Freelancing isn’t easy, but many of us make it harder than it has to be. Working harder often doesn’t… work. Spending more time on the wrong things won’t produce better results.

The way to break out of the freelance hustle is to ask what six-figure freelancers do differently. For starters, they remember that the Pareto Principle, better known as the 80/20 rule, is at play in every business. 20% of your effort produces 80% of your results.

The trick is finding those points of leverage.

A good place to start is with a brand positioning statement or a positioning cheat code. When you make yourself the easy, obvious choice for your dream clients, you have an easier time winning the freelance projects you really want.

In this first episode, Austin introduces the concept of better leverage. He also covers how a positioning statement links up with the 80/20 rule and what both of those mean for smart, ambitious freelancers. If you want a step-by-step process for writing a positioning statement, then you listen all the way to the end and check out the link to the copywriting templates below.

Key points

Intro (00:00)
What is better leverage? (00:39)
Why working harder is usually not the answer (02:24)
A real-life example of a freelancer getting better leverage (04:44)
Why your freelance business needs a positioning cheat code (07:57)
A step-by-step process for creating your cheat code (09:55)
The real benefit isn’t what you think (12:21)
Now, it’s your turn. (13:25)

Notable Quotes

“Work harder is only good advice when the person that you're talking to is straight up lazy.”

“How could spending even more time on the wrong things fix the problem? To spend even more time on the wrong strategy or weak strategy would simply be pouring water through a sieve at a faster rate.”

“Freelancing is a real game with real money when you win and a positioning cheat code makes the freelance game easier. You can make more mistakes and still win.”

Resources

Click to create your own cheat code + copywriting TEMPLATES

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!

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