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Freelance Cake

Freelance Cake

Written by: Austin L. Church
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 This podcast helps ambitious freelancers get better results with less effort. We reveal the specific beliefs, principles, and practices that give you better leverage. Every episode contains no-hype, non-expiring ideas that you can use right away to make the freelance game more profitable and enjoyable.© 2022 Freelance Cake Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • How Josh Cantrell Creates Demand with LinkedIn, Referral Partners, and Better Thinking

    How Josh Cantrell Creates Demand with LinkedIn, Referral Partners, and Better Thinking
    Mar 13 2026
    Josh Cantrell didn’t set out with some polished master plan.He got fired.What could have become a long, discouraging detour ended up becoming the first step in building a self-employed career with more ownership, more leverage, and more intention.In this conversation, Josh talks through the evolution of that journey.Early on, he did what many freelancers do. He said yes to whatever paid. Alongside marketing work, he flipped storage units, ran an eBay store, and DJ’d weddings to keep the lights on. Over time, though, he realized he didn’t just need more work. He needed a clearer way to create value.That’s where frameworks entered the picture.Josh shares how discovering StoryBrand gave him a structure he could lean on, not just to do better work, but to explain his reasoning, package stronger offers, and shift client perception. Instead of feeling like he was winging it, he had principles. Instead of selling tasks, he could sell outcomes.We also dig into the mindset shifts that came with experience.Josh talks about moving from scarcity to abundance, from thinking the world was small and stingy to realizing there’s plenty of opportunity out there. He explains how raising his standards changed his behavior, financially and professionally, and why standards often shape results more than motivation does.Another major theme in this episode is relationships.Josh has become increasingly intentional about building what he calls IRPs: ideal referral partners. Rather than relying on random lead gen or posting into the void, he focuses on real conversations with people who already know the kinds of clients he wants to serve.We also talk about LinkedIn, but not in the eye-rolly, “optimize your content funnel” kind of way.Josh uses LinkedIn as a conversation starter. He posts consistently, follows up with people who engage, and looks for chances to turn digital attention into human connection. That approach has led to podcast invites, referral relationships, and new opportunities.And beneath all of it is a simple but important truth: Clarity comes before amplification.If your message is muddy, more marketing just means you’re mumbling into a louder microphone. Josh explains why great content starts with great thinking, and why helping prospects believe the right things may matter just as much as writing the right words.If you want to specialize, strengthen your positioning, create more demand, and build a business with better leverage, this one is worth your time.Key PointsJosh started in survival mode. After losing his job in 2017, he pieced together income through freelance marketing, weddings as a DJ, an eBay store, and whatever else kept the lights on.Confidence followed competence. Early “imposter syndrome” had less to do with being broken and more to do with lacking reps, clarity, and proof.Frameworks changed the game. StoryBrand gave Josh a structure for making decisions, justifying recommendations, and packaging higher-value offers.His business evolved slowly but meaningfully. He moved from general marketing services into messaging, positioning, copy, and later more strategic engagements, including fractional CMO-style support.His mindset shifted from scarcity to abundance. Instead of treating every lost client like a verdict on his worth, he learned to see the market as big, generous, and full of opportunity.He now works from standards, not hope. Revenue standards, relationship standards, and service standards all shape how he shows up and how he grows.Ideal referral partners are a major growth lever. Josh aims to build relationships with peers and adjacent experts who already serve the kinds of clients he wants.He treats LinkedIn like a system, not a stage. Post consistently, follow up with engaged people, start real conversations, and see where the thread leads.He’s prioritizing documenting over performing. Lived experience, experiments, humor, and observations from real life make better content than sterile “5 tips” posts.A dream client already believes messaging matters. Josh does best with B2B companies selling something expensive, complex, or confusing that understand clear messaging must come before louder marketing.The deeper opportunity is belief change. Great content does not merely attract attention. It upgrades thinking. It creates demand by putting a fire in people’s minds about better ways to solve old problems.Notable Quotes“Confidence comes as a result of competence.”“If we’re spending money on marketing, but the message isn’t clear, we’re just mumbling into a microphone. We’re just louder.”“When you’re creating demand, it’s about putting a fire in someone’s mind about opportunities and possibilities and new ways to solve old problems.”Resources MentionedFollow Josh Cantrell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshcanCheck out his website, Signal Brandworks: https://signalbrandworks.com/Join the Freelance Cake Community: https://...
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    55 mins
  • How Much Is Enough? Fear-Proof Freelancing + Non-Icky LinkedIn DMs with Rachel Bicha

    How Much Is Enough? Fear-Proof Freelancing + Non-Icky LinkedIn DMs with Rachel Bicha
    Feb 27 2026

    Should freelancing feel easier by now… or is the hard part kind of the point?

    In this episode, Austin talks with Rachel Bicha (content strategist + founding Freelance Cake Community member) about building a freelance business that’s sustainable because it’s intentional. Rachel shares how her offline community gives her the psychological safety to do things that scare most freelancers—like DMing interesting people on LinkedIn without feeling weird about it.

    They unpack the “safety net” Rachel built before going full-time (six months runway, ~50% income on the side, and real boundaries), plus one of her most underrated tools: defining “enough” with minimum and maximum income targets, seasonal goals, and even the occasional sabbatical.


    You’ll also hear why Rachel’s marketing works: it’s relationship-based, rooted in hospitality and curiosity, and designed to connect with real humans (not “leads”). And yes—print is back. Rachel closes with the whimsical monthly print newsletter she sends out, featuring everything from zines to bingo cards to advent calendars.

    If you’ve ever struggled with fear, overworking, marketing that feels misaligned, or wondering whether your work actually connects with real humans… this conversation is for you.

    Key Points

    • Why hard things matter: sometimes friction is the feature — remove it and you remove meaning.
    • Rachel’s path into freelancing: in-house → side freelancing → full-time, plus the mindset shift that made it possible.
    • Managing fear with systems: she waited until she had ~50% of income on the side + six months runway.
    • Defining “enough”: minimum + maximum income targets, seasonal goals, and saying no even when it’s tempting.
    • Avoiding overbooking: tracking time, setting boundaries, and using reflection to notice patterns before they become problems.
    • Relationship-based marketing: hospitality + curiosity beats transactional networking (and feels better, too).
    • LinkedIn outreach that doesn’t feel gross: curious DMs, “owning” the cold pitch, and writing like a real person with real fingerprints.
    • Confidence vs. risk tolerance: Rachel isn’t “confident” — she’s willing to look foolish and survive a flop.
    • Print is back, baby: analog trust, finite media, and why tangibility matters more as the internet gets weirder.
    • Dream client sweet spot: small teams/startups building a repeatable marketing engine through experiments.

    Notable Quotes

    • “I don’t think I ever really got less scared… I have a lot of systems… that help me feel like things aren’t going to crash and burn.”
    • “I have a minimum income target, and I also have a maximum income target.”
    • “I want my marketing to feel like… hospitality… a nice, open, cozy space.”
    • “I would not describe myself as somebody who has a lot of confidence… but I have a high degree of risk tolerance.”

    Resources Mentioned

    • Follow Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-bicha-44080/
    • Check out Rachel’s website: RachOnTheWeb.com
    • Subscribe Rachel’s email newsletter: https://the-creative-side.kit.com/signup
    • Subscribe to Rachel’s print newsletter: https://rachelbicha.notion.site/welcome-to-the-creative-side
    • Join the Freelance Cake Community: https://www.freelancecake.com/community
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    47 mins
  • Trust, Verify, and Match Access: Believing People’s Actions with Marc Hyde

    Trust, Verify, and Match Access: Believing People’s Actions with Marc Hyde
    Jan 16 2026

    Entrepreneurs love promises. Results come from patterns. Austin and Marc unpack why “actions speak louder than words” is more than homespun wisdom—it’s a working rule for choosing partners, clients, and collaborators without becoming cynical. Expect candid stories (including an investor publicly dressing down his assistant), red flags to watch for, and a dead-simple rubric:

    Lead with trust. Watch what people do. Match their access with their actions.

    Key Points

    • Start people at zero, not negative-100. Assume positive intent, then trust but verify.
    • Look for “tells”: delayed follow-ups, ghosted meetings, partial replies to multi-question emails—micro-signals of reliability (or not).
    • Match access to actions: expand access when people keep promises; restrict it when they don’t. No drama required.
    • Finish with integrity: if you’re in a misfit engagement, complete the contracted work cleanly or use a “cancel without cause” clause—then exit.
    • Reset boundaries mid-project (response windows, meeting cadence, content handoffs) to “right the ship.”
    • Automate your judgment with rules (e.g., no tight turnarounds for brand-new clients; no work without deposit). Stick to them.
    • Reliability beats charisma: premium pricing and long-term trust ride on doing what you said, when you said.
    • Self-audit matters: don’t become the person others can’t count on—communicate early, renegotiate timelines, and keep small promises.

    Notable Quotes

    • “Start everyone at zero—then trust, but verify.”
    • “If they react badly to your rule, they just showed you who they are.”
    • “People will tolerate a lot—except unreliability.”

    Resources Mentioned

    • Learn more about Marc Hyde: https://marchyde.com/
    • Check out Marc's other website: Christian School Websites
    • Learn more about Freelance Cake Community (for advanced freelancers): https://www.freelancecake.com/community
    • Get 1:1 Strategy Session with Austin: https://www.freelancecake.com/freelance-business-coaching
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    55 mins
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