What Does a Freelance Coach Do?

Welcome back to the Advanced Freelancing Podcast!  Today I’m going to talk about something that is going to help supercharge where you’re at with your freelance business.  It can also help you overcome obstacles in your business much faster than if you were having to work through things on your own.

Since I started I started my freelance business there have been more resources added to the internet, books, and other places to learn about freelance writing.  However, that’s now always enough to get you where you need to be.  I have read practically every book there is on freelance writing.

I have also interacted with coaches.  I have attended conferences.  All of this has been helpful and I have picked up different tidbits here and there.  But one of the ways to absorb a lot of information more quickly is to choose to work with a coach.

For a long time, I was resistant to working with a coach.  I had the mindset of being afraid to let anyone else into my business.  What if they messed it up?  What if they tried to press their business model on me and I didn’t agree with it?  An example of this is subcontracting my writing work to other writers…I don’t agree with this practice.  This is MY business so I was very protective of it!  This is a personal choice for me.

I am familiar with both the agency and solo model of business.  This is helpful when I’m coaching others with their business.  We have a real conversation about what is best for THEM!

So why on Earth would you hire a freelance coach?

You’re Stuck…

The first reason you would hire a freelance coach is because you’re stuck.  You’re stuck at a certain income level, stuck working for clients you don’t like, or you feel like you are stagnant and you are having difficulties going in the next directions.  This is where you say “Okay, I need more help!”  A lot of the people who hire a coach have been stuck at a certain income level for a while and are ready to step it up.

Hiring a coach can help you get to those higher income levels so much faster. WHY? Because it involves having someone else’s eyes on your business giving you recommendations and suggestions on what’s best for you!

So much information…

The second reason you want to hire a coach is that there is SO MUCH information out there.  You don’t want to spend the time sorting through ALL THAT INFORMATION searching and trying to find out what’s best for you! You want to be able to bypass the challenges and get to where you want to be faster.

Now if you are someone with a lot of free time on your hands, then by all means, you can read through everything there is out there on freelancing.  But this will take FOREVER for you to get results!  I wish I had invested in the help of a coach when I first started my business!  Having someone in your corner who understands not only your business but also the strategy of running your business is invaluable.

You need accountability…

The third reason you might want to hire a freelance coach is because you NEED that additional accountability  If you slacked off in your marketing or if you know there are things you want to do or try in your business but you just can’t seem to make them happen, you need a coach.  Investing in a coach gives you accountability to make these things happen that you otherwise tend to ignore or put on the back burner. This provides focus because it’s another person to help you stay on track!

Other Reasons…

There are other reasons you might hire a coach.  They include:

• Wanting to scale, but you don’t know how to do it.

• Feeling burned out, but you aren’t sure where in your systems and process the burn out is coming from.

• Continually attracting the wrong kind of clients and need someone to help shed light on what you are currently doing and what can be changed to attract your IDEAL client.

Different Coaching Models

There are different coaching models out there for when you are working with a coach.  I have personally been through just about all of them.  In fact, if you purchase my book the last chapter is all about coaching and mentoring and the different options available to you.

Courses that have limited support from a coach

This is where you invest in a course.  But there is some kind of limited amount of contact with the actual coach like office hours.  You might get a 1:1 call with the coach.  You may also get a set of group coaching calls.  These can help you with specific questions about the course.  But, these are timed and very limited as far as interaction especially if it’s a group call or office hours.

Strategy Session

Freelance strategy sessions are great for the person who doesn’t necessarily need long term support.  If you have a handful of questions or want someone to give you in-depth advice about your marketing or LinkedIn profile for pitching purposes a strategy session might be for you.  These can help you with emergency issues in your business if you get stuck and need to figure things out.

Make sure you find someone who specializes in your particular area of business.  These sessions are usually 45-90 minutes long.  You can get a lot accomplished in that time if you are really focused.  With a 90 minute session, I can usually cover 3 topics with my clients.  It’s a great place to go if you need help or direction with what to do next.

FYI- if you want more info about my own strategy sessions for freelancers, please click here!

Mastermind/Group Coaching

This is essentially one step up from purchasing a course or book and reading through the material.  Why?  Because essentially you are going to receive information from the person running the mastermind and then are given a chance to ask questions about the information in a group coaching call.

A mastermind would be a good fit for you if you like engaging with other people.  You can sometimes actually learn just as much from other people as you can from a coach.  If you feel like your freelance business is kind of isolated and you are looking for like-minded people who may be going through what you are makes a mastermind a good choice for you.

1:1 Coaching

This is by far the most expensive form of coaching.  But for good reason.  It’s the most involved form of coaching.  You’ll find a lot of coaches who do things in a whole bunch of ways.  One form of this type of coaching includes a series of coaching calls where you can ask questions on this once a week call with your freelance coach.

The type of 1:1 coaching I do with my clients as a freelance coach is by using a voice app like Voxer or sometimes people use Facebook Messenger where you can essentially get almost unlimited support.  This would be if people need day to day support.  One on one coaching is better to do this way because if you have urgent questions arise, you can ask that question without having to wait until your scheduled call.  The reason that I offer my coaching like this is that most of the freelancers I work with already have semi-consistent income making at least $3000 a month and they are wanting to scale, but they have day to day issues that they just want feedback on.  They tend to need that day to day support and I’m happy to provide it!  I still do a monthly call with them to cover important things, but day to day support allows them to Voxer me and get immediate support.

The two primary ways that I provide coaching is the Strategy Sessions and the 1:1 Unlimited Coaching through Voxer.  Usually, people are a fit for one or the other.  Almost all of the freelancers I have worked with on a 3 Month period get a lot of results in their business.  They even often renew for another 3 months to start the next steps in their business.

The people who use 1:1 coaching get results a lot Voxer a lot faster.  This gives them a whole new round of questions they need to address to take the next step in their business. A freelance coach can help you figure out what works for you and design a plan from there.

If you are thinking about hiring a freelance coach but you are stuck, consider what type of coaching style might be right for you.  For example, I don’t get anything out of mastermind coaching.  You have to make sure you connect with a coach that coaches in a way that will connect with you.

If you are interested in learning more about my coaching, I always do a free call with people first to make sure we are a good fit.  It also allows me to see some of the issues you want to work on.  You can learn more about my coaching at https://betterbizacademy.com/coaching and as always you can email me at info@betterbizacademy.com.  If I am not the right fit for you I will recommend you to another coach that might be.

I know it’s hard to invest money in things, especially as a newer freelancer.  But in hindsight, I don’t regret investing in these types of things because they have helped me go to the next level in my business.  I encourage you to look at where you are right now in your business and also where it is you want to go.  Coaching might be a possible solution to help you achieve your goals.

**Remember you can always send topics and questions to info@betterbizacademy.com