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  • 33 Freelancing - indie business club x TMM

    33 Freelancing - indie business club x TMM
    2025/10/02

    Ben and I are on our way to Manchester today for CopyCon 🤩 I spoke at the event last year and the year before that, our Copy Or Die pal Dave Harland spoke. Dave’s meeting us there and this time, we're looking forward to a totally talk-responsibility-free CopyCon with lots of learning, loadsa laughs, and hopefully a sizeable karaoke sesh.

    We do love giving an event talk, though. Last week we spoke together at Nottingham Digital Summit all about how you can “shorten the gap” by using three strategies; tone of voice, curiosity, and reciprocity. Maybe you were there? :)

    If you weren’t but you're nosy (or just like chocolate brownies) we've popped the resources right here. You get:

    - the best brownie recipe in the world

    - our guide to tone of voice

    - our talk slides (which you won't have context for if you weren’t there, but they sure do look pretty if I say so myself)

    New episode out today

    This podcast episode is our conversation with The Marketing Meetup’s Joe Glover all about freelancing.

    We look at…

    - our freelance origin stories

    - what to think about before taking the leap

    - how to attract clients

    - how to cope in tumbleweed times

    - pricing your work

    - and loads of other stuff

    Dedicated listeners will spot that this is recycled content. Yes, it is :) but we recorded some new podcast content this week…

    Awards, revisited

    Yesterday, we recorded a follow-up to our previous episode about awards (Handbags and Gladrags). It’ll be out in a few weeks. It’s almost a year since I won the Women In Marketing Brand Copywriting Award, so the next episode is a look back on how it’s impacted my business (spoiler alert = 💰)

    And ICYMI indie business club has been shortlisted for Podcast Jingle Of The Year, and Podcast Of The Year in the business and money category at the Independent Podcast Awards. We’re off to London in a few weeks for the awards show. I might pack my sequinned dress for max glam points. Ben’s outfit is TBC. At lunchtime on the awards day we get to go and poke around at Apple Podcasts HQ in Battersea.

    We’ll (obviously!) let you know how we get on.

    YouTube

    The episode is already on the TMM YouTube channel right here 👇

    Cheers,

    Mel (& Ben)

    Find our producer, theme composer and bald-faced beaut Ant Henderson on LinkedIn.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    59 分
  • 32 All These Things That I've Done: portfolios

    32 All These Things That I've Done: portfolios
    2025/09/18
    This episode is called All These Things That I’ve Done and it’s all about how to put together a portfolio to show off what you can do. We look at…creative ways to give a good account of yourselfwhy it’s best to get something out there, even if it’s just “for now”the importance of making your portfolio as “you” as you canMake sure you subscribe to the channel to get your bell poked when the YouTube video goes live. VoicenotedToday’s voicenote is from long-time (day-one listener!) friend of the show, copywriter and poet Gemma Strang. Mel first met Gem at the Women In Marketing Awards where they were both shortlisted. Gemma is a true creative with a fizzy brain. It comes through in her portfolio, which you can ogle here: Gem’s Portfolio and find her on LinkedIn here. Your Friend And MineThis time our friend of the show is photographer Wendy Gannon, who you can find on LinkedIn. Wendy is the Queen of Angles, a personality-led photographer and consultant for unapologetic female founders. You can read more about her empowering project, femalefivemillion.comStuff we said we’d put in the show notesCain Lewis’ portfolio Joe Coleman’s incredible website - getcoleman.comA creative prompt generator shared by Leigh JamesPat on the backFinally, some news we’ve been itching to share with you… indie business club has been shortlisted for two awards at the upcoming Independent Podcast Awards 🎉🥳.We’re in the running for Podcast Jingle Of The Year, and Podcast Of The Year in the business and money category.Way back in episode 15, The Masterplan, we set a goal for indie business club to become an award winning podcast. At the time we didn’t even know if there were awards for pods like ours, but we found the IPAs soon afterwards and nominated ourselves.That’s right, we nominated ourselves.Initially I felt a bit cringe about it. But I re-listened to our episode on industry awards (episode 14, Handbags And Gladrags) and got over myself. Mainly because of what our voicenoter from that episode Charles Commins said:“It's lovely recognition of the work that you have done, and it can give you a little bit of gravitas. And even when you put yourself up for awards, to get nominated, to be seen by maybe your peers, whoever it is that's judging those awards, to be recognised as one of the best entrants into that category in that awards that year is fantastic. So it gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling.”We wanted that warm, fuzzy feeling.And Charles* is right. To be shortlisted feels amazing. I’m really proud of us. The awards night takes place in London in a few weeks. Mel and I will be there, and we’re hoping to tempt Producer Ant down from the North. We’ll keep you posted (about Ant, and whether we win).Cheers, Ben (& Mel)Find our producer, theme composer and beardless (*sob*) beauty Ant Henderson on LinkedIn. *Charles’s podcast “It’s All Cobblers To Me” is also shortlisted at the IPAs, in the sports category 👏👏👏 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    39 分
  • 31 Moving Pictures: using video in your marketing

    31 Moving Pictures: using video in your marketing
    2025/09/04
    This episode is called Moving Pictures and it’s all about using video to market yourself and your business. We look at…why some people would rather poo in their hands and clap than record themselvesreasons you might want to consider choosing videos over doing the abovehow to get over yourself and get startedI’m currently editing the video version of this episode, which will go on YouTube by the end of the week. Make sure you subscribe to the channel to get your bell poked when it goes live. VoicenotedToday’s voicenote is Ben’s stiff competition for “loveliest voice on this episode” it’s Jonny Rose. Jonny runs The Story Club where he helps B2B founders get confident on camera and turn video into consistent content that actually builds their business.You can find him on LinkedIn where he shares tips and (kind) nags to get people to use video in their marketing. Disclaimer… we say on the episode that LinkedIn changes the rules so quickly everything could have changed by the time this airs. And maybe it has?! Big thanks to Jonny for recently sharing this PDF LinkedIn report on video, which seems to put B2B video front and centre again. https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/marketing-solutions/global/en_US/site/pdf/wp/2025/the-art-and-science-of-video.pdf Your Friend And MineThis episode’s YFAM is Craig Williams, a graphic designer providing box fresh designs that deliver excellence for events. When I went to Craig’s LinkedIn profile to get the link to put in these show notes I was THRILLED to see how he’s laid out his bio with song title references as subheadings. So go have a look and connect with him while you’re there. YouTubeAnd if you’re catching up on your to-do list, break up the boredom by watching our last episode. Phill from Nudge podcast tells us all about behavioural psychology and how you can use certain principles to your advantage when marketing your business. Watch it here 👇Cheers, Mel & BenFind our producer, theme composer and bearded beauty Ant Henderson on LinkedIn. 🎙️ Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and Audible This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    41 分
  • 30 Where Is My Mind: marketing psychology with Phill Agnew from Nudge podcast

    30 Where Is My Mind: marketing psychology with Phill Agnew from Nudge podcast
    2025/08/07

    Want to trick people into buying from you? Then read on!Jokes, that’s deeply unethical, please don’t do that.

    Today’s pod episode is a bit special. Firstly, it’s episode 30 (toot toot 🎺) and secondly, we’ve got a guest! He’s the host of the UK’s #1 marketing podcast and he’s also probably the UK’s #1 “marketer who could trick you into buying something from him” (but he won’t coz he’s a nice guy) it’s…

    👏 Phill Agnew from Nudge 👏

    The episode is called Where Is My Mind and it’s all about principles of behavioural psychology you can (ethically!) use to your advantage as an indie business owner.

    We had a lovely time recording with Phill. Lotsa laughs and lotsa insights including…

    - how to get some reciprocity (I can’t say it without singing Lauryn Hill in my head - IYKYK)

    - why it helps to demonstrate the effort behind your work instead of outsourcing everything to AI

    - the pratfall effect and why showing your human side helps (to a point)

    - how obsessed Phill is with Ben’s lovely voice (🙄)

    We also got some behind-the-scenes intel on how Phil uses psychology to promote his own podcast Nudge, including how he gets people to sign up to his email list.

    On a completely unrelated topic.. 👀 In the episode Phill mentions the 25 books he recommends you read in 2025 and 5 you should avoid (you can tell he’s a psychologist). Slap your email address in right here at this here link here here it’s this one here to get Phill’s knowledge in your box.

    YouTube

    I’m behind in editing the episode videos for YouTube because it takes lots of effort (which is a good thing - see above) but I skipped a few to make sure this one is ready to view in time so you get to see Phill’s lovely face. Watch it here.

    We’ll leave you with Phill’s testimonial about the episode 😎👇

    "I don't think I've laughed this much on a podcast in a long time"Cheers,

    Mel & Ben

    PS: The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti.Find our producer, theme composer and legal eagle Ant Henderson on LinkedIn and you can watch older episodes of the show on YouTube here. 🎙️ Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and Audible



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    40 分
  • 29 We Want The Airwaves: starting a podcast

    29 We Want The Airwaves: starting a podcast
    2025/07/24
    This episode is brought to you by Copy Or Die, the copywriting agency we work at, which Ben co-founded with Dave Harland. If you say you listen to the podcast we’ll probably give you I dunno, 0.05% off or something. Subscribe nowHi, Mel here,Today’s episode is all about starting a podcast. In our first attempt at recording our last episode (on starting something new), we rambled on and on about indie business club. It felt too self-indulgent (even for us) so we re-recorded that episode and made starting a podcast an episode topic in itself. As you can tell by the extended runtime, we enjoyed self-indulgently talking about ourselves. In this episode, we covera bullet point, quick (hah!) recap of our podcast origin storydecisions to make when considering starting a podcastquick audio quality wins (including getting your mic the right way around)cushions, and other sound mufflersbare minimum gear and tech requirementssome “behind the scenes” chat about how we’ve improved stuff along the wayhow and why to put structure into your podcastDisclaimer: we are not podcast experts. Far from it. This is just a conversation about how we’ve done things, and why.A rare time I’ve checked what I said I’d put in the shownotes 👇Podcasts we’ve been on as guests…Mel’s is hereBen’s is hereAnd we had a question in from Martin Dewar about what gear we use. Here’s our “stack” (as the kids call it):Ben’s mic: Rode NT-USB.Mel’s mic: Rode Podmic USB - and we both have mic arms so we can avoid bashing the mics too much. Riverside FM for recording.Anthony P Henderson’s magic scissors (and magic brain) for editing.Canva and Riverside for editing the videos. Canva for our graphics. Substack for publishing the podcast and sending out these here emails.VoicenotedToday’s voicenote is by Graham Coath, a LinkedIn content creative, podcast maker and business consultant. He also has a LinkedIn sales training course which you can read about here. Graham’s podcast with Marianne Mills is A Better Way Of Life.Your Friend And MineThis week’s YFAM is a beautiful human inside and out. Leyla Alexander is a graphic designer who helps brave brands stand out, connect, and grow with thoughtful branding and graphic design.Alongside her design studio, she founded and runs You Are The Sea, a sustainable, ocean-inspired clothing brand that gives back to the sea by donating £2 to Surfers Against Sewage for every item of clothing sold. Find Leyla on Linkedin here and on her website where you can sign up for her newsletter, The Happy Palette. ResourcesOne of the best ways to learn about podcasts is to listen to other podcasts! Shout out to Being Freelance, the podcast by our pal Steve Folland. Steve interviews freelancers about their journey and as he’s a podcast producer himself, the production value is excellent.Colin Gray runs ThePodcastHost.com and has a youtube channel with tonnes of great info. Our pal Charles Commins started Mic’s Podcast Club with Vic Turnbull. It’s a regular online meetup that’s a great source of support, advice and community. Chris Stone has a newsletter here on Substack called Podcast Strategy Weekly. Catch the replayHave you seen our Marketing Meetup webinar on how to grow a freelance business? Please watch it to pump the numbers 😉 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    53 分
  • 28 Roll With It: starting something new

    28 Roll With It: starting something new
    2025/07/10

    This episode is brought to you in partnership with Nikki Pilkington - SEO expert, copywriter, legend, and friend of the show. You can get 20% off Nikki’s full SEO course and on-page SEO toolkit with our code IBC20. Learn more at nonwankyseo.com

    Today’s episode is all about starting something new. It’s called Roll With It (we promise we aren’t just jumping on the Oasis bandwagon…)

    In the episode, we talk about- why you should follow your gut when something keeps “winking” at you- shiny object syndrome (and what it could mean)- worky and non-worky new things- how taking advice from others can be a good (and bad) idea- examples of people we know who have gone for it and started something new

    We ripped off Buzzfeed/LadBible so this is a listicle episode 😉 Here are some things we think you should consider before starting something new…

    1) Do you actually have time to do this thing justice?2) If it’s a product or service, does anyone actually want it?3) How realistic are you being with yourself about the work involved?4) What’s the cost to you?5) What’s the ROI?6) What does success look like?7) What should you outsource?8) If you’re starting with someone else, how will you divide up tasks?

    And of course you can expect our usual conversational meanderings.

    If you’re pondering a new thing, give the episode a listen and then let us know if it’s helped.

    Voicenoted

    Today’s voicenote comes from friend of the show Sophie Cross. Sophie is editor and founder of Freelancer Magazine, the quarterly print magazine that also offers subscribers lots of other benefits including three virtual coworking calls per week and lunch and learn sessions. You can subscribe at: freelancermagazine.co.uk - look out for our faces in there. Thank you Steve, Jen, Glenn and Fiona for your kind words :)

    Your Friend And Mine

    This week’s YFAM is Glenn Sturgess, a legendary copywriter with an illustrious career as head of copy at some of the biggest agencies and businesses. Glenn’s written ads that you’ve definitely seen and heard. He's now freelance and running his business Write This Way Ltd. Glenn is incredibly generous with his time and advice and he’s a big supporter of the show too. Find Glenn on LinkedIn here.

    Catch the replay

    We spoke to Joe Glover all about freelancing at The Marketing Meetup webinar. Please watch it so the view count gets nice and high. Coz we’d love a part two 😉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6H03qh6UA4&t=1s

    Thank yoooooou,

    Mel & BenFind our producer, theme composer and audioslave Ant Henderson on LinkedIn and you can watch older episodes of the show on YouTube here.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    40 分
  • 27 Music Sounds Better With You: audio branding

    27 Music Sounds Better With You: audio branding
    2025/06/26
    Hi, Mel here,Today’s episode is all about audio branding. And so, we’ve brought in the expert! Of course, it’s sound guy (and sound guy) our producer and theme composer Ant Henderson *insert big cheering noises here - it’s what he’d want* Subscribe nowWe talk aboutwhy audio branding workshow to insert a little audio magic into your businessour favourite jingles (maybe we mentioned yours?) though sadly Ant was reluctant to sing despite being a literal rockstar (we’ll link to that story another day if he lets us)some random jingle factsWe had an incredible response to my request for jingle suggestions on LinkedIn. Sadly, we couldn’t possibly run through the whole lot (the episode is already way longer than normal!) and you’ll have to listen to see if we got to yours ;)George Levens and Emma Pritchard sent in some jingle voicenotes and a special thank you to the incredible Stefanie Mellano for her rendition of… well, you’ll have to hear it yourself. Paul Burgess sent in some punk band covers of jingles:VoicenotedToday’s voicenote comes from our pal Jack Chambers-Ward. Jack is Marketing and Partnerships manager at Candour search agency, and he hosts the Search With Candour podcast and Sequalisers, a podcast about fixing bad film sequels. He’s already a friend of the show (episode 12) and he’s the first listener I ever met in the wild who we didn’t already know. Hopefully we’ll be able to do a podcast crossover with Jack some time. As predicted in the show, we have not included all the links in the shownotes because there were frankly way too many to keep track of. But that’s okay because Google exists ;) I will remember to put this in though - Molly Scanlan’s newsletter (for excellent facts and info on how to be less evil) is at www.mollygetsitdone.comCatch the replayWe spoke to Joe Glover all about freelancing at The Marketing Meetup webinar. Please watch it so the view count gets nice and high. Coz we’d love a part two 😉 Thank yoooooou, Mel & BenFind our producer, theme composer and special VIP guest star Ant Henderson on LinkedIn and you can watch older episodes of the show on YouTube here. If you enjoy the show, you can chip in on our production costs with a £3 contribution at ko-fi.com/indiebusinessclub please and thank you 💖🎙️ Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and Audible This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    49 分
  • 26 You Get What You Give: outsourcing

    26 You Get What You Give: outsourcing
    2025/06/12
    Today’s episode is all about outsourcing. Are you an outsourcer? Or an outsourceee? Or both? Did I just make up those words? At least one of them. Either way, to keep it easy we’re using “outsourcing” to cover any projects that are done by someone who’s not on the payroll. We discuss the pros and cons, what to watch out for if you’re outsourcing, how to be a good outsourceee (we should use more triple-Es in made-up words) and highlight how outsourcing can help you scale your business both up and down, depending on how things are going. BTW, this episode is supported by Freelancer Magazine, the quarterly magazine for freelancers, founders, and the freelance-curious. Along with the mag (which is printed or digital) your subscription gives you a whole heap of other benefits including three virtual coworking sessions every week. You can subscribe here or find it on LinkedIn and on “instantgram” @freelancermag. Ben and I are both in the upcoming issue on client processes and getting new clients. Look! Ben’s the COVER GIRL!VoicenotedOur lovely pal Jo Marshall is today’s voicenoter. Jo runs All Things Words, the copywriting agency for higher education providers. Jo and her team provide copy audits, course copy and content. Shout out to Louis and Ivy too! You can find Jo on LinkedIn and at allthingswords.co.uk.Your friends and mine A double bill this time and first up is VA to creative types like us, Erin Buck. Erin is a firm supporter of the show and knows a thing or two about podcasts herself, having hosted Women In Business podcast for multiple series. Find her at her website and on LinkedIn. We also want give a shout out to friend of the show and past voicenoter (episode 13) Rishi Dastidar who has a new book which is out now. A Hobby Of Mine is published by Broken Sleep Books, and is described as “an unrelenting catalogue of cultural observations which becomes an absurd and profound portrait of modern life”Buy it from brokensleepbooks.com and all good bookshops.And can you do us a favour?We’re speaking on The Marketing Meetup webinar this coming Tuesday 17th June at 2pm. Please come along and watch us get quizzed by Joe/James from TMM so we don’t have to talk to an empty room. Okay, so it’s virtual and there’s no real room… and you aren’t on camera anyway, but you know what we mean. Sign up is here. Thank yoooooou, Mel & BenFind our producer, theme composer and apprentice roofer Ant Henderson on LinkedIn and you can watch older episodes of the show on YouTube here. If you enjoy the show, you can chip in on our production costs with a £3 contribution at ko-fi.com/indiebusinessclub please and thank you 💖🎙️ Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and Audible This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit indiebusinessclub.substack.com
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    35 分