x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Freelance to Founder

Freelance to Founder is a call-in show helping real-life freelancers grow their businesses and escape the feast-famine lifestyle. The podcast is hosted by Preston Lee, a former freelancer who has started, built, and even sold successful businesses of his own. Preston is joined nearly every weekday by other expert founders, freelancers, and entrepreneurs to help you take your solo business to the next level. You can submit your questions at FreelanceToFounder.com/ask If you enjoy content from

business

All Episodes

23:52

NEW: Am I Ripping Off My Freelancers?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/10/02

You've made your first couple of hires—congrats! But now comes the tricky part: how do you price your services high enough to pay your team well, while still remaining competitive enough to win clients? In this episode, Preston and Christine Olivas tackle the delicate balancing act of agency pricing, exploring the two-sided marketplace challenge of keeping both clients and team members happy. From identifying premium clients to articulating your unique value proposition, this conversation

en

21:06

NEW: Is Now the Right Time For This?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/10/01

You're swamped with client work, staying up late to meet deadlines, and turning down opportunities because you simply can't handle more. Sound familiar? In this episode, Preston and Christine Olivas tackle one of the biggest transitions in a freelancer's journey: knowing when—and how—to hire your first contractor. Christine shares her experience growing from solo freelancer to running a 24-person operation, revealing why volume of work alone isn't the right reason to hire, and how choosing

en

14:31

NEW: What if I'm not 'Expert Enough'?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/30

Feeling like you're not skilled enough to start freelancing or to grow your agency? You're not alone. In this episode, Preston tackles one of the biggest mental barriers new freelancers face: imposter syndrome. CodeCrafter asks how to build confidence when you don't feel expert enough—and Preston's answer might surprise you. Turns out, you don't need to be the world's best at what you do. You just need to be good enough to solve your clients' problems. Learn how to reframe expertise,

en

13:14

NEW: Getting Swallowed Up

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/29

When subcontracting becomes your main income source, it's easy to lose your business identity in someone else's brand—almost like you're getting swallowed up. In this solo episode, Preston tackles a question from Garrett, a 30-year-old nonprofit consultant who's concerned about being overshadowed by the seasoned consultant he subcontracts for. Should he merge his business, continue the partnership, or strike out on his own? Preston shares practical strategies for testing your market, setting

en

19:00

NEW: Should I Say "Yes" to This?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/26

Every freelancer faces this dilemma: A dream client wants to hire you for a project that's bigger than anything you've tackled solo. Do you hire help first and risk the overhead, or do you say yes and scramble to build a team afterward? Preston and Austin dive deep into this classic chicken-and-egg problem, offering a surprising third option that could save your reputation and your sanity. They break down exactly how to de-risk those make-or-break moments when you're ready to level up from solo

en

18:10

NEW: Will American Clients Even Hire Me?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/25

Ever wondered if your location outside the US is holding you back from landing American clients? In this episode, Preston and Austin tackle a question from Dieter in Europe who's hesitant about offering his services to the US market. You'll discover how to flip perceived geographical disadvantages into powerful positioning strengths, why cultural differences might matter less than you think, and the surprising ways that being "foreign" can actually make you more attractive to American clients. If

en

20:41

NEW: What to Look for in a VA

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/24

Ready to hire your first virtual assistant but not sure where to start? Elena's question hits on something every growing freelancer faces: you have a million different tasks that need doing, but how do you find the right person to handle them all? In this episode, Preston teams up with Austin Church (founder of Freelance Cake Community) to break down the hiring process from character evaluation to smart delegation strategies. Austin shares real insights from his 4+ year relationship with his VA,

en

21:59

NEW: How To Charge Agency Rates as a Freelancer

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/23

Worried about raising your rates and losing clients? You're not alone. In this episode, Preston and Austin Church tackle one of the most common freelancer fears: how to increase pricing without damaging client relationships. But here's the twist—your clients might care about way more than just saving money. Austin shares eye-opening insights about client psychology, the hidden costs of replacing good freelancers, and why charging higher prices can actually earn you more respect. If you're

en

21:59

NEW: How Do I Get More Clients...Faster?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/22

Lana from Homewear Designs has cracked the code on getting home staging clients through real estate agent relationships in New York and the Hamptons. But she wants to grow faster. Should she double down on what's working or branch out into new channels? Preston and Austin dive into strategies for scaling your proven client acquisition methods while exploring smart ways to reach broader audiences through visual content and strategic partnerships. Support our show sponsors →

en

44:06

Can I Trust You?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/11

On today’s show, how can you possibly hire other freelancers to help grow your business when it’s hard to know if you can trust them?After all, if someone you hire misses a deadline, you’re on the hook with your client. That’s where Tina finds herself on today’s call. She’s thinking about hiring and is willing to trust other freelancers' creative processes. But what about their ability to deliver on time? Can she overcome that somehow? We tackle that question and lots more on today’s

en

16:43

[Q&A] But...Should I Hire By the Hour?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/09

On today’s Q&A episode, A former guest on the show, Jim, writes in with an important question: I know I shouldn’t charge by the hour, but shouldn’t I pay my subcontractors by the hour? You might be able to guess our answer. Or it might just surprise you. Let’s find out on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go! This Q&A episode was originally aired on November 7th, 2023. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on an upcoming

en

52:47

The Power of Referral Partners

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/04

On today's show, we get called out by our call-in guest, Erik. Here's the thing: Clay and I are always talking about finding referral partners—other freelancers or businesses who can send you new clients as a sort of trade. You'll refer them to clients, and they'll refer you. It sounds magical. But Erik's question is this: how do you actually FIND these kinds of partners? So we get into it on today's episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on March 17,

en

22:26

[Q&A] Free Money [Part 1]

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/09/02

I am joined by special guest co-host Austin Church on today's show.He is a very talented freelancer and the author of the new book, Free Money. It's all about growing your revenue as a freelancer, and we talked today about calculating your survival rate. That's the rate you need to stay in business as a freelancer. What's the minimum amount you need to make to stay in business? So, if you've wondered how to calculate that rate best, stay tuned for today's Q&A episode with Austin Church

en

48:16

Sole–Proprietor or LLC?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/28

On today’s show, ⁠Molly Cox⁠ calls in with questions about the freelance business she started just six months ago. Top of mind for her:Should she stay a sole–proprietor or form an LLC? Before the legal terms tempt you to click away, consider this. This single question could save you thousands of dollars a year in taxes. So keep listening. That’s just part of what we chat about with Molly. This episode was originally aired on July 20, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit

en

14:18

[Q&A] Growing a Network from Scratch?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/26

On today’s Q&A episode, Luqman writes in with a question. He’s a brand-new freelancer and wants to know exactly how to build a freelance network and attract more clients. We all know your network can lead to massive growth for your business. So Clay and I break down what has worked well for us and what has totally bombed when it comes to networking. If you want to build your network fast, you should try FeedCoyote, the all-in-one freelance collaboration network platform. Click the link

en

48:12

Escaping One-Time Projects

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/21

On today’s show, how do you escape the trap of one-time projects and convince your clients that they need what you have to offer on a repeat basis?That’s part of the hurdle Aurelie faces as she aims to grow her 3-year-old freelance business. Aurelie has worked with some huge clients like Wendy’s and the United Nations. But almost all of her work has been on one-time projects. Which naturally has its limitations. So we walk Aurelie through a few options for building repeat client work

en

18:24

[Q&A] Team Size to Call Yourself an Agency

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/19

On today’s show: how many people does it take to call yourself an agency officially? Is it one, two, or more than that? This question got us thinking about what it means to be an agency. Plus, we discuss our ideal team size and answer the question: How many are too many for your team? It’s all on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 5, 2024. To submit your question, visit ⁠FreelanceToFounder.com/ASK⁠, and we'll feature you on

en

48:14

Trapped

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/14

On today’s show: do you ever feel trapped by the decisions you make in your business?Our guest Morgan loves to write. But, early on, she took on quite a few social media clients. Then, those clients referred more clients. And suddenly, most of her client work is focused on social media marketing — not writing. So what do you do when your former choices have boxed you into a future you don’t necessarily want? It’s all on today’s episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go… This episode

en

21:34

[Q&A] Cost of Starting an Agency?

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/12

On today’s Q&A episode, let’s talk about money. Exactly how much should you save before you can start your agency? We do our best to answer this question, and it got us wondering: What in the world are we spending all of our money on these days in our own businesses? So, as a bonus, we break down our finances a bit more to round out the episode. It all starts right now on this episode of Freelance to Founder. Here we go. This Q&A episode was originally aired on March 5, 2024. To

en

52:13

When To Call Yourself an Agency

Freelance to Founder ·

2025/08/07

On today’s show: have you ever wondered when is the right time to start calling yourself an agency? It can be a bit awkward early on. So Clay and I coach our call-in guest Austin through the right timing. Austin has many other questions as he grows his 6-month-old business. Thanks for joining us. This episode was originally aired on July 13, 2023. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit ⁠http://freelancetofounder.com/ask⁠ and submit a question. Support our Sponsors Our generous

en

482 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Handelsblatt Crime - spannende Streitfälle der deutschen Wirtschaft

Ina Karabasz, Solveig Gode, Sönke Iwersen

Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT

WELT

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...