I don't freelance on Upwork anymore. Not because it stopped working. Because ONE proposal template worked so well it retired me. $147,000 in contracts (and counting). From one basic structure I kept tweaking and refining over the years. Clients who hired me over 50+ other applicants. $12k retainers from people who'd never met me. Now, I hire people to push the buttons while I look at graphs and tell jokes on Zoom calls. (Which tells you something about how well it worked, doesn't it?) Now... I've thought about how to sell this thing. I could bundle it into a course. Do a whole launch. But honestly? That sounds exhausting. And I realized most people don't WANT another course. So here's my dumb idea instead: A penny auction. Bids start at one cent. Bids can only go UP by one cent. If it sells for 31 cents, so be it. That's on all of you. Here's the thing though... I'm not doing this for just a handful of people. If I get enough PENNY comments below, we run it. If not, I'll find something else to do with my Tuesday. I'd rather go play on a plastic slide with my daughter than sit here like a sad sack waiting for comments to roll in. One more thing: The person who wins this isn't getting some dusty template from 2012. You're getting the exact proposal structure that pulled six figures out of a platform I no longer compete on. Which means ZERO competition from me using it. You're welcome. So here's what to do: You'd bid a penny? Drop PENNY below 👇 You think this is stupid? Drop BAN ME below 👇 Either way I wanna hear from you. Your acquaintance, Nick P.S. Is a penny auction stupid? We'll find out together.

One of the toughest things about making courses is deciding which format to put them in. Some people hate videos. Some people hate reading. Some people like both, and want a transcript of the video... So in a not-so-sneaky way to conduct marker research... How do YOU prefer to learn stuff?

Imagine something doesn't go as planned with one of your clients. How do you handle it? Getting back on social media made me remember why so many people are scared to put themselves out there: Trolls. Here are a few hilarious comments I've gotten recently... "Dude you waffle so much, that's not how YouTube monetization works. Do your work you have nothing of value to add" says the guy with a profile picture of a tree who has never posted a video before. "NOBODY WANTS YOU'RE CRAP EMAILS" yes they do 😭 And my fav... "You have pointy ears like a goblin." It's easy to deal with these on social media--just delete the comments and block the user--but it's not so easy if your client makes fun of your pointy goblin ears and crap emails. So...what's a time you messed up...or your customer thought you did? What did you do to get out of that situation?

Have you been here for a whole 2 or 3 days already and wondered... When the heck is this guy going to give me something for free? Who does he think he is? Me too. So, here's our first contest: I've set a completely arbitrary time in the not-so-distant future. 👉 Once that time arrives...whoever's left the LAST, most recent comment in this thread wins a prize of their choice. Here are your options so far... ☝️ The One-Finger Facebook Ad: My favorite ad template for generating cash NOW, as in today, on your ad campaigns (tested on digital products but PROBABLY works with lead gen too) 📣 1-2-Many: How to get ‘gatekeepers’ to ENDORSE you to flocks of a dozen, 50, even a HUNDRED potential leads in one go…instead of pitching folks one at a time 🎩 My Mini Monopoly: The secret to me closing a 5-figure retainer on Upwork (that works anywhere, not just Upwork) and has NOTHING to do with the job, 'persuasion skillz,' confidence, or anything else you might think are important…that will seem completely UNDERWHELMING after you learn it...yet works like a charm, all the same. ⛔ The Anti-Nick Outreach System: How the PPC guy I hired wins loads of clients (I don’t do this, and I probably never will, and frankly I can’t STAND that this works so well for him...and NO HE DOESN'T EVEN RUN PPC ADS...but I’m willing to share it with you anyway. Don’t pick this option if you’re new at freelancing.) 👑 The Gold Magnet: Everyone says you gotta have a ‘lead magnet’ to give ‘free value’ or something. I have one too…but I have a BETTER way to build an audience. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ What an embarrassment of riches! But we're not done yet! 👉 If we get enough 'action' 😏 on this post, I may probably definitely introduce a few BONUS prizes... Alright? And just to make this even more complicated... 👉 If you INVITE someone to this group using the INVITE button (screenshot attached), and EITHER of you comment last on this post... BOTH OF YOU WIN. Invite 2 people? TRIPLE YOUR ODDS. That's infinite value, people. Grab your freelancin' friends and pile on in!