Get Started Freelancing

The free email course that teaches you how to start your freelance digital marketing business — step by step.

Six weeks. One lesson per week. Everything you need to go from "I want to freelance" to actually making money from it.

This is for you if...

You want to start freelancing but have no idea where to begin

You want to learn how to get clients without posting every day or going viral

You've been "thinking about it" for months and need a structured push

You're a digital marketer, writer, strategist, or creative looking to go independent

You're already doing a little freelance work but your business isn't set up the right way

Not sure if this is for you? It probably is. Scroll down.

What you'll learn: the full roadmap to starting your freelance business:

This isn't a "get inspired" course. It's a step-by-step plan for actually building something — a real freelance business you can sustain.

Each week you'll get a lesson, a workbook or template, and one clear action item. By the end of six weeks, you'll have everything in place to start getting clients.

1️⃣

(Yes, you're allowed to change it later.)

Find your niche

Your niche is the foundation of everything — your clients, your portfolio, your pitches. We'll brainstorm, validate, and land on a direction you can actually build from.

2️⃣

a quiz that actually helps.

Pick your services

Digital marketing is a big category. We'll narrow it down to one to three services that fit your skills, your goals, and the clients you want to work with.

3️⃣

stop waiting, start doing

Create your portfolio

No client work yet? No problem.

We'll build a portfolio from scratch that shows exactly what you can do — without waiting for someone to hire you first.

4️⃣

for U.S.-based freelancers

Business Setup

The financial and legal basics that most people skip — and then regret at tax time. EIN, business bank account, invoicing, bookkeeping, contracts. We'll knock it all out in one week.

5️⃣

it’s a science

Set your rates

We're not guessing here. We're doing actual math — your expenses, your hours, your life — to calculate the minimum you need to charge to make this sustainable.

Three tiers: what you need, what you want, what you'd love.

6️⃣

send 5 connection requests

Getting Clients

The week everything you've built starts to matter. We cover three ways to get clients, including the LinkedIn method I've used with 2,200+ freelancers.

Your action item this week: send your first five targeted connection requests.

These freelancers started their businesses with me, too. Here’s what happened:

It would have taken SO long to get where I am now if I had done it on my own. The direction and resources Rachel provided completely changed the launch of my business!

Madison T.

Now I have goals and a step-by-step path to follow to get there

Emily S.

This is about to be my first true $10k month, the same month I’m taking a full week off! I’m really thankful for everything Rachel has taught me to get here.

Joanna R.

How long will this actually take?

Honest answer: it depends on the week.

Some lessons are lighter, like an hour of reading and a quick exercise. Others, like portfolio week, take more time. Building out your portfolio pieces alone can take several weeks of consistent work.

1️⃣

Find Your Niche

Week 1

1-2 hours

2️⃣

Pick Your Services

Week 2

1-2 hours

3️⃣

Create Your Portfolio

Week 3

3-6+ hours

(spread over several weeks — this one's ongoing)

4️⃣

Business Setup

Week 4

2-4 hours

5️⃣

Set Your Rates

Week 5

1-2 hours

6️⃣

Getting Clients

Week 6

1-2 hours

To learn the system, then ongoing

The whole course is designed to be worked through at your pace.

Get Started →

Hi, I'm Rachel Meltzer

(it rhymes with seltzer 😄)

I've been freelancing for 8+ years and spent years helping over 2,000 freelancers build their businesses from scratch. Now I've put everything I've ever created up on this site for free. I hope it helps you make freelancing work for you.

I started freelancing part-time to fund adventures: hiking the Appalachian Trail, living in a van, moving across the country a few times.

Eventually I went full-time, partly by choice, partly because I got laid off in 2020 and decided that was the push I needed.

I built my freelance business doing digital marketing for tech companies and outdoor brands. It took me years to figure out the things I'm about to teach you in just six weeks.

That's kind of the whole point of this course.

I don't gatekeep. I teach what actually works and I make it as practical and judgment-free as I can.