Season 2 Kickoff - A New Journey of Empowerment and Opportunity in Freelance Writing

Talk Freelance To Me - Where Self-Employed Women Writers, Freelancers, and Solopreneurs Meet to Master the 1099 Contractor Lifestyle

In this episode we kick off the second season of The Talk Freelance To Me Podcast! Listen in as host Ashley Cisneros Mejia shares what you can look forward to in the season ahead. Hear some of the key insights from PodFest Expo including content creation and monetization strategies. You'll hear about practical tips for networking with fellow guests, making collaborations easy, and starting beneficial brand relationships. Plus, hear about Talk Freelance To Me’s new intern and gain insight into upcoming episodes focused on the nuts and bolts of business. Tune in to hear about the next chapter of Talk Freelance To Me!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Strategies for networking with other podcast guests to build your network 
• Tips for making it easy for collaborators to share your content on social media 
• Approaches for starting relationships with brands

About Ashley and Talk Freelance To Me
Talk Freelance to Me™ is a multimedia company that helps women writers monetize their gifts to live life on their own terms. Led by 20-year freelance writer, journalist, and entrepreneur Ashley Cisneros Mejia, the company achieves this through the Talk Freelance To Me™ Podcast featuring interviews with freelance writers and freelance creatives, online programs like the Freelance Success S.Y.S.T.E.M.™ Course, and other digital products.

The Talk Freelance To Me Podcast helps busy moms and caregivers start freelance writing and other freelance creative businesses, so they make money on their own terms in a way that accommodates their lives.

Ashley’s mission is to give women the tools they need to take massive action in monetizing their talents through the power of freelance. Ashley teaches about freelance and entrepreneurship, sharing her own lessons learned, and interviewing amazing freelance professionals.

Full show notes here.

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Episode Transcript

Ashley Mejia (00:02):
Welcome back to Talk Freelance To Me, the
podcast dedicated to upliftingthe voices of women freelancers
everywhere.
I'm your host, Ashley CisnerosMejia.
I'm ready to start a newjourney with you in 2024.
It's so good to be back withyou to kick off a sparkling new
season, and I really can't waitto share a little bit about

(00:23):
what's in store for you.
So, whether you're tuning inover your morning coffee, taking
a midday break or winding downyour day, I hope you know how
much I appreciate the fact thatyou're listening and that you're
here.
This season is incrediblyspecial to me.
First, it means that I actuallygot the first season done and

(00:43):
out, so this season is a renewedcommitment to the sisterhood of
freelancers.
As you know, I'm primarily afreelance writer, so a lot of my
content is about freelancewriting, but I've also worked
nine to fives as a newspaperreporter.
I've worked as a magazineeditor, a tech writer, a
marketing manager, a publicrelations professional.

(01:04):
I've been a social mediastrategist.
I've started two digitalmarketing agencies.
Most recently, I didcommunications for a political
campaign for an election here inFlorida.
So I want to serve all womencreatives who've embraced the
freelance lifestyle.
I am a girl's girl.
I love supporting women andgirls, and I've always believed

(01:27):
in the power of collaborationover competition.
This belief is woven into thispodcast and this company.
I'm all about abundance.
I know that there's enoughbusiness.
There's more than enoughbusiness and opportunity for all
of us far more than we couldpossibly capture.
So I'm embracing that.
I'm really excited to sharethat.

(01:48):
We've already recorded a couplenew episodes, and in these we
join forces with fellowfreelance writers, fellow
business coaches who helpwriters that I deeply respect
and admire.
Their insights are gamechanging and I can't wait to
share some of their wisdom withyou soon.
This season, it is all aboutserving you and helping you

(02:12):
redefine entrepreneurial successon your own terms.
So, to start, I want to share afew takeaways from a recent
experience that I think is goingto influence our journey
together this season.
I had the opportunity to attendPodFest Expo this is a national
podcasting conference and thenoffered sessions not just for

(02:34):
podcasters but for all contentcreators and freelancers.
So even if you don't have yourown podcast maybe you're
interested in having one ormaybe you're not you can still
get insights from thisconference and find them
relevant.
We explored topics from AI tocontent creation, monetization,

(02:55):
customer acquisition and so muchmore.
Here are three notes that Ijotted down that I wanted to
share One.
So, if you're a guest on apodcast, did you know that you
can and should be thinking aboutnetworking with other guests
who've also been on that sameshow?
You now have something incommon with them.
One tip was to actually minethe episode list of shows that

(03:18):
you have appeared on and thinkof these folks as new contacts,
new clients, even new referralpartners.
You can find them on LinkedInand mention that you've both
been on the same podcasttogether as a way to break the
ice.
Second, when you'recollaborating with someone on a
project, you want to make iteasy for them to amplify the

(03:40):
project on social media, forexample Instagram.
Instead of just tagging themand again, this is for Instagram
specifically go ahead anddesignate them as a collaborator
on the post.
That way, all they have to dois click accept and the posts
that you've created and captionwill automatically appear on
their feed and they don't haveto do any other work.

(04:02):
The name of the game is to makeit easy for folks to share your
content, your projects andinitiatives.
Third tip is, as you aregrowing your audience, whether
you're a blogger, influencer ora podcaster.
A lot of people think aboutbrands, partnerships,
sponsorships and advertisingdeals, but when you're in the
very early stages of buildingyour community, you may not have

(04:25):
those numbers yet, but there'sa strategic approach that you
can do to start laying theground work for relationships
with brands.
Start by identifying brandsthat you actually use and love,
and think about brands thatalign with your content or that
are relevant and useful to youraudience.
Reach out to the PR departmentsat these companies and ask for

(04:47):
free samples or discount codes.
This is what you're going to do.
You're going to take thesesamples and you can use them in
goodie bags for giveaways foryour audience.
You can do this on your blog.
You can do it on social mediawith your email newsletter.
Lots of people love gettingfree stuff.
They enjoy contests.
So you're starting, you'reengaging with your community,

(05:08):
but you're also kick starting arelationship with these brands
by including their products,like their samples or even
coupons, in your giveaways.
You're already creating valueto these brands by introducing
their brand to your communityand later, as you grow, you can
revisit the same partners, andyour approach isn't cold.

(05:31):
They're going to know thatyou're someone who's already
introduced their products to anengaged audience.
It's kind of a win-win strategybecause it paves the way for a
future fruitful businessrelationship as your platform
expands.
These insights have given me acouple new ideas for the season
and I'm excited to explore themfurther.

(05:52):
Next, I want to share in ournext episode we're going to be
talking more about thisconference with our new intern.
Her name is Lauren.
She's a University of CentralFlorida student here in Orlando
and we attended PodFest together.
It was her first project, ifyou will, as part of this
internship.
I'm thrilled to have her onboard and excited to introduce

(06:16):
you to her next episode.
Also, we are going to be addingin more solo episodes.
The interviews are going tocontinue because, quite frankly,
I enjoy them.
I love connecting with otherpeople, but I found out through
your feedback that you want somemore about the nuts and bolts
of freelancing and business,especially in today's

(06:37):
ever-evolving market.
So a lot of people think ofentrepreneurship like Shark Tank
.
They think of boardrooms andbustling startups, but I believe
that there's beauty and thesimplicity and the sovereignty
that freelancing brings to ourlives, and that's the narrative
I'm going to be advocating forhere.
So this season we're going toget granular on topics that

(06:59):
you've told me matter most toyou.
For example, how do you findwell-paying clients who not only
pay you well but respect yourboundaries and even resonate
with your same values?
What's the secret sauce tocultivating client relationships
that just fit?
They just make sense?
We're going to be talking aboutall this in a whole lot more.

(07:20):
Keep an eye out for newresources, toolkits.
We're creating those for youall to empower you and your
freelance ventures.
We're committed to equippingyou with things that you need to
reach your goals this year andbeyond.
So here's where you come in.
Here's what I need from you.
I need to know where you wantto go, your dreams, your goals,

(07:42):
your questions and even yourstories.
Share them with me so that wecan explore this freelance
marketplace together.
You can reach me at Ashley atTalkFreelanceToMecom.
You can also find me on socialmedia Most platforms.
I'm at the handle atTalkFreelanceToMe.
Be sure to subscribe to thepodcast rate, review us and

(08:06):
share us with a friend.
So, to wrap up, I just want tosay, whether you are riding up a
storm, you're designingsomething, your masterpiece, or
crafting a new strategy, I justwant you to know that I see you,
we see you.
We know what it's like to runyour own business as yourself

(08:26):
and maybe a VA.
We believe in you and we'rehere every step of the way.
So stay tuned, enjoy the rideand remember.
In the world of freelance, yousteer the ship.
And with that we've come to theend of another episode.
Please make sure you hitsubscribe if you haven't already
done so, and give me a fivestar review on Apple.

(08:49):
This will help out a lot inreaching more listeners with our
podcast.
I invite you to check out theshow notes and grab my free
Nitches Get Riches freelancewriting worksheet.
You can use it to brainstormthe best niches for your writing
business and if you're not awriter, you can still use it to
get business ideas.

(09:10):
And until next time, this isAshley Cisneros Mejia at Talk
Freelance to Me.
Don't forget we all get thisone precious life.
Don't constrain yourself to abox that you were never meant to
fit in.
It is your right to profit fromyour own creative gifts.
This podcast was created byAshley Cisneros Mejia.

(09:32):
Our intro music was composed bythe one and only Donna Raphael
of World Instrumentals.
Talk Freelance to Me is aproduct of Fenix Creative Studio
.