💡 "Should I work for clients... or start building my own thing?"

I'm back on Preston Lee's podcast Freelance to Founder to talk about how freelancers should approach building revenue streams outside of their freelance work.

Jan 15, 2026

Cross-posted by 💡 Sutoscience by Amy Suto

"I was invited back to Freelance to Founder to talk about my new book Write for Money and Power and also to give advice to freelance writers wondering if they should be building their own thing and not relying so much on just working for clients. Excited for you to take a listen!"

- Amy Suto

I’m back on Freelance to Founder (you can listen to the last episodes I recorded with them here!) with host Preston Lee.

In this episode I talk a bit about my brand new book Write for Money and Power, the 12 hour livestream book launch I did this past Monday, and then we answer listener David’s question:

🎙️ Listener Question: Should I Keep Writing for Clients or Start Building My Own Thing?

Some of the topics we cover in this episode…

It’s my belief that writers shouldn’t just freelance in a vacuum — you need to be concurrently working on a paid newsletter or a self-published book (or all 3 at once — Write for Money and Power has a whole chapter dedicated to a 12-month plan on how to integrate all 3 pillars into a year!)
While earnings on doing “your own thing” might start off slow, that’s not always the case. Being strategic about growing your Substack can help accelerate growth (and that’s what I talk about in our 6 Week Substack Sprint Workshop Series!)
Need more time for your own work? Raise your rates with clients! That way you’ll work less and earn more.
Plus: more on why building a paid newsletter on Substack is a great avenue for writers!

I hope you enjoy — and be sure to go subscribe to Freelance to Founder for more great episodes!

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

-Amy