Episodes
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Hi there, I am back!
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2022 was an insane year. I officially quit my career as a professional dancer and devoted myself to Freelancer Talk and my new venture Lanced.
Creating Freelancer Talk has been a wild ride. I've approached it as one big experiment, and my gosh, I made a lot of 'fails'. But yet, without those failures, I wouldn't have been where I am today... which is where exactly? I still don't know!
Through my research conducted at Freelancer Talk, I came to the realization that we needed more automated tools to help creatives with their freelance careers. INSERT LANCED.
Together with Stavya Bhatia, I founded Lanced; an early-stage tech startup developing a marketplace and management platform for organizations and professionals in the Creative & Cultural Industries.
We are actually crowdfunding for Lanced! So if you're interested in learning more about lanced, check out the following link: getlanced.com
2022 has been one hell of a ride đ± but I am already looking forward to 2023.
I'm happy to announce that in 2023 The Freelancer Talk podcast will return for weekly episodes on Tuesdays! Plus we are going to launch our Freelancer Academy as well đ€© The Academy will include coaches, workshops, and lots of resources to help you and your freelance career.
Wishing you all great holidays and I'll be back soon!
-Wouter -
Today's episode is something different, to say the least!
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Alix Reigner, host of the DancersFAQ podcast, and I teamed up for a joined episode of both of our podcasts! What does that mean? Well, we both prepared questions for each other and interviewed each other at the same time. And it worked because our double interview turned out to be a really cool and dynamic episode!
It was really awesome to do this episode with Alix, as Alix is a freelance dancer like myself. And just like I did, Alix started her podcast back at the beginning of the pandemic to help others out and offer education and resources.
I'm not going to reveal too much because we both shared our stories of why we started our podcasts, how our podcasts helped us launch our businesses, and how we've navigated our freelance careers through the past year.
Now let's get listening!
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I'm back with a new season!
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In this first episode of season 3, I'll be sharing where I find work as a freelancer.
Work is something that we all want to do, especially if you are a creative freelance because doing your job often means doing your passion.
So where do you find work nowadays as a freelancer? I'll let you in on a little hint.... your own network!
Yep, most freelancers still find the majority of the projects throughout their own networks. Think of referrals, word of mouth, or even getting a bunch of your connections together and starting something yourselves.
But there are other ways to find work too! Listen to the podcast and discover ways to find your next project as a freelancer!
PS: On October 9th, we are officially launching The Freelancer Talk platform! We will launch our Freelancers Social Network, Freelancer Talk App, and Freelancer Talk Academy! -
In this week's podcast episode, I'm giving you an update on where the Freelancer Talk is at right now and what you can expect from us in the future.
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I am changing things up for season 3 and want to hear about real freelancers' stories, so consider this an open call! To be featured on the Freelancer Talk podcast, fill out this form and I'll get back to you asap.
Also, we'd like to know from you what types of resources are needed as a freelancer.
Fill out our survey (it only takes 7 min) and contribute directly to the development of the platform. The Freelancer Talk is made for you so we value your opinions!
And as of last... the Freelancer Talk App is almost here! Right now it's beta testing and we hope to release it officially in September, along with a new season of the podcast, and some live Freelancer Talk events!
I (Wouter) wish you an amazing summer holiday and am looking forward to September... it's gonna be a BIG month! -
Do you know what your paycheck includes as a freelancer? Many young freelancers who are just starting out make a very common mistake: spending most of their paycheck money on personal needs and living costs.
As freelancers, we have the responsibility to manage our money in the correct way. Freelance paychecks are very different than payroll paychecks. There is this thing called gross vs net income. As business owners, yes you as a freelancer are a business owner, you are also susceptible to other tax regulations besides your yearly income tax.
Itâs important to understand what your freelance paycheck is made up of.
Listen to our podcast episode on what your freelance paycheck includes and get a better understanding of how you should handle your incoming money.
Hereâs a quick rundown of a few important things you need to take into account.
In every country*, a transaction for products/services is taxed with a sales/turnover/self-employed tax. Every business owner, thatâs you too, will have to pay this either quarterly or annually.
After taking off your sales/self-employment tax and potentially some business costs, you pay yourself. This is the reason why itâs handy to have a separate business and personal bank account.
What you receive from your business is your personal gross income.
You are still going to need to pay your yearly income tax, pension, and social securities before youâre left with the amount you can use for yourself, aka your net income.
Donât let yourself get fooled by the numbers youâre offered! Take all the above into account when agreeing to certain payments, not all of the money youâre offered is actually going to end up in your wallet!
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What is the most important skill a freelancer should have?
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I asked this question the other day on the Freelancer Talk Instagram and got some great answers.
But what are the most important skills and what is the difference between hard and soft skills? I'll tell you all about it on today's podcast episode of The Freelancer Talk!
Did you know that 61% of all freelancers are specialized in 2 to 3 hard skills? Me neither? But it sounds like a good plan and it's exactly what I've been trying to do this past year.
If you're looking to up your freelance skills... this podcast might give you some ideas and insights! Enjoy listening!
Join The Freelancer Talk's social network today using the following link: http://thefreelancertalk.com/join/
And of course don't forget to follow us on Instagram for the latest updates on podcast episodes, blogs, events, and platform features! -
Pension and Retirement, two things that no one likes to think of when they're in their 20s.
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I've stressed this many times before, as freelancers you are responsible for every single aspect of your business. Meaning, you are also responsible to pay/organize your own pension and plan for your retirement. Unfortunately, this is something that most freelancers at the beginning of their career don't even think of. Even I caught myself avoiding this topic for a long time. It's an important topic and therefore I decided to devote an episode to it!
In this week's episode, I have Radon Stancil as a guest to talk about pensions and retirements. Radon runs his own firm called 'Peace of Mind Wealth Management'. They basically help people plan their retirement and manage their financial accounts. He's a freelancer himself and understands all too well why people push this topic to the back of their minds.
As a freelancer at the beginning of your career, we are often in survival mode. Trying to make ends meet and hustle for the next job. After you're out of this phase, people will save money to put towards a house, a new car and after that, you might have kids. So when is the right time to start thinking of your retirement? When should you start paying pension and how can you build up an account for later? Radon will tell us all about it!
Personally, Radon truly enriched me with new knowledge. And I think that is the wonderful thing about this podcast. I'm trying to find people to learn from and have interesting discussions with on topics that I sometimes am experienced at and other times not so much. I myself am also a freelancer still relatively at the beginning of my career and every week I discover or learn something new about this wonderful but also challenging lifestyle.
That said, enjoy listening to the episode, and don't forget to join the Freelancer Talk platform!
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For today's episode, I invited the incredibly kind and talented photographer Laura Zalenga to join me for a Freelancer Talk.
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Laura has been a Freelance Photographer for most of her career and has worked for clients like the United Nations, Adobe, Facebook, Sony, MaxMara, and Disney. It's an impressive list!
She sells her own courses, teaches workshops and masterclasses, and runs her own Patreon community. But besides all of that, she also has an impressively large following on Instagram which was my initial reason for inviting her. But quickly after doing some more in-depth research, I found that just talking about her Instagram following wouldn't do her justice.
In the episode, Laura shares with us her journey to becoming the photographer she is now, what freelancing means to her and why she calls herself an activist.
However, we are spending a big part of the podcast discussing what these followers mean to her, if Instagram has contributed to her success as a photographer, and why it's important to be vocal on social and ecological matters. This is not a "how to get more followers" episode but more of a talk on what it means to have such a following and mostly why getting it shouldn't be your priority as a freelancer!
Let's get listening!
Want to follow the course on Self-Portrait photography we talked about during the episode?
Purchase Laura's Domestika Course using THIS link!
If you're a creative freelancer you might want to check out our brand new Social Network platform for creative freelancers! Share your work, connect with people, host online events, and become part of a real community! JOIN US NOW! -
How to improve your online presence by using SEO?
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If you've never heard of the term SEO before, you're in luck. In today's podcast episode I'm discussing all things SEO with acclaimed SEO expert Steve Wiideman.
Steve has worked on the SEO strategies for Disney, Honda, IHop, and many more!
No question was off-limit so I came up with a broad variety of SEO questions so that we could all learn from Steve and feel like we've gained some new knowledge after listening to the episode!
Some of the topics we are discussing:
- How the Internet has developed in Steve's 20+ year career and what today's benefits are.
- What does SEO mean?
- How does SEO work? Crawlers vs Indexing.
- How to get started with SEO as a small business.
- How will voice be incorporated into search?
There are some really interesting facts and research findings Steve shares on the podcast. So if you are a true tech geek, it's definitely worth your while!
Interested in getting to know Steve yourself and wanting to see what he's up to? Check out Steve's website and LinkedIn!
Let's get listening!
Are you a Creative Freelancer and want to join our brand new Social Network? Make sure to sign up using the following link: http://thefreelancertalk.com/join/
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Let's talk about mental and physical health!
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In today's podcast, I'm sharing some of the things that helped me personally get through this current ever-lasting lockdown in the Netherlands.
I know that not every country is in lockdown but I do know that most of us freelancers find themselves working alone from their homes.
So how do you stay healthy while working from home? Do you need to be more physical or do you feel socially detached?
I hope that by sharing I could give you some valuable tips that you could apply to your current situation and most of all I hope that we are all healthy!
Things will get better soon!
Want to connect with other freelancers from around the world and feel supported? Join our NEW social network for creative freelancers TODAY!
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The Freelancer Talk podcast is only the tip of the iceberg...
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I'm really excited to finally share something huge that I've been working on with a bunch of others for the past 5 months!
11 months ago I had the idea of creating a new online platform where creative freelancers could build their own professional support system and create valuable connections with other creative freelancers. Because I know firsthand that freelancing can feel a little lonely from time to time, but it can also be pretty overwhelming. There is just so much more to take into account than simply doing the work that you love.
I'm really excited to announce the Beta launch of The Freelancer Talk platform and would like to invite all of you to join! http://thefreelancertalk.com/join/
In today's podcast episode, I'll be explaining what The Freelancer Talk platform is, what my vision behind the platform is and what you can expect from The Freelancer Talk in the next coming years. Yes, we're in it for the long run!
On top of that, I also have another exciting announcement to make on the episode. Listen to this week's episode and get yourself all excited for this brand new Social Network platform!
JOIN US TODAY!
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In this weekâs podcast episode, weâre talking with marketing agency owner Heather Tulloch on how you can build up your self-confidence!
Heather Tulloch is the Founder of Image Creative BHX a digital marketing agency, based in the UK. They have worked with a range of e-commerce and service-based businesses around the world and have a visionary perspective when it comes to their ideas.
Freelancing most of the time means networking and building relationships with existing clients. But to be honest, networking is hard and doesn't always come easy to some of us. It's important to build up your self-confidence along the way, so when you approach that long-wanted client, you know what to say and how to present yourself.
Self-confidence isnât something that comes within a day. Itâs a process of trial and error. Thatâs totally okay though!
Are you struggling with your self-confidence and need some networking tricks? Listen to our episode now and learn from our stories!
Check out Image Creative BHX on Instagram!
Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
Connect with us!
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For more visit TheFreelancerTalk.com
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There is a new must-read book for freelancers and we interviewed its author! âArt for Moneyâ is out today and weâd love to tell you about it.
âIf youâre good at the thing you do, youâre 20% of the way to making proper money as a freelancer.â
Micheal Ardelean, the author of âArt for Moneyâ, is an ex-BMX pro, Entrepreneur, Agency Owner, and a now freshly new book writer.
In this weekâs podcast episode of The Freelancer Talk, we got the chance to talk to Michael about his first book release and to discuss the book. Yes, our podcast host Wouter got a copy pre-launch and he was very excited to be able to read it before others could.âArt for Moneyâ practically serves as a financial behavioral guide when it comes to making money for your Art. Being under 80 pages, itâs a quick read but that doesnât make it any less valuable. Actually, we find the book incredibly valuable for creative freelancers who struggle with the concept of getting paid correctly and in time for their work.
Throughout the book, Micheal offers a variety of templates and a set of useful tools to implement into your own freelance business. By using his own entrepreneurial and freelance journey, he shares how he bumped into some problems, had some complicated clients, and how he found a way to work with money and be fairly and correctly paid. Struggles weâve all come across!We encourage every creative freelancer to give it a read as the book will definitely help you understand your position when setting up agreements with clients and avoiding awkward money discussions.
Get the book here!
Listen to the podcast on your favourite podcast platform and make sure to subscribe!
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Most of us freelancers have our own websites. But how do you make the ultimate website and what is important to have?
Make sure to read this article if youâre looking for a reason to get a website if you donât have one already.
In todayâs podcast, weâre talking about what a website needs. Yes, you need your socials and a proper contact form, but a website needs much more than that! Especially on a technical level, you need to make sure that your freelance business website is correctly functioning and optimized.
Listen to the podcast here and tell us what you think is important to have on a freelance business website!
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Have you ever thought about quitting your payroll job and going freelance?
Freelancers are slowly taking over the world and the future truly is freelance. The current worldwide pandemic has only contributed to this statement and even sped this process up.
With unemployment numbers going through the roof, itâs no surprise that many people sign themselves up to platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. Essentially, it doesnât matter whether you are thinking of quitting your job and going freelance or if you are unemployed and want to start your own freelance business. In both cases, youâre going to need a plan!
For this weekâs episode of The Freelancer Talk podcast, weâve invited Alistair Webster from Freelance Success to share with us his 11 Steps to becoming a Freelancer guide!
Alistair Webster is a freelancer and creative consultant from the UK. He specializes in creating websites that use strategy and storytelling to help small businesses boost sales. He is also the founder of Freelance Success â an online platform that teaches freelancers everything they need to know to succeed and achieve their dream freelance lifestyle.
Get the âGet Freelancing in 11 Stepsâ guide here!
From signing in your business and getting the right software for your bookkeeping to thinking about your branding and setting up a business bank account. In this weekâs episode, we are discussing how you go from 0 to freelance in 11 steps, created by Alistair!
If you are seriously thinking of going freelance or if you just started out and feel like you need a quick checklist to see if youâve set yourself up for success⊠this weekâs episode is going to be your best friend!
Letâs get listening and donât forget to subscribe to the podcast!
Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!
Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
Want to receive weekly updates about the latest podcast episodes, blog articles, and other related news items? Sign up for our Weekly Digest newsletter!
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For more visit TheFreelancerTalk.com -
Letâs be honest. Most freelancers get anxious when they think of negotiating! But negotiating shouldnât be something scary and more importantly, somebody whoâs not self-confident isnât going to be able to negotiate on anything! Donât worry if you are one of those freelancers who gets anxious about negotiating, we got you!
Head over to thefreelancertalpodcast.com, choose your favorite streaming platform, and listen to the episode with Merel van der Wouden!
For todayâs episode, we asked Negotiating Coach Merel van der Wouden to join us on The Freelancer Talk podcast to share her expertise and views on Negotiating.Merel is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and business influencer. After working as a business consultant for a period of time she exchanged her corporate life in Toronto to start her own company named Blackbird Negotiations in 2017.
She mainly coaches ambitious women to gain the confidence, knowledge, and skills to successfully negotiate what they deserve. Her main focus is on teaching negotiation skills regarding salaries and fees.
Since the creation of Merelâs coaching business, she has helped over 200+ women negotiate better salaries and has established herself as a public speaker sharing her journey and her passion for negotiating.
You understand why we had to ask her for a Freelancer Talk right?
In this weekâs episode, we are really diving deep into the topic of negotiating. Merel provides us with incredible valuable answers to questions like: âIs there harm in negotiatingâ, âHow do I make the money talk less awkward?â, and âWhen do I know itâs appropriate to negotiate?â.But besides answering these questions, Merel shares her story of why she started her negotiating coaching business and gives us a little sneak peek into her âPro-Active Methodâ!
Read more
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Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
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As freelancers, we often struggle to fully understand what we are invoicing for and what we are worth.
Our financial system works differently than when you work on payroll. We pay our own taxes, pension, and social securities. But besides the technical side of our finances, we often find ourselves in complicated positions when we are asked to work for less or even for free.
For today's episode, I've asked Bilal Bachir from De Kunstenbond to join me on the podcast and talk about knowing your worth.
Bilal is a board member of the Theater and Dance Department of De Kunstenbond in the Netherlands and teaches workshops for De Kunstenbond on knowing your worth/value to students of various Universities/Academies around the Netherlands. De Kunstenbond is a Union based in the Netherlands which is a Union for people working in the Arts.
In today's episode, we are diving into the art/dance world where Bilal sheds some light on what you should include in your worth, how you know what you are worth, how we need to fight the current system, and why a Union like De Kunstenbond is so valuable to you as a freelancer working in the Arts.
Today's episode is special to me as I myself am a freelance dancer that has encountered many incidents in which I was severely underpaid/undervalued. The Freelancer Talk podcast started as a podcast for freelancers working in the arts but has since grown and expanded to all kinds of freelancers. I am aware that not all of our audience works in the Arts field but still urge you to listen to this episode as there is some general knowledge to be taken from.
During the episode, Bilal mentioned the European Dancer's Passport. Check out here what it is and how you can get one if you are a freelance dancer!
Enjoy listening!
Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
Want to receive weekly updates about the latest podcast episodes, blog articles, and other related news items? Sign up for our Weekly Digest newsletter!
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For more visit TheFreelancerTalk.com
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Today we are continuing our two-part season premiere together with Lauren from Nelly Marketing. In this weekâs episode, we are touching on the topic of establishing your online presence. But letâs have a quick recap of last weekâs podcast episode!
Last week we discussed how to set goals as a freelancer using the SMART method. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. But besides using the SMART method, Lauren has come up with an additional method when it comes to goal setting for us freelancers. If you havenât listened to the episode, make sure to check it out here!
As we mentioned before, today we are discussing everything regarding establishing your online presence for your business. How do you establish one? Where can you show up? And what is important when establishing your online presence for your business?Weâre talking Websites, SEO, and Social Media. Plus, weâre giving you a very valuable formula that you can easily adapt to your online strategy when it comes to establishing an online presence for your business.
Letâs get listening!
Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!
Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
Want to receive weekly updates about the latest podcast episodes, blog articles, and other related news items? Sign up for our Weekly Digest newsletter!
Connect with us!
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For more visit TheFreelancerTalk.com
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Itâs been a minute but The Freelancer Talk podcast is back! Weâre kicking Season 2 off with an incredible valuable episode on goal setting together with Lauren from Nelly Marketing.
After contemplating what the first episode should be about, I figured that we could all get some goal setting advice. Weâre still in the first month of 2021 and even if youâve already set all your goals, thereâs still some time to make some readjustments and little tweaks.Last year, Lauren started her own marketing agency named Nelly Marketing. She is a marketing consultant with over 8 years of professional experience. So, I thought, she needs to be on The Freelancer Talk! I invited her to join me on the podcast for not just 1 but for 2 episodes! Weâre starting off with our talk on goal setting.
Thereâs no doubt in the importance of having a goal for yourself or for your freelance business. But how do you set goals? Especially when you are just starting a new business, setting SMART goals is big must! SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time.
But as a freelancer just having SMART goals isnât really going to be enough. Lauren developed her own theory on goal setting and added another 4 extra letters to the SMART-theory. I call it Laurenâs SMART+ theory! But what are those extra 4 letters and what do they stand for?
Listen to the first episode of season 2 and dive into goal setting for freelancers with Lauren and I!
I promise you, youâll want to listen to this because Laurenâs SMART+ theory is incredibly helpful for us freelancers!
Letâs get listening!
Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
Want to receive weekly updates about the latest podcast episodes, blog articles, and other related news items? Sign up for our Weekly Digest newsletter!
Connect with us!
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For more visit TheFreelancerTalk.com
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Hello Season 2, and a warm welcome to all you new listeners!
The Freelancer Talk is back for a second season and it's going to be packed with many incredible guests!
But besides incredible guests, The Freelancer Talk has undergone some changes for season 2! We've moved our hosting to Buzzsprout and have drastically re-imaged our looks. On top of that expect some new features to be rolled out over the next few months...
Make sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast network and never miss a new episode! (every Tuesday)
Are you absolutely loving The Freelancer Talk podcast? Make sure to let the world know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or another suitable platform!Join daily discussions and connect with other freelancers by becoming part of our exclusive international freelancersâ group on Facebook! Join us today!
Want to receive weekly updates about the latest podcast episodes, blog articles, and other related news items? Sign up for our Weekly Digest newsletter!
Connect with us!
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook Page
YouTube
For more visit TheFreelancerTalk.com
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