Hey there, future freelancer! 👋

Let's address the elephant in the room: figuring out what services you can offer as a freelancer is like trying to write your dating profile—suddenly you forget everything interesting about yourself and panic-type "I like long walks and… um... breathing oxygen?"

As someone who went from healthcare compliance (literally the most boring sentence starter ever) to a top 1% Upwork copywriter working from my RV, I'm living proof that you don't need to have it all figured out to start making money online.

Full disclosure: This post is the written companion to my video training (above), but I've included EVERYTHING here so you can follow along even if you hate watching videos as much as I hate unexpected phone calls. 📱🙅‍♀️

How I Accidentally Became a Six-Figure Freelancer (Despite Having Zero Relevant Skills) [00:45 ]

Let me paint you a picture: It's 2020. I'm drowning in chronic illness while working in healthcare administration. When I finally ask for accommodations, my employer's brilliant suggestion is to "close my office door" on bad days.

So I quit. Like any rational human would. Like someone having a complete mental breakdown might.

After three years of chasing passive income dreams (aka buying courses that collected digital dust), my husband loses his job after 25 years and my dad gets diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The universe basically looked at my life and said: "You think THAT was challenging? Hold my beer." 🍺

With my back against the wall, I returned to Upwork—a platform I'd tried and quit in 2019 because it felt "too hard."

Plot twist: I decided to market myself as a copywriter.

BIGGER plot twist: I am NOT naturally good at writing. My high school English teachers are probably spitting out their coffee reading this. ☕💦

What I did have going for me:

* Strategic thinking abilities (from fixing broken healthcare departments)

* A past in sales (that I hated because #introvertproblems)

* Early adoption of AI tools (because new tech is my love language)

* Basic marketing knowledge (from all those passive income courses that emptied my wallet)

That hodgepodge of random skills was enough to get me started. Six months later, I had walked my rate from $15/hour to $85+/hour and was making more than my corporate salary ever paid me.

The Specialization Funnel: The Most Important Concept You've Never Heard Of [06:56 ]

Here's where most people get it completely backward: they try to enter the freelance market as specialists charging premium rates from day one.

That's like showing up to your first-ever boxing match and challenging the heavyweight champion. Good luck with that, champ. 👊

(Spoiler alert: You will get knocked out. Possibly literally.)

The Upside-Down Freelance Strategy That Actually Works

Let me introduce you to what I call the Specialization Funnel:

(Here’s the deeply unsexy mouse-drawing I did on the live training.)

This funnel explains EXACTLY how successful freelancers actually build their careers (versus what they tell you in their fancy courses). Let me walk you through it step by step:

1. The Top of the Funnel: Broad & Beginner-Friendly

When you first start freelancing, you're going to position yourself at the TOP of this funnel:

* What you offer: Very broad services (like "writing" or "design")

* Your rates: Lowest they'll ever be ($15-20/hour was my starting point)

* Competition: You're competing with EVERYONE else at this level

* Effort level: Highest it will ever be (lots of applications, lower conversion rate)

Example: "I'm a writer who can help with blogs, emails, product descriptions, or whatever you need!"

At this stage, you're essentially saying "I'll do almost anything in this broad category." This feels counterintuitive—shouldn't you be more specialized to stand out? NOPE.

Here's why:

* You don't yet have the experience to be credible as a specialist

* You need to explore different types of projects to discover what you enjoy/excel at

* You need to build up reviews and client history

* You need to earn while you learn

Reality check: This stage is a grind. You'll apply to lots of jobs, charge less than you "deserve," and work harder than you'd like. BUT IT'S TEMPORARY.

2. The Middle of the Funnel: Finding Your Focus

After your first few thousand dollars in earnings (which might take a few months), something magical happens:

* What you offer: You narrow down to services you enjoy and are good at

* Your rates: Start increasing significantly ($25-50/hour)

* Competition: You're competing with fewer people

* Effort level: Begins decreasing (more invites, better conversion rates)

Example: "I'm a copywriter specializing in email sequences and sales pages for coaches and consultants."

Let me show how this worked for me in real time:

I started by offering general writing services. After completing about 10-20 jobs, I realized:

* I enjoyed sales copywriting more than blog writing

* I was better at long-form content vs concise (so I favored website, sales page, email copywriting over social or short from ad copy)

* I particularly enjoyed working with coaches and course creators

So I started specializing in that direction, and my income jumped immediately. I was able to increase my rates while actually getting MORE clients because I was positioning myself as a better fit for specific needs.

3. The Bottom of the Funnel: True Specialization

After several months and consistent client success, you'll reach the bottom of the funnel:

* What you offer: Highly specialized services for specific types of clients

* Your rates: Premium ($75-200+ per hour)

* Competition: Very few people can compete with your specific expertise

* Effort level: Minimal (clients come to you, high conversion rates)

Example: "I create high-converting sales page copy specifically for course creators and coaches with mission-based businesses, specializing in launching signature programs to existing audiences."

This is where the magic happens. You've narrowed your focus so much that:

* You become the obvious choice for a specific type of client

* You can work much faster because you've done similar projects many times

* You can charge premium rates because few people offer exactly what you do

* Clients find YOU instead of you hunting for them

The Income vs. Effort Paradox

Look at the sides of the funnel—notice how your effort is highest when your income is lowest? And vice versa?

This is why so many people quit freelancing early on. They get stuck in the top of the funnel, working super hard for not much money, and think "this isn't worth it."

But if you persist through this phase, something incredible happens:

As you specialize and move down the funnel, your income goes UP while your effort goes DOWN. It's literally an inverse relationship.

Looking at my own journey when I returned to Upwork, but this time using this strategy:

* September 2023: Started at $15/hour (despite coming from a six-figure job)

* November 2023: Hit $50/hour (replaced my corporate salary)

* February 2024: Reached $85/hour before moving off-platform

* Today: My profile lists $333/hour, and I STILL get inquiries (though I pretty much exclusively work off-platform these days through referrals)

This progression didn't take years—it took MONTHS. Because I followed the funnel instead of fighting it.

Here's the million-dollar question: Would I have gotten better results by starting at $50/hour out the gate? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I would have *STRUGGLED* to land jobs, I would have locked myself into a specific skill/offering I felt was “worth” $50/hour instead of finding new and exciting work I *enjoyed* doing, and probably would have quit in frustration before I ever got momentum.

Why You Can't Skip Steps

Many beginners want to jump straight to the bottom of the funnel. I get it! The top looks like a lot of work for little reward.

But here's why that strategy fails:

* You don't yet have the proof to back up specialist claims

* You don't have the reviews to overcome client skepticism

* You don't have the experience to actually deliver specialist results

* You don't know which specialization is right for YOU yet

You have to earn your way down the funnel. There are no shortcuts.

Think of it like dating: You can't propose marriage on the first date and expect good results. There's a process, and it can't be rushed.

The "What The Heck Can I Actually Offer?" Diagnostic Tool [12:34 ]

Before you spiral into an existential crisis about your marketable skills (been there, done that, have the therapy bills to prove it), I've created a diagnostic tool to help you identify your natural freelance fit.

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