Category Archives: Running the Biz

Ed Gandia

How to Handle Difficult Conversations With Clients

Growing a successful solo business requires more than writing or marketing expertise. You also need to be great to work with. And a big part of being great to work with is knowing how to have difficult …
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Ed Gandia

#278: How ‘Original Research’ Projects Create a Wellspring of Profitable Writing Assignments

One of the big challenges writers face is having to continually find new clients and writing assignments. Unless all your clients feed you a ton of work every month, you have to constantly hustle to find …
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Ed Gandia

#277: How to Respond to an Angry Client

Brandon Welch is a marketing consultant who works with local businesses. Recently, he explained how these businesses should respond to negative online reviews. As I read his advice, I realized his approach is very similar to …
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Ed Gandia

Our Top Episodes and Articles of 2021

It’s hard to believe, but yet another year has passed us by! Before we put a wrap on 2021, I’d like to thank all of the wonderful guests we had on the High-Income Business Writing podcast …
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Ed Gandia

How to Say “No” More Easily

If there’s one challenge most of us share, it’s saying no. Saying no to a client’s request for a fast turnaround. Saying no to a project fee that’s way too low. Saying no to a project we’re not …
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Ed Gandia

Delegating to Yourself

I delegate way too many tasks and projects. That might sound odd. After all, isn’t delegating a good thing? Yes, it is. But it also depends on what you’re delegating . . . and to whom. The problem …
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Ed Gandia

#273: Abundance as a Way of Life, with Peleg Top

I firmly believe we live in a world of infinite abundance. Yet that’s an easy thing to forget, especially when we’re bombarded every day with the opposite message. And if you’re not careful, you can start approaching …
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Ed Gandia

How to Take Control of Frustrating Client Situations

Sometimes new clients can’t decide what they want. They start with a specific project. But somewhere between sending a quote and getting the go-ahead, they change the scope completely. And it continues to evolve even as …
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Ed Gandia

#272: The Upside of Saying No

Author and habit expert James Clear recently reminded me of a very powerful truth: “When you say no, you are only saying no to one option. When you say yes, you are saying no to every …
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Ed Gandia

#271: Hiring Your Kids to Help You in Your Business, with Linsey Knerl

I often encourage my coaching clients to adopt a “Who Not How” mindset. That means accepting that you’re not necessarily the best person to handle every single role in your business. So rather than trying to figure …
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Ed Gandia

Finding the Right Mix of Projects with the Genius/Value Matrix

It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying “yes” to every project and every client. But when the default is yes, you end up taking on projects that aren’t profitable or suitable. That’s the fastest …
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Ed Gandia

Two Proven Strategies for Creating Your Own Marketing Content More Consistently

Many writers struggle to write their own marketing content. They feel like everything has already been said. But honestly, this is just a story they tell themselves. Nothing more. Because it’s not true. There are all kinds …
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Ed Gandia

#270: Give Yourself Permission to Go After Bigger Clients

A coaching client recently asked me what she needed to do to start going after bigger clients. By that, she meant brand-name, Fortune 500 clients. What I found most interesting in her question wasn’t the intention. It was …
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Ed Gandia

If You Could Go Back…

People sometimes ask me: “If you could go back in time, what would you change about your life or business?” It’s the classic “time travel” question. And I understand why people ask. They want me to talk …
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Ed Gandia

Hacking Your First Draft

Not many writers enjoy writing the first draft of any assignment. It can be very difficult to get started. So we tend to procrastinate. But procrastination leads to anxiety. And that just makes everything worse. For a number …
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