As Rob closed out 2019, he started to think about how he could focus his business on a specific mission. This week he works through that process with Sara as he seeks to grow his business by focusing on offering less.

Unfederated

Episode 63: The Royal We

Rob and Sara are back with major life changes. Rob's wife regrets not having an office, Sara had a baby but figured out a way to send month-end invoices from the hospital bed. They work through what it's like for a first time mother who's headed back to work.

Episode 62: Way Too Stirrup-y

In this episode, Rob and Sara talk about their upcoming life changes, and how the show is going to respond.

Episode 61: Last Lady Standing

Rob interviews Amy Walters about her journey from a traditional job to a multi-faceted creative & marketing career. Special Guest: Amy Walters.

Episode 60: All The Things

In this episode, Rob and Sara discuss the pros and cons of grocery delivery (especially on vacation). They then transition into looking at the future of your industry. How can freelancers build habits to be more nimble than bigger firms so they can be ready when trends change?

Episode 59: Determining "What's Next?"

Rob gets things broken by the very person who shouldn't be doing that. Sara and Rob have a detailed discussion about how to quantify yourself and your services to your customers. Some businesses lend themselves well to this, but others do not. Is a case study a valuable resource for freelancers to build? As you build your book of business, think through how you'll quantify your success to future clients.

Episode 58: Quantifying Your Services To Your Customers

In this episode, Rob and Sara talk about how a freelancer can leverage their flexible schedule to take care of their mental and physical health. Rob talks about how beneficial it's been during their house building process. Sara ponders what people on strict PTO schedules do when they're pregnant.

Episode 57: Leveraging Flexible Hours for Physical Health

In this episode, Rob and Sara talk about the practice of a freelancer working for a company for free in exchange for an ownership stake. Most of us have heard about people owning a % of a company cashing out when a company goes public or is sold. Is that the norm? What happens if that never happens? Before you work for free, listen to this episode.

Episode 56: Should You Work for Free in Exchange for Equity?

In this episode, Sara puts on her lawyer hat to convince Rob that face to face meetings do have a place in the business world. How do you schedule, structure, and end them? All of this will be discussed along with some helpful tips on how to follow up after a face to face meeting.

Episode 55: Face to Face Meetings?

In this episode, Sara is back from Europe, and Rob has summer childcare difficulties. They work through how to maintain your work load during seasons of change. If it's travel, summer hour changes, conferences, or co-worker vacations, you must still get your work done. Rob and Sara talk through strategies around devices, apps, and services while "out of the office". If you need to do more with less, here's a good place to start.

Episode 54: Summer Theme: Do More with Less

While Sara is on vacation, Rob goes solo to talk about 3 things to think about before joining the unfederated lifestyle. The first is responsibility. Do you have an increasing amount responsibility in your day job, but not lacking the authority to get it done? Does your increasing authority remove the work you enjoy, and now you are spending your entire day in meetings? The final piece to consider when making the decision is when your authority and responsibility are out pacing your compensation increases. If you are considering leaving your day job, be sure to listen to this episode.

Episode 53: Responsibility, Authority, and Compensation: 3 Key Pillars

In this episode, Rob loses a Parks and Rec trivia game due to an obscure question, and gives Sara some tragic news. He’s heard that a recession is headed our way. Are freelancers better prepared than full time employees? How can you structure your personal finances to help weather the storm? Is there anything you can do with client relationships in the good times to help in the bad times?

Episode 52: Getting Recession Ready

In this episode, Rob and Sara continue to talk about freelancer marketing. Rob talks about his use of email marketing and social media to grow his business. Sara brings up a third option. Sara also explains how she created her husband through algorithms.

Episode 51: The Skinny On Content Marketing

In this episode, Rob and Sara break down Search Engine Optimization (SEO). They discuss organic SEO placement (opposite of paid ads), the myth around getting to #1 on Google, and discuss tools for SEO management/monitoring.

Episode 50: The Skinny On SEO

In this episode, Sara gets to ask Rob about Google Ads (previously known as Google Adwords). Does it work for all industries? What are the terms you need to know in order to make wise decisions? What are landing pages (and what makes a good one)? What are good conversion rates for my industry? Rob breaks it all down like you’ve never heard of Google Ads before, so be sure to listen to the end.

Episode 49: The Skinny On Google Ads

In a world of cubicles, office hours, arbitrary deadlines and unproductive meetings, more and more people are choosing to reclaim their work experience.  Different as night and day, a brother and sister compare notes on their success navigating the world of business as a solo lawyer and freelance marketing consultant. Join Rob and Sara as they learn from each other and strive to make hay while the sun shines.

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Unfederated

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