of romance and wonder; doing your own thing, anywhere you want, anytime you want. Traveling the world while creating your art, or working from home while watching your children grow up. Paying the bills when your ‘real job’ disappears. Freelancing presents itself as an ideal solution to many people under various circumstances, and if it didn’t work, people all over the world wouldn’t be doing it.

However, the very nature of freelancing is this: as guns for hire, we only make money when we are producing. This means that eventually we hit a threshhold we cannot pass beyond, since we can only work so many hours, and we can only charge so much. Also, for most of us, as we get older, the number of people we are responsible for providing for keeps increasing. Finally, as creative individuals, most of us have all sorts of projects that we wish we could be working on, but our freelance duties keep us from accomplishing them. How do we move beyond that?

When its time for you to move beyond the pay-per-piece or pay-per-hour world of Freelancing, but you want to continue working as a independent artist, its time to get a fresh perspective on your business and what it will take to truly make the next phase of your career take flight. Our interview with Michael Gerber serves to open the door to this line of thinking, and we hope you will join us as we consider these new ideas.

Show Notes:

E-Myth Worldwide: http://www.e-myth.com/

In the Dreaming Room: http://inthedreamingroom.com/

Michael Gerber’s Manifesto: http://blog.inthedreamingroom.com/

E-Myth Revisited: Amazon.com

Also, make sure to follow up with us next week as we discuss in more detail many of the ideas that Michael has presented in his book that we simply weren’t able to touch on in our interview.