Overlap between good romantic relationships and good client relationships exists. 

Bryce Bladon and Kai Davis discuss the trials and tribulations of dating as a freelancer and how Kai's love life informs his business life (hint: check out our episode on being a failure ;) ).

> Kai's Free Outreach Course

> Ask Kai anything!

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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You're going to fail,and that's okay.

Bryce Bladon and Kai Davis discuss the impact of failure on their careers, the anxieties and fears tied to freelancing, and why you need to sacrifice comfort to grow yourself and your business. 

> Kai's Free Outreach Course

> Ask Kai anything!

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Freelancing allows you to make your career work for you -- and that means finding your own definition of success. 

Bryce Bladon and Kai Davis discuss the question of success: when they found it, how they define it, and what it will look like in the future.

> Kai's Free Outreach Course

> Ask Kai anything!

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Have you ever had to slap a restraining order on a client? 

In this special bonus episode, Laura Pennington joins Bryce Bladon to give her opinion on Upwork, a site she's made thousands of dollars on. Laura shares her worst experience on the job board (spoiler: it involves a restraining order), her advice for freelancers who want to use Upwork, and her secrets for succeeding as a freelancer.

> Six Figure Writing Secrets (Twitter and Facebook)

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon

Bryce Bladon and Kai Davis discuss when someone actually 'becomes' a freelancer, why so many freelancers feel like imposters, and how they realized freelancing was for them.

> Kai's Free Outreach Course

> Double Your Audience

> Ask Kai anything!

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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We continue to explore the exciting tools that make freelancing easier than ever. 

Sam Madden, the founder of PocketSuite, joins Bryce Bladon to discuss how business software is being democratized. They discuss Sam's experiences and how they lead to the creation of PocketSuite, a phone app that takes the hassle out of the business side of freelancing. 

> Learn how PocketSuite works

> Learn more about PocketSuite in The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and TechCrunch

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Bryce Bladon and Kai Davis discuss why 'freelancing freedom' and six-figure promises dominate the discussion on freelancing -- and why we need to do something about it. 

> Kai's Free Outreach Course

> Double Your Audience

> Ask Kai anything!

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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A freelancer's first time is always special and often hellish.  

Kai Davis joins Bryce Bladon to discuss how they got their start as freelancers, who their first three clients were, and how it informed their careers. 

> Kai's Free Outreach Course

> Double Your Audience

> Ask Kai anything!

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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A malicious client, a maligned job board, and a freelancer caught in the middle.

"Why you should never use Upwork, ever" recently blew up the internet. Bryce sits down to speak with the article's author, Shadi Al'lababidi, about his personal client from hell, Upwork's response, and how his outlook has changed as a result of the experience. 

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce and Shadi discuss:

• Shadi's personal client from hell
• How his client from hell tried to ruin his career
• How Upwork responded
• The ongoing challenges of freelance marketplaces
• Where freelancing is going in the future

> Why you should never use Upwork, ever (Part 1)

> The post, post Upwork debacle (Part 2)

> The state of freelancing: a guide to 2017 (Part 3)

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Illustrator Jennifer Fryer once again joins Bryce on the Clients From Hell podcast. This time, they discuss the many, many problems that occur when a freelancer agrees to work for free. 

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce and Jennifer discuss:

• The exposure myth 
• The good client myth
• The idea that working for free is selfish
• If and when you should work for free
• When you should definitely NOT work for free

> Bryce's previous episode with Jennifer, Freelancing as a Student.

> Jennifer's Website and Instagram

> A previous episode on this issue, Should You Ever Work For Free? with Brennan Dunn

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Complaints against UpWork continue to pile up, but the issues plaguing most freelance job boards are universal. Lauren Holliday joins Bryce to discuss Freelanship.com and how she approached building a better freelance marketplace.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce and Lauren discuss:

• Why you should never use Upwork, ever.
• The issues that plague most job boards
• How the freelancer-client relationship is hurt by these issues
• How Lauren strived to build a better job board
• How you can find work without a job board

Handy links:

> Freelanship

> Hack the Job Hunt

> Why you should never use Upwork, ever by Shadi Al'lababidi (Part 2) (Part 3)

> 10 reasons I created my own marketplace by Lauren Holliday

> You Must Learn How to Write a Damn Good Email by Lauren Holliday

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Pete Ross, the Creative Director at CO-OP Advertising, discusses why his agency decided to found Freelancers Unite -- an awards gala intended to recognize freelancer contributions. 

> Freelancer's Unite

> Video: Freelancing isn't a dirty word

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce and Pete discuss:

• What is Freelancers Unite
• The philosophy driving FU
• How some agencies incorporate freelancers into their strategy
• Why some agencies are coy about working with freelancers

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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As the founder of the best (free) invoicing and contract service for freelancers, Matt Brown is worth listening to.

Sharing his and his partner's freelancing experiences, Matt discusses the issues freelancers face and how Bonsai tries to address them. The best part: he made all these lessons and tools available to you.

> Bonsai

> The Freelance Rate Explorer

> The Freelance Stack: A guide to the best freelance tools

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Bryce opens up about how Clients From Hell grew to be such a successful blog, and how you can succeed with your own blog. 

Note that the webinar this episode is based on offers much more information on this topic. 

> Be a Blogger: The 90-minute webinar

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce discusses:

• The stats and figures that define Clients From Hell's Success
• The benefits of having a blog
• 3 steps to starting a blog
• What you need to succeed with a blog
• Questions you need to ask yourself 
• What platform is best for your blog
• How often you should publish content
• The importance of patience
• How a blog can make you money
• The components of a quality blog post
• How to promote posts and grow your blog

 Extra resources:

> Be a blogger: Notes from the webinar

> Blog post checklist

> Blog strategy cheatsheet

> Business blogging: a primer

> How to find your keywords

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Bryce discusses why 'lazy' creators are the ones that produce work that matters, why being busy can be bad for your business, and comedian Mike Birbiglia's tips for succeeding (as a freelancer and as a person). 

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce addresses:

• The labor illusion: when it comes to judging other people’s work, we want to feel they wore themselves out for us -- not necessarily if the job was done quickly or well.
• The time that really matters to creators
• Why nobody spends more than four or five hours on their primary creative tasks
• The difference between deep work and shallow busy work. 
• What defines a day well spent
• Comedian Mike Birbiglia's 6 Tips for Making it Small:
  • Don't wait
  • Fail
  • Learn from failure
  • Maybe quit
  • Aim for small successes
  • Cleverness is overrated and heart is underrated

 Extra resources:

> Article: Nobody cares how hard you work

> Article: Want to create things that matter? Be Lazy

> Study: Think Customer's Hate Waiting? Not so fast...

> Article: Mike Birbiglia’s 6 Tips for Making It Small in Hollywood. Or Anywhere.

> Article: Graduating and Looking for Your Passion? Just Be Patient

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Bryce Bladon discusses an awards gala specifically for freelancers, how much designers and developers earn as freelancers, and a few ways designers and devs can earn even more.

Episode Summary

Bryce discusses:

• The first annual Freelancers Unite Awards in Canada
• Co-Op founder Adam Roach's reasons for the awards
• Matthew Brown, The Founder of Bonsai, a freelance invoice and contracting app
• The big takeaways from the Bonsai's freelance rate explorer:
  • Developers earn 30% more than designers.
  • The hourly rates of designers (especially graphic designers) remain sticky at under $60 an hour at all geographies and experience levels.
  • Developers quickly begin increasing their hourly rates after gaining 3 years of experience
  • Designers tend to increase their hourly rates at a slower pace.
  • The biggest increase in hourly rates happens when freelancers reach 3–5 years of experience
• Ways to increase your rate, such as:
  • Proving the value of your services
  • Knowing and understanding your ideal client
  • Scheduling rate increases
  • Changing the philosophy that drives your prices

 Extra resources:

> Freelancers Unite Awards

> Freelance Rate Explorer

> The hourly rates of freelance designers and developers

> Bonsai

> 7 ways to raise your rates

> Make more money as a freelance designer

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Paul Minors joins Bryce Bladon to discuss his new book, Guidelines. It offers concise, straightforward advice that's equal parts summary and inspiration people like Marcus Aurelius and Tim Ferris.

Episode Summary

We discuss:

• The philosophy of self-improvement
• Saying no to everything that's not important
• The value of showing your appreciation
• Why you need to be quick and dirty when it comes to executing ideas
• Getting more sleep. Seriously. Do it. 
• Affirmations and whether or not they actually work. 

 > Paul Minor's Guidelines

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Jennifer Fryer joins Bryce Bladon to share their experiences as student freelancers. They go on to debate why every student should consider freelancing before graduating. 

--

Episode Summary

We discuss:

• The benefits of starting your career sooner than later
• Imposter syndrome and why no one ever feels "ready" to start
• The safety nets that come with being a student
• The skills you'll learn
• How to get started
• The value of personal project
• The unexpected resources and connections you get at school
• The answers to FAQs from student freelancers 

Find Jennifer on:

> Her website
> Tumblr
> Instagram

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Passion is temperamental, ethereal, and a weak material to build a business on. It should be your guiding star, not the foundation for your business.

--

Episode Summary

In this episode, Bryce discusses:

• The challenge of finding your passion
• How working on your passion can snuff it out
• How outside influences affect your passion
• How freelancing allows the flexibility to pursue your passion -- but that passion can't be the only thing fueling your freelance business
• How work shaped Bryce's passions
• The importance of "not losing the magic"
• What, exactly, is the creative "spark"
• How passion and the creative spark can be snuffed out by real life
• Bill Murray's advice for being a competent human being (and baseball player)

Extra resources:

> Don't Lose the Magic via Austin Kleon

> George Saunders Writing Education Timeline via The New Yorker 

> Bill Murray's speech

Notes:

• Bryce refers to fantasy author alumni  "Tom Erikson." He is, of course, referring to Steven Erikson. 

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Bryce takes a look at the state of the freelancing economy, offering hard figures and explaining what it means for the future of freelancing. 

--

Episode Summary

Key points for this episode include:

• 15.5 million people in the US are self-employed -- though that number is closer to 53.7 million people if you include moonlighters and temp workers
• By 2020, more than 40% of the American workforce (60 million people) are expected to be independent workers
• More than 80% of large companies plan to increase their use of a flexible workforce
• Corporate downsizing, shifting economic conditions, employee dissatisfaction, platforms for pairing talent with businesses and co-working spaces are all reasons for the growth of independent workers
• Simply put, freelancing allows businesses to find targeted and qualified talent to address their needs at a lower cost. 
• 50% of freelancers wouldn't stop freelancing for any amount of money
• Over 60% of freelancers earn more than they did via traditional employment, with 78% of them earning this in their first year
• 83% of freelancers believe their brightest days are ahead
• Bryce also covered the statistics that showcase why freelancing is worth it
• He also addresses the principled benefits for freelancing

Extra resources:

> Rise of the Supertemp (Harvard Business Review)

> Intuit 2020 report

> Freelancing in America: 2015 report (led by Emergent Research and commissioned by The Freelancers Union and UpWork)

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Celina Wong once again joins host Bryce Bladon to discuss premium pricing -- why it works, why clients and customers actually like it, and the funny psychology behind pricing. 

Click here to read how Celina got started as an artist (without a website and WITH premium pricing).

--

Episode Summary

This episode addresses:

• Why selling yourself short may be costing you clients. 
• How raising her price lead to a flourishing freelancing career for Celina
• Why 'more expensive' is equated with 'higher quality'
• How comparative pricing works
• Why selling "time" and experiences results in better money
• How price anchoring works
• Our weird fascination with charm pricing and the number nine. 
• How context informs how much someone is willing to pay. 

Extra resources:

> How premium pricing kickstarted Celina's art commission career

> KissMetrics on Pricing Psychology

> Effects of $9 Price Endings (study via MIT and The University of Chicago)

> Nick Kolenda's 46 Pricing Strategies (it's shocking Nick isn't charging for this)

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Host Bryce Bladon suggests that most work-life balance solutions are part of the problem -- before offering real advice for dealing with the real issue. 

--

Episode Summary

Bryce addresses:

• The problems with most work-life balance self-help articles
• The real issue at hand
• The hilarity of freelancing as a solution to the problem 
• Signs that you're struggling with work-life balance
• How to actually establish work-life balance WITHOUT the bull

He also says sorry, like, 40 goddamn times this episode, not the "one or two times" he thinks he does. 

Sorry about that. He's working on it.

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Your current clients are pre-qualified and ready for repeat business. Dan Englander tells you how to make the most of them. 

> Get Dan's book Mastering Account Management for free!

--

Episode Summary

Dan Englander, the founder of Sales Schema, outlines why your current clients are an underutilized resource -- and how you can make the most of them

We discuss:

• Dan's story
• How Dan grew a small animation studio into a seven-figure business
• How to drive repeat business
• Tips for re-engaging your current clients:
  
  • Letting clients know about the work you do for them
  • Keeping it personal
  • Passing on information
  • Following up on old projects
  • Asking for feedback

Simply put, the best way to drive repeat business from current clients is to be personal, present, and proactive with them.

Resources

Dan's Book: Mastering Account Management 

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> $1340 worth of fonts -- $29 (98% off!)

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Networking is a matter of approaching people the right way. Celina Wong shows you the way.

--

Episode Summary

Celina Wong, a longtime friend of the Clients From Hell blog, offers her insights and proven practices for networking effectively. 

We discuss:

• The problems with typical networking tactics
• The advantages, like:
  • Referrals that can get you opportunities that are closed off to everyone else.
  • Future proofing your business
  • Insight and feedback into your work
• How to network:
  1. Offer value; be helpful
  2. Ask for something small
  3. Follow up

Resources

Celina's article: Networking and the Shy Syndrome

Raghav Haran's Ultimate Guide to Networking

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> $1340 worth of fonts -- $29 (98% off!)

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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Liam Clisham manages to make over five figures a month as a freelancer -- and he's still in his first year. We discuss how that's possible

--

Episode Summary

Liam Clisham, a longtime listener, reached out to Bryce to discuss how this podcast influenced his first year as a freelancer. 

We cover:

• Liam's story
• The confidence necessary to succeed
• The importance of work-life balance
• The difference between perfectionism and professionalism
• Creating consistent quality work for clients
• Learning and pushing yourself
• The importance of networking
• Why patience is non-negotiable
• The value of a support system

Liam's site: Five-31.com

Liam's twitter: @_five31

Liam's Instagram: @_five31

--

This episode is sponsored by MightyDeals!

MightyDeals offers fantastic (and exclusive!) deals for web professionals. Use coupon code CFHPodcast to save 15% on your next purchase!

Here are a few deals we recommend:

> $1340 worth of fonts -- $29 (98% off!)

> 500,000+ vectors, illustrations, and icons -- $39 (save $628!)

> Freelance Starter Kit with contract templates, identity sets, ebooks and more -- $29  

--

Questions? Episode ideas?

Talk to Clients From Hell or Bryce Bladon on Twitter. Or shoot us an email! 

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