Alli Hill is a writer, speaker, blogger, and influencer in freelancing. The founder and director of FreelanceSpeak and a five-star Fiverr Top Seller, Alli coaches aspiring freelancers and solopreneurs in the art of personal branding, marketing, and solo business operations. Her extensive client portfolio includes Fortune 500 and Inc 5000 companies, SMEs in tech, e-commerce, finance, and marketing, and international boutique brands.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I knew I wanted to be a writer by the time I turned 4 (childhood dreams DO come true!). Throughout school I took initiative to hone my skills: writing for the school paper and yearbook, entering writing competitions (and winning!), doing a one-story internship with the local city newspaper, etc. In college, I fell into some paid event marketing work on a gig basis, working with some popular Fortune 100 brands that needed brand ambassadors for events.

I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, but I never felt like any of the jobs I found in my field suited me. So, I created my own, and I’ve never been happier.

What inspired you to start your business?

Looking back, I feel like freelance writing (and now coaching and influencing) has been in the stars for me all along. I knew I wanted to write, but came to believe I needed to work for someone else first so I could learn, grow, and build credibility. I thought that getting experience through an employer would be a low-risk way to build on my skills. But I am very much a DIY-er. I’ve always carved my own path, taught myself things, and done things my way. I realized that seeking a a traditional, ready-made career with a salary and schedule determined by someone else didn’t allow me to be true to myself. That was my A-ha! moment.

Oddly enough, my last boss approached me one day to enroll me in a content marketing course. That was really the catalyst that showed me new potential for a freelance writing career. Once that ball started rolling, it only picked up speed. Within a few months, I had replaced my full-time income with all my writing side work and decided to hand in my notice.

Where is your business based?

I work from home in Georgia (USA) in a small town nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Quitting the safely net of my day job was a big leap. Before I felt confident in making that jump, I focused on getting clients. I didn’t have a website or a brand, so to speak, but I did create a few writing samples so I could show clients what I was capable of. I landed a pretty big name for my first assignment, then collected a few more clients from that. I would work on writing after I put in 8-9 hours at my day job, and I did this for several months to see how sustainable it would be.

Some days, I would stay up until midnight or later to balance both jobs (and being a mom to two children under 2 years of age). Eventually I started getting so much work I had to make a choice. It was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Two things have worked wonders for me as a writer: Fiverr and referrals.

In my first couple of years, I was doing a lot of pitching. I had signed up for some weekly newsletters that would share companies looking for freelance writers. But pitching is hard work, and you could send 100 pitches with no work to show for it. I had also taken some low-paying clients as I was ramping up my business just to build some credibility. But I knew my writing was worth more, so I created a Fiverr Seller profile (an online marketplace for freelancers) so I could set my own rates and take more control over my work.

To date, I’ve had more than 2,000 Fiverr orders from clients in 30+ countries. This was also a big win in building up my portfolio of popular brands and clients in a range of industries. It’s helped me land more clients on and off Fiverr, and I’ve gotten tons of referrals from both sides of this coin.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Learning to say no to work was a big challenge, especially in my first few years of business. I was so focused on growing my client base and keeping a full schedule that it was hard to break away and take time off. Even on vacation.

Now, I value my time so much more and am more particular about the projects I take.

How do you stay focused?

Being more ruthless about my time has helped me to not feel so overwhelmed. I take more breaks, I take a walk every morning to clear my head and get some sunshine, and I don’t overload my schedule like I used to.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

In truth, I don’t, at least consciously. When I first started freelancing, especially in a competitive marketplace like Fiverr, I thought I really needed to “sell” my services. But now, I’m just transparent and honest with clients that reach out to me. I tell them what they get and what they can expect from my process. I’m not a hard seller.

If they want to negotiate on price or ask for more than I can give, I simply tell them we might not be a good fit for each other. They either appreciate the honesty and decide to work with me, or they move on.

Know your value, and success will follow.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Reviews, hands down. People trust them. But hiring a great freelancer can be hit or miss. You never know what you’re getting. That’s why I leaned heavily on getting good reviews early in my freelance career. I feel like my reviews on Fiverr sell for me.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Ask for help. Find a mentor, take a course, figure out what you don’t know. Be honest about the skills and knowledge you lack, then take initiative to fill in those gaps. When you make learning an everyday goal, you’ll move lightyears ahead of those who don’t.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

I’ve recently jumped on the Wordle trend, where you try to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. It’s my morning brain booster, and naturally I’m a lover of words.

Lunden Souza’s Self-Love and Sweat blog is truly inspiring. She is a fitness and life coach, which has nothing to do with freelancing, but her tips help me make positive changes in my life that carry over to my career.

I grew up a bookworm and I read all kinds of books. One of my favorite books to date is House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. The creativity of the story, not to mention the typography in the book, have me hooked for life.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Networking is one of the single most important business “tools” that people don’t advantage of enough. I treat everyone I meet as a potential follower, client, or mentee. You never know who you’re going to inspire, and you never know who is in their network that you might be able to help.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My dad owned a business (and is now retired). I learned so much about the lifestyle and demands of a business owner starting at an early age and knew I wanted the same for myself. He made a comfortable living. He built up a strong referral network and spent very little on marketing. Most importantly, he was always available to take off work to join me on school field trips or events.

I copied a lot of his moves: starting small, not spending money until you need to, not relying on too many employees that will put you in a bind if they quit, being meticulous about expense tracking – all things that have helped me tremendously. I didn’t have to learn some of business’s toughest lessons the hard way because of him.

How do you balance work and life?

Since I work from home, those lines are usually blurred. But I’m a lot better at work/life balance than I was a few years ago. I set boundaries with my clients and with my family. For instance, I don’t reply to business emails on the weekend – If I do it once, then clients start expecting me to do it all the time. And it gives them the invitation to not respect my boundaries because I haven’t respected them.

Same story at home – my kids know that when my hand are flying across the keyboard, they need to hold their questions unless they’re hurt or sick.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I treasure my four-day work week. It feels so good going to bed on Thursday night knowing I have a three-day weekend ahead of me. It’s refreshing, rejuvenating, and gives me more time to work on my passion projects.

And in the rare event where I just can’t make a four-day work week work, I try to treat myself in other ways, like a longer morning walk or a family adventure on the weekend.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I am currently developing the FreelanceSpeak podcast, where I’ll be sharing my insights on all things freelancing, personal branding, and business growth.

I am also updating FreelanceSpeak.com with a fresh new look and to make space for my new coaching services. With the new website, I will also be bringing over my writing services (currently under a separate brand and website) so that clients can hire me directly and freelance mentees and connect with me all in one place.

How can our readers connect with you?

I’m a huge fan of networking and invite anyone to reach out and connect. You can learn more about me and my journey at FreelanceSpeak.com, which is the home of my blog and other resources for freelancers, and will soon be the home of my writing services, too. Let’s see how we can help each other!

Website: http://www.freelancespeak.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alli-hill/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freelancespeak