The Content Byte

And we are back! After a short post-Summit haitus, Lynne and Rachel are back with a new season and a great guest. And it's all about personality-driven email newsletters. Emails are having their moment in the sun right now - they don't rely on algorithyms that could change quickly or at the whim of a social media mogul and, when done well, can create a powerful conversation between companies and their clients. This week, journalist and content creator Steven Lewis talks all about creating email newsletters for yourself or clients. He talks about: Moving from editorial work to copywriting Bringing your own voice to your emails How to add personality to emails and why it matters How to get those first 10 words on the page Effective business processes, including onboarding and contracts Why he loves creating courses for writers and copywriters How to use AI to save time and be more efficient Connect with Steven at taleist.agency and find the special download for our listeners on how to grow your mailing list at taleist.agency/byte Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com  Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

It's just a few days before the biggest event of the year (in our calendars anyway!). It's time for The Content Byte Summit. Hosts Rachel & Lynne talk about the impressive line-up of speakers and all the panels and presentations they are looking forward to seeing this year.  Some of the presentations include how to: → find new high-paying clients in your niche → hear how to tweak your website to make it work better for you → find out what editors want (and meet three who commission!) → create digital products for an extra income stream → map out a freelance marketing plan you CAN stick to → write sales pages (and charge serious money) → hone your interviewing / storytelling skills (in an AI world) → shore up your systems and processes (SAVING you big $$$) → get all the pricing + money tips from two of the best in the biz AND SO MUCH MORE. And we might both be biased, but it's probably the best thing you'll do for your business this year. The Content Byte Summit starts on Thursday 12 September, continuing to Saturday 14 September. Snap up one of the last remaining tickets (in person or virtual) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.  Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co   

Communications professional and content strategist Cameron Pegg is Rachel & Lynne's guest this week. Cameron talks about how his time at university helped him create better stories and what his early career in corporate communications taught him.  Cameron talks about: The value of storytelling to create content Securing bylines while still at uni What he learned from working in radio Developing courses with Communication and Public Relations Australia How offering content strategy helps you charge more What data journalism means and how statistics and infographics make for better storytelling Working with graphic designers Connect with Cameron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpegg/ or via his website: https://cameronpegg.com.au/  Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where you can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au   Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com     Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au   Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.  Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co   

This week on the podcast, Rachel is unwell, so Lynne is on her own talking with new author and court reporter Lucia Osborne-Crowley. Lucia's latest book, The Lasting Harm, Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, is a powerful examination of the trial of Maxwell and all the behind-the-scenes machinations with the victims and the lawyers. We talk about: How Lucia's background as a lawyer prepared her for this work How she worked with Maxwell's victims and shared their story The legal hoops she had to jump through to publish the book The frustrations involved when she can't tell the whole story because of legal issues How she looks after herself despite writing about trauma  Connect with Lucia via her website: https://luciaosbornecrowley.com/ or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciaoc/ Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where you can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com    Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.  Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co     

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Paul Merrill, a former editor in chief of weekly magazines, who established his own freelance content business five years ago. Paul talks about his early career in the golden era of magazines, the pressure of being a publisher in Australia and then how he set up his own business. Our chat covers: Finding work when you are starting out How his background in journalism helps him create interesting content His newly established niche of award writing and how it has brought in a new income stream Working with corporate clients Offering a wide range of content services Enjoying work/life balance Managing the ups and downs of freelancing Where he finds his clients Connect with Paul and find out more about his work at his website: https://www.paulmerrill.com.au/  Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where you can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au   Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au     Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com  Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne have a special guest - voice actor Sarah Aubrey. A long-time actor, voice actor and freelancer, Sarah shares her career journey and how she found her niche in voice acting and voiceovers. She talks about: Training at NIDA and working as an actor Discovering her talent for voice work Managing the ups and downs of freelance life Coping with erratic cash flow How her agent makes her life easier - and does the hustling for her Setting up her own soundproof studio and how it brought her work Her fascinating new side hustle as an 'influencer' (and how she hates that word) Connect with Sarah and her voice work at her website: https://www.sarahaubrey.com/ See her work in the electification/sustainability space through Electrify This: https://www.electrifythis.com.au/  Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where ou can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au    Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne chat with the inspiring Leonie Dawson. Leonie is a marketer, author and course creator, helping businesses develop their marketing - all in just 10 hours a week. We love her approach to work/life balance! In this episode, we chat about: Why social media is not the only way to market How you can find your audience How to think laterally about your marketing How to run a hugely successful business and still have a life Keeping a positive mindset, especially in tough times The opportunities to be found in an economic downturn The power of a simple two-page marketing plan Find Leonie and download some of her many freebies at https://leoniedawson.com/  Learn more about marketing your business at The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au   Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com    Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Virginia Jen, subeditor, writer and now editor. Virginia has worked on some of Australia's most prestigious publications, including Vogue Living, Gourmet Traveller, Home Beautiful and InsideOut. Now at The Local Project, she shares her journey from print to digital and how the two mediums can work together. We also talk about: How she got her start in magazines Getting her dream job The importance of good grammar and syntax Working on multi-platform publications Meeting some of her design heroes Trying to find work/life balance What she's looking for from freelancers Connect with Virginia via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-jen-948297212/  Find The Local Project here: https://thelocalproject.com.au/  Don't forget your tickets to The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney, where you can learn about pitching to prestige magazines in the panel on Meet the editors – how to nail the pitch. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au  Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com    Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Austin L Church. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Austin is a writer, marketer, and coach - and is one of the keynote speakers at The Content Byte Summit later this year. Austin chats about his background and his amazing $300k flywheel concept, which is all about how to earn good money, without burning yourself out. He talks about: Earning six figures the wrong way ... and the right way How to outsource well The true art of delegation Changing our beliefs and identity about money and finance Clever tools that make his business more efficient Austin is the keynote speaker at Day 1 of The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

Travel writer, editor and journalist Akash Arora is living the dream - and this week Lynne and Rachel chat to him about what it takes to be a travel writer, what it really means to be on the road almost all the time, and how to get a pitch over the line with him. Akash was actually in the Maldives in an over-the-water villa during our recording, which just added to the allure! We talked about: His early journalism career in India, interviewing Hollywood celebrities Moving to Australia and working in magazines, including Qantas magazine, where he first started travel writing Why he took a digital role during the pandemic and what he learned Why travel writing is hard to do well The mistakes writers make when pitching travel stories to him What a famil (or familiarisation) trip really involves Follow Akash on Instagram: @akash.arora.ink Don't forget about The Content Byte Summit (which will include a session on Meet the Editors - how to nail the pitch), from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au   Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au        Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com    Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co