Advertise on podcast: The Productive Freelancer

My entire business runs online, but I still LOVE writing things down on paper. For years, I couldn't work out how to use both without duplicating everything or abandoning one system for the other.   I think I've finally figured it out.   In Episode 12 of The Productive Freelancer, I'm sharing how I combine my digital calendar, paper diary, Notion, and Todoist to organise my client work, content, and everything else life expects me to somehow fit into a week.   I'll walk you through how I use my diary to check my actual capacity before promising a client a deadline, why I stopped putting every individual task into my calendar, and the four-column paper brainstorm I use to plan the week ahead.   There's also a practical challenge to help you try this yourself. A cheap notebook will do, although if unnecessarily beautiful stationery makes you happy, I fully support your decision.   🎁 Download the free Focus Window System Guide and explore private coaching: www.theproductivefreelancer.com   For more on setting up your Focus Windows, listen to Episode 4: The Focus Window System: How to Plan Your Day Around Real Life.     The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS + PRIVATE COACHING: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 JOIN MY NEWSLETTER: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST APP: https://theproductivefreelancer.podbean.com   💼 CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 FOLLOW ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer   💻 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheProductiveFreelancer

Download my free LinkedIn Strategy Playbook: www.TheProductiveFreelancer.com   Drowning in deadlines one month, wondering where your next client will come from the next? Ah, the joys of freelancing.   In this episode of The Productive Freelancer, I’m sharing practical ways to build a healthier client pipeline, drawing on over 11 years of running my own freelance business. We’ll cover reconnecting with previous clients, finding opportunities on LinkedIn, posting content that shows what you can do, and asking for referrals.   I also talk through how to approach potential clients without sending those awful sales pitches we all delete, plus a simple way to keep track of your conversations and follow-ups.   Your productivity challenge: set aside 15-20 minutes each weekday to market your business, even when you’re busy. Choose one manageable task and start making business development part of your routine.   Download my free LinkedIn Strategy Playbook: www.TheProductiveFreelancer.com     The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS + PRIVATE COACHING: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 JOIN MY NEWSLETTER: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST APP: https://theproductivefreelancer.podbean.com   💼 CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 FOLLOW ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer   💻 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheProductiveFreelancer

What happens when your clients decide they can replace you with AI?   In Lizzie Davey's case, three of them eventually came back.   In Episode 10 of The Productive Freelancer, I'm joined by freelance writer, Freelance Magic founder, and creator of the Friday Freelance Tips newsletter, Lizzie Davey.   Lizzie has spent more than a decade building a freelance writing business, working with SaaS and ecommerce brands including Shopify and Klaviyo. She's also built an audience of over 19,000 followers on LinkedIn by sharing the good, the bad, and the very real behind-the-scenes reality of freelancing.   We talk about how Lizzie moved from scrambling from project to project to building a sustainable roster of long-term clients, why relationships have become one of the most important parts of her business, and how she turns one-off projects into ongoing opportunities.   We also dig into LinkedIn, referrals, the rise of AI, and why Lizzie believes people are becoming increasingly tired of generic AI-generated content.   And because this is The Productive Freelancer, we get into what her working week actually looks like too: protecting her best writing hours, knowing her capacity, setting boundaries around evenings and weekends, fitting business growth around paying client work, and accepting that sometimes productivity simply means reprioritising.   In this episode: Why relationships are everything in freelancing How to turn one-off clients into repeat clients How Lizzie keeps her network warm even when business is busy What helped her grow an audience of over 19,000 people on LinkedIn Why other freelancers can be one of your best sources of referrals What happened when several of her clients left to experiment with AI Why those clients ultimately came back What human writers can bring to content that AI can't replicate How Lizzie organises client work, content, admin, and business growth The "block method" she uses to understand her monthly capacity Why she no longer works evenings or weekends What overwhelmed freelancers should stop trying to do all at once   If freelancing currently feels unpredictable, exhausting, or like you're constantly starting again from zero, this conversation is packed with practical ideas you can start applying to your own business - today!   CHAPTERS: 00:00 Meet Lizzie Davey 01:16 How Lizzie became a freelance writer 03:47 From freelancing to a sustainable business 04:11 How to build a steady roster of clients 06:02 Turning one-off projects into repeat work 06:54 The networking habit that prevents feast or famine 07:39 How Lizzie grew to nearly 19K LinkedIn followers 13:15 Creating content for freelancers AND potential clients 15:09 What happened when clients replaced Lizzie with AI 18:43 What human writers can do that AI can't 22:46 How Lizzie organises client work, content and admin 24:31 Reprioritising when your week gets too busy 26:44 Boundaries, capacity and avoiding freelance burnout 29:50 What struggling freelancers should focus on first 31:42 Where to find Lizzie   **********   The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS + PRIVATE COACHING: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED PODCAST APP: https://theproductivefreelancer.podbean.com   📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 JOIN MY NEWSLETTER: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   💼 CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 FOLLOW ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer   💻 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheProductiveFreelancer

Have thousands of unread emails sitting in your inbox? Or maybe you’re simply tired of checking your email all day, losing important messages, and letting your inbox dictate what you work on next. In Episode 9 of The Productive Freelancer, I’m sharing the exact email management system I use to keep multiple email accounts organised without spending my entire working day responding to messages. We’ll cover how to organise different email accounts and folders, process incoming messages using my Action Now, Action Later, or Purge system, separate email communication from actual tasks, and create an “Action Later” folder that doesn’t simply become a second inbox. You’ll also learn how to reduce unnecessary emails, build email management into your daily routine, and tackle an existing backlog of hundreds or even thousands of messages without sacrificing an entire weekend to your inbox. In this episode: Organising multiple email accounts and folders The Action Now, Action Later, or Purge system Why processing an email isn’t the same as acting on it How to use an Action Later folder effectively When to turn an email into a task Why email deserves its own Focus Window How to unsubscribe and reduce incoming clutter What to do if you already have thousands of unread emails This week’s practical productivity challenge The goal isn’t necessarily Inbox Zero. It’s creating an inbox where important messages don’t get lost, outstanding tasks don’t get forgotten, and email no longer controls your day. Elimination, not accumulation.   The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life. 🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode! 🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS + PRIVATE COACHING: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/ 📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast 💌 JOIN MY NEWSLETTER: www.lkmcreative.substack.com 💼 CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws 📸 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/ 🎥 FOLLOW ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

Can LinkedIn content genuinely bring you clients, even if you don’t have a huge following?   In the first guest episode of The Productive Freelancer, I’m joined by LinkedIn ghostwriter and content strategist Dmitry Pavlotsky. Dmitry has spent more than 15 years working in writing, marketing, and growth strategy. Today, he helps founders turn their experiences into LinkedIn content that builds trust, attracts leads, and sounds like them.   We discuss how Dmitry went from barely using LinkedIn to building an audience of approximately 12,000 followers and generating consistent business through his content.   Dmitry also shares: How he turns one 60-minute conversation into 12 LinkedIn posts The story behind a post that generated 72 leads in 24 hours Why your follower count matters far less than who is reading How to batch content without losing spontaneity Why unsuccessful posts can be worth republishing What separates an engaging post from one that generates enquiries How to optimise your LinkedIn profile for potential clients Why posting without engaging rarely works The biggest mistakes people make with LinkedIn content Whether AI can genuinely replicate your voice and stories A simple three-post-per-week system for getting started If you have been posting inconsistently, worrying about the algorithm, or wondering whether your audience is large enough, this conversation will help you approach LinkedIn more strategically.   Connect with Dmitry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlotsky/   The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS + PRIVATE COACHING: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 JOIN MY NEWSLETTER: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   💼 CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 FOLLOW ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

What do you do when an unexpected emergency destroys your carefully planned week?   In this episode, Lauren introduces the S.H.I.F.T Method, a practical five-step process for responding to the crisis, managing affected commitments, reassessing your priorities, and rebuilding your schedule around the reality you’re facing now.   You’ll also receive a simple productivity challenge to help you prepare for the week ahead before life has a chance to punch your plans in the face.   ******************************   The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS + PRIVATE COACHING: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 JOIN MY NEWSLETTER: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   💼 CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 FOLLOW ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

In this episode, I share 10 practical steps for creating a smooth client experience from the first message to the final sign-off. We cover setting expectations, communicating clearly, handling feedback and revisions, protecting your boundaries, and making sure you actually get paid. This week’s Productivity Challenge: conduct a Client Experience Audit and fix one recurring point of friction before your next project begins. Free resources and private coaching: https://lkmcreative.wixsite.com/productivefreelancer Follow The Productive Freelancer on your preferred podcasting platform so you never miss a new episode. The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 Join my newsletter: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🌐 Freebies + Private Coaching: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   💼 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

You’ve stopped working on the task. So why is your brain still working on it? One of the biggest problems with productivity systems is that they assume we can move from one part of our day to another as easily as moving a block on a calendar. We can’t. Unfinished client work follows us into admin. Emails follow us into creative work. Business problems follow us into family time. And sometimes we spend half of the next thing thinking about the last thing. That’s exactly why I created the Focus Switch Technique. It’s the missing transition between my Focus Windows - a simple 5-step reset that helps me close what I was doing, get unfinished thoughts safely out of my head, release the mental baggage from that part of my day, and prepare for whatever deserves my attention next. Because productivity isn’t only about deciding what you should be doing at 2pm. It’s about actually being there when 2pm arrives. In Episode 5 of The Productive Freelancer, we’re talking about the messy space between two Focus Windows - and how to stop letting the previous one steal attention from the next. Your calendar can switch instantly. Your brain might need a minute to catch up. ********** The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 Join my newsletter: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🌐 Freebies + Private Coaching: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   💼 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

In this week’s episode: Your task list can tell you what needs to be done, but it cannot tell you what will realistically fit into your day. That is where the Focus Window System comes in. Instead of attempting to work through one enormous list from top to bottom, you will learn how to group similar tasks into Focus Windows based on the mindset, energy and tools they require. Client work belongs together. Communications belong together. Admin belongs together. And cancelling a subscription probably does not need to interrupt the client project you are already halfway through. We will look at how to combine your task list with your calendar to build a Daily Formula around your real time, responsibilities and priorities. Because your calendar does not lie. We may all have 24 hours in a day, but we do not all have the same number of available hours. Children, care responsibilities, appointments, travel and everyday life all take up space. However, when you can see those fixed pieces clearly, you may discover that you still have more control over the remaining time than you thought. In this episode, you will learn: • What Focus Windows are and why they reduce context switching • How to turn the recurring patterns in your task list into useful categories • Why your calendar and task manager should work together • How to plan around your strongest and lowest-energy periods • Why every realistic day needs breathing room • How to build a flexible Daily Formula without creating another rigid schedule you will abandon by Wednesday This week’s Productivity Challenge is to build one Daily Formula for tomorrow. Choose your most important outcome, add the fixed pieces, select the Focus Windows your day needs and leave enough breathing room for the fact that you are a human being and the internet may develop feelings. You will also find the free Focus Window System guide and worksheet linked in the show notes below. Use it to create your own Focus Window categories, connect them to your task list and start building days around what matters most. Let’s dive in. ********** The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 Join my newsletter: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🌐 Freebies + Private Coaching: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   💼 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

Landing a client is exciting. But once they say, “You’re hired,” what happens next? Without a repeatable process, every new project can become a fresh round of searching for files, rereading messages, second-guessing the brief and trying to remember what you normally do next. In this episode, Lauren introduces the C.R.A.F.T Method: a simple 5-stage framework for managing every freelance project from first confirmation to final approval. You’ll learn how to: - Capture every important file, message and project detail in one organised place  - Refine the brief before you begin working  - Arrange your research, resources and plan in advance  - Fulfil, check and deliver the work using a repeatable process  - Tie up the final details, archive the project and improve your process for next time Lauren also explains why finished and ready to deliver are two different things, what belongs in a reusable project checklist, and how a reliable system protects your creativity instead of restricting it. Your craft is what you do. The C.R.A.F.T Method is how you make sure it gets done. ****************************** The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 Join my newsletter: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🌐 Freebies + Private Coaching: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   💼 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

Is your computer slowly turning into a digital junk drawer? Your downloads folder is overflowing. Your desktop is buried beneath screenshots. You have multiple versions of the same document, all apparently called “final.” And the copy of your ID that you’ve scanned approximately 700 times has somehow disappeared…again. In this episode of The Productive Freelancer, I’m sharing the simple four-folder system I use to organize my digital life: Inbox, Professional, Personal and Archive. You’ll learn: • Why digital clutter becomes overwhelming before we even notice it • How to create a filing system that can grow with your life and business • What belongs inside each of the four main folders • Why your Inbox should be a temporary parking spot, not a dumping ground • How to name files without creating a collection of “final-FINAL-really-final” documents • The simple reset habit that keeps digital clutter from creeping back • A four-day productivity challenge to help you start organizing your files without sacrificing an entire weekend Because digital organization isn’t about having beautiful folders. It’s about knowing exactly where your work is when a client needs it yesterday. ****************************** The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 Join my newsletter: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🌐 Freebies + Private Coaching: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   💼 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer

Digital clutter doesn’t just make your devices messy. It steals your time, attention, and ability to focus. In this episode, Lauren shares practical ways to take back control of your digital life, from purging pointless notifications and unsubscribing from unwanted emails to organising your files, folders, and communications more effectively. You’ll learn how to create a simple digital organisation system, reduce daily distractions, manage important messages without constantly checking your phone, and stop wasting time searching for documents you know you saved somewhere. This week’s productivity challenge: Create four folders in your main Documents folder: Inbox, Personal, Professional, and Archive. Start there instead of trying to reorganise your entire digital life in one overwhelming afternoon. ****************************** The Productive Freelancer helps freelancers manage their time, work more productively, deliver better work, and build sustainable businesses around real life.   🎙️ Got a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email me at [email protected]. I may feature your question in a future episode!   🎁 FREE DOWNLOADS https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@productivefreelancerpodcast   💌 Join my newsletter: www.lkmcreative.substack.com   🌐 Freebies + Private Coaching: https://www.theproductivefreelancer.com/   💼 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengouws   📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_productive_freelancer/   🎥 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theproductivefreelancer