The Risk of Referrals

The Risk of Referrals

Author: Millo April 24, 2025 Duration: 57:23
On today’s show, if you get most of your clients from referrals, is that a good thing? Or is your business at risk of failing? You’re about to hear a coaching call with Dwaynia, who’s calling in from Alabama in the USA. Dwaynia has a great writing business going. She’s working with clients she loves and has a small team to support her. But, Dwaynia literally lies awake at night worried about not having a client generation system in place to bring in predictable new work. Her annual goals are literally pulled out of thin air, and she’s not sure how to fix it. Clay and I share a few of our best ideas for building a predictable client referral system, as well as other ways to get clients in the door in a more predictable way. Here we go. This episode was originally aired on January 13, 2022. PS: Get featured in an upcoming Q&A! Just visit http://freelancetofounder.com/ask and submit a question.  Support our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make this show 100% free to you. Support them at the link below. https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Get your own on-air coaching call We'd love to feature your business and offer some free on-air advice for growing your business. To see if you're a good fit, click here. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: If you enjoy the show, can you do us a favor and leave us an honest rating and review on Apple Podcasts? We'll love you forever. Click here to leave a review. More Recommended Listening: This show is a part of the Podglomerate, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter. We suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows about entrepreneurship, business, and creativity, such as Rocketship.fm and Creative Elements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a common gap between working for yourself and truly building something that lasts, and Freelance to Founder lives in that space. This isn’t just theory; it’s a daily conversation for freelancers who are tired of the unpredictable income and ready to create a real business. Host Preston Lee draws from his own journey from freelancer to someone who has built and sold companies, and he brings that grounded perspective to every episode. Nearly every weekday, Preston is joined by other founders and entrepreneurs who’ve navigated the same path, breaking down the practical steps you can take to scale your solo operation. The call-in format means you’re hearing real questions from people in the trenches, facing the same client issues, pricing dilemmas, and growth plateaus you might be. Listening to this podcast feels like having a direct line to a supportive and experienced mastermind group, one that focuses on actionable strategies over vague inspiration. It’s for the designer, writer, developer, or consultant who’s ready to move beyond the feast-or-famine cycle and lay the foundation for something more substantial and sustainable. The discussions are candid, the advice is tested, and the goal is always clear: helping you transition from a solo practitioner to the founder of a thriving business.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Freelance to Founder
Podcast Episodes
Drumming Up More Attention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:32
Have you ever thought: “if I can just get the attention of more people, I could close more clients and grow my business” That’s where we find today’s guest, Jay. He’s a web developer and SEO expert in Kentucky, USA. And…
[Q&A] Lost Your Passion? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:52
In today's Q&A, Rachel Stoneking, from our free Facebook Mastermind Group asked how she could get a passion for her business back. She shares her personal feeling of anxiety and disappointment after losing clients with C…
Networking Anxiety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:08
On today’s show: do you keep hearing how important networking is, but you really just don’t enjoy it? In this episode, we chat with Morgan, a freelancer from Chicago. Morgan can see the potential in networking with local…
[Q&A] Marketing Plan Help? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:05
On today’s show, where do you start when it comes to making a marketing plan for your business? That’s what Thomassina asks us and—since Clay and I both have extensive marketing backgrounds—we end up having a lot to say…
Finding Rockstar Subcontractors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:16
On today’s show, have you ever thought: if I could just find the right person to hire, I could scale up my business. That’s how Virginia from Argentina feels about her unique content marketing company. The challenge? Vir…
[Q&A] Freelancer to Millionaire? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:55
On today’s show: can you become a millionaire as a freelancer? Podcast listener Suman wrote in with that simple yet not-so-simple question, and we do our best to reveal whether or not you can get rich working as a freela…
Good Idea? Freelancing as a Family... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:25
Is freelancing as a family a good idea? Can it actually work? That’s part of what we get into with our call-in guest, Dave. Dave is the father of 3 talented young developers. Together, they’ve started an agency. Well… so…
[Q&A] Can I Grow without Hiring? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:50
On today’s Q&A episode, "Can you grow without hiring?" It’s a pretty tricky question we got from Tony—a freelance videographer in Paris, France. He wants to add graphic design, web design, SEO, social media, and many oth…
Too Busy to Grow? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:04
On today’s show: Do you ever feel like you’re just way too busy to actually spend time growing your business? If so, you’re not alone. We chatted with Will Gibbons, who works with cool clients like Peloton, 3M, and Vizio…
[Q&A] Best Tools as I Grow? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:45
On today’s Q&A episode, what are the best tools to use as your freelance business grows? That’s what Cesar asks us because his business is outgrowing tools like Google Drive. So, Clay and I launch into our best advice on…