Rockstar Freelancing
Translate your specialist skills
into a freelancing business
that makes real money for you
That thing about 33% of businesses failing in their first year?
Bullshit.
And the less-common-but-still-popular thing about the rate of failure being even higher for small business owners like freelancers, consultants and coaches?
Also: bullshit.
I'm Tiffany Markman, freelance copywriter and trainer, and here's what I believe:
- If you're, objectively, a highly skilled specialist,
- who can keep your business's overheads relatively low,
- who's committed to operating like an absolute professional, and
- who's in it to make serious money (not 'hobby' money),
- from a rock-solid, full-time business...
...then there's absolutely no reason you can't do exactly what I've done since 2005.
What did I do?
Well, in 2005 I left my job unexpectedly (which I don't recommend), went solo and doubled my salary in 3 months.
Tiffany, circa 2005. How's that happy, freshly freelancing face?
Tiffany, circa 2005. How's that happy, freshly freelancing face?
If I'm honest, 2005 was a different world altogether.
I was 24 years old, had boundless energy, was burdened with no major expenses, and worked all of the hours there are in the day - and night.
But there was no Internet worth speaking of back then, the world was a slower-moving place, and 'Zoom' still meant going fast in your car.
So, can you do what I did, even if you're older than I was, maybe a bit tired, perhaps overwhelmed by how much flipping money it now takes to live in the world, and possibly unwilling or unable to work 10 hours a day?
YES. YOU CAN.
It might not take you three months, but you can do it. And you can get most of the tough stuff sorted in 6 weeks. I know because I've seen so many of my Rockstar Freelancing students do it. (You'll hear from some of them a bit later.)
Here's what you need to know now:
I've built a freelance business that I regularly refer to as "the gift that keeps on giving". It:
- Makes me happy to get out of bed most mornings - even though I'm not really a morning person
- Gives our small family (and our large circle of dependents) what it needs, and plenty more
- Allows me the flexibility to be someone's mother and someone's wife, with varying degrees of attentiveness
- Has me driving my 4th fully-paid-for BMW (which only matters if you aspire to a luxury car)
- Has survived multiple global recessions, the SA economy and a world-altering pandemic
- Turns over more than a million bucks a year, every year, consistently
Let's talk about you.
I'm thinking that - because you're still reading this - you want to be a successful, in-demand freelancer with a reliable pipeline of high-paying clients, plus control over your time, certainty about the value you add, and all-important income security. But if you're like me when I started, and anything like the many freelancers I've trained so far, you're probably also...
Lacking confidence when you promote your business or skills to clients?
Not getting paid what you're worth or earning enough to make a serious living?
Battling to manage your clients, projects, time, and the all-consuming admin?
Feeling frazzled, unfocused and reactive, from being pulled in too many directions?
I believe I can help you with all that.
IF YOU'RE A COPYWRITER, DESIGNER, MARKETER, STRATEGIST, COACH, CONSULTANT OR SPECIALIST...
And if your idea of success ISN'T Upwork, Elance, Fiverr, relying on generative AI to do everything for you, or one of the other bottomless pits of low rates, difficult clients, damaged self-esteem and entirely absent control over your own working life.
Cool?
"But, Tiffany!" I hear you say, "It's crazy to think I can charge 20 grand for a piece of work, when a random on Upwork will do it for 200 bucks!"
Yes, I know. It feels crazy. I get it.
There's always someone willing to do it cheaper - and there always will be. Plus generative AI will be better, faster, cheaper and more intuitive by the time you finish reading this.
But what if you just took yourself out of the race to the bottom?
Imagine this instead.
What if you were so clear on your niche that you found it easy to talk about and promote your services?
What if you knew how to market yourself so you could compete on the value you provide, not your hourly rate?
What if you could attract clients willing to pay *what you charge* because you're the best person for the job?
What if you understood how to negotiate, how to have tough conversations and how to manage clients - even the difficult ones?
What if you knew the tried-and-tested systems behind a well-organised and efficient business?
And what if you could manage your time more productively, without getting overwhelmed or burning out?
So who am I?
Are you thinking, “You make sense, lady. But why should I listen to you?”
Tiffany Markman
Head Facilitator
tiffany@tiffanymarkman.co.za
If you’ve never heard of me, which you might not have, because the world's a big place and I’m a small fish, here’s what you need to know.
I'm Tiffany Markman. Google me ;)
Since 2005, I've run a successful freelance copywriting, training and speaking business. I've worked for 573+ brands in over 16 countries and trained 36,000+ people worldwide. I know my stuff. And, perhaps more importantly, I'm really good at teaching it to others.
If you want to know how to be a successful freelancer, you should talk to someone who's done it themselves and who's in it for the long haul. Someone who's seen their students build top businesses and make amazing money doing work they love. That's me.
What will you get from my programme?
Here's the whole curriculum. Split into weeks for you.
- 0.1 Welcome to a whole new world
- 0.2 What to expect from this course
- 0.3 Me & my back-story
- 0.4 Quickie survey: Getting to know you
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 2.0 The Week 2 Preamble
- 2.0.1 EXTRA! Pandemic Survival Vid ('20)
- 2.1 How to draft your 'pick-up line'
- 2.2 Deciding on naming & branding
- 2.3 How to set your freelance rates
- 2.4 Finalising your Ts & Cs
- 2.5 How to draw up a rate card
- 2.6 Retainer and 'anchor' clients
- JUST ONE LAST THING (AND A FAVOUR)
- 4.0 The Week 4 Preamble
- 4.1 The experts vs the beginners
- 4.2 How to streamline your admin
- 4.3 Tackling the time-keeping
- 4.4 How to manage your books & tax
- 4.5 Choosing a business model
- 4.6 Selling, self-promotion & portfolios
- 4.7 Creating a recognisable brand
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 1.0 The Week 1 Preamble
- 1.1a "But I'm not entrepreneurial."
- 1.1b Are you feeling resistant? That's good.
- 1.2 "The things I'm scared of..."
- 1.3 "Do I have to set actual goals?"
- 1.4 "I think I have Impostor Syndrome."
- 1.5 "How do I find my niche?"
- 1.6 Podcast: Tiffany Markman on the Business of Freelancing
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 3.0 The Week 3 Preamble
- 3.1 Client segments & client personas
- 3.2 How to conduct client research
- 3.3 How to mine for prospects
- 3.4 How to craft your sales pitch
- 3.5 How to attract big-money clients
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 5.0 The Week 5 Preamble
- 5.1. How to take a really good brief
- 5.2 How to decide on project scope
- 5.3 How (and when!) to negotiate on rates
- 5.4 Tough conversations, tough clients
- 5.5 How to ACTUALLY GET PAID
- YOUR CERTIFICATE - WOOHOO!
- 0.1 Welcome to a whole new world
- 0.2 What to expect from this course
- 0.3 Me & my back-story
- 0.4 Quickie survey: Getting to know you
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 1.0 The Week 1 Preamble
- 1.1a "But I'm not entrepreneurial."
- 1.1b Are you feeling resistant? That's good.
- 1.2 "The things I'm scared of..."
- 1.3 "Do I have to set actual goals?"
- 1.4 "I think I have Impostor Syndrome."
- 1.5 "How do I find my niche?"
- 1.6 Podcast: Tiffany Markman on the Business of Freelancing
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 2.0 The Week 2 Preamble
- 2.0.1 EXTRA! Pandemic Survival Vid ('20)
- 2.1 How to draft your 'pick-up line'
- 2.2 Deciding on naming & branding
- 2.3 How to set your freelance rates
- 2.4 Finalising your Ts & Cs
- 2.5 How to draw up a rate card
- 2.6 Retainer and 'anchor' clients
- JUST ONE LAST THING (AND A FAVOUR)
- 3.0 The Week 3 Preamble
- 3.1 Client segments & client personas
- 3.2 How to conduct client research
- 3.3 How to mine for prospects
- 3.4 How to craft your sales pitch
- 3.5 How to attract big-money clients
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 4.0 The Week 4 Preamble
- 4.1 The experts vs the beginners
- 4.2 How to streamline your admin
- 4.3 Tackling the time-keeping
- 4.4 How to manage your books & tax
- 4.5 Choosing a business model
- 4.6 Selling, self-promotion & portfolios
- 4.7 Creating a recognisable brand
- JUST ONE LAST THING > A CLICK
- 5.0 The Week 5 Preamble
- 5.1. How to take a really good brief
- 5.2 How to decide on project scope
- 5.3 How (and when!) to negotiate on rates
- 5.4 Tough conversations, tough clients
- 5.5 How to ACTUALLY GET PAID
- YOUR CERTIFICATE - WOOHOO!
- Bonus 1: Tips on signing contracts
- Bonus 2: My two standard NDAs (Editable downloads)
- Bonus 3: The "discovery call"
- Bonus 4: Phrases all freelancers should learn
- Bonus 5: Personal finance for freelancers
- Bonus 6: When to walk away
"Can't I do it on my own?"
Nope. And I'll tell you why not.
Your skills and talents aren't what's holding you back from your million bucks a year. It's the little stuff.The worrying and overthinking. The second-guessing. The anxieties around money and negotiation. The gaps in your 'tough conversations' arsenal.
It's the fear of selling. The discomfort with shameless self-promotion. The inability to build a pipeline of eager clients who come to you, and pay what you charge.
April Maguire says the top problems all freelancers report relate largely to uncertainty:
- Vague client requests
- Unreliable clients
- Poor client communication
- Charging too little
- Late payment
- Trouble securing payment
Guess who knows how to give you more certainty about these things, so you make more money, have more freedom and build something sustainable?
Uh, me. I do.
I mean, if I teach a course on freelancing and my only success story is myself, I'm no expert. There could be a ton of reasons for my success - ranging from timing to privilege - and I need to replicate my magic for the many others who are not me.
So here are some other people I’ve helped since launching this course in 2020:
Testimonials
These are actual freelancers and soloists who took the risk, invested in themselves, and got great ROI for their businesses as a result.
Why am I so sure this is what you need?
Because I know exactly why so many freelancers fail...
And I've designed this course so you won't be one of them.
- You'll get 100% of my shareable knowledge.
- I’ll tell you what I do, what I say, how I work.
- I'll share what I read and who I follow.
- You'll get all the good stuff; none of the bullshit.
- Just a well-structured, manageable programme.
- Just good advice, tips, techniques and how-tos.
- Things you can apply daily, as you go.
Rockstar Freelancing is the course your business has been waiting for. You're a skilled person, so it's a skills-based programme. But here's one thing I know for sure: Today, people don't take an online course to learn. They - or rather, you - take an online course to achieve results. So I'm not going to help you get a diploma in freelancing. I'm going to make you a better freelancer and hold your hand the whole time.
What does it cost?
It's usually $297 (R5200+) for 6-12 weeks of me, 51 lessons, 6 bonuses (and counting) and more. But the world has changed since I launched this baby. So, for now at least, you're getting 33% off. That's $197 (R3497).
Just because I can.
$197.00
2024 price
(Only R3497 in ZAR)
Bonuses
But wait. There's more. Because two of the things that scare the pants off most freelancers are 1) the legal stuff and 2) what to say on that first call with a would-be client.
The fine print *terrified* me when I started. So I paid for good legal advice initially, and then married the son of a lawyer and got my divine father-in-law to handle everything else for me.
Here, in the bonuses, is where you'll find the really important extra info you need so you don’t trip up when the time comes.
P.S. Since I launched this course, I've added another three glorious bonuses, with more coming. You're welcome.
Bonus 1: Tips for signing contracts
worth $200
Know your basic intellectual property rights, the building blocks of a non-disclosure agreement, critical contract terms, and big ol' red flags.
Bonus 2: Non-disclosure agreements
worth $250 each x 2
Here are 2 versions of the non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) I use: one in which you're the receiving party and getting confidential info, and one where you're the disclosing party and sharing IP.
Bonus 3: The discovery call
worth $300
Here I guide you through your first all-important call with a prospective client, where you learn more about what they need. It’s also your chance to uncover unspoken objections and address them.
Here’s a quick reminder of what you get...
(By paying once. No monthly fees. No hidden up-sells.)
Still wondering if this is for you?
Rockstar Freelancing can be enjoyed in less time per day than it takes to watch your favourite Netflix re-run. And in this time, you'll get freelancing gems you can begin applying immediately. Like, every day. You don't need to wait til the end.
Speaking of gems, here are some of the things I'm going to share with you (because these are the things freelancers most commonly ask me):
- How to get (big) clients, consistently
- How to build a sustainable pipeline
- How to juggle client management, admin and doing the work
- How to be taken as seriously as any business
- How to achieve balance and productivity
- How to navigate the peaks and troughs - financial and mental!
- How to work for people who respect what you offer
- How to choose the kind of work you do
You should know that my material is based on real life, so it's updated all the time.
I'm in it. Neck-deep. And I'm completely committed to growing and evolving my methods, approaches, strategies, and tactics for what’s going on in my business and in the world.
COME WITH ME.
And what if it's not for you?
Well, there's a Satisfaction Guarantee.
Rockstar Freelancing is 100% RISK-FREE.
If you feel you didn't get the value you expected from my training material, email me after month #1, show me you actually did the work, and I will happily refund you in full. That's right: IN. FULL.
Here's the best part: If you think there's even a small chance that Rockstar Freelancing can change things for you and for your freelance business, you should enroll today.
Because you can try it out for a full 30 days. No guesswork. No hopin' and wishin'. Use it, and see for yourself. If it works, your freelancing life will be forever changed. And if it doesn't work, you'll get all of your money back.
Ready to take your freelancing to the next level?
Enroll in this life-changing programme. Get set up for success.