How to Land Freelance Clients from Facebook Groups, Follow-Ups, and Peer Referrals #270

Emily Reagan All right, we’re back with our series, seven ways to book clients. We’re going to continue this topic. And as a reminder, unicorn digital marketing assistant school is opening soon. Make sure you’re on the wait list so you can get some special perks in an early offer. And if you’re already doing the work, make sure you apply for our digital marketers work group. We’re looking for five new all stars for November and December, get your applications in now. So let’s jump into more freelancers sharing how they do it. We’re going to talk about how to position yourself inside other communities, not necessarily like the paid one, like the work group, but how to interact with the clients in the online space and not come off with that like desperate proving energy, offering something somebody doesn’t actually want and need. So I have Brittany Gardner here to share how she shows up in groups. I think we’re talking a lot about Facebook groups, right? Brittany Yeah. So I think, as we talked about, it’s kind of like the long game aspect of it. I’ve been a part of your network since like 2020, so like five years. I think I’m the longest person that is talking today, who’s been a part of your network, so all of the previous people have spoken. I’ve done the same prospecting or receiving of job leads. I’ve, I think from you, I think I’ve gotten 22 by being in your network so far. And that’s, again, I can’t remember who said it, but one of you said that we’re not looking for leads anymore. We’re not actively going on and looking through your job ops. Something might pop up and like, okay, I guess I’ll go reach out just to feel the flavor of it. But from this point, I’ve just, I’m word of mouth. I have people coming to me, but that’s the like greatness of being here for the long game is that I planted so many seeds my first, like, one or two years that has allowed me the ability to kind of rest when it comes to marketing myself. I’m like a Psy. I don’t really have a website. Even though I build websites for people, it’s a really fun, ironic catch 22 situation. And I think it’s just that, you know, I’m just so sick of building websites. When it comes to me, I’m, you know, the contractor who builds million dollar houses and then they live in like this, never ending, you know, fixer upper, because it’s like, why I do it all day, but this is besides the point. You don’t have to be super flashy out there put together. Just jump in and do it. And that’s like, my best advice for you guys is to do that. And so one of the ways that I jumped in there was joining a bunch of Facebook groups, realizing that if I want my clients and I want my dream clients, I need to be a part of the Squarespace groups. I need to be a part of the flow desk groups, the active campaigns, the kajabis, whatever the tech is, because at some point somebody is going to need assistance. You’ll be in those groups, and you’ll see, like, I’m so sick of trying to DIY it myself, and so I really am looking for somebody to do X, Y and Z, and at that point, I would caution you don’t overly pitch yourself, but sit there and add value to that conversation. Inquire, like, oh, like, oh, like, why are you struggling with that? What’s, what’s been the problem? Oh, I know, you know, I’ve tried this, and it’s okay to give away a little bit of your secret sauce, because by doing it, you’re showing them that you know your stuff. They’re gonna know be there at 3am in the morning, you know, pulling out their hair, and they’re going to be like, Oh man, I wish I could reach out to so and so they’re going to find you, they’re going to DM you, and you’re going to start that whole entire pitch of being like, oh great, yeah, I can hop on. This is my rate. This is what I do. I could take care of that for you. So I’ve definitely gotten a lot of job leads through that. But that also comes with the tagging back and forth of people in your network, and that’s where being a part of the work group has been super beneficial, is because we’re part of all these groups, and I’m like, Oh yeah, I know that, like Angela can do this, or winter would be a great person for this, or Susie, or whoever else comes to mind for those specific tasks. It’s like, maybe I don’t want to do it, but I want to show them that this person can. And so by doing this, I’m building out my little network of seating by saying that, like I value other people, I’m a real person. I’m not some bot, right? Because I’m real. I’m also putting sometimes random links to my booking page, and so I’m getting some like SEO out there. I’m kind of allowing people to find me and get funneled into me. So I’m offering multiple entry points. Yes to me, and I think that’s just a really great opportunity for getting job leads. One of the things that I also invested in is sometimes joining low cost summits, like one specifically was Amy porterfield’s boot camp for going into DCA, and I think it was like, $29 and I’m like, hey, you know, I get to write it off. That’s not a problem for me to go into this group. And the reason I did was because a lot of the people that we were seeing coming into the job leads were all DCA grads, and they’re looking to build their courses and get started and do all of the framework that Amy teaches, and part of it is that she does teach you should hire out some of this work. And so being able to go in there, I was able to kind of set myself up as the anti flow desk person. And I have a different opinion now, because, mind you, this was three or four years ago, and I was being hired word of mouth from people to help migrate people off of flow desk to other service providers, because it was not as robust as it is today. So I’m going into that group. And people are like, Oh, which service provider should I use? And it’s like, oh, okay, well, I’m helping somebody currently move from flow desk because of these reasons. Like, why do you think that you need this? And like, provided more of those values, citing that I’m doing the work. And I think I ended up with like, five different discovery calls from that one Summit. I locked down two clients from it that I helped build their strategic marketing plan out of it. And so it’s just those little seeds where, like, I can spend, like, you know, 20 minutes going through Facebook, like I’m a doom scroller at night. Why not replay the messages? And, you know, work from my bed when I want to. And I think those are, like, those are really great returns, right? You get a client out of it. I spent $29 it was a one time fee, and my information lasts in that group for years. I joined again, and I’ve done a lot of that in summits that I’m a part of, because there are summits that I want to attend and I’m learning. And by being able to go in as a service provider, as a marketing professional, as a strategist, I’m able to provide that value that, you know, other people might be looking to grow their business and need a little hand holding, or need to, you know, get there, and one of those ways is by offering coffee chats, not necessarily, hey, you got to pay to hang out with me. But hey, let’s do that little bit of networking to, you know, figure out what are you doing? What are your skills? What can I be on the lookout for you, so that I then can refer you in Facebook groups, or you can refer me in Facebook groups. And so you need to have that networking kind of in place. And I say this as a 100% introvert, and somebody who, like, will not go to any Chamber of Commerce meetings. That was like the worst experience of my life when I went to one in person, being able to do things behind your computer and to do it one on one, and be able to kind of control that situation is, like, you know, a chef’s kiss for somebody like me, you know, who understands I need to be out there. But like, the effort to be out there is so draining for me. So I would just really, if you’re meaning like me, a little bit kind of go that that way, and build those connections, and really look for there’s that delicate balance of like quantity over quality, right, or over quantity, depending on what you’re looking for in it. I’ve done the route of, I think one year I went like November through December. I like interviewed whoever had discovery calls with whoever would come back. Remember that? Like, 2030 calls, and I got zero clients from that. And it was because somebody told me, like, oh, you need to do as many calls as possible, and you’ll just land your person. And I’m like, when I first started, I took six calls, and I took all six clients home with me, like, I just needed to find the clients that were right for me. And so going through and looking through those job leads, you can be selective, and I know there’s sometimes when you’re in feast or famine mode, like you want the you know, like, we’ll take whatever you want, but oftentimes those are the job leads like you kind of like regret you are looking to offload as quickly as possible, but there is no right or wrong reason. It’s just kind of, whatever your effort is into trying to find a job lead that energy is going to reciprocate for you. It’s not, you know, there’s no guarantee for getting jobs. But there are a lot of ways to make sure that you are leveraged and put into a position to be found and to be a hot commodity if you have the skills and services that can back it up. Ooh, Emily Reagan that was a good sound bite, right there. Okay, I want, I want to cover a couple things you just said. So strategically, Britney’s in the groups where these clients are hiring. So you’ve done the research. You’re hanging out there. I loved when you said, do not overly pitch yourself. I almost see it two ways when I’m in these groups. And by the way, I’ve gotten a lot of job leads for the work group. Just me being active too. I see a lot of people just do, like, the hands up emoji, like, Who do I know that does this? It’s like a straight up, like, job request. And people are like, and that never works. There’s no context that even happens in the work group. I’m gonna call some of you out. Sometimes I’m like, oh, I need a trauma informed customer service person. And like, like, a couple of people didn’t acknowledge the thing that I actually needed, right? Or I say, I need your email, and then I we don’t put in the email. So I’m gonna call a couple of us out on there, but I also see the overly like, book a call here, book a call here. But again, no context. I was in a Facebook group a couple years ago, and someone was talking had an issue, and all these people jumped on them and like, my packages are this and this and this and all I said, Brittany, was, where are you stuck? I was even looking for a client, and guess who fell in love with me and hired me and wanted to Google was like, begging to get on my calendar. And so I also loved what you said. I made notes about this. You’re seeding in that you do the client work, and you can do this in your discovery calls it just oozes confidence. You’re like, oh, and my last client project, or I’ve run across this glitch when I was doing this client’s thing, or, you know, just kind of casually mentioning that you do client work, I think is, like, probably the very strategic way to say you sell without selling, yeah, 100% Brittany you don’t want to overthink it. You don’t want somebody to yeah, see all the links, be overwhelmed by all the links. It’s one of the great things about the work group is that you try to limit, limit it to 10 people applying for a job op, because it’s overwhelming. I’ve talked to this to the clients that are saying, like, oh my gosh, I had four people inbox me, like, right away, and they’re just, like overwhelmed by four, and you got to go into these groups, and you see, like so many people just throw spaghetti at the wall, and it reeks of desperation sometimes. So being able to go in and say, like, Hey, why are you stuck? Why are you looking to change your your whole entire platform on a website, to something completely different, like, who’s speaking into your ear right now that we need to silence, that you can maintain the course, not do something drastic that you’ll hate and spend 1000s of dollars. Like, let’s, let’s just take a pause and see how we can fix the situation. And so those people are the ones that you know they want the little hand holding they want to be, you know, told it’s okay. And again, this is also kind of subjective, because if you are attracting higher clients, people like, in your mastermind, those people aren’t going to be in those Facebook groups that are asking for, like, oh, like, I need a recommendation. They’re going through, and they’re going to you, they’re going to people in their network and asking, what VA, who are you working with, who can solve my problem? And they’re, they’re going to get that done ASAP, where these people in the Facebook groups, the people who are starting out, who are asking questions, they might be limited in their knowledge. And so, you know, they’re they’re starting up, and so you need to kind of nurture and coddle and go the long game with them, to help them get to a place in their business that they’re comfortable with, and hopefully you get them to an Amy Porterfield status. Emily Reagan I’m glad you brought that up, because I was thinking about that while you’re talking like but where are the higher end clients? That’s probably what a lot of people are asking. And there are those Facebook groups I’m in some of them, with high level people, and not just anyone is invited, and they will straight up ask because they feel safe, because they’re not going to get inundated with 40,000 virtual assistants reaching out to them. But it’s all peer to peer referrals, which is why we talked about Angela. That’s why we brought up a Psy and client referrals, because that is it’s a networking game. Those Facebook groups exist, but sometimes you do pay to get on them. Sometimes they’re free, or sometimes, like the tech ones can be a resource of both. But I’m glad you brought that up, because you are going to have to figure out, like, my ideal client, where are they? And not every seven figure business owner is going to just like, blatantly say, like, I’m hiring in these places. Brittany Yeah. And I think it’s also good to go in with a level head of understanding that. So you may have to pay your dues. And so like, my first year, my first clients, I charged $20 an hour, and now I’m up to, like, 75 and, like, I am priced out of certain people. And that was actually part of my pitch when I first started, was that, like, I know what I’m doing. I’m not, you know, like your bottom of the barrel. Va, but I’m also not, you know, too expensive that you can’t afford me. That was always part of my first pitch in my first one or two years, justifying that, like, you know, like, oh, I charge 35 an hour. Where, like, now, like people, that’s like the new 20, I don’t know, but I don’t hang out over there. And I think that’s okay to kind of be honest and say that, like, you know my my price reflects my skill set. Do you want somebody who doesn’t know how to do everything, or do you want to pay for the specialist that isn’t going to help you for the things that they’re not specialized in, like that sweet spot? So if you go in realizing that you’re not, maybe going to get that million dollar client all the time, and then you kind of have to work for it, I think you’ll go in a healthier way of landing jobs and landing Emily Reagan clients. Yeah, it is a long game. I’m glad you brought that up. It can also be a quick ROI if it’s something that you do consistently, people can see your activity and your history. And this works outside of Facebook groups. This could work on other social media platforms, like, communities are everywhere, right? Like, it could be like in a free circle community. It could be on LinkedIn. It could be in Reddit. There are other forums too. Facebook just seems to be the easiest one to search and find, but you have to, and you mentioned this, optimize your main profile. So if you’re interacting at in this one group, when people click away, and this is kind of the common theme today, what are they going to find? Do you look professional and official? And is it very clear what the next step is? And so I had somebody come to me the other day, kind of complaining about freelancers, and they’re like, I’m trying to figure out who you are, you’re interacting, and then I click over, and I can’t tell anymore. And so you really have to think about that customer journey and how you’re presented in the online space. And it doesn’t mean you have to be posting the social regular, but you do need to have your core messaging done. Brittany Yeah, and I think for what I have set up for me is that I try to have professional looking graphics or professional assets that I can use. I’m pretty faceless on my stuff. I don’t like showing my face, so being on Instagram is hard, and so I have, like my grid. It is what it is. I try to update occasionally, but I’m not active on Instagram. I’m really active on threads. I’m more than happy to sit there and connect and write anything and everything on threads, because it’s baseless. But also my website, even though I say I don’t have one, I have one, I bought the domain name. And I think that’s a huge thing that you can do for your business, is just by the domain name and put, like, coming soon, or just put your booking link at that point, because somebody’s gonna say, like, oh well, they bought the domain. That’s better than, you know, whatever, your business.wordpress.com, Emily Reagan like, 404, or something, yes. Brittany So at least do something. Park it, own it, throw a little something up there, just so it shows that you’re a real person. It’s the same thing I tell you know, I’ve worked with social media like women, you know, Gen Xers, maybe even boomers. And I always have to say, like, I know you don’t want to be on Instagram, but I just need you to show up occasionally. Just show up that you are a real person, that you’re still breathing and that you’re around, just just pop in every now, like a few things, you know, comment on a few things, but you don’t have to go all in and have this huge social media strategy. And, you know, I just don’t think that’s a good ROI, Emily Reagan no marketing. I don’t think social is ever a good ROI for a freelancer. I will just die on that hill, but you said you went into key summits, key challenges, key workshops. And that’s what I have done. If I haven’t been speaking, I have not worked with the other speakers. Janelle talked about that with the bundles. Just don’t spread yourself too thin, like if you’re going to pay to be in somewhere, make sure you have the capacity to actually do it and block the time and do it and be strategic, intentional about that, like being in too many it’s all it’s about quality, right, not just the quantity, 100% Yeah. Okay, cool. Thank you, Brittany for sharing that. I think that’s such an easy thing that people can do right now to gain clients. Is, like, figure out, what are those couple of Facebook groups to be in, and start, start interacting there and like, build that, that archived activity. So when people look at you, they’re like, Oh, she didn’t just suddenly show up and post because somebody is hiring. So okay, and then we put your Instagram, even though you’re kind of in and out over there. But I. Brittany I’m in practice of rebuilding and rebranding and older, refining things. But I did not say one more thing, yeah, since everybody was talking about their ROI being in the work group, oh, my ROI, since joining has been 1,766% Emily Reagan Oh my gosh. 1,000% Brittany 1700 Yeah. So like, thank you. I will ride or die for anybody who says, like, Oh, it’s too expensive. Like, it is not if you know what you’re doing, you can get in. It’s worth it. I, like, freaked out when I first joined, being like, I don’t know if I can afford that. And I have never, like, I said, I booked out six clients within the first month. Like, it’s totally possible it’s great. Like, and I’m at the point where I don’t have to look for clients. I’ve seated myself enough that people come to me. Now, I Emily Reagan think that’s the biggest win right there. Just like Angela too. It’s like, that is where the power is. People are finding you, and you don’t have to cold pitch anyone, Brittany yeah, and I don’t have to play the game. Like, I my own game. I guess Emily Reagan you’re safe. Like, like, that roller coaster has evened out, and you have been very smart about it. And again, it’s long term. It didn’t happen overnight, everybody. Oh, thank you for sharing that. I’m like, really, like, trying not to cry when everyone shares their numbers. I’m like, Oh, just the impact here. It feels so good. Okay. Liz is here to talk about basically following up with the warm leads and her her strategy here, because she had sent me a message back in July that she booked 10k in client work. I’m like, oh my god, girl, you have to tell us what you did. What did you say? How did you position yourself? Tell us everything of how you did this. Because, like, that is just phenomenal. And I don’t go around saying, like, everyone can make 10k. There are caveats here. We talked about Liz doing the work, the positioning being really good with her services. She’s gotten to this point. But how did you do it? Liz Cruz Yeah, so thank you for having me. I’m excited to be on I know it’s late in the in the days, so we’re gonna get through this fast. So, yeah, really, honestly, like what you just said, it’s really about positioning yourself. You know, I made this note for myself, just that higher paying clients, or clients that are willing to pay you for your services, want to see that you have systems. Want to see your confidence, and then they want to know that you’re going to get them results, and not that they’re going to have a quick ROI. Because higher paying clients actually aren’t seeking that. They’re just seeking that you can get the job done. And so I think that I have positioned myself in that way. And so it’s funny because the clients I actually booked for that July, and some of them actually didn’t start till August, they actually weren’t willing to have a higher budget. Like that wasn’t even on the table for them. Their budgets were really low when I had reached out on the initial job op, but none of them are lower than $1,000 retainer package a month. And so that was amazing to me, I mean, but it really was again, with the positioning and knowing exactly what they needed. So I was able to come in and say, Okay, this is what you’re saying you need, but I think you need this. And those initial discovery calls really help us understand exactly where they’re at, so that we know what services to actually offer them. And I think that really helps too. So just positioning myself, and like Robin was saying earlier, just having a template of a message of like, how do you position yourself? What do you say? What’s that initial message supposed to look like? I include my LinkedIn, I include my portfolio, but I speak to what they’re looking for. I’m not just giving them a blanket, you know message. They’re not just getting a generic reach out. It shows that I’m established in this area that you need help in. So I actually also don’t reach out to people that I specifically feel like I can’t help or I’m not qualified to the certain areas. Like, I would not be applying for an Active Campaign. I would tell them to go to Janelle, but something like that. Like, you know, there’s certain things I don’t like do, I don’t do Pinterest management, maybe eventually, but knowing what you do well and then knowing how to position yourself to them about those things. So I think that’s what really helped for those bookings. Emily Reagan I just see the theme of, like, asking questions and figuring out, but it really is about tying in your work to the client’s outcomes, right? They want to know that there is an ROI on there and that they can trust you. But we don’t always get that from the job, the jobs that we share. You have to get on the call and discover that. So what questions do you ask for? Are you communicating this in your initial email outreach? Liz Cruz Yeah, that’s a great question. So I take charge of the call when I’m on calls with these potential clients, from the get go, I start asking them questions. I have a list of those questions. I should have had them up here, but I can share them with anyone who wants to know. But essentially, it’s to undercover the layers of the things they haven’t already shared. So you know, do you already have a team in place? Have you worked with a social media manager in the past? Asked or someone in this capacity, what was that relationship like? Then you’re learning things about the client that you’re like. Is that a red flag? Is it not and these are important things to know. So yeah, the whole thing on red flags you can go over, but it’s very important to ask those specific questions. So like, you know, what are your expectations? What are your business goals? Like, I like to know what are their goals in their business outside of just what I’ll be covering, because when I look at analytics and I look at what I’m going to help them with, I need to see the big picture. So it’s important to uncover the layers about them, you know, basically just understanding them as a whole, so that you know how you know what services to offer them. I think there was something else you asked, and I can’t remember what you were saying. What you were saying. Emily Reagan Well, it’s okay, maybe it’ll come back to us. So how do you get them to pay you more? Because that was some of the questions we had. Is a couple people are like, I think they ghost. And some of it is, you know, the pricing and the pricing objections. So you took somebody who thought their budget was this, how did you convince them to pay you more? Liz Cruz Yeah, I think it was because there was negotiation in the sense of boundaries. So a lot of people have mentioned boundaries today. You don’t want to take on work that you don’t want to do, so that’s the first thing. But if there’s something that you’re willing to go above and beyond for a client that maybe you would offer, you know, at a different tier, but you’re like, I’m gonna meet them in the middle. I know that they need this, and maybe I wouldn’t technically offer this at my lowest offer or package, but I’m going to as a courtesy to them, because I really want to work with them. So I think it comes down to customization. I think that’s the biggest thing. If you’re doing retainer packages and you’re understanding that every client is different, you’re going to have some customizations for that specific person. And that also goes to, you know, speak to that this is they’re expecting that because they’re coming to hire unicorn like they are coming to you, to your work group, to understand that these freelancers are different. We’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to tailor offers to them. And so their expectations are there. They’re wanting those to be met. So I think the biggest thing is just customizing that and then showing them on the call. I think also asking them questions, it shows your authority, because they’re not just getting on the call and then they’re asking you questions and they’re like, is this person even qualified? Emily Reagan Like, I becomes their job interview, right? And you’re not all Liz Cruz together. Yeah, you’re not employee. And so when you position yourself as I am my own business, and you have yours, and we’re collaborating, that helps so much well. And Emily Reagan I think what you hit on something there, because a couple comments we got is like, the time and effort it takes to do proposals or customization, but I think that’s just where we are in this economy. We’re not all this productized service provider at this point. I mean, that would be a dream. Someone just comes to your website and pulls something off the shelf and they buy it. But sometimes we do need to meet clients where they are, and it’s it is a little bit of like proving, like, get a taste of what it’s like to work with me, and then what happens. I always see this as the the upselling or the possibilities once you’re inside, but I think sometimes they need to test it out because they have been burned. And that doesn’t mean you do more for less. It just means you can take your package and piece out like you would a lead magnet, like a small win, something that would give them a taste and moving forward. And I think that that can be the way in with the bigger package for a lot of people, we actually had a work group member tell me, and I can think about where I was listening to Voxer more than I can remember the message. So if I go back to the soccer stadium, she said I did a $200 little thing for them, and once they experienced that, they signed the $4,000 package, no problem. And I’m like, It’s not breaking a boundary, because you’re limiting your scope and what you’re doing, and you’re not saying yes to clients, and, you know, work you don’t want, but if they can get that taste, it can work out. So that’s just like another thing. I went off on a tangent there. Liz Cruz No, that was good. I want to speak to this too. Someone else earlier talking about their website. And like, I need to have this and have this all together. I still don’t have a website, and I’ve been in business for two years. So I started in July of 2023 it is now October of 2025 I’m finally paying for a website, because I’m at a point where I can pay for it. I’m at a point where I can hire help. And so I think it’s also important to know that if you are going to book 10k of work, I also am like, I am one person. So because I want to scale and I want to take on more, there’s a point of, you have to hire, you have to bring other people into play. Even I’ve reached out to unicorns here, and I’m like, I need some other help. Like, you know, what can I get help with? And so it’s important to understand, like, you know, they’re not even looking for you to be perfect or have everything together. It’s that you’re an expert in what you know. And you I think that we don’t credit ourselves enough that we are an expert in certain areas because we haven’t had a conversation with someone who isn’t. And then when you finally do, you’re like, I’m pretty dang good at that. Thank you. Like, it just gives you that you know revelation of, yes, I am good at what I do. And so then pride yourself in that and and that helps with your positioning, too. Emily Reagan Yeah, and I know that it’s attractive for me if someone I think about like the custom proposals and projects, but if I can trust somebody to make it bespoke to me and my needs and is thinking about me, it’s really like, it’s really becomes more outcome focused, because I know that we’re going to be able to adapt and change. Like, if you came to me and said, like, I promised you 500 leads, like, I wouldn’t trust that. Like, there’s like, a mistrust there. You can’t do that. But if I know you can get into my business and then make strategic decisions, that’s what I want, because that’s actually realistic. Liz Cruz Yes, I think this strategy is the like missing piece that people are looking for, at least in the conversations I’ve had with potential clients, as they want strategy. They want someone who is an expert in that. They don’t just want a glorified scheduler. If you find someone who isn’t a micromanager, at least they’re they’re wanting someone to take the reins and really own this, this role in their company or in their business. And one thing I want to share, because I know we’re running out of time, is we shared the ROI. So I want to share my ROI too, because I’m very happy to say that I have 30x in two years being with you too. So what I don’t know, it’s amazing, like, literally, I think 80% of who I work with, maybe 90, is all from the work group in two years, without a website, without a website, guys. So I’m not saying your website’s not boring, because I’m doing it finally it’s insane. And I literally credit that all to you, Emily, so you don’t have to cry. But like, literally, it’s so true. Like, if I did not find this group. I would not have worked with certain agencies. I wouldn’t have found certain clients. I still have clients to this day. I’ve been working with for the full two years. I’ve been in the group. So I am just very blessed to have encountered all of this. So yeah, Emily Reagan oh my gosh. Thank you for sharing. That’s just so amazing. It’s so fun how we can start from nothing and plug ourselves into the right group and get that return. And because it’s so easy to feel like, I gotta be doing this, I gotta be doing this, I gotta be doing that. But if you focus on jobs that are already coming, you do exactly what you did. Liz, and you don’t have to get distracted with the things that don’t matter right now, like, what is the next right step for you and your business? And for a lot of us, it’s like, we do need to start, like, proving the concept, booking the client, getting paid, and then we can come back and reinvest. And not all all of us want to be an agency or scale or subcontract So, but it’s also possible, like, to go above 10k months when you do that, yeah, absolutely. When someone says, Well, like, I don’t have a lot of experience and booking those first clients. Do you have any advice for them? Liz Cruz Yeah, I go back to what Brittany was just saying about Facebook groups and community. It starts with building community and not being scared, because my first client did not come from this group, and I started doing freelance. I have 10 years of marketing experience, but I was like, I’ve never worked with a client on my own. With a client on my own and done my own business. And that started with the Facebook group connection. She gave me a chance, and she worked with me for a year, so I did her social media manager for a year. So I guess I just have to say, you have to know what you know well and tailor your skills and invest investing matters. I’ve invested in courses, specific courses that will help me, specific work groups like yours that will help me. So don’t get distracted. I think that’s a good word. You just said. Don’t get distracted by things that don’t matter. Focus on your zone of expertise and what’s going to help you grow in your business. And just hone in on that and and be confident, because you can use your own self as a case study, even your portfolios and content do free work stuff around your local neighborhood or whatever, just to get you out there so you can actually apply for these different positions. Emily Reagan Do you think there’s anything that a higher end client would like scan and look for first in that initial outreach email. Is there, like, one thing? Liz Cruz Oh, yeah, they’re gonna look at your social media. I mean, hands down. I know that they do that. Like they look at your social media, they’re looking at your booking link, because they probably don’t have their stuff together. They’re like, what does she use? I need to fix some things in my business. So they’re really looking at professionalism from the get go. If you don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t look like you have your crap together from the beginning, they’re not going to respond. So really, that first reach out matters. First impressions always matter. So don’t take it as I just got to send this email really quick, so I get my first chance. There have been people I’ve reached out to in the group. I was like, I want to play for that role. It’s been out there for like, a week in the group, I’m gonna finally apply, and then I get a response. I said I didn’t book with anyone, but you because of how you looked. So it goes back to just knowing, positioning, branding, who you are. And I think I’ve finally gotten to this position now. But when you finally know who you are and you’re not, you’re. Sound ashamed of like, This is who I am and this is what I do. It helps, it really helps, to bring those right clients to you. Emily Reagan My gosh, yeah, that’s really, like, the law of attraction and abundance right there. Like, the second you get out of that energy, it’s like, soon as you get a boyfriend, like, everyone’s like, asking you out, right? Like, that’s not my status update at all. I wasn’t hinting at anything. But, yeah, it’s so funny how that works. As soon as you’re like, not trying, yep. But I’m not saying like, that’s like, this the takeaway. Oh, and Liz Cruz I do. I have a win too. Two days ago, someone booked me from your form hire unicorn. I was like, Who is this? This random inquiry came through on HoneyBook, and so I have a call through tomorrow. Emily Reagan Oh my gosh. So she found you through the directory then, yeah, oh my god. That is my dream, that those right client can go in there. We have a directory out there, filter out based on job, based on availability, and then find the right match. And so how you present yourself, even in that directory, like all of this adds up over there too. Thank you. Thank you. And then you’re coming in the work group and you’re going to share how you plan out a social media content. So I’m really excited about that training. So thank you. Our next unicorn, Keri McDonnell is sharing how she’s gotten a ton of work by other service providers recommending her directly. Keri walk me through the first time a fellow freelancer or a unicorn, refer to you how like, what came about, what happened? Keri McDonnell Well, we obviously are all in the group, in the work group, and it is a great place to not only look at job opportunities, but it’s a great place to network amongst our peers and answer the questions. And you know when things pop up, because we all have specialties, and this was an opportunity where one of our fellow my fellow unicorns, had a client, and they were looking for someone to add to their team as a contractor, and my name popped up, and she reached out and said, you know, this might be something that you’re interested in, in doing as part of the team. She was in a different role. She was actually the first digital marketer hired to the team several years back, and so as that particular business owner has been growing, she’s been adding more people to her team. So this was an opportunity that I could help in a different capacity than what the current unicorn was doing, if that makes sense. Emily Reagan Okay, so it was complimenting what she was already doing, not work that she probably could do, or had the capacity for or wanted to do. And you How did your name get popped up? Though you’re like, my name popped up. So, like, what actually happened? Who popped it in? Keri McDonnell You know, I think it was just as we’re helping each other in the group and talking about what we do or don’t do, because we obviously do that as well, you know, what are some of the things? And so it was just a matter of, I think, just connecting that way of what some of our strengths are, or what we like to, you know, do, as far as working with other business owners, was Emily Reagan there, like a third person there who was like, Hey, you should talk to Keri. Is that what Keri McDonnell happened? That was how it came up. Okay, I think it was. And then it was a matter of, she threw my name into the business owner. And then, actually, she was never really involved after that process. And so then I connected with the business owner, and met on Zoom, and we talked through things and then added and it’s great, because then that still allows that connection. And so when this business owner is on live calls and things, she’ll say, Oh, this is how I got my unicorns. And so this particular one brought this one on. And so, yeah, it’s just a great door opener, yeah. Emily Reagan And it’s so interesting, because that original person was just helping her client out and bringing names to her, but was not actually a hiring manager, and so she needed a reliable source to go to if anyone’s listening to this. And like, oh, I have to be in the work group. No. Like, we see the strategy work out in the in real life, right out on the internet. So have you do you see other people referring each other, other Facebook groups, or any other platforms that you see that working 100% Keri McDonnell you know, I think that that’s the biggest thing and, and it’s one of those where you help before you, I don’t say sir, before you sell. I mean, that seems but, but it is a term that you, you want to try and help people and answer their questions and and go there before say, Oh, I do this, or hire me, or things. I mean, you, you want to be able to put it out there and answer because that helps you come across obviously as your authentic self, those strengths that you can bring what it is honestly and genuinely that you can do to help because that truly is what you’re there to do, is to be that partner with that business owner. And absolutely you can do that in other groups. And we do see that where names will come up or something, or, you know, it’s just that in your work group, for example, out there in the wild, because. There is something to be said when you can connect the dots. It’s networking. It really is. It’s no different than in if you’re in the corporate world and you may be switching to the freelance world, it’s still networking. It just may be on a slightly different platform. Emily Reagan Yeah, there’s just this extra level of trust. When someone’s like, hey, this person’s been in business. I’ve heard good things. Here’s her name. I might not have worked with her before. And I’ve also experienced this too in client businesses, like when they’re ready to hire, like no one actually enjoys that process, maybe the hiring manager, the middle manager, the headhunter, who’s making 5k off of that hire and their first month of salary, but they want to keep it easy, and they, I think there’s just this thing for somebody that’s in that, like, indirect circle, like the next circle out, we’d rather bring them in and, like, take a risk on someone that has no credibility or hasn’t really been in the world before. So that’s exactly what happened. What was your relationship with the person who originally brought you in Keri McDonnell before it was nominal. I mean, we weren’t biz besties. We weren’t but we we were in this space, but doing different things. So it was, you know, you communicated. I guess you could say, yeah, just on the online platform. I mean, yeah, so you’re there, and you’re just kind of, what do you want to say? I mean, but Emily Reagan you’d answer it, because I could see it working two ways. One, like, I have a business messy, like, I’m always like, I might refer a couple of people for podcast. First, I see this in the podcast where, like, I’ve been on this show, and like, my friend Brenna, and she’ll recommend me, and I’ll recommend her, and those little things happen under the scenes too, but sometimes it’s legit, like we actually have no real deep connection. We just trust each other because we’re hanging out in the same space together, and that space communicates expertise or, like, this level of seriousness or professionalism that other groups might not have. So your answer could have gone two ways, and I don’t think there’s a wrong way for either one. What do you think made Your name stand out in general, because other people were throwing your name in there. So obviously your networking had paid off within the group because other people shouted you out. Keri McDonnell I think it’s it’s following through the whole term ghosting or whatever. You know you’re not doing any of that when you say you’re going to do something. Do something, you’re following through, you’re actually doing it. I am a firm believer in I can go two ways. If it’s something I don’t know, I will tell a client like, Okay, I’m willing to learn, or I’ll get in here and do it. Or if this is either something I don’t want to do or it’s not going to be in their best interest, perhaps, to, you know, pay me to to learn this, I’ll say, Look, I have a unicorn, like, I have somebody in my pocket, or I trust somebody, let me refer them to you. And so you do have that network then. So it can go one of two ways that I think that then that gives you that opportunity. So it is that referral network. But again, it’s not dissimilar. So I think if there are the people that are like, Okay, wait, I’m changing gears. I’m pivoting into this online space, what does that mean? It’s not dissimilar to what you’ve done in maybe different avenue. Emily Reagan Well, it sounds like these referrals have happened to you very naturally, because I don’t like this is why I was excited to talk to you about this. You’re not one of those people who’s out there schmoozing or, like, book a call with me, and, I mean, you’re busy. You’ve gotten hired by several unicorns and several businesses with this tactic. But it’s, it’s a natural thing, right? Keri McDonnell It absolutely is. You know, don’t get me wrong. I mean, I always have my my door open on the, okay, hey, you want to have a strategy call, or you want to talk about, like, yes, absolutely. But the irony of that first unicorn, you know, we have met in person. We were able to meet through this particular client’s in person event for her, let’s call it members. And so we had that opportunity, and we clicked, but that also allowed me to network. And again, the referral, it did come two ways. So one, it has been through the unicorn of there’s that trust, and then I was very cognizant of not selling my services when I was with this clients, clients, I guess you want to call it. I don’t into like specifics, because I’m very protective. Obviously, clients, you know that, but I was at her in person event with her clients, customers, let’s call it so, you know, sometimes they were asking questions, and so I was, you know, trying to answer and help and guide and do what I could. And this wasn’t a direct competition. It wasn’t anything like that. It was just more of being careful, because, again, this is a small world that we’re all in as service providers, and so you want to be very careful, but I’m pretty genuine and a straight shooter, and so I was trying to answer their questions in any way it could help. And then I ended up working with several of them from that particular meeting later on, you know, down the road. But it was that they. Felt comfortable because that client was working with me, and I was working with that client. And so there was a trust that if that particular person felt comfortable and I was trustworthy to work with her, then obviously I had already had one foot in, shall we say? So? So there is, I mean, I think it’s that you have to stand by what you promise do the work. If you can’t or it’s not something, then speak up and just say like that. And say, Look, I have a network. I have other people that I’m happy to plug in and do that other piece, Emily Reagan I like that you weren’t overly schmoozy within her. Keri McDonnell No, no, no, definitely not. Because one, I don’t want that to come back on me. That wasn’t, I wasn’t there for that. I was there to support her at her event. It just happened that, obviously I’m there and I’m supporting and I’m doing my thing for her, and her clients were asking a few questions of some things, and I again, was very careful how I walked and answered, and because I didn’t want to blur any lines, there was no conversation at that particular event of, Hey, can I hire you? Or anything like that came down the road. Emily Reagan Okay, two questions. First, is there a difference in how you talk to your sister service providers or your fellow unicorns versus how you talk to potential clients or market yourself. Is there like is there a Keri McDonnell difference? Yes and no, you know. Again, I think I am at a point in my life and my business world and things that I always have said, I will treat your business like it’s my own that can sometimes be good and sometimes we bad, because sometimes it is hard to then toe that line of quasi clocking out at the end of the day or whatever, because very difficult. I do get invested with that, because I want my clients to succeed as if it were, you know, because if they’re going to succeed, I’m going to succeed, and vice versa. So I do finesse, but I’m pretty straight, as far as you know. I mean, I’ll tell it like it is, and with our peers and our other service providers, we’re that way, but I think that’s where you find your people, whether it’s your peers or your clients. I think that’s where you determine who you click with. I’d like to think I’m fairly similar. Emily Reagan Yeah, no, I think you are who you are, and I like that about you. Is there any way you position yourself around other service providers? Are you even thinking about this in your day to day interactions? Keri McDonnell You know? Well, yes, because you are still you still are part of a team, even as a contract or service provider, or you could be with employees, so you still are dealing with, you know, fellow service providers or employees, or, you know, you are part of a team, so You do carry yourself. I mean, yeah, team player, Emily Reagan yes. Do you know what that original unicorn said about you, or what they said in the intro? Are you privy to that information? Keri McDonnell No, I’m not. I’m not. No, come to think that’s interesting. Emily Reagan No, okay, so what would you tell someone who wants to build this kind of sister service provider network. Do you have any ideas and strategies and like, what they can do so that these referrals kind of happen naturally? And obviously it took it took work. It took you showing up and having the reputation and following through. But what could someone do if they’re just starting at the beginning here? Keri McDonnell I think the biggest thing is it’s showing up, whether it’s in our work group or a different Yeah, it’s showing up and it’s not being schmoozy salesy. It’s It’s okay. It’s yeah, it’s okay. If you need to ask questions, or want to ask questions genuinely about okay, how would you or if you are you know, those questions, it’s great if you can answer some questions. The other thing I will laugh is make sure, whether it’s your Facebook or your Instagram or whatever, put your darn business name on there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll click on somebody in a group and look to see and then it goes nowhere. It tells me no way to connect a call nothing or or even just like in their little bio, like, like, there’s nothing that connects the dots to their business, or like, who they are, whatever that about me, or whatever it is called Emily Reagan nowadays. Yeah, you’re talking about kind of your Facebook personal profile should lead. Yeah, Keri McDonnell yes. Because if you say something great in a group, and I click on you to see, like, what rabbit hole does that lead me down to? Well, connect to your business. So many times it takes me nowhere. And I’m like, Okay, well, how far am I going to go to try and find this person? Because they answered it so well, but now I can’t find them. So that would probably be if you’re starting out. And it has to be some grandiose like, but just make it easy. Make it easy that if you are in a group and you’re answering and you’re talking and you’re communicating, make it easy for us to find you. Emily Reagan I like that. You also said to show up, because people do have to see you interacting. And we just got off a copy call where Jen Lenny came in and gave audits, and I guarantee you the seven people, it was almost like a mini highlight feature for each one of those seven, because now we know their businesses and their services really well, and that’s a small example, but I’m missing a mix and mingle in my group at four o’clock today, but like those little interactions that can eat into your billable time that actually can pay off. I like what you said about Facebook groups. We are going to talk more about how to act and behave in those so you can pull in clients. And that kind of crosses over with this. Now, have you ever had hunted on behalf of your own clients and gone into the group and hired other people and like, Have you been on the reverse of that Keri McDonnell role? Not, not so much, but I do keep my ears out of like, maybe you that’s not something you know. So you do keep your ears on the Ooh. These are people you want to keep at the top of the list and ooh. These are people maybe that, yeah, you want to shy perhaps, away from. So with Emily Reagan a couple, make someone be at the top of your list, then I guess that’s really what I want to uncover. Keri McDonnell I think that again, it goes back to, you know, you don’t have to be the loudest. Definitely, you don’t have to be the loudest, but, but you need to be visible. Or, you know, you can be visible within just the network. You know, you don’t have to be out in every possible group. You can, you can find what speaks to you, you know. So whether that’s a niche, you know, I didn’t niche right down into things, or I started in things that I didn’t think were going to be my strong suit, and they ended up being my strong suit, and then I changed years and in anyway. So, so it just depends, but I think that’s where, if you don’t know exactly what it is direction you want to go, then dabble and find and meet and greet and talk. Because truly, I don’t think that the time it may take you to chat with somebody, I don’t think that’s lost time, especially when you’re starting out like because you never know who that person is going to be connected to. And you know, it’s that seven six degrees of separation, or seven ways that Kevin began, or whatever it is, because it truly is, this is a world I had come from the hospitality and corporate management many moons ago, and I equate this service provider world very similar to that is it’s this network, and it connects, and it’s not a gazillion people. I mean, you know, there are a lot of people out there. So anyway, I know I didn’t totally answer your question. Emily Reagan No, no, I love that, because I’m thinking it’s not just seven degrees of Emily Reagan either. It’s like going out there and connecting. And it’s so hard to explain this, like, spider web of like, how all these groups and people and businesses are become related. And I think you said it really well, well. Keri McDonnell And I think the other thing too is, is you may be, I mean, and we’ve seen this where some people, you know, I want to stay online, but we have other peers that that have some locally or where they’re from, and they do both online, and they may do some in person. So if that’s a situation where you’re getting started, and you have some great businesses local, and then you want to, then do online, like it’s what you want to do and make it I think that that gives you, you know, it’s, I don’t say it’s limitless, but it is, you know, it gives you flexibility. But no, it’s not all connected, you know. I mean, I might go a little off the grid for a bit, because that’s just the way the business and launches and chaos and all of that. But I always know I have my team of you all, like, they’re there, and so if something comes up, you’ve you’ve got your people. So I think that that’s the thing. Emily Reagan Talk to me about the return on your initial investment. Because I, when I look at you, I see, like, the different clients you’ve worked with, like the bread and butter clients you’ve had for like, like, two years plus. Now, what has the return been like for you? Keri McDonnell Amazing, life changing. Yeah, thanks, friend and mentor and person I never had on my radar when I started. Emily Reagan I can see your eyes. I can see your eyes, and you’re making my eyes. Keri McDonnell For those of you who don’t know, and it’ll, I’ll keep it short, I was in a different industry. I had a different business and a different industry, in the pet industry, and I sold that business, and I moved to a different state at the start of covid. And it was literally the week the world shut down, and I didn’t know what my life then was going to be. And it was an ad that kept popping up in my feed on Facebook and popping up and popping up and popping up and popping up. And again, my life was majorly corporate, until I got into the pet industry. And I love the pet industry, but then it was like, Well, what is this? And I’m like, What is this? What is she doing? Who is this woman? And I am a research you. Know, if I’m going to get a new roof on the house, I get seven quotes. So I am this researcher person. So I researched, and I went to one of your, like, lives, yeah, webinars, and then I signed up. And I’m like, okay, I can do this. Because, again, having been a small business owner and knowing all the nuts and bolts that go behind the scenes of what’s necessary, I’m like, I can help other business owners do this. So it was a fit, and that is how I came in the Emily’s world. And so, yeah, I mean, I’ve, I have had some amazing bread and butter or long term, I’ve had some great project clients. It’s been all of that. My last year was my best year yet. Emily Reagan You didn’t tell me that amazing. I can’t Keri McDonnell tell you all my little secrets. No, I gotta save some good nuggets for here when we get together on lives. Yeah, it’s, it’s amazing. It can be what you want it to be. You know, Emily Reagan thank you for sharing that. Yeah, okay. And we also have a full podcast with you, so I might link to that if anyone wants to know more about Keri’s story, especially the beginning the rocky like, start with, like, what clients she said yes to, and she probably shouldn’t have, but needed to. It was all a good lesson. Thank you so much for doing this. Seriously shit. I have to go back to the transcript. Oh, cut that out. Um, you just talked about the positioning or how you carry yourself. What did you say? Right, shareer, I don’t know corporate world. I don’t know whatever. Um.