After running her freelance writing business for seven years, Janice Hughes hit a wall. 

She had started her career in publishing but quickly moved into a copywriting job at an agency.  

The idea of running her own business appealed to her. So she decided to leave the agency and start her own business. When she did, she was able to leverage her existing network and land some clients almost immediately.  

Those clients, in turn, gave her a lot of word-of-mouth referrals. Those clients kept her busy, but they weren’t always a great fit. She appreciated the work. But she’d fallen into the habit of saying “yes” to almost every client. “For the first six or seven years, I was stuck in in “business building” mindset. I’d take almost any project that came across my desk,” she says. 

This “I’ll take anything” mindset also meant that she wasn’t earning as much as she’d hoped for either.  

After seven years, she’d hoped to be in a better place.  

She knew she needed to make some changes. But she wasn’t sure how to do it. 

The Need for a New Approach  

As she looked for a solution to her business problems, Janice came across Ed Gandia’s warm email prospecting program.  

She signed up. And for the first time, she learned how to go out and find new clients. It’s was an important step in the right direction. “I learned how to reach out to people that I wanted to work with in a systematic way — instead of waiting for people to come to me,” she says. 

Her positive experience with that program encouraged her to look at Ed’s other programs. It wasn’t long before she cam across the 2X Project (now called Elevate). “If the warm email prospecting program could change my attitude about how to get clients, I figured the 2X Project could change my attitude about my business overall,” she explains. 

The program also appealed to her because of its personalized coaching component. “After seven years, I knew my positioning wasn’t quite right,” she says. “The ability to work with Ed directly to hone my positioning was a huge value to me.” 

Taking on New Roles

Once she enrolled, Janice came to a major realization: she was putting almost all of her time and energy into writing — to the neglect of other aspects of her business. “Iwas almost entirely focused on my craft,” she says. “I thought that if I’m good at what I do, then that’s enough. But it’s not! I needed to spend more time managing my business and thinking about the big picture.” 

Thankfully, the 2X Project helped her develop those skills. “It really changed my mindset on how I approach my business,” she says. 

More Confidence When Prospecting

While Janice had already taken Ed’s warm email prospecting program, the 2X Project further developed her prospecting skills.  

In particular, Ed’s input on her positioning helped her market and prospect with greater confidence. “I have a much more solid understanding about how to prospect,” she says. “I feel totally confident going out there and marketing myself. I redid my website. I’ve started blogging and increased my social media presence. Today, I’m getting qualified, inbound leads from these activities.”  

The Ability to Qualify Prospects

Even more importantly, Janice is no longer taking on every prospect that comes along. She picks and chooses the ones she wants—and declines the ones she doesn’t want. “I know exactly how to qualify prospects when they come in the door,” she says. “Before, I used to ignore red flags and convince myself that everything would be fine. But things wouldn’t be fine. I don’t do that anymore.”

In fact, the process of qualifying leads has become an integral part of her process. And her prospects see this process as a evidence of her expertise, not a barrier. “I love having initial discussions with prospective clients as part of my qualifying process,” she says. “It builds rapport and helps us get to know one another. And my prospects appreciate the back and forth exchange.”

Today, Janice is clear on the types of clients she wants. “I’m targeting more effectively than before. And I can easily identify who I want to work with.”

A Breakthrough SaaS Client

As a result of the 2X Project, Janice has landed a number of new, high-quality clients. She was particularly thrilled to land a new SaaS (software as a service) company that found her through her inbound marketing efforts.

The company had reached to Janice to ask about her rates. Instead of frantically trying to come up with a number—without knowing anything about the project—Janice had the confidence to have a conversation with them. She walked them through the questions Ed provided as part of his “wishbone” screening technique.

By the end of the conversation, the client was on board. “He loved my value proposition and even echoed it back to me. I’d never had that happen before!” she says.

It didn’t take long for the deal to come through. “After our conversation, I gave him a ballpark quote. He quickly turned around and said, “Let’s get this going!”"

A Program for Now and the Future 

For Janice, the 2X Project was special because it didn’t just address the immediate issues she was facing. It also set her up for the future. “The program isn’t just about what to do now and then six, 12 and 24 months down the road,” she says. “It provides direction that will keep you going for as long as you want.” 

Resources Tailored to Freelance Writers 

Prior to taking the 2X Project, Janice had struggled to find useful information that could help her run for her business. But the 2X Project was specifically tailored to freelance writing businesses. “There aren’t a lot of resources out there for people like us,” she says. “But the 2X Project was exactly what I needed. I never had to translate the advice given to my kind of business.” 

Many other programs target a broader swath of potential students, so not all of the  resources are relevant or useful. “I have used resources from other people who claim to do what this program does,” she says. “But I’ve never seen any other program with resources that give so much continued value. The stuff that Ed and this program is doing is amazing.” 

Where Are You in Your Business? 

When asked what advice she’d give to other freelance writers who’re contemplating whether to invest in this program, Janice suggested some self-reflection.  

“They should ask themselves some questions,” she says. “Do you know where they want to take your business? Do you have a winning value proposition? Do you feel good about prospecting? Do you like the clients you work with? Are you earning what you want to earn on every project?” 

“If you answer no to any of these, then you need to sign up.”