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Lex DeVille's: How to Make $1,000 a Week with no Degree, no Feedback, & no Portfolio.

mosdef

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Hi guys,

I've been reading through this thread slowly over the last few weeks, along with Lex's other thread.

Slowly because after years of forum membership, I finally put taking action first and reading on here last. Anyway, I'm up to like page 22 here. Right now, I had to jump on and share my own good news though. . .

In an attempt to learn more about marketing, copy, and product creation, I signed up on Upwork about 10 days ago. My intention is to learn, get paid to learn, and use the cash to fund my own businesses and products.

This morning I sent out my 20th application in the last 10 days. I have no major experience, just some very minor stuff that I can't even reference/prove. I have no qualifications, no feedback, and no contacts. Until the beginning of this month, I didn't even know Upwork existed.

This evening I logged in to two job offers, and an interview! Not only that, but one of the job offers I bid over his budget - because I felt I could do a great job, and the budget offered wouldn't cover the time this would take. The second offer was somebody needing a quick job done by Thursday - I offered to do it by tomorrow.

You focused, and over-deliver really does work. Thank you to everybody in this thread, you've all given me inspiration and information along the way.

Now - better get to work eh! :D

Congrats brother. You could have stopped. You didn't . Now enjoy the results.
 
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Mac

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Not just in the past ;)

The primary complication with introversion pops up in social interactions. It's more about the time needed to recharge between each engagement. So when I said introversion was the complicated part, I think that may have been a bit misleading.

The real complication is being an internally oriented person. I'm a head-type through and through and everything I do comes from the head first. All of my decisions and all of my actions require deep thought and analysis. Even something as simple as speaking on camera becomes incredibly challenging since there's so much internal chatter.

Basically all the stuff inside my head tries to come out verbally, and this makes videos challenging.

It's also a big part of why I'm good at copy. With writing I put it all out there, then there's time to go back and analyze it and refine it, and refine it some more before it ever goes into the world.

Anyway, don't wanna get too far off track - this is more of a psychology / personality topic, and I plan to get into that at a later time.

When you're on camera, you should go with what your intuition tells you to say. Sometimes people like to think about things too logically, which can suppress creative and meaningful advice.
 

Lex DeVille

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I completed my first jobs for two different clients over the weekend. Both immediately offered me more work and both have increased the fee substantially! I also upped my hourly rate a little now that I have a couple of jobs to show.

It's weird but I almost feel that my hourly rate looks 'too cheap' for a few of the jobs I have applied for - the job descriptions indicated that they were expecting to pay more than I could justify charging at my current rate (unless I was a reeeeally slow worker). I don't have the confidence to bid high yet but once I have a more solid looking job history then I will be aiming for the top. I know that something similar was discussed early on this thread. I'm going to have to read the whole thing again - and take notes this time.

I have one question for more experienced Upworkers - how do you approach portfolio building? Do you create seperate work for your portfolio, create samples of relevant work as you apply for jobs or use 'sold' work? If the latter then how do you approach the clients about this (assuming you do)?

Thanks for the ongoing great tips - hopefully I will have a few of my own to share very soon!

Hey Trixii, looks like you're the lucky question of the day. ;)


And about the confidence part - you do have the confidence. It's not something that's there or isn't. It's always there, it's just a matter of realizing you... are not the same as your feelings. You are a separate thing from your confidence or lack of, because you can experience those feelings. If you choose to think about this you may notice that from a detached perspective you can choose when to tap into the confidence that's always there, waiting for you.
 

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Hey Trixii, looks like you're the lucky question of the day. ;)

Thank you, I'm honoured :embarrased:

Some great advice in that clip. The Dropbox tip is especially useful because I use it anyway but never thought to put portfolio items there and branching out to other freelance sites seems like an obvious step. I really like your presentation too, and your willingness to 'put yourself out there' on video. You are, of course, correct about confidence. Everyone thinks that other people have it and they lack it. The first time I stood up to talk to a class of kids (I trained as a teacher) I was terrified and honestly didn't know if I would start talking or run away! Doing it is the only real way to know that you can do it.

If you choose to think about this you may notice that from a detached perspective you can choose
Thank you for this.
 
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The Grind

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You already have ads in front of your youtube vids?

Thought you needed a certain amount of traffic first.

Youtube pays you to run these ads before your videos right?
 

NickS

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Hey, very inspiring thread. Actually I was thinking about this just last night, only I thought about doing this differently.

My idea is to e-mail small, local companies directly, and offer them my web-building services. Lots of companies here still have those ugly, static 90s-era HTML webpages. Not mobile friendly, ugly, and unprofessional.

I started building websites since I was 14 years old, and I've worked with Wordpress since 16. I definitely can improve their traffic, conversions, and Google-rankings.

But I'm far from a professional designer. All I can bring to the table is a nice, mobile-friendly Wordpress website with MailCheat(Chimp) account and auto-responders.

How much should I reasonably charge for a website like this?
 

Lex DeVille

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You already have ads in front of your youtube vids?

Thought you needed a certain amount of traffic first.

Youtube pays you to run these ads before your videos right?

A few of my videos have ads because I was playing with the ad settings to see how things worked. But I'm not really sure how the whole getting paid for ad things works yet. I don't have anything linked to a bank account, and haven't had much time to go very deep into the inner workings of YouTube.

Eventually I'll get around to it and figure all that stuff out. For now I'm just focused on putting out quality videos worth watching.
 
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Lex DeVille

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You already have ads in front of your youtube vids?

Thought you needed a certain amount of traffic first.

Youtube pays you to run these ads before your videos right?
Hey, very inspiring thread. Actually I was thinking about this just last night, only I thought about doing this differently.

My idea is to e-mail small, local companies directly, and offer them my web-building services. Lots of companies here still have those ugly, static 90s-era HTML webpages. Not mobile friendly, ugly, and unprofessional.

I started building websites since I was 14 years old, and I've worked with Wordpress since 16. I definitely can improve their traffic, conversions, and Google-rankings.

But I'm far from a professional designer. All I can bring to the table is a nice, mobile-friendly Wordpress website with MailCheat(Chimp) account and auto-responders.

How much should I reasonably charge for a website like this?

Hey Nick,

You can still use the principles in this thread for that purpose. It works all the same. As far as price - if I were doing this I'd google what others charge for similar services, and also check Upwork to see what people pay for this. Then choose a similar price as a starting point for your testing.

If the market likes your price, increase it and see what happens. If nobody buys, maybe decrease it and see what happens. The reasonable charge is whatever other people will pay you for the value you bring to the table.

Just keep in mind there's a lot more variables to test than just price, so even if the first person you email doesn't buy, just keep emailing and changing things: price, copy, pitch, tone, style, samples, and anything else you can think of. Just keep tweaking them one at a time until you start to get the results you want.
 

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How to waste time With Potential Clients Before Ever Seeing A Dime.

Apply for a job that YOU want just to get a job and make a quick buck.

Apply for a job that says "looking for beginner" meaning the client is broke and can only afford to pay you 2 / hour.

Get the interview for said job, answer 17 questions that cant even be answered in a few sentences, spend 45 minutes explaining what your going to do and why..

...in a way that wont piss off the client

Then say "does 50 per email seem fair"

The client says "No" and was thinking more like $5 per email.

Rinse and repeat.

P.S. I just went through that and just ended up saying "Sorry You can't afford me"

Lessons: 1. Perhaps put your rates, your STRICT rates on your profile cover letter. So the client knows upfront.
2. Only apply for jobs that say "Looking for expert" Meaning that can actually afford you.
 

Lex DeVille

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How to waste time With Potential Clients Before Ever Seeing A Dime.

Apply for a job that YOU want just to get a job and make a quick buck.

Apply for a job that says "looking for beginner" meaning the client is broke and can only afford to pay you 2 / hour.

Get the interview for said job, answer 17 questions that cant even be answered in a few sentences, spend 45 minutes explaining what your going to do and why..

...in a way that wont piss off the client

Then say "does 50 per email seem fair"

The client says "No" and was thinking more like $5 per email.

Rinse and repeat.

P.S. I just went through that and just ended up saying "Sorry You can't afford me"

Lessons: 1. Perhaps put your rates, your STRICT rates on your profile cover letter. So the client knows upfront.
2. Only apply for jobs that say "Looking for expert" Meaning that can actually afford you.


What are 5 things you could have said to move the client from $5 to something closer to $50 per email?

What happens if the client blows up overnight and becomes the next MJ?

What if tomorrow you could have made $100 per email? Was getting personal worth it then?

What reason is there to burn bridges due to your own mistakes?

The client doesn't know what you know. He doesn't know how to write good copy or make clear job posts. You are the one with awareness. It's your responsibility to not only discover if a gig is right for you, but also to act like a responsible adult and part ways on good terms if things don't work out.

Did you know the job success rating takes into consideration the jobs you get interviewed for but don't get hired for?
 
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Okay, so I just sent off my first application!

I am going away for the weekend and wanted to get something off to see what (if any) response I get. Its 6am over here now :D.

Gonna hit the portfolio building, more tests and more applications hard next week!

Wanna just say a huge thank you to @SinisterLex and everyone else who has contributed to this thread. Without you guys I wouldn't have made these first steps.
 

The Grind

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What are 5 things you could have said to move the client from $5 to something closer to $50 per email?

What happens if the client blows up overnight and becomes the next MJ?

What if tomorrow you could have made $100 per email? Was getting personal worth it then?

What reason is there to burn bridges due to your own mistakes?

The client doesn't know what you know. He doesn't know how to write good copy or make clear job posts. You are the one with awareness. It's your responsibility to not only discover if a gig is right for you, but also to act like a responsible adult and part ways on good terms if things don't work out.

Did you know the job success rating takes into consideration the jobs you get interviewed for but don't get hired for?
Yeah I'm sure it does.

I've been thinking how to handle these situations better, I'm not sure.

Your suppose to answer a thousand questions and "defend" your work for hours to get paid pennies?

I do not know how to convey the value of emails, or copy without stating the incredibly obvious such as "this copy will make you thousands though, pahying me 500 is nothing compared to what you will make" or "you will have these emails forever and will be using them for your business forever, and that will make you a lot of money, 100 per email is pocket change"
 

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Here's an Easy Way to Get Local Copywriting Clientele...

Google search networking events in your city.

(Optional) Print off 50-100 business cards with your name, picture, email and phone number. Make sure you state you're a Copywriting expert.

Talk to entrepreneurs at the event and let them know that you can help their business grow, then give them your card.

If you're just starting out and looking to build your portfolio, offer your services for free.

It shouldn't be hard meeting people and convincing them, because normally these events are packed with hundreds of entrepreneurs.
 
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The Grind

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By the way Lex your videos are already very good.

Want Simple Videos To Teach You About Handling The Toughest Clients?

Heres what you get when you watch Lex's Youtube channel:
  • Awesome speaking
  • Stellar video quality
  • Fastlane Knowledge
  • Inspiration and motivation
  • Someone to look up to
P.S. Reading his posts helped. But his videos made the difference between getting a client here and there. And getting that quality client that can afford to pay you 99 / hour.
 

Lex DeVille

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Got a comment on one of the videos last night. They wanted to know where to get free resources to help them learn to write different types of copy like sales pages and stuff. Here's the response.


Oh, and for those who don't like to read, here's how to lose 10,000 referrals instantly. ;)

 

mosdef

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Thanks for the video. Uploaded a portfolio. Is there a interest to read it?
 
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Lex DeVille

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Thanks for the video. Uploaded a portfolio. Is there a interest to read it?

Hey mosdef,

I do have an interest in reading it, and if you're interested I'd love to include it as part of my new video series.

It's called Raw Review Series and it's where I give honest feedback on copy/profiles/emails/ads etc. on camera.

Basically I'll go over your profile and note the good, bad & the ugly so you know how to make it better.

If you don't want others to know it's yours we'll keep it completely anonymous and I'll block out any identifying info.

If you're down PM me the link and I'll check it out.

I think this way we can help a lot more people at the same time since I'm already reviewing copy anyway.

This offer stands for anyone reading this.

If you want me to review something,
PM me and let me know if you want your info kept anonymous.
 

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@SinisterLex - that is an amazing offer. If you are looking for a(nother) beginner's profile to rip apart then I would be happy to volunteer mine. But it's not finished and not even close to the standard I would like it to be (I already know some things I need to do to make it better and intend to do).

I'm blathering because I'm embarassed to share it. I will PM you too if that's ok?

Completely unrelated question for US people - do you use/understand the word 'shoddy'? Ta!
 

Lex DeVille

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@SinisterLex - that is an amazing offer. If you are looking for a(nother) beginner's profile to rip apart then I would be happy to volunteer mine. But it's not finished and not even close to the standard I would like it to be (I already know some things I need to do to make it better and intend to do).

I'm blathering because I'm embarassed to share it. I will PM you too if that's ok?

Completely unrelated question for US people - do you use/understand the word 'shoddy'? Ta!

Hey Trixii,

Raw Review Series will be on-going so yes, I'm happy to check out your profile.

Anyone who wants to be a part of this can PM me with the thing they want reviewed.

We can keep it totally anonymous if you want so only you will know who the profile/copy belongs to.

I'll start a thread later that's just for these video reviews, since it's mostly people on TFF following my channel anyway.

Oh, and I use the word shoddy sometimes - even in copy.
 
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I suppose I'll ask since nobody else is.

What software are you using for your videos? To record, and to make the windows that you typed things in, that made you go in the top left corner.

Also for white background, and camera :)
 

Lex DeVille

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I suppose I'll ask since nobody else is.

What software are you using for your videos? To record, and to make the windows that you typed things in, that made you go in the top left corner.

Also for white background, and camera :)

I use regular ole YouCam to record.

Editing is all done in Camtasia.
 
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Have a slow week, waiting on local clients to finish legal crap.

Went on Upwork.
Looked for an SEO job.
Guy wants to rank #1 for "clash of clans bot" Will not accept any long tail keywords.
Must refund money if he loses rank.
What.

Another company claims "We want natural search google Adwords works for us but its far to expensive."
and
"Lazy or not honest SEO people or companies need not apply because we know all about SEO. "
yet
"We are looking for RESULTS no SEO fluff about creating pages on our site and try and rank for new terms this method takes for ever and with no proven results from anyone doing this. "

Budget is $10,000.

Do people even read one article on SEO before writing these jobs?

Another guy wanting to rank "Austin real estate" for $250? Wtf. Lol
 

Lex DeVille

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Have a slow week, waiting on local clients to finish legal crap.

Went on Upwork.
Looked for an SEO job.
Guy wants to rank #1 for "clash of clans bot" Will not accept any long tail keywords.
Must refund money if he loses rank.
What.

Will he double your pay if he gains rank? May be worth asking! ;)

Another company claims "We want natural search google Adwords works for us but its far to expensive."
and
"Lazy or not honest SEO people or companies need not apply because we know all about SEO. "
yet
"We are looking for RESULTS no SEO fluff about creating pages on our site and try and rank for new terms this method takes for ever and with no proven results from anyone doing this. "

Budget is $10,000.

PASS

Do people even read one article on SEO before writing these jobs?

No way - that's your job haha!

Another guy wanting to rank "Austin real estate" for $250? Wtf. Lol

Kinda surprised he didn't ask that as your "sample job" for free lol.
 

mosdef

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this is so strange. I have applied for about 14 jobs. And every single one of them has been unique and different. But I feel that I'm still stuck.

Its like its not coming naturally for me when applying for jobs. I have to force it.

How do you guys do when applying for a job.
 
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Last edited:

harerace

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Have a slow week, waiting on local clients to finish legal crap.

Went on Upwork.
Looked for an SEO job.
Guy wants to rank #1 for "clash of clans bot" Will not accept any long tail keywords.
Must refund money if he loses rank.
What.

Another company claims "We want natural search google Adwords works for us but its far to expensive."
and
"Lazy or not honest SEO people or companies need not apply because we know all about SEO. "
yet
"We are looking for RESULTS no SEO fluff about creating pages on our site and try and rank for new terms this method takes for ever and with no proven results from anyone doing this. "

Budget is $10,000.

Do people even read one article on SEO before writing these jobs?

Another guy wanting to rank "Austin real estate" for $250? Wtf. Lol

Ha, that clash of clans job was posted from India lmao

Or Please rank us #1 for keyword "Amazon" . Paying $75.00 . Must rank #1 before Payment is released.

I stay far far away from any SEO jobs on there.
 
Last edited:

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Ha, that clash of clans job was posted from India lmao

Or Please rank us #1 for keyword "Amazon" . Paying $75.00 . Must rank #1 before Payment is released.

I stay far far away from any SEO jobs on there.
Yeah, after 20 minutes on there I ended up cold emailing. Screw all that jazz.
 

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@SinisterLex

This is some real awesomeness you brought to this thread SinisterLex.

Thank you for doing all of this.

Apparently, Upwork keeps track of the time it took to complete a job via some kind of software that takes screenshots of your computer at random times.

Did any of you people have some kind of problem for using such software?

Is it necessary to use it as well for fixed price jobs?
 
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Lex DeVille

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@SinisterLex

This is some real awesomeness you brought to this thread SinisterLex.

Thank you for doing all of this.

Apparently, Upwork keeps track of the time it took to complete a job via some kind of software that takes screenshots of your computer at random times.

Did any of you people have some kind of problem for using such software?

Is it necessary to use it as well for fixed price jobs?

Time tracker is only for hourly jobs. It's so clients can track the work freelancers are doing so they know whether or not someone is just slacking and killing time to raise the total cost. Some freelancers try to bypass this by just switching screens or moving their mouse every once in a while, but that doesn't work out well either since Time Tracker also tracks keystrokes and mouse clicks among other things.
 

Lex DeVille

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Hey guys,

If any of you want to go deeper into copywriting, I'm starting a series of free video lessons.

It's a YouTube course and I'm gonna try to make one video on a specific topic every couple of days.

The first one is me talking, but they won't all be like that, because we'll need to look at different pieces of copy to get the full picture.

Anyway, subscribe if you wanna tag along. I'm sure there's lots of stuff to cover that I haven't told you yet.

Here's the first one.

 

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