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Most career advice tells experienced professionals to modernize, rebrand, and compete with younger workers on their terms. Robert Vlach, who leads Europe's largest freelance community, says that's backwards.
In this three-hour deep dive—our longest episode ever—Robert explains why your "good name" built through decades of professional relationships is more valuable than any personal brand. This conversation fundamentally changed how I think about professional positioning for experienced professionals.
Key Topics Covered
- The "Good Name" vs Personal Branding: Why ancient reputation-building trumps modern marketing tactics
- The Independent Professional Identity: How to position yourself beyond freelancer labels
- Pattern Recognition Advantage: Why 20+ years of experience creates unbeatable market advantages
- Building Professional Reputation: From career capital to client magnet
- Pricing Your Expertise: Why experience commands premium rates
- The AI Advantage: How critical thinking separates you from younger competitors
- Essential Business Skills: What every independent professional must master
About Robert Vlach
Robert Vlach is the author of "The Freelance Way" and leader of Europe's largest freelance community, supporting over 250,000 Czech and Slovak professionals. He's built his expertise over 20+ years working with freelance communities and has become a leading voice on independent professional success in Europe.
Connect with Robert:
- Book: The Freelance Way (available via Harper Collins worldwide) https://freelanceway.eu/ or available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/9354893228/
- Community: Freelancing.eu - Europe's most comprehensive freelance resource directory
- Website: https://freelancing.eu/robertvlach/
We also have a YouTube version of this podcast found here: https://youtu.be/rvJfsV3nMBU?si=vA0uM2mG_7hHkLtb
Connect with Nigel Rawlins
website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/
Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs
Please support the podcast
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