Effective Networking, Passive Income & How to Get More Gigs

"Just as it's your responsibility to be good at what you do, it's your job to be known as a top performer that's enjoyable to work with."

Written by Chris Coletti, Interview by Seth Hanes

It can be frustrating to find yourself struggling to survive as a freelancer after spending most of your life perfecting your craft.  It's a lesson often learned a little late: being good, even great, is not enough.So why do some get all the work while others never get a chance to prove themselves? Are there skills we can learn that will lead to a better freelancing career and bigger opportunities?In this podcast I am interviewed by Seth Hanes (@sethhanes) --  horn player, digital marketing consultant and creator of the popular freelancing blog, the Musician's Guide to Hustling.  We cover a ton, including:

• The one thing you can start doing right now to grow your freelancing business
• Things you might be doing that are sabotaging your career
• How to improve your social skills and network like a pro (even if you're shy)
• Suggested reading to help you create to career of your dreams

Creatives tend to put an overwhelmingly big emphasis on honing our craft and little to none on the skills that can turn our work into a career.  Have no fear--it's not that difficult, it just takes a slightly different approach. And since so few think about freelancing this way, you don't have to master it to be miles ahead!

Books referenced in this interview

Books on Psychology and Behaviour:

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
• Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
• Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown

 Books to help you market yourself and understand business and money:

• Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
• Get More Fans: The DIY Guide to the New Music Business by Jesse Cannon and Todd Thomas
• I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Books on productivity, learning and self mastery:

• The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzkin
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success by Shane Snow
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (by Benjamin Franklin)