Freelancedom Book Club Discussion: The Wealthy Freelancer

Now that we’re back to business as usual here at Freelancedom, it’s time to focus on the important stuff: Taking our businesses to the next level. Elevating them beyond mere hobbies so that they’re legitimate sources of income. Becoming wealthy freelancers, no matter what wealth means to you.

I had seen lots of online love for Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage, and Ed Gandia’s The Wealthy Freelancer before I broke down and picked up my own copy. Why did I wait so long? Being a raging book nerd, with a particular love for self-help-y career titles, I had started to feel as if none of the books I was reading had anything new to say.

The Wealthy Freelancer exceeded my expectations by… well… a lot. As I mentioned in a related post, the book is so much more than inspirational mumbo jumbo. Rather, it contains concrete tips and step-by-step instructions for making it work.

I’m curious to hear if you loved it as much as I did, and whether or not it had anything new to teach you. Just as with last time, I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post, in addition to your responses to the following questions:

1. The authors of this book assert that you can improve your business drastically even if you implement just a handful of the tips in this book. Which tips spoke to you the most, and why?

2. The first chapter of The Wealthy Freelancer (TWF) discusses what being a wealthy freelancer really means, and then challenges readers to explore what wealth means to them, and to write out their ideal day. What does wealth mean to you, and how close are you to really living your ideal day?

3. TWF touts the power of the buzz piece, and lays out what your buzz piece could possibly entail. Have you already created and launched your buzz piece? If so, how did it boost your sales. If not, let’s have a brainstorming party. What types of buzz pieces could benefit your business?

4. Secret 8 of TWF delves into the importance of focus, something I’ve struggled with myself. At times, I’ve tried to do too much, and I’ve had to take care to be sure that everything I was attempting was connected, and easy to convey to others. Do you have trouble answering the question What do you do? Is it time to start cutting items from your list of offerings? Are you trying to be indispensable to everyone? Assignment: Take a good, hard look at what you’re trying to do, and determine where you can trim the fat. Share the results in the comments below. 

5. For me, wealth means being able to pay the bills without having a panic attack every month. It means being able to work at a leisurely pace, and still have time for things like yoga, and Netflix, and lunch. It means being able to prioritize my health instead of burning myself out with an around-the-clock work schedule. The authors of TWF seem to agree that “a wealthy freelancer is a healthy freelancer.” What has kept you from achieving a healthy work-life balance? Which tips from Secret 10 (pages 191 – 194) could you implement now without freaking the eff out?

And finally, what else from TWF leapt out at you? What inspired you? What have you implemented already, and how has it worked for you?

Comments

  1. Hi Steph!

    Thanks again for picking our book for group discussion. I love the way you’ve approached the material and the next steps and thought-provoking questions you’ve posted here. I’m humbled by the fact that this book has impacted so many freelancers in many ways. And the ones who have gotten the most out of the ideas and strategies have been those who took steady action on those ideas and strategies. So I urge you and your readers to commit to implementing the material gradually over the next 6 – 12 months. Take it slow. To start with, pick the stuff that resonates with you the most. Then move down your list, one idea at a time.

    Remember: being self-employed is a gift. Many people would kill to have your freedom, flexibility and income. It’s your responsibility to make the most out of the experience.

    To your success,
    Ed Gandia
    Co-author, “The Wealthy Freelancer”

  2. This is an interesting concept. I haven’t read the book so I can’t comment on it yet. But I’ve noticed that the things that most sets the unsuccessful apart from the successful in freelance work are:

    * Inability v ability to price yourself high and to turn down low paying projects
    * Inability v ability to think long term and adjust your business to accommodate market trends and changes
    * Inability v ability to impress the shit out of nearly every single client so word of mouth becomes your main form of advertising

  3. I haven’t read this book as of yet, but I plan on it after reading your blog post!

  4. I haven’t even HEARD of this book (maybe that is healthy b/c it means I’m focused and staying on task?!) but I’d very much like to read it now. I like the cover! To tackle #4–this is a hard question that I think I need to work on more. I find, actually, that if I am busier I am more productive. But I do spend a lot of time on things that are not remunerative and that may be the fat that I need to trim–answering emails, surfing the Internet, social media. That’s the freelancer’s equivalent to a water cooler break but it ends up sucking me in (I’d get in trouble with the boss if I had one) and it’s also more typing, which exacerbates the carpel tunnel I’m struggling with…

    • I’m with you, Jennifer. In the past, I’ve found some success with setting aside specific time periods throughout the day to check email and Google Reader. It’s definitely improved overall productivity. Maybe worth trying for you?

  5. I’m going to make it short and just say I agree with your #5 above. Mostly getting through the year without having a panic attack every month about being able to pay bills. I’ll go for stretches in that mode, and then something happens – some big expenditure or something – that puts me back into panic mode. There’s definitely a real skill to finding financial balance in my life.

  6. I’m intrigued and would like to read this book. I could certainly be more focused and I like Alisa’s suggestions very much – esp. about valuing yourself and your work enough to price yourself fairly and also do excellent work so your reputation is what drives your success.

  7. Thanks for writing about this book. I will get myself a copy.

  8. I haven’t heard of this book. Looks interesting. I’m working my way through Six Figure Freelancing right now. I like James-Enger’s approach. Ed makes a good point–small steps, right?

  9. The book sounds intriguing. I’m adding it to my overly long reading list. It’s easy to feel scattered with social media and the business end of freelance writing. I find myself doing the easy tasks first, some of which are much less important. I’m working on rearranging my priorities.

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