Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Content Byte

This week, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with award-winning director and writer Jane Manning. The discussion delves into Jane's impressive career in television and documentary films, which includes being one of the early female directors on Home & Away (and why programs like that matter), as well as significant projects such as Who Do You Think You Are? and Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation.

During our chat, Jane shares:

• Her journey from documentary filmmaking to TV drama
• Her creative processes
• The challenges of storytelling in both documentary and drama
• How a TV series or documentary comes to life
• What it's like being in a writer's room
• Advice for freelancers looking to transition into television writing and production

Connect with Jane via her website: https://www.thresholdpics.com/ or via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-manning-98079321/ 

Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode: https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

This week on the podcast, hosts Rachel and Lynne chat with Megan Osborne, editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Megan shares her career journey from food writing to leading large-scale content strategies at prominent brands and now to editing Australia's largest circulation (paid) magazine. 

She discusses:

• the evolving role of a magazine editor
• the integration of print and digital content
• why you need to understand audience data
• leveraging social media to engage younger audiences
• what she's looking for from freelance contributors (and even shares her email address!)

Megan offers invaluable advice for freelancers aiming to get published and shares her favourite productivity tools and tech tips.

Connect with Megan via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/osbornemegan/ 

Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode: https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week, Rachel and Lynne chat with Evelina Kaganovitch, a high-conversion fashion copywriter, about the intricacies and strategies of freelance copywriting. Evelina shares her journey from sustainable fashion to copywriting and discusses the importance of clear messaging over using too much jargon. 

The conversation covers:

• Niching down in the freelance world
• Using social listening tools and AI to improve copy quality
• Finding the balance between the personal touch and technological help
• How to create effective email marketing strategies
• Maintaining trust and community in your audience
• ... and practical tips for freelancers who are navigating the evolving creator economy

Connect with Evelina Kaganovitch (and find her downloads) on her website: https://www.evelinakreative.com/ 

or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelinakreative/ 

Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode: https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/ 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com
Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au
Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.
Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In this episode, Rachel and Lynne delve back into the topic of niching down as a freelancer with Sabrina Rogers-Anderson, a health and fitness writer.

The discussion covers the challenges and benefits of finding and committing to a specific niche, how to charge what you're worth, and managing finances.

Sabrina shares her journey from generalist to specialist, overcoming personal adversities, and the pivotal role a business coach played in her transformation. The episode also touches upon the impact of AI on health writing, the importance of credible, evidence-based content, and she shares practical tips for maintaining a steady cash flow as a freelancer.

Connect with Sabrina through her website: https://sabrinarogersanderson.com/ or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinarogersanderson/  

Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode: https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

We all know that it’s so much easier to keep your existing clients rather than constantly hustle for new ones, so this week Rachel & Lynne are chatting with customer retention expert Nadine Nethery. Nadine, an audience-driven copywriter and retention strategist, discusses the importance of retaining clients over constantly hustling for new ones.

It's a great episode, as Nadine shares insights on:

• How to create personalised customer experiences
• Using tools for personal video messages
• Automating customer touchpoints with email marketing platforms.
• The value of referral partner programs 
• How AI is impacting freelance copywriters
• How freelancers can position themselves as strategic partners rather than transactional vendors

Listen to Nadine's podcast, What Would They Do here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-would-they-do-the-customer-experience-podcast/id1796323283

Connect with Nadine at www.candocontent.com

And find her Virtual Scratchie Card: https://link.candocontent.com/content-byte-scratchie   Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode:  https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/    Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au      Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au      Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au ), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.
Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In this episode of The Content Byte podcast, hosts Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni discuss the impact of AI on freelance writing and marketing with guest Steven Lewis.

Steven, a seasoned journalist and copywriter, offers a deep dive into using AI, specifically custom GPT, to streamline marketing tasks for freelancers.

He explains:

• the practical steps to creating a custom GPT
• how it can maintain consistent client communication
• how it can give feedback on your copy to ensure it is on-brand
• how it can help freelancers focus on high-value creative tasks
• the ethical considerations of AI use and the importance of human connection in an increasingly automated world

Connect with Steven on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenlewissydney/ 

The link to the course he talks about is:   https://aicmocourse.com   And listeners can get a 10% discount using the coupon code CONTENTBYTE25

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with book publisher and author's advocate, Juliet Rogers. Juliet talks about the publishing industry, what has changed over the years and how you can push through all the noise if you want to secure a book deal.

She also shares:

• Stories of some of her biggest publishing successes, including touring with Salman Rushdie, working with John Grisham and seeing Heather Morris find international publishing success at the age of 63
• When and why you should use an agent
• How to have your manuscript discovered within the slush pile
• Why you need to read widely in order to write well
• Whether you need a public profile to secure a book deal
• If you can make a good living as a novelist
• When and if self-publishing is worth it

 

Connect with Juliet via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-rogers-84598328/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In this episode of The Content Byte podcast, Rachel and Lynne explore the unique challenges of copywriting in the beauty industry with guest Amy Hadley, a beauty copywriter and journalist.   Amy discusses balancing creativity with stringent industry regulations, provides insights into the importance of visibility in finances for freelancers, and highlights how her qualifications and self-taught knowledge have set her apart in her field.   There's so much to learn about the nuances of compliant beauty copywriting, maintaining client relationships, and the benefits of niching down in your freelance business.   Connect with Amy via her website: https://hadleyco.com.au/    or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-hadley-646762b4/    Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 
Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.
Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In this episode of The Content Byte podcast, Rachel and Lynne dive into the art of niching down in freelance copywriting with guest Nikita Morell.

Nikita, a copywriting and messaging strategist specialising in architecture, discusses the value of finding a niche, the benefits of having a focused clientele, and her journey from big brand marketing to freelancing for architects.

She shares insights on:

• managing projects
• using AI tools for copywriting,
• strategies for building and maintaining a strong client pipeline. 
• the importance of storytelling in newsletters
• and leveraging technology such as Clickup and ActiveCampaign to streamline workflow

Connect with Nikita via LinkedIn, or through her website at https://nikitamorell.com/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

 If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

In this episode, we explore the world of freelancing with successful journalist and media commentator Melissa Hoyer. Melissa shares her career journey, from her early days in newsrooms to her success as a freelance professional. It's a great chat, covering the impact of social media on celebrity culture, and the challenges of maintaining multiple income streams.   Melissa also chats about:

• How she grew her Instagram following to 80k
• Why she feels it's important to be authentic on social media
• Staying visible in the industry
• Her experiences with TV commentary and event hosting
• The evolution of celebrity culture
• The reality behind the glamour
• Navigating multiple income streams
• Competing with free labour
• The hustle of freelance writing

Connect with Melissa on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/melissahoyer/

or via her website: https://melissahoyer.com/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  
If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.
Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.   Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 This week on The Content Byte, we have something a little different, but hopefully still useful. This episode was originally recorded as part of Austin Church's Growth Without Burnout Summit held recently. This virtual event was inspiring and useful and featured speakers from all across the world talking about how to grow a thriving freelance business without burning out.

As part of his amazing summit, Austin asked Rachel and I about our friendship and how and why we started this podcast. We first met Austin when he was the keynote speaker at the Content by Summit in 2024. We felt honoured and flattered that he asked us to be involved with his summit.

It was a great chat so we thought we would share it with our listeners. It’s almost our origin story. We talk about how a friendship-turned partnership evolved into a thriving podcast, the summit, and an unexpected SEO goldmine. From dividing tasks based on complementary strengths to navigating conflict without contracts, we share how we found success - and still remained friends.

Connect with Austin L. Church through his Freelance Cake website: https://www.freelancecake.com/

And his community at: https://www.freelancecake.com/community

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

In this episode Rachel and Lynne discuss the intricacies of freelance finances with Julia Newbould, an editor, journalist, and author with extensive experience in financial reporting. Julia shares insights on transitioning from spreadsheets to accounting software, the importance of financial literacy, and strategies for effective money management for freelancers.   She also talks about:

• Her journey in journalism
• Her efforts to increase female representation in financial advising 
• Setting up multiple bank accounts for effective cash flow management
• The significance of emergency funds
• Superannuation for freelancers
• Plus tips on raising prices and handling financial anxiety

Connect with Julia via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-newbould-44454712/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.
Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with Lee Elwood, an accredited editor, content writer, and copywriter.

Lee shares her freelancing journey, emphasising the value of professional networks and accreditation through the Institute of Professional Editors (IPED).

During our chat, Lee talks about:

• Different types of editing, from copy edits to structural edits and proofreading
• What IPED accreditation is and how you can achieve it
• Why she is a huge fan of networks and being active in the editing community
• How the type of work she does has evolved over the years
• Where and how she finds her clients
• How she has grown her business, without losing focus
• The impact of AI on the field

Connect with Lee via her website: https://ellwords.com.au/ 

or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lrellwood/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

This week Rachel and Lynne's guest is Jenny Valentish, a journalist, author, and writing coach, joins the conversation to share her career journey from fanzines to freelancing for The Guardian. She also talks about her new book, The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House. 

Jenny dives into the importance of structured feedback in writing groups, the challenges of memoir writing, and the value of teaching practical writing tools. She also shares why she likes to be quite strict about her weekly schedule and how her six-week writing workshops provide a supportive environment for writers to improve their craft and form important connections. 

Connect with Jenny via her website: https://jennyvalentish.com/ or look at her courses at https://www.valentish.net/ 

Details about her book: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Introverts-Guide-to-Leaving-the-House/Jenny-Valentish/9781923135109 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Michelle Newell, a narrative strategist based in Melbourne/Naarm who shares her expertise on using storytelling for content strategy and branding. During our chat, we talk about:

• How freelancers can transition into thought leadership – and why they should
• Why you need a unique point of view 
• How to leverage personal branding
• How to handle a fear of visibility and trolls
• How to secure speaking gigs, enhance visibility, and charge premium rates for your services

Connect with Michelle via her website: https://thestorytelling.biz/ 

or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-newell/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.
Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au ), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week our guest is Toby Schmitz, actor, screenwriter and now novelist.

It's a fun chat, talking all things books, reading and writing.

Toby shares insights into his upbringing in his family's second-hand bookstore, his motivations for writing, how his debut novel 'The Empress Murders' came about and why he chose such an amibitious work as his debut. He delves into the creative process of adapting a play into this novel, the challenges and rewards of publishing, using palm cards to plan his novel and what he is writing next. 

The Empress Murders is out in bookstores now. Follow him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tobymschmitz/ 

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week we are trying something new - which might become a regular episode.  We are answering questions from our listeners, using our years of experience and some of the knowledge learned doing this podcast for the last six years (thanks to all our amazing guests).

This week's questions include:

• The ethics around including past clients in future articles or commissions
• How to break up with a client
• How to pitch to a new editor or client
• How to avoid procrastination

We hope you find this discussion helpful and thanks Tracey, Stephanie, Ros and Natalie for these questions. If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here.

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In this week's episode, co-hosts Rachel and Lynne chat with Georgia Rickard, an award-winning journalist turned content strategist.   Founder of the popular Georgia's Media Circle on Facebook (a great group for writers and PRs), Georgia shares her journey from being a travel writer to becoming the youngest magazine editor in Australia at 23. She discusses:  

• the importance of building a personal brand
• the challenges of making oneself visible online,
• and the evolving landscape of freelancing with the rise of AI

  She also talks about how and why she set up Georgia's Media Circle, and her upcoming event, Brand Camp, which is designed to help creatives build and monetise their personal brands. It's all about the value of authenticity, confidence, and adapting to new industry trends.   Georgia's Media Circle is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/georgiasmediacircle Georgia's agency website is: https://wearegeorge.co/   Details about Brand Camp are here: https://www.georgiarickard.com/brand-camp And if you use the code RLIST100 you can get a $100 discount on the cost.   Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au   Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.   Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co   

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with former journalist, now educator, writer and editor, Dan Kaufman, about something they all feel passionately about - the craft of writing and editing.

We have a lot of feelings about this topic, as we chat about the essential skills freelance writers need, including:

• the importance of mastering the basics of writing
• the declining emphasis on subediting and what it means for journalism
• the need for critical thinking, attention to detail, and self-editing
• the use of AI in writing and why Dan hates it!

Connect with Dan through his website:   https://mediasurvival.com/   Dan's next public workshops are:   Press release writing and media pitching on 6 May https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/press-release-writing-and-media-pitching-course-live-half-day-webinar-tickets-1254147331429)   Sub-editing and proofreading on 13 and 14 May (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sub-editing-and-proofreading-short-course-webinar-over-two-half-days-tickets-1254191824509)   Dan is offering an exclusive 15% discount code to his courses for podcast listeners with the code: contentbyte    Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au   
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 
Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au ), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.
Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting about freelancer websites with Michal Eisik, a copywriter and course creator who shares her expertise on creating effective websites and freelance portfolios.

We discuss:

• the importance of having a well-designed, easy-to-update website
• the value of client testimonials, and how to manage clippings and case studies
• website analytics and user behaviour
• whether you should display pricing on your website
• Michal also provides insights into different approaches to using your website for lead generation, along with a list of must-have tools for freelancers

Whether you're a freelance writer, copywriter, or creative, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed.

Connect with Michal at https://www.michaleisik.com/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com  

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with successful screenwriter Josephine Barrett. Josephine is an acclaimed novelist, teacher and script writer, writing and editing successful TV shows, series and movies. 

She talks about:

• The difference between script writing and script editing
• How Home & Away helped her refine her craft
• How she secures regular work
• How teaching writing inspires and helps her to be a better writer
• How she makes a good living as a creative
• How she organises her day and maintains a disciplined approach to her work

Connect with Josephine via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-barrett-bb872a24/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with content creator, agency owner and now author, Sara Howard. Sara has just released her first book, Beyond Solo, which is the guide she wished she had when she started her agency - all about how to grow your business and all the different models you can choose from.

Sara chats about:

• What success looks like – and why it means different things to different people
• Different agency models, from collectives to companies, to hybrid models
• How she created a positive culture at her agency
• Why she included a lot of tools and frameworks in her book to make it practical
• How to work with clients as you grow
• The importance of good systems and processes

The free resources associated with her book are here: https://www.beyondsolo.co/shop 

Connect with Sara at Writers Australia, https://writers.net.au/ 

or through Beyond Solo at https://www.beyondsolo.co/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with one of their favourite editors, Rob Johnson. A former journalist and now publisher at Engage Media, Rob talks about what he values from freelance writers and why editors like himself rely on good pitches from their contributors to put a great publication together. 

He chats about:

• Whether it's ever acceptable to use AI in a pitch or a story
• How ideas from freelancers help him as an editor
• Why he welcomes a new angle on an old idea
• Why a writer needs to do some research
• How to create a good system for generating story ideas
• Why it's important to know the publication's audience

Rob's article for Rachel's List about how to pitch is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/how-to-pitch-and-get-a-yes/

The Rachel's List Pitch Tracker is here: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/pitch-tracker/ 

Engage Media is at: https://engagemedia.com.au/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

This week Rachel & Lynne chat with communications consultant and writer Helen Dehen, talking about her commitment to upskilling herself and the many courses she has done - which have helped to drive her business and profitability.

During our chat, Helen talks about her early career in TV journalism and her move to freelancing when her twins were born. She shares some of the courses she did in the the early days and how they positioned her to build a strong and successful freelance writing business.

Helen talks about:

• The value of investing in professional development and networking
• How it gave her confidence in the early days of freelancing
• What the return on investment has been with some of the courses she has done
• Her experience with continuous learning, sharing insights from her experiences with various courses, conferences, and coaching programs
• Her favourite courses and what she wouldn't do again

Connect with Helen via her website: https://www.hydoralane.com.au/ 

or via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dehen/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne chat with Petra Buchanan, an executive coach and mentor and company director with an international executive career in media, technology and business sectors. 

We talk about:

• the changing role of women within media
• what a non-executive director role involves
• being the only woman in decision-making rooms
• mistakes freelancers make
• common challenges facing women in media careers
• the importance of good mentors, and so much more

Here are some of the links from our chat with Petra:

https://psbventures.com.au/

https://www.womeninmedia.com.au/

https://www.womeninmedia.com.au/plans-pricing

https://www.womeninmedia.com.au/programs/women-in-media-queensland-offers-a-5000-scholarship

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week, we talk to agency owner and copywriter Alana Wulff about contracts: what they are, why you need them, and the stuff that can go wrong with and without one. Tune in to hear:

• How Alana started using contracts in her business and why
• Why a contract is a living document you need to keep updating (especially when something on a project goes awry and you want to protect yourself in future)
• How having a lawyer in your back pocket can be very useful (and what to budget for)
• Actual contract horror stories and how they were resolved
• What happens when your client wants to you to sign their contract and you want them to sign yours
• And much more

Find out more: Alana @ Studio Himmel: https://www.studiohimmel.co/
Himmel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/himmel.words/
Studio Legal: https://studiolegal.com.au/

Tools Alana loves:
Pitch (for presentations) https://pitch.com/

Rachel's List resources:
Cor Blimey Contract Bundle https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/cor-blimey-contract-bundle/

Find us:
Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au
Lynne: www.lynnetestoni.com.au
Rachel’s List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

Have we got a treat for you! This episode with content strategist, business coach and consultant Treasa Edmond is full of gold for any freelancer wanting to move up the value chain and secure more high-paying clients.

In our wide-ranging chat, Treasa talks about: 

• The different between offering content strategy and a strategic consulting
• Which one is an entry point for high-paying work
• How strategy can open the gates to providing more effective content
• How and why value pricing is better for this type of work
• Her favourite client-finding strategies
• Common mistakes freelancers make

Capcut is here: https://www.capcut.com/ 

Treasa's podcast is called Boss Responses: https://bossresponses.com/ 

Or take a look at Strategy Bosses: https://bossresponses.com/strategy-bosses-community/ 

Or through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treasaedmond/ 

 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne's guest is freelance writer and author Sue Williams. Sue talks about her long and successful career as a writer and journalist and how it led to non-fiction books and now historical novels.

During the episode, Sue talks about:

• How her career started and when she moved to freelancing
• Her love of travel writing and why she still does journalism
• Why following a brief and making it easy for editors will give you more work
• Why it's hard to pitch story ideas, and why it's important
• How she secured an agent and publisher for her books
• The challenge of writing historical fiction and why it's harder than she thought
• How she uses AI and why it will never replace human content

Connect with Sue via her website: https://suewilliams.com.au/ 

Her latest book is The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress, and is available from all good bookstores.

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week we are chatting with Carolyn Tate, a former journalist turned agency founder. Carolyn talks about her career as a freelancer, setting up her agency, and what she has learned along the way.

During our discussion, we talked about:

• How the way she worked changed after an ADHD diagnosis
• How her freelance career took off after she started thinking like a business
• How she learned that rejection is just part of freelancing
• The challenges of hiring and managing staff
• How and where she finds clients
• How AI has affected her work - and how she uses it
• Why following the brief will bring you repeat work

Connect with Carolyn through her website: https://www.stellarcontent.com.au/ or email talent@stellarcontent.com.au if you are interested in pitching your services

or via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-tate/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

 

 

 

This week on the podcast, we are chatting with public relations expert, strategic advisor, and entrepreneur Karen Eck, talking about how freelancers can improve their visibility - and stand out in what is now a competitive marketplace.

Karen talks about:

• What her career in TV publicity has taught her about visibility
• Why your work won't always just speak for itself
• Why you need to be 'asset-ready'
• How to write an effective bio
• How and why networking can be a powerful tool to secure more clients

Connect with Karen via her website: https://eckfactor.com/ 

Take a free Visibility Health Check at https://www.powerofvisibility.com.au/ 

Register interest for Collabor8 Women at Collabor8women.com

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

We are back from our break! And we have a great episode for our return - featuring content strategist and LinkedIn mentor Beck Cofrancesco. Beck talks about how to make LinkedIn work for you, how to find clients and why she started a local business meet-up group.

During our chat, we talk about:

• Why she started freelancing
• Her new LinkedIn newsletter and why she started it
• How her newsletter has informed (and changed) her LinkedIn strategy
• Why she has two newsletters 
• Her favourite client-finding strategies 
• How to get out of the feast or famine cycle
• Why meeting in person is better than online in terms of building relationships

Connect with Beck via her website: https://marketinggoodness.com.au/ 

Or follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-cofrancesco-marketing-goodness/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au       

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

 

RE-RELEASE. Continuing with our summer series of re-running our favourite and most popular podcast episodes, we are sharing an episode from August 2022, with agency copywriter Damien Whelan.

If you're as Mad Men-obsessed as we are, you're probably keen to know how copywriting on the agency side differs from other types of writing that copywriters do. 

In our chat, we talk about:

• How did he get into agencies? 
• How does he come up with clever one-liners?
• What's it like working on an ad campaign for a billboard?
• How do pitch meetings pan out?
• Do they often pull all-nighters?
• How can freelancers get into agencies and become indispensible?
• And is there really is a decanter of whisky on everyone's desk?

Connect with Damien via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damien-whelan-14700b51/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week, we are starting a special summer series, repeating some of our most popular episodes. First up is our most successful episode ever - with grant writer Martina Donkers. 

In an inspiring talk, Martina shares her story about finding her niche, how grant writing works and why she loves being a digital nomad - all from a hammock in regional Western Australia!

We chat about: 

• How and why she decided to specialise in grant writing
• The different sorts of grants available
• What makes grant writing different
• Why the criteria really matters
• How to price this sort of work
• The realities of being a digital nomad

You can connect with Martina (and check out her latest courses) via her website: http://www.martinadonkers.com/

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

In what is probably our last episode for 2024, Rachel and Lynne chat with copywriter, campaigner and brand strategist Carmen Hawker. Carmen writes for purpose-driven businesses and B Corps from sustainable fashion to ethical finance. She talks about how she found her niche, why she loves doing this sort of work and how she makes it pay a reasonable wage.

In this revealing episode, she talks about:

• The difference between not-for-profit and purpose-led organisations
• Where and how she finds her clients
• Why she likes project-based work and how she balances her workload
• The challenges behind 'greenwashing'
• What a Bcorp is and how she works for them
• Writing persuasive copy in the purpose-led brand space

Connect with Carmen through her website: https://carmengetit.com.au/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au      
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Amy Posner, also known as The Client Whisperer, talking about the mistakes many of us make when working with clients, especially at the beginning of our freelance career.

Amy is a business coach for freelancers and has some great information on how to find good clients who will pay good money for your work. She talks about:

• The different types of clients you might encounter
• How to find the clients right for you
• How to make more money and deliver value for clients
• Mistakes freelancers make, including not stepping into your expertise
• Why better paying clients are looking for experts
• How to create better processes in your business
• How to have conversations with clients that can create interesting and deeper relationships

Find the SimpleMind Pro program Amy talks about here: https://simplemind.eu/download/full-edition/

Connect with Amy through her website: https://amyposner.com/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au     

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week Rachel and Lynne chat with a good friend and colleague - B2B tech writer Rosalyn Page. Rosalyn talks about her background in IT and tech magazines, how and why she transitioned to freelance work and all that involves. During our chat, Ros talks about:

• How she got into tech writing
• Where she finds her work
• The pros and cons of writing for agencies
• Whether tech writing is a lucrative niche
• Covering conferences in her tech niche
• Writing thought leadership pieces and white papers
• How AI can help her brainstorm

Connect with Ros at her website: https://rosalynpage.com/ 

Here's the link to her article about being a tech writer: https://rosalynpage.com/so-you-want-to-be-a-tech-writer/ 

or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalyn-page/ 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au    
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com    
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Lizzie Mulherin, a freelance writer, brand strategist, and travel author. Lizzie shares her career journey and chats about:

• Having a business mindset when it comes to freelancing
• How to mix content work and journalism
• How to boost your confidence as a freelancer
• Whether you need to build a personal brand to make good money
• Common mistakes she sees writers making
• How to get the most out of AI
• Whether it is possible to make a good living through Substack

Connect with Lizzie via her website: https://www.lizzie-mulherin.com/ 

or through Substack on https://createyourliving.substack.com/ 

 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au   

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with freelance writer, journalist, consultant and media trainer Sue White. As a highly successful freelancer, Sue is all about knowing your own worth and charging accordingly. She shares her career journey, why it's important to grow and adapt as time goes on and why you should never accept underpaid jobs.

She talks about:

• Where and how she finds her clients
• Why journalists need to do copywriting and content to make a good living
• How she secured a long-running column in prestigious newspapers
• Whether securing retainers works for freelancers
• How she set up a media training business with fellow journalist Ginger Gorman
• The systems and processes that work for her

Connect with Sue (and all the many freelance hats she wears) via her website: https://www.suewhite.com.au/

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

This week, Rachel and Lynne chat with B2B writer and coach Sarah Greesonbach. We reached out to her after seeing her great comments and funny posts on LinkedIn and we love her approach to freelance writing. We should point out that Lynne had some Internet issues near the end and had to drop out. Luckily Rachel and Sarah were able to complete the chat!

During our chat we talk about:

• Why she loves B2B content work
• How she came back from burning out
• Why you need to master three parts of the client-getting process
• How writers can use LinkedIn better (without posting all the time)
• How to charge more without freaking out
• Some clever tech tips that help her be more productive

Connect with Sarah at B2B Content Studio: https://b2bcontentstudio.com/

or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgreesonbach/

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

 

 

 

This week on the podcast Rachel and Lynne are talking about how to grow your businesses with Jenn Donovan. Jenn is passionate about small businesses (which is what a freelance career essentially is) and she talks about how you can use community to find clients and get support from your peers.

In our discussion we cover:

• Her interesting career story, from lawyer to retailer to marketer
• Why she loves working in rural and regional communities
• How the power of community keeps small businesses alive
• How AI can save you hours of time, so you can focus on doing what you love
• How podcasts can be a powerful marketing tool
• The tech tools she uses every day

Find Jenn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-donovan/

Her Small Business Made Simple podcast is here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/small-business-made-simple-podcast/id1448007188 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

And we are back! After a short post-Summit haitus, Lynne and Rachel are back with a new season and a great guest. And it's all about personality-driven email newsletters. Emails are having their moment in the sun right now - they don't rely on algorithyms that could change quickly or at the whim of a social media mogul and, when done well, can create a powerful conversation between companies and their clients. This week, journalist and content creator Steven Lewis talks all about creating email newsletters for yourself or clients. He talks about:

• Moving from editorial work to copywriting
• Bringing your own voice to your emails
• How to add personality to emails and why it matters
• How to get those first 10 words on the page
• Effective business processes, including onboarding and contracts
• Why he loves creating courses for writers and copywriters
• How to use AI to save time and be more efficient

Connect with Steven at taleist.agency and find the special download for our listeners on how to grow your mailing list at taleist.agency/byte

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au  for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

It's just a few days before the biggest event of the year (in our calendars anyway!). It's time for The Content Byte Summit. Hosts Rachel & Lynne talk about the impressive line-up of speakers and all the panels and presentations they are looking forward to seeing this year. 

Some of the presentations include how to:

→ find new high-paying clients in your niche
→ hear how to tweak your website to make it work better for you
→ find out what editors want (and meet three who commission!)
→ create digital products for an extra income stream
→ map out a freelance marketing plan you CAN stick to
→ write sales pages (and charge serious money)
→ hone your interviewing / storytelling skills (in an AI world)
→ shore up your systems and processes (SAVING you big $$$)
→ get all the pricing + money tips from two of the best in the biz

AND SO MUCH MORE.

And we might both be biased, but it's probably the best thing you'll do for your business this year.

The Content Byte Summit starts on Thursday 12 September, continuing to Saturday 14 September. Snap up one of the last remaining tickets (in person or virtual) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

Communications professional and content strategist Cameron Pegg is Rachel & Lynne's guest this week. Cameron talks about how his time at university helped him create better stories and what his early career in corporate communications taught him. 

Cameron talks about:

• The value of storytelling to create content
• Securing bylines while still at uni
• What he learned from working in radio
• Developing courses with Communication and Public Relations Australia
• How offering content strategy helps you charge more
• What data journalism means and how statistics and infographics make for better storytelling
• Working with graphic designers

Connect with Cameron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpegg/

or via his website: https://cameronpegg.com.au/ 

Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where you can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com    
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au  

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

This week on the podcast, Rachel is unwell, so Lynne is on her own talking with new author and court reporter Lucia Osborne-Crowley. Lucia's latest book, The Lasting Harm, Witnessing the Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, is a powerful examination of the trial of Maxwell and all the behind-the-scenes machinations with the victims and the lawyers. We talk about:

• How Lucia's background as a lawyer prepared her for this work
• How she worked with Maxwell's victims and shared their story
• The legal hoops she had to jump through to publish the book
• The frustrations involved when she can't tell the whole story because of legal issues
• How she looks after herself despite writing about trauma 

Connect with Lucia via her website: https://luciaosbornecrowley.com/

or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciaoc/

Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where you can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. 

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

 

 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Paul Merrill, a former editor in chief of weekly magazines, who established his own freelance content business five years ago. Paul talks about his early career in the golden era of magazines, the pressure of being a publisher in Australia and then how he set up his own business. Our chat covers:

• Finding work when you are starting out
• How his background in journalism helps him create interesting content
• His newly established niche of award writing and how it has brought in a new income stream
• Working with corporate clients
• Offering a wide range of content services
• Enjoying work/life balance
• Managing the ups and downs of freelancing
• Where he finds his clients

Connect with Paul and find out more about his work at his website: https://www.paulmerrill.com.au/ 

Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where you can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au    
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne have a special guest - voice actor Sarah Aubrey. A long-time actor, voice actor and freelancer, Sarah shares her career journey and how she found her niche in voice acting and voiceovers.

She talks about:

• Training at NIDA and working as an actor
• Discovering her talent for voice work
• Managing the ups and downs of freelance life
• Coping with erratic cash flow
• How her agent makes her life easier - and does the hustling for her
• Setting up her own soundproof studio and how it brought her work
• Her fascinating new side hustle as an 'influencer' (and how she hates that word)

Connect with Sarah and her voice work at her website: https://www.sarahaubrey.com/

See her work in the electification/sustainability space through Electrify This: https://www.electrifythis.com.au/ 

Don't forget it's the last couple of weeks to buy tickets for The Content Byte Summit, where ou can learn about future-proofing your freelance business, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au   

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne chat with the inspiring Leonie Dawson. Leonie is a marketer, author and course creator, helping businesses develop their marketing - all in just 10 hours a week. We love her approach to work/life balance!

In this episode, we chat about:

• Why social media is not the only way to market
• How you can find your audience
• How to think laterally about your marketing
• How to run a hugely successful business and still have a life
• Keeping a positive mindset, especially in tough times
• The opportunities to be found in an economic downturn
• The power of a simple two-page marketing plan

Find Leonie and download some of her many freebies at https://leoniedawson.com/ 

Learn more about marketing your business at The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Virginia Jen, subeditor, writer and now editor. Virginia has worked on some of Australia's most prestigious publications, including Vogue Living, Gourmet Traveller, Home Beautiful and InsideOut. Now at The Local Project, she shares her journey from print to digital and how the two mediums can work together.

We also talk about:

• How she got her start in magazines
• Getting her dream job
• The importance of good grammar and syntax
• Working on multi-platform publications
• Meeting some of her design heroes
• Trying to find work/life balance
• What she's looking for from freelancers

Connect with Virginia via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-jen-948297212/ 

Find The Local Project here: https://thelocalproject.com.au/ 

Don't forget your tickets to The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney, where you can learn about pitching to prestige magazines in the panel on Meet the editors – how to nail the pitch. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au 

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Austin L Church. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Austin is a writer, marketer, and coach - and is one of the keynote speakers at The Content Byte Summit later this year. Austin chats about his background and his amazing $300k flywheel concept, which is all about how to earn good money, without burning yourself out. He talks about:

• Earning six figures the wrong way
• ... and the right way
• How to outsource well
• The true art of delegation
• Changing our beliefs and identity about money and finance
• Clever tools that make his business more efficient

Austin is the keynote speaker at Day 1 of The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au 

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com  

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co 

Travel writer, editor and journalist Akash Arora is living the dream - and this week Lynne and Rachel chat to him about what it takes to be a travel writer, what it really means to be on the road almost all the time, and how to get a pitch over the line with him. Akash was actually in the Maldives in an over-the-water villa during our recording, which just added to the allure!

We talked about:

• His early journalism career in India, interviewing Hollywood celebrities
• Moving to Australia and working in magazines, including Qantas magazine, where he first started travel writing
• Why he took a digital role during the pandemic and what he learned
• Why travel writing is hard to do well
• The mistakes writers make when pitching travel stories to him
• What a famil (or familiarisation) trip really involves

Follow Akash on Instagram: @akash.arora.ink

Don't forget about The Content Byte Summit (which will include a session on Meet the Editors - how to nail the pitch), from September 12-14, 2024 in Sydney. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au  

Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au       

Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com   

Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co