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As freelancers, we’re constantly multitasking – finding clients, completing projects, marketing yourself and much more.
With so much going on, it’s easy for us to overlook a vital part of freelancing; constant learning.
Yeah, with all the work we have, it’s not easy to pick up a book or go to a seminar, I get it. But, there is one way to learn while you’re on the go, and that is through…
Podcasts!
By learning through listening, we’re able to actively add to our knowledge while getting other things done.
Here I’ve compiled a list of the best podcasts I’ve found that are not only fun and engaging, but full to the brim with actionable advice.
Clients from Hell is a popular website that delivers what it says on the label: a cathartic collection of anonymously contributed client horror stories from freelancers all over the world.
If you’re a sucker for juicy stories, it’s definitely a great idea to listen in for a couple of minutes. You’ll be downright discombobulated by some of the client stories they share!
You might expect the Clients from Hell podcast to be more of the same, but the podcast keeps it fresh and interesting for listeners by featuring a rotating panel of guests that address current events in the freelancing scene.
Recent episodes, for example, have included Annabelle King’s tips on pitching to clients, Heidi Weinberg on protecting yourself from bad clients, Matt Inglot sharing strategies on pricing and legally binding contracts… you get the idea.
Overall, The Clients from Hell podcast is super focused on helping freelancers improve their client relationships, their craft, and their business savvy and awareness in the industry. If you feel underpaid or undervalued by your freelance clients, or simply want to find better ones, then this is the podcast that can help.
Tim Ferriss is a well-known entrepreneur and podcaster. His wacky ideas are bizarre yet intriguing at the same time, such as his most prominent theory “The 4 Hour Workweek”. This has earned him the moniker of “The Best Human Guinea Pig” bestowed upon him by The New York Times.
Through over 300 episodes, Tim talks about everything, from funny life stories to productivity hacks and business management tips.
The show also features a roster of guests which consists of key figures from vastly different fields, giving great insight for anyone who wants to make their life better.
Freelancers can learn a bunch of stuff from the podcast, most notably actionable financial and solopreneurial advice.
If you’re a freelance designer or illustrator, you’ve most likely heard of Todd Henry and his podcast.
Created by freelancers, for freelancers, The Accidental Creative sets out on a mission to advise accidental solopreneurs that started out as people making cool stuff they’re passionate about.
The Accidental Creative guides freelancers through the steps they might not know how to do, e.g., settling fees, billing clients, creating agreements, and so on.
The podcast features daily updates with Todd Henry who will share his insights on how to build your freelancing career, one topic at a time. Topics such as “How to Not Burn Out” or “The Difference Between Ambition and Ability”.
Sometimes Todd also takes questions from listeners and shares insight on it. Questions such as “How can I stay creative in the midst of a plateau in my career, especially during the pandemic?”
The episodes are a short 3 to 4 minutes packed with information for quick on-the-go listening. Todd Henry’s way of speaking is also very calm and measured. Content aside, tone wise, he’s like an antithesis to Gary Vaynerchuk.
Freelance To Founder is a podcast that intends to deliver as the name implies. Hosts Clay and Preston are determined to transform their listeners into a confident, outspoken and successful freelancer.
The hosts have each grown their own one-person businesses to something much bigger and now they offer weekly coaching calls with freelancers ready to do the same.
Clay and Preson promises (and definitely delivers) real-world, actionable advice every Thursday. To keep things fresh, they’ll bring in occasional guest experts or do deep dives on must-have skills for success.
My personal favourite episodes are 5 triggers to raise your rates, should you turn down a new client and how to scale your business when you’re too busy. These can all be found under the neatly streamlined playlist on their website.
The Six Figure Freelancer Audio Course one of the most informative freelance podcasts on the net, especially if money is your main driving force.
This podcast was created in collaboration with AND CO from Fiverr. It is mostly aimed at explaining exact formulas for success in starting, growing and maintaining a 6 figure freelance career.
Unlike typical podcasts, The Six Figure Freelancer Audio Course does not have any idle chat or topics that trail anywhere that doesn’t go in line with their direction. Each of the 12 episodes packs as much practical, actionable advice as possible into around 20 minutes.
In each episode, host Juan Felipe invites various experts from different freelancing fields to talk about topics such as “How to Charge 10 Times More Than Your Competition”, “How to Get High-paying Clients No Matter Where You’re Based”, and “How to Get Big Clients to Trust You Enough to Pay You”.
Yeah, these topics may sound extremely ambitious, and they are. But the charm of it is the experts all explain in simple terms how they did it, and how you can too.
If you’re thinking of increasing your income as a freelancer, then definitely check this free podcast out, it’s one of the best investments you will make in your career.
Freelance as F is an adorable little podcast unlike any other on this list. Of course, they share stories and freelancing tips such as surviving the pandemic and dealing with difficult clients, but they do it in a non-formal friendly tone.
The other podcasts on this list all have a sense of professionalism to them, I’d say they’re semi-casual. Freelance as F on the other hand, reminds me of being back in college, crates of beer in hand and having a great chat with my peers.
The hosts, Ewan Brock and Oliver Cuthbertson pull off this tongue-in-cheek, realistic appraisal of freelance life, not the “romanticised weird stuff that people throw around” amazingly. They’re honest, funny and quite silly.
If you’re in for some surprisingly great freelance tips, all sounding like they came from your best bro in college, definitely give Freelance as F a listen!
A hard and fast, set-in-stone requirement for freelancing is to be constantly learning. In this field, the moment we stop learning and stagnate is when the competition surpasses us.
To stay ahead, we have to keep absorbing knowledge and growing. It definitely isn’t easy to fit in self-learning in our hectic schedule. However, podcasts help us overcome this by allowing us to listen and learn.
With these podcasts, you will definitely be able to not only keep up the pace of learning, but outpace a big portion of the industry.
This growth will help you not only gain more clients, but also teach you ways of increasing your rates, legally protecting yourself and much more.
David is a content creator and freelancer. His journey started with writing songs, poetry and academic dissertations in Vancouver. David has freelanced for multiple companies around the world. Feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.
