This episode is brought to you in partnership with Nikki Pilkington - SEO expert, copywriter, legend, and friend of the show. You can get 20% off Nikki’s full SEO course and on-page SEO toolkit with our code IBC20. Learn more at nonwankyseo.com
Hi, Mel here,
Today’s episode is all about starting something new. It’s called Roll With It (we promise we aren’t just jumping on the Oasis bandwagon…)
In the episode, we talk about
why you should follow your gut when something keeps “winking” at you
shiny object syndrome (and what it could mean)
worky and non-worky new things
how taking advice from others can be a good (and bad) idea
examples of people we know who have gone for it and started something new
We ripped off Buzzfeed/LadBible so this is a listicle episode 😉 Here are some things we think you should consider before starting something new…
Do you actually have time to do this thing justice?
If it’s a product or service, does anyone actually want it?
How realistic are you being with yourself about the work involved?
What’s the cost to you?
What’s the ROI?
What does success look like?
What should you outsource?
If you’re starting with someone else, how will you divide up tasks?
And of course you can expect our usual conversational meanderings.
If you’re pondering a new thing, give the episode a listen and let us know if it’s helped.
Voicenoted
Today’s voicenote comes from friend of the show Sophie Cross. Sophie is editor and founder of Freelancer Magazine, the quarterly printed magazine that also offers subscribers lots of other benefits including three virtual coworking calls per week and lunch and learn sessions.
You can subscribe at: freelancermagazine.co.uk - look out for our faces in there. Thank you Steve, Jen, Glenn and Fiona for your kind words :)
Your Friend And Mine
This week’s YFAM is Glenn Sturgess, a legendary copywriter with an illustrious career as head of copy at some of the biggest agencies and businesses. Glenn’s written ads that you’ve definitely seen and heard. He's now freelance and running his business Write This Way Ltd. Glenn is incredibly generous with his time and advice and he’s a big supporter of the show too. Find Glenn on LinkedIn here.
Catch the replay
We spoke to Joe Glover all about freelancing on a recent Marketing Meetup webinar. Please watch it so the view count gets nice and high. Coz we’d love a part two 😉
Thank yoooooou,
Mel & Ben
Find our producer, theme composer and audioslave Ant Henderson on LinkedIn and you can watch older episodes of the show on YouTube here.
🎙️ Spotify / Apple podcasts / Amazon Music and Audible
The back catalogue
24 Let’s Go Surfing: LIVE Q&A episode at Creator Day 2025
23 Separated By Motorways: working with friends
22 Bloc Party: celebrating wins
21 Got Your Money: pricing your work
20 Joy Division: work/life balance
19 Daytripper: conferences part deux
18 The Day We Caught The Train: conferences ft Nick Crawford and Lorna Smart
17 Hanging On The Telephone: ghosting ft Will Slater and Heather Pownall
16 Heart Shaped Box: niching ft Ayo Abbas and Raymond Manzor
15 The Masterplan: goal setting ft Janine Coombes and friends
b-side Word of the year
b-side LinkedIn revisited
14 Handbags and Gladrags: Industry Awards ft Charles Commins and Fab Giovannetti
13 You’re The Voice: Tone Of Voice ft Nick Parker, Rishi Dastidar and Amy Nolan
12 Plug In Baby: Software ft Jo Shock and Jack Chambers-Ward
11 Somebody Told Me: Referrals ft Bob Burg and Penni and Jo Pickering
10 Paranoid Android: AI vs creativity ft Tom Albrighton and Molly Scanlan
09 Shiny Happy People: Personal brands ft Lea Turner and Steve Folland
08 Chasing Rainbows: Business planning ft. Alastair Thomson and Melanie Johnson
07 A Design For Life: Creating for yourself with guest co-host Dan Nelken ft. Penny Brazier and The McKinneys
06 I Bet You Look Good On The Timeline ft. Dave Harland and Jonathan Wilcock
05 Flaming Lips: Public Speaking ft. Pascalle Bergmans, Becki Wilson and Nikki Pilkington
04 A Little Respect: Client Relationships ft. Jodie Newman and Sophie Cross
03 All Together Now: Communities ft. Mark Masters and Ant Henderson
02 It’s Oh So Quiet: Finding Clients ft. John Lyons and Bonnie Harrington
01 Fools Gold: Pricing your projects ft. Tom Garfield and Ange Lyons
00 What’s The Story? Podcast origins
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