Laura Pennington-Briggs: How to Make 6-Figures Freelance Writing

Welcome to the Scaling Success Stories series!

If you’re new to this series, I ask online entrepreneurs questions regarding growing and scaling their business.

This is the series description:

You can get your fill of online business tips by reading the other interviews on the Scaling Success Stories page.

Interview with Laura Pennington-Briggs from Better Biz Academy

It was my pleasure interviewing Laura Pennington-Briggs from Better Biz Academy. Laura is a medical and legal freelance writer, in addition to teaching others how to start and grow freelance businesses.  She’s also a 2-time TEDx speaker and a published author.

Check out what Laura had to say to my questions!

1. Why did you start an online business and how does your passion still drive your business’ growth today?

I initially began an online business because I needed more freedom, flexibility and control in my life.

My husband served in the military for 14 years and he moved extensively for his career so I needed something that could follow me. I was also completely burned out from working in traditional education.

2. At what point did you realize that your business was “taking off” and that you could really make money from it?

The first time that I realized I might be able to turn this into full-time venture was in my third month when I surpassed the earnings I was making at my day job.

My side hustle as a freelance writer had picked up steam and I was getting more requests from current clients to do additional work for them.

Even though this helped build my confidence tremendously, I still was not certain this was something I could replicate every month so I made the decision to stay in my day job for a full 12 months to have a year’s worth of earnings and financial details so that I knew what to expect.

3.  At what point did you realize you were living the life you wanted to?

When I was fired from my full-time job and took my freelance business full-time, I finally realized that I was in control of my schedule and doing what I wanted to do with my company.

It was a freedom-based feeling that has followed me for many years.

Every time that I’ve had to pivot or make updates in my business, this has also made me feel more confident in knowing that I could not pursue many of the opportunities I have today if I had a full-time job.

4. One of the biggest fears of outsourcing is trusting the people you hire to run your business the way you would. How did you overcome this and where did you find the right freelancers and employees to help you grow your business?

I’ve had many different experiences with outsourcing work.

Part of this has led to a firm decision not to outsource any of my freelance writing client work.

Because of that, I outsource a lot in the other aspects of my business; from graphic designing to research to proofreading to transcription.

Finding someone who does excellent work and can consistently deliver on deadline is always a challenge.

I give myself the freedom for forgiveness when I make a hire who isn’t the perfect fit and make adjustments as necessary when I feel I need to add someone new to my business.

One of the most important things a business owner can do is realize that they cannot do everything and that outsourcing to others is the only way to effectively scale their company.

There will always be challenges faced in the hiring process but overall, my experience has been very positive.

5. A common myth is that as you grow and scale your business, you have to sell your soul to make money, especially when you venture into paid advertising. How do you debunk this myth in your business?

A business owner has the responsibility to constantly evaluate who they are and what they want their brand to look like.

I believe that you must remain firmly committed to the values and mission that is most important to you.

You might continue to make decisions that keep you from making more money but are reflective of your individual values and personal goals.

I know that as a business owner, there are many things I can do to leverage my time more effectively or perhaps make easier sales to people but I choose to remain committed to what I have set out as my goal which is primarily to help people.

6. Why do you think most people fail to grow their businesses and what advice would you offer them to keep pushing, despite all the setbacks?

Many people want an instant overnight solution and attempt to manage control by doing everything themselves for a long period of time.

This is one of the leading reasons why most people fail to grow their business.

Hiring one virtual assistant is not enough to scale your company effectively.

You also must strike a balance between how much you outsource and whether or not it is worth it. For example, if I outsource 10 hours’ worth of work to a virtual assistant, but this adds increasing layers of complexity or management on my end, it might not be worth the 10 hours saved.

7. How important has niching down been (no matter how hard it hurts) to your business’ growth and profitability?

Being focused on one or two key niches has been instrumental in my success.

I often hear the advice that you shouldn’t niche because you close yourself off to opportunities.

But the truth is we all have 24 hours in a day and the more that I can leverage each one of those hours by being focused in my niche makes it easier for me to accomplish everything on my to-do list and to market myself effectively as an expert to my clients.

8. What do you attribute your success to and how do you explain it? Do you think the same strategies will help you reach your next monetization goals? Why or why not?

I am always learning, questioning and implementing rules, strategies and tools.

The ability to adapt quickly has been key for building my business and adding on new ventures as I go.

I believe the same strategies will be important for my next monetization goals but anyone who runs an online business knows that if you’re not learning, you are stagnant.

Constantly stretching yourself and attempting to optimize or start new practices can help you stay relevant.

9. To scale, you really need to have a systemized business. What steps have you taken to build those systems and how do you optimize them?

I don’t have the time to focus on every aspect of systemizing my business, which is why I trust my virtual assistants to help me build standard operating procedures, structures, and project management tools to keep everything on track.

It can be overwhelming if I were to think about doing this on my own.

I’ve also recognized early on that anything that comes to me needs to be stored or written down for future reference. This has helped me maintain systems.

Being open to the idea of implementing additional systems also helps.

10.  If you could speak face-to-face with yourself when you first started your business, what pearls of wisdom would you impart?

One of the most important things I could tell myself about starting all over again is to remain focused on the goal regardless of how long the hours are or how much work has to be put in.

I’d also remind myself that hearing the word “no” is a common aspect of operating any online business today.

Seven years into this, I have developed a strong shield against being rejected and now know how to respond to it in a way that is powerful and helpful.

Most people give up too soon because they don’t like hearing the word “no” or don’t like hearing no response. But over time, you will realize which of your pitching techniques and ideas helps you most effectively.

About Laura Pennington-Briggs

Laura Pennington-Briggs is a freelance writer who launched her business in 2012 with no formal training and scaled it to six-figures in just 18 months! Since 2013, she’s worked full-time as a freelance writer online. Today, she manages her freelance writing business in the mornings and coaches other freelancers in the afternoon. A digital nomad with a passion for freedom-based careers, Laura uses her skillset to help freelancers build a tailored plan for their success.

Conclusion

Thanks for participating in my series, Laura!

As you can tell, it’s NOT EASY growing and scaling an online business, but there are some things you can do to aid you in the process.

Inspired by Laura?

Now, it’s your turn!

I assembled the Scaling Blueprint to show you how to…

• Outsource Effectively
• Systemize Your Business
• Shatter Your Revenue Goals

After working with six-figure and seven-figure clients, I know the difference between how they function.

Let me help you start scaling successfully.

Get My FREE Blueprint!

Cheers to future success!