"The Well Fed Freelancer — short and ugly,  a bit like the author"

"Print page 29 and stick it on your bathroom mirror where you’ll see it every day. Write ‘Do this shit’ in lipstick beneath it, just so you’re clear why it’s there. Then implement it ruthlessly. Will visitors think you’re weird? Yes. But fuck that. Page 29 will turn your business and livelihood around – if you implement it."

“Anyone can write. But the point of writing is to communicate, and in that regard The Well-Fed Freelancer is an extraordinary book. The struggle to repeatedly attract enough of the right kind of leads, to systematically and predictably convert them to clients who pay well for your skills and expertise is one we all face.

I was going to say that over 33 pages Jon clearly lays out a step-by-step plan to overcome those problems once and for all.

But if I did that I’d be wrong.

Because Jon actually does this on just ONE page. On page 29, over a mere 9 bullet points he summarises exactly what you need to do to sort your business once and for all.

I’ve known Jon personally and professionally for well over a decade. In that time my business has flourished (when I followed his advice) and floundered (when I didn’t).

Buy this book. Read, re-read and make sure you understand the simple yet comprehensive and highly effective plan he lays out.

Print page 29 and stick it on your bathroom mirror where you’ll see it every day.

Write “Do this shit” in lipstick beneath it, just so you’re clear why it’s there.

Then implement it ruthlessly.

Will visitors think you’re weird?

Yes.

But fuck that. Page 29 will turn your business and livelihood around – if you implement it.”

~ Dev Lall, Surgeon, The Private Practice Expert Founder, The Academy of Private Practice
https://privatepracticeexpert.co.uk 

"Would my business be where it is now without EBG? No. Would I have learned the things he has taught me without him? Also no. He’s not for everyone, but he does know what he’s talking about"

“Would my business be where it is now without EBG? No. Would I have learned the things he has taught me without him? Also no.

I may worked some of it out over time, but applying what I have learned from him has enabled me to have a stress free (mostly), healthy business, saved me considerable time and worry, and given me confidence in dealing with customers assertively and effectively.

He’s not for everyone, but he does know what he’s talking about.”

~ Sophie Blackmore, https://thehappymarketer.co.uk

"…this will be an extremely uncomfortable read. But also the kind of wake-up call that you desperately need in your business and life right now. "

“If you're a client-pleaser who keeps giving away time and expertise for free and getting ghosted more often than not, be warned: this will be an extremely uncomfortable read. But also the kind of wake-up call that you desperately need in your business and life right now.

The part about setting our own boundaries instead of feeling forced to do what other people in our industry are happy to put up with (e.g. time-consuming discovery calls for free) was especially an eye-opener for me."

~ Giada Nizzoli, https://craftycopy.co.uk

"I've followed the advice within, and it changed my life (as promised)"

“This is less a book and more an idiot-proof recipe that, with time and practice, will enable any freelancer to radically overhaul their business for the better.

I know this because I've followed the advice within, and it changed my life (as promised).

Specifically:

I've put my prices up significantly.

I can't remember what it's like to deal with a toxic client.

I work roughly half the hours I used to so have more time to spend with my wife and baby daughter.

I no longer care one jot about what friends, family, prospects, and random people on the internet have to say about my business.

Not bad for 33 pages.

If you do get this book — and you should — I'd heartily recommend saving it to your desktop so it's always to hand when you need it.

Doing this will help you out of pretty much any tricky marketing or sales situation immediately”.

~ Phil Tyreman, https://coolcontent.co.uk

"Jon’s style can best be described as tough love. Only without the love. But there’s no denying he knows what he’s talking about "

“Jon’s style can best be described as tough love.

Only without the love.

But there’s no denying he knows what he’s talking about. If you follow his Well Fed Freelancer method you’ll end up with the reward of clients who pay up front and follow your rules.

For me that’s the fundamental principle — establishing rules right from the beginning around what you’ll accept from prospects and how you want clients to behave. I’ve learnt the hard way myself how vital this is, having fallen victim to time wasters and tyre-kickers in the past.

It’s not easy to implement and it’s not a quick-fix. But nothing worth having ever is.”

~ Sarah McGuire, https://patronwills.co.uk

"I have paid Jon McCulloch a bloody fortune over the decade. It is the best money I have ever spent."

“If you read this properly, this book can change your world as a business owner. If it doesn’t then go and read it again. the reason is because like me, you didn’t understand it the first time round.

In here are rules that will allow you to control and manage your business so that you can enjoy it again. They are not easy to apply but they are simple. Here’s the first rule: simple is rarely easy.

The second rule is that you can run a better business by serving only serving higher quality, but fewer, clients than you are at the moment. Within that is the third rule: the customer is NOT always right.

I have paid Jon McCulloch a bloody fortune over the decade. It is the best money I have ever spent.”

~ Nick Holmes, https://scrumnastics.co.uk

"I haven't read a book this enlightening since Jay Abraham's ‘Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got’"

“I haven't read a book this enlightening since Jay Abraham's "Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got". And unlike Jay's book, this book gives you the tools to get going from a complete standing start.

Jon's suggested format for a LinkedIn post alone makes this book worth your time and attention. And yet it's full of other practical and actionable tips that JUST MAKE SENSE.

It's short, sweet, brutal, engaging and utterly excellent.

I can't praise it highly enough."

~ Andy Thomson

"Make this book your business bible and you won’t go far wrong”

“I read The Well Fed freelancer in under an hour and then went back with a notebook and read it again. I actually wish it would have been the first business book I’d read because then I’d have saved myself a lot of time and struggle.

Jon's logic is simple and straightforward. If you’re a freelancer desperately clinging onto anyone who shows a slight interest in working with you this book is for you.

It's a simple, easy to follow, step by step plan to help you find more of the right clients. You’ll feel more confident about how you work and who you work with. Poor boundaries and shitty clients are often accepted as a rite of passage or way of life when you’re a freelancer.

Not anymore.

Jon shows you how to create a set of business rules that makes it easier to spot the wrong clients and shows you how to attract more of the right ones".

Make this book your business bible and you won’t go far wrong." 

~ Clair Stevenson, https://upwriteonline.co.uk

"I consume everything he writes with much delight, probably because I believe he's exactly right. Always keeps me smiling but when he started quoting Pink Floyd I had to break into laughter"

“I read EBG's latest book today with my usual delight. His entire premise for how to grow a profitable business without going broke or bonkers sits well with me. His methods and thinking are sound.

I consume everything he writes with much delight, probably because I believe he's exactly right. Always keeps me smiling but when he started quoting Pink Floyd I had to break into laughter. Well done! Quick and to the point as he always is. Cheers from Canada”.

~ Richard Lees

"Good shit as always, Jon. This is why you're my favourite autistic slaphead"

“This may be a short book, but there's an awful lot of gold packed in here.

I love the way Jon sets out a step-by-step process that any freelancer can follow to get better clients and earn more money. It's not the way most people do it, but it makes so much sense when he lays it out in front of you.

A real eye-opener for me was how Jon explains how he never spends time putting together free proposals for clients. The way he sets his systems up, you're paid up-front for everything you do, including things most freelancers do for free, such as initial calls and proposals.
As someone who has previously spent hours talking on Zoom and putting together detailed proposals only to be ghosted by prospects, this was a revelation. How Jon does this is so simple, even if it's not easy.

If you're a freelancer and want to regain control of your life, get paid more (and upfront!), and only work with clients you like and who appreciate you, getting this book is a no-brainer”.

~ Matthew Guise

"Jon’s book The Well Fed Freelancer has helped me stop, think and reload my dreams and how to achieve them"

“Wow, thank you.

I had become buried in my everyday and could not see my outcome. Jon’s book The Well Fed Freelancer has helped me stop, think and reload my dreams and how to achieve them.

Do you remember why you started your business? “The beginning is to decide what kind of a life and business you want” .

I realised that visualising is the first piece of the puzzle, but had become lost in the box of life.

Next I set my rules, think of them as the outside straight edges. I will set aside the time I need to complete my new picture of the future. Thank you”

~ Sandra Palmer-Snellin, www.farmerpalmers.co.uk

"I’ve been around Jon’s work for over 12 months, every time I’ve been introduced to any of his new work or content, I learn what he teaches at a deeper level"

“I’ve been around Jon’s work for over 12 months, every time I’ve been introduced to any of his new work or content, I learn what he teaches at a deeper level.

Repetition is the key to getting ahead, becoming proficient in any undertaking, and doing this work is no different.

What resonated with me them most this time around is that clients need to know who’s in charge, it can’t be them as they are not qualified to be, otherwise they wouldn’t be asking for help.

 It may seem arrogant to some, but business is not about being nice and giving your power away, it’s about making your clients life better and in turn your own.”

~ Dean Starbuck, orchidcomputers.co.uk

"An empowering read. 10/10 would read again"

“EBG writes in a direct and unapologetic style which makes his coaching style all the more palatable and effective. As a freshly cracked freelance egg who has been undervalued in previous marketing roles as I undervalued my abilities and contribution, I have found the concept of charging for a consultancy call to be the most refreshing.

People actually paying to speak to me seemed like an alien concept.

But then I remembered that people happily pay OnlyFans subscriptions to look at feet, so why wouldn't they invest in a content marketing consultation that could potentially set them on the right track to save their business?

The activities in this book will act as foundations of the boundaries I set in my working relationships going forwards. An empowering read. 10/10 would read again.”

~ Jemma Utley, Freelance Content Specialist.

"If you want to run YOUR business, YOUR way and not at the whim of flaky, unpredictable and manipulative clients, read this"

“I’ve followed EBG for some time now and always found his content inspiring and thought provoking, but working a little outside the traditional freelance model, I wasn’t sure how relevant the Well-Fed Freelancer would be.

Dispelled that myth by page 6.

The Framework Model captures and solidifies all the concepts explored in the book and gives the reader a path for implementation.

Let’s be clear, it’s a guided path to be walked – not a Royal sedan chair ride, where someone else does the heavy lifting.

EBG is clear – you have work to do….

I’ve taken the first step – resetting boundaries – and feel liberated already.

If you want to run YOUR business, YOUR way and not at the whim of flaky, unpredictable and manipulative clients, read this”

~ Barry Jones – www.tropism.co.uk

"If you want candy-floss and bubbles, forget it. If you want real business advice to change your life and set yourself free, this book is it"

“I’ve been following Jon McCulloch (aka Evil Bald Genius) for a while now on social media. I was drawn to his no-bullshit approach, which I prefer in world full of it.

 This short book is his distilled wisdom, and it’s a game changer. Don’t let the length fool you.

Yes it’s short, but there is so much in here that you will find yourself going back to it again and again as your appreciation of the system matures and new insights reveal themselves to you.

For years, I operated as a self-employed consultant, suffering the usual aggravation from clients that everyone else loves to complain about but nobody had the courage to deal with.

The eternal problems of how to attract clients, how to get work, how to price work and how to get paid for it in reasonable time were leeching the enjoyment out of being a freelancer.

I evolved over time, reading widely and learning some expensive lessons. This book would have saved me all of that.

Without doubt, the biggest takeaway for me was the concept of setting ironclad rules for myself and my business that would influence everything else.

If a client, prospect, whatever does not respect the rules, they don’t respect me, why should I work for them?

This is the root of all the other issues I just mentioned.

If you want candy-floss and bubbles, forget it. If you want real business advice to change your life and set yourself free, this book is it.

~ Dr Richard Diston, https://realsecuritydoctor.com

"It will challenge and change your mindset; make you realise your worth and get paid accordingly"

“WARNING….this book is not for those with a delicate disposition.

DO NOT buy this book if you’re looking for a fluffy, “sugar-coated” “how-to” guide, that will wrap a consoling arm around you, and give you silver-bullet after silver-bullet that will explode your business with very little effort.

If that’s what you want, I suggest you go speak to the fairies or write to Santa Claus

No.. this book will give you a realistic insight in to the (hard) work that is required to build a strong and profitable business and, with it, the specific building blocks you need to put in place as its foundation.

It will challenge and change your mindset; make you realise your worth and get paid accordingly.

At the very start, the book teaches you how to set clearly defined rules and boundaries and, importantly, how to make sure you and everyone else sticks to them – a skill that can be transferred to your personal life.

Use this book as your business handbook and as a constant reference point to keep you on track

P.S. See if you can spot the Pink Floyd reference”

~ Ioan Hughes, https://www.bridgedoorsystems.com/

"This is literally a step by step instruction manual for setting a solid foundations for your business.  It is mandatory reading for any business owner"

“I’ve just finished reading The Well Fed Freelancer and all I can say is, I wish I had read this back in 2013 when I first started working for myself. 

This isn’t like most books, you know the ones that skirt over subjects and never give you the detail you really need.  

This is literally a step by step instruction manual for setting a solid foundations for your business.  It is mandatory reading for any business owner.  

Throughout the book, Jon keeps calling out one fundamental… ‘Don’t do the work?  You won’t get the results.’ 

If you think this or any book contains a ‘magic pill’, ‘shortcut’ or ‘secret trick’ that will transform your business and your life then I am sorry to tell you that you are sadly mistaken.  

The reality is, you need to put in the hard work.  Ideally under the tutelage of someone who knows what they are doing.  

Someone like Jon.”

~ Tony Campbell
https://projectcontrolsimplified.co.uk

"Jon's methods will not appeal to everyone, but for the freelancer or contractor willing to take a chance, they will be life-changing"

“The freelance world can be challenging to navigate, and most of us need exactly the type of guidance in this book. Jon's methods will not appeal to everyone, but for the freelancer or contractor willing to take a chance, they will be life-changing. He's been on other side, and knows well the

pain of prospects looking for million-dollar copy in exchange for a few pennies, and he knows what it takes to get off that particular treadmill.

The concept of charging for those initial "consult" calls may set your hair on fire, and the idea of having firm rules as a freelancer may seem counterproductive, but these tips will definitely help cull those prospects who are looking for a cheap content-mill hack.”

~ Leslie Williams,
www.lesliewilliamswrites.net

"The EBG and The Well Fed Freelancer are the answer to your prayers"

"The EBG may be my Dad, but it doesn’t take away from the fact he’s superb at marketing. And everything I’ve learned about business, I’ve learned from him (and this shit works).

The Well-Fed Freelancer is a comprehensive, complete guide. So long as you’re willing to put the work in and follow every page as Gospel… you’ll get results immediately. It’s an easy read, simple to follow, and simple to implement. Simple, but not easy.

And there’s the catch: I have no doubt you’ll resist because it’s uncomfortable and runs counter to everything you think you know about business. But if you’re strong-willed enough to push past that – you’ll no doubt succeed, and The Well-Fed Freelancer will become your new Business Bible.

I’d recommend this book to any coach, consultant or freelancer looking to improve their client attraction and selling abilities. If you’re struggling to attract the right clients and close the sale, or you’ve simply fallen out of love with your career because you’re only dealing with shitty clients, working for free and feeling at a loss of how to solve it…

… The EBG and The Well-Fed Freelancer are the answer to your prayers”

~ Holly McCulloch,
https://endorsementqueen.com

"If you’ve ever found yourself inadvertently yet unmistakably working for free (like I have) – this stuff is for you"

"EBG's content is for everybody with brains and ambition, so if that is you, read on"

“Content over style?, or , style over content?

It doesn't really matter. EBG's content is for everybody with brains and ambition, so if that is you, read on.

If you like the way Malcolm Tucker delivers his pearls of wisdom then you will enjoy this mindful basejumping experience as you throw what the ‘mindless majority’ thinks out of the proverbial window.

‘If you don't eat your meat you can't have any pudding’ wasn't just a timely interjection by Roger Walters - it is a valuable lesson in putting you business back on track.

I come from a working environment where we teach PREPARE, PROTECT, DETECT, RESPOND, RECOVER, LEARN & REPEAT ... And it all starts with PREPARE... Now I've often heard it said that ‘Common Sense ain't that common’ - but the best tips I got from my preview draft of the WFF came from the hard questions you ask yourself early on, you can't be ‘laser focused’ unless you've considered many options and eliminated the ones that just aren't right for you.

I'm not talking about these easy ones you might put in your first business plan like what skills you have or what industries you can work in, but the harder ones like where do you draw the boundaries, what are your red lines, what are the things you are going to stop saying YES to because they dilute and distract you from the best work you can do.

The framework EBG goes on to lay out in the book is powerful stuff, supports ‘laser focused’ planning , supports systems, allows you to personalise your standards for effective and efficient engagements.

If you choose to knuckle down and work hard at the steps shared in WFF you will see improvement, you can then apply your own learning and feedback to make the methods unique to you and your business.”

~ James McKinlay, https://securingsmartcities.org