#189: Evicting Freelance Scarcity Mindset and Jealousy, with Rachel Meltzer

May 23, 2024

Rachel Meltzer, a freelance writer and coach, shares her inspiring journey from law to freelancing after a life-changing thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. She discusses overcoming a scarcity mindset and jealousy among freelancers, emphasizing the power of community. The conversation dives into effective client outreach strategies, especially on LinkedIn, and how to adapt your weekly structure to avoid burnout. Meltzer even offers a tip on using AI to streamline scheduling, making productivity a whole lot more manageable.

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

From Law to Liberation: A Freelance Writer's Journey

03:47 • 4min

Journey of Transformation and Community

08:00 • 24min

Navigating Freelance Challenges

32:06 • 13min

Leveraging LinkedIn Connections with Personal Outreach

45:19 • 2min

Freelancing Flexibility: Balancing Structure and Seasons

47:14 • 4min

Harnessing Online Connections and AI for Freelance Productivity

51:29 • 4min

Today’s guest is Rachel Meltzer. Rachel lives in Massachusetts after doing the “van life” thing for a few years. She is a freelance writer for software as a service companies or SaaS. She’s written for Lenovo, Grammarly, Loom, FarOut, Six Moon Designs and more in the tech and outdoor recreation industries.

She’s also a coach. She’s coached over 100 freelance writers on launching their businesses and getting clients and then scaling their businesses. She loves the freedom that freelancing gives her to thru-hike, live in a van, move whenever she wants, and spend time with her loyal cat, Bonnie.

In this episode, we talk about:

The winding journey that led her to a freelance writing career.
How her Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2018 changed her life.
The value in community and sharing experiences with other people.
How she went from a scarcity mindset to a healthier perspective.
The jealousy we’ve had of other freelancers and how we fight against that.
What she learned from a failed project.
The importance of perseverance in landing clients.
How to “ooch” up your rates.
A simple system and aggressive outreach to get clients via LinkedIn.
The script she uses in a LinkedIn connection request.
What her weekly structure looks like — and why she changes it up about every six months.
How she schedules time off in advance — instead of taking “burnout” vacations.

Biz Bite: Use ChatGPT to create your weekly schedule.

One of several tips on how to use AI she learned from TikToker SuperHumanCo

Resources:

Rachel’s free Get Clients on LinkedIn webinar on June 11
Free Get Clients Guidebook
Tons of free and low-fee resources from Rachel
Rachel’s website and 1:1 coaching information
The Guidebook podcast
Austin Church on The Guidebook: Austin L. Church's morning marketing habit will change your life
Jenni Gritters on The Guidebook: Jenni Gritters slowed down
Episode #182 of Deliberate Freelancer: A massive pivot from freelancing to owning a business with her husband, with business coach Jenni Gritters
Episode #164 of Deliberate Freelancer: Using a “freakout” protocol to get work now, with Austin Church
Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee
Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC
Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn
Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group