Podcast
Freelance to Founder
Hosted by Millo · EN
Freelance to Founder is a call-in show helping real-life freelancers grow their businesses and escape the feast-famine lifestyle.
The podcast is hosted by Preston Lee, a former freelancer who has started, built, and even sold successful businesses of his own.
Preston is joined nearly every weekday by other expert founders, freelancers, and entrepreneurs to help you take your solo business to the next level.
You can submit your questions at FreelanceToFounder.com/ask
If you enjoy content from shows like The Futur, Being Freelance, The Accidental Creative, Smart Passive Income, or The Side Hustle Show, then you'll love Freelance to Founder.
Join us every weekday to take the next step on your journey from ... freelance to founder.
73episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Daily Grind Keeping You From Growing?
3d ago00:18:28Tap to summarizeLucas runs a freelance business he knows has real potential — but every time he tries to think bigger, the daily grind of client work pulls him back in. He wants a genuine roadmap for growth, not just more hustle. Preston and Vijay Rajendran, founder coach at Startup System and partner at GAI Ventures, walk through what it actually takes to build that bigger vision: why your values have to come first, the simple three-part framework that keeps a growth roadmap grounded, and how to carve out the mental space to act like a CEO — even when your inbox is full. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →10X Your Freelance Income
4d ago00:19:24Tap to summarizeFreelance writing can feel like a financial rollercoaster, with many creators struggling to price their services confidently. In this revealing conversation, Preston and Amy Suto crack open the complex world of freelance pricing, sharing hard-earned strategies that transform how independent professionals value their work. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Perfecting Your Weekly Schedule
5d ago00:20:02Tap to summarizeMalik is juggling client work, marketing, and admin—and he's running on fumes. Preston and Amy Suto, creator of the bestselling Substack Make Writing Your Job and author of the upcoming Write for Money and Power, dig into why most freelancers burn out not from working too hard, but from undercharging, context-switching, and never actually deciding who they want to be. This episode is a practical and surprisingly personal look at how to restructure your week—and your identity—so you can grow without collapsing. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Can You AI-Proof Your Business?
6d ago00:20:35Tap to summarizeAmy Suto has built a seven-figure freelance writing career in an era when most writers are watching AI erode their client base. Her secret? Memoir ghostwriting — a niche so deeply human, so dependent on trust and storytelling craft, that no language model can touch it. In this episode, Preston sits down with Amy to explore what separates the freelancers who are thriving right now from those who are struggling, why the shift from "typist" to "storyteller" is the most important repositioning a writer can make, and how to think about AI as a powerful assistant rather than a career-ending threat. Whether you're a writer, designer, or marketer, this conversation is a blueprint for staying irreplaceable. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Of Everything to Automate, This Matters Most
1w ago00:19:13Tap to summarizeJonas runs a solo service business and feels buried under tasks he can barely keep up with. He knows systems and automation are supposed to be the answer—but with everything on his plate, he has no idea where to even begin. Preston and Amy Suto, a seven-figure freelance writer and creator of the bestselling Substack Make Writing Your Job, walk Jonas through a practical framework for identifying what to automate first, why a time audit changes everything, and how managing your energy—not just your calendar—is the real secret to sustainable solo business growth. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →You Hired. But Now You Just Fix Their Errors All Day.
1w ago00:20:34Tap to summarizeLucia has hired her first subcontractors—a milestone worth celebrating. But now she's spending more time correcting their work than she is on her own, and she's starting to wonder if the whole thing is worth it. Preston and Vijay Rajendran, startup coach and author of The Funding Framework, unpack the real reason delegation breaks down and lay out a practical spectrum—from direction to deferring—that helps leaders calibrate how much oversight each person actually needs. If you've ever found yourself quietly redoing someone else's work, this one's for you. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →This Kind of Project Changes Everything
2w ago00:18:54Tap to summarizeNia has been freelancing solo for years and just landed the kind of project that changes everything—her first big team project. She's excited, but the reality is setting in fast: she can't do this one alone. Preston and Vijay Rajendran, founder coach at Startup System and partner at GAI Ventures, walk through what it really takes to go from lone freelancer to effective team leader. From identifying your zone of genius to knowing exactly what to look for in your first collaborators, this episode is a practical guide for anyone approaching that pivotal moment when the work gets bigger than one person. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Are You "So Over" Sales as a Freelancer?
2w ago00:16:31Tap to summarizeNoah loves his work — but the moment it comes to promoting it, something freezes up. He knows he needs to market himself, yet every attempt feels either pushy or performative. Preston and George Azar, CPA and founder of Bright Budget, dig into why that discomfort is actually a signal worth paying attention to — and what to do about it. From understanding your real value, to finding the clients who genuinely need what you offer, this episode reframes the whole act of selling as something that can feel completely natural. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Accountant For Freelancers Issues this Warning...
2w ago00:29:03Tap to summarizeA freelancer scrolling through TikTok sees the same ad for the hundredth time: "Convert to an S-Corp and save $10,000 in taxes—easy!" Preston has seen it too. So has CPA George Azar, who has spent years cleaning up the mess left behind when people make the switch without understanding what it actually involves. In this episode, they break down what the S-Corp election really means, why the self-employment tax is the number that should actually scare you, and what the TikTok ads conveniently leave out—including the salary requirements, the payroll costs, and the moment the math stops working in your favor. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →It's Time for You to Ditch This
2w ago00:18:27Tap to summarizeAlicia Martinez is running a freelance business and tracking every dollar in a spreadsheet. It's working — for now. But she's wondering if it's time to graduate to real bookkeeping software, or skip straight to hiring a professional. Preston and George Azar, CPA and founder of Bright Budget, break down the honest answer: it depends on where your business is headed, how comfortable you are with your numbers, and whether your time is better spent elsewhere. Support our show sponsors -> https://freelancetofounder.com/sponsors Submit your own question -> https://freelancetofounder.com/ask Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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