In this episode, Austin L. Church talks to journalist, freelance writer, and coach Wudan Yan about the art of negotiation. The driving force behind The Writers' Co-op, Wudan tells the story of her transition from journalism to freelance narrative writing and sheds light on the two different cultures with their sets of norms.

Wudan goes on to share how her upbringing and academic background provided very little preparation for the freelance world where negotiation is often necessary.

When teaching freelancers and consultants how to negotiate, Wudan frames back-and-forth as a dialogue or conversation, not a confrontation.

Her personal journey and insights prove that negotiation can be a fulfilling and rewarding aspect of the freelance journey, even if it doesn’t come naturally to you.

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable during a negotiation or felt like your skills are lacking, you’ll be glad you found this episode.

Key points

• Wudan’s Journey from Science to Narrative Writing (01:53)
• Negotiating a raise for the first time (17:44)
• Wudan's negotiation journey montage (25:37)
• Negotiating rush projects and rush fees (25:51)
• The importance of a conversational approach in negotiations (28:43)
• One simple yet profound tactic to become a master negotiator (36:58)

Notable Quotes

• “You're never going to get what you don't ask for, and you can never get more than the maximum of what you're asking for."
• "Negotiating is a conversation. If both you and I are setting really hard boundaries around things, there's no meeting in between."
• "Ask questions that invite a response.”

Resources & Links

• Business Redesign Group Coaching Program
• $300K Flywheel for Freelancers & Consultants
• The Writers' Co-op
• Jim Dethmer: Leading Above the Line
• Connect with Wudan Yan on Instagram and LinkedIn

This episode of Freelance Cake is brought to you by CrowdHealth

Healthcare in the US is complicated, confusing, and highly personal. Insurance premiums, deductibles, and copays can get really expensive, especially for freelancers and consultants who don’t have an employer paying for anything. Over the last 7 years, my family has saved $60,000+ in premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket medical expenses that we would have paid with our previous insurance policy. Healthcare crowdfunding has been a game changer for us. If you live in the U.S. and you haven’t already explored what CrowdHealth has to offer, take the time to educate yourself. And if you decide you want to give them a try, go to www.joincrowdhealth.com. You can use promo code FREELANCECAKE during sign-up to save $99 per month for 3 months.

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

For specific beliefs, principles, and practices you can use right away to make the freelance game more profitable and satisfying, subscribe to Freelance Cake podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!

In this continuation of “The 4 Stages of Freelancing,” Austin L. Church explores the last two stages: Lifestyler and Diversifier. After they’ve navigated through the Moonlighter and Hustler phases, freelancers reach a level of maturity where challenges become more complex. Meanwhile, opportunities for growth and personal fulfillment expand.

Austin highlights the motivations, challenges, mistakes, and questions at each stage, as well as the key breakthroughs and financial goals.

Are you a Lifestyler eager to earn the same or more while working less? Or are you a Diversifier interested in creating new revenue streams?

Regardless, this episode will help you figure out where you currently are in your journey and what to focus on next.

Key points

• Lifestylers overview (01:53)
• The motivations for Lifestylers (04:35)
• The mistakes for Lifestylers (05:27)
• The questions for Lifestylers (07:23)
• The main breakthrough for Lifestylers (7:56)
• The main financial goal for Lifestylers (08:16)
• Diversifiers overview (10:35)
• The motivations for Diversifiers (12:35)
• The challenges for Diversifiers (13:49)
• The questions for Diversifiers (17:07)
• The main breakthrough for Diversifiers (17:46)
• The main financial goal for Diversifiers (18:08)

Notable Quotes

• "We freelancers and consultants can get so fixated on winning the next project, staying ahead of bills, and achieving financial stability that we inadvertently become creative workaholics."
• "The last thing any freelancer should do, any consultant should do is blindly copy someone else."

Resources

• Listen to The 4 Stages of Freelancing Explained | Part 1
• Read the full post here
• Business Redesign Group Coaching Program
• $300K Flywheel for Freelancers & Consultants
• The Ladders of Wealth Creation: A Step-by-Step Roadmap to Building Wealth

This episode of Freelance Cake is brought to you by CrowdHealth

Healthcare in the US is complicated, confusing, and highly personal. Insurance premiums, deductibles, and copays can get really expensive, especially for freelancers and consultants who don’t have an employer paying for anything. Over the last 7 years, my family has saved $60,000+ in premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket medical expenses that we would have paid with our previous insurance policy. Healthcare crowdfunding has been a game changer for us. If you live in the U.S. and you haven’t already explored what CrowdHealth has to offer, take the time to educate yourself. And if you decide you want to give them a try, go to www.joincrowdhealth.com. You can use promo code FREELANCECAKE during sign-up to save $99 per month for 3 months.

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

For specific beliefs, principles, and practices you can use right away to make the freelance game more profitable and satisfying, subscribe to Freelance Cake podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!

You’ve surely heard of the corporate ladder, but what are the career progressions for freelancers? Those of us who sell creativity in some form usually freelance part-time at the start, and those who stick with it eventually think, “Hey, why shouldn’t I be one of those people who make money while they sleep?”

In this episode of Freelance Cake, Austin L. Church discusses the moonlighter and hustler phases of freelancing, shining a light on the motivations, challenges, mistakes, and questions at each stage, as well as the main breakthrough and financial goal for each.

Whether you're reflecting on your current stage or aspiring to reach new heights in your freelancing career, this episode offers practical insights and guidance tailored to your unique stage.

This episode is part of a two-part series, and in the next installment, we'll explore the lifestyler and diversifier stages of freelancing. Don't forget to tune in for that one as we continue peeling back the layers of the freelancing journey.

Key points

• Stages of freelancing (01:53)
• Moonlighters overview (02:49)
• The motivations for moonlighters (03:44)
• The challenges for moonlighters (04:39)
• The questions for moonlighters (05:50)
• The main breakthrough for moonlighters (06:13)
• Hustlers overview (08:29)
• The motivations for hustlers (10:34)
• The challenges for hustlers (11:10)
• The questions and breakthrough for hustlers (12:39)
• The main financial goal for hustlers (13:39)

Notable Quotes

• "The main breakthrough for moonlighters is growing confidence in their ability to win projects and deliver outcomes while managing other responsibilities."
• "The main breakthrough for hustlers is setting smart strategic prices that reward your skill, efficiency, and expertise."

Resources

• Read the full post here
• Business Redesign Group Coaching Program

This episode of Freelance Cake is brought to you by CrowdHealth

Healthcare in the US is complicated, confusing, and highly personal. Insurance premiums, deductibles, and copays can get really expensive, especially for freelancers and consultants who don’t have an employer paying for anything. Over the last 7 years, my family has saved $60,000+ in premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket medical expenses that we would have paid with our previous insurance policy. Healthcare crowdfunding has been a game changer for us. If you live in the U.S. and you haven’t already explored what CrowdHealth has to offer, take the time to educate yourself. And if you decide you want to give them a try, go to www.joincrowdhealth.com. You can use promo code FREELANCECAKE during sign-up to save $99 per month for 3 months.

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

For specific beliefs, principles, and practices you can use right away to make the freelance game more profitable and satisfying, subscribe to Freelance Cake podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts!