Un-Gatekeeping Freelancing

Summary

Slay The Gatekeeper: "Un-Gatekeeping Freelancing"

Host: Courtney Johnson
Guest: Mila Holmes
Date: August 26, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant and practical episode of “Slay the Gatekeeper,” Courtney Johnson sits down with creator, freelancer, and “cheat code” expert Mila Holmes. Together, they break down actionable strategies (“cheat codes”) to succeed as a freelancer and content creator. The pair cover everything from overcoming rejection, identity-driven motivation, networking, content creation, client management, proper rest, and the reality of brand partnership deals. Mila shares hard-earned wisdom in an approachable, candid tone, supported by anecdotes, real-world examples, and her signature no-nonsense approach.

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Main Themes & Takeaways

• Overcoming Rejection and Failure
• Building Motivation Through Identity
• Breaking Down Excuses and Taking Action
• Client Boundaries and Qualifying Work
• Networking and Authentic Relationship-Building
• Rest as a Fundamental Business Practice
• Charging What You’re Worth
• Attracting Brand Partnerships as a Creator
• The Hidden Risks of Popular Tools (like CapCut)
• “Do It Now”—Conquering Procrastination

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Exposure & Rejection Therapy as a Superpower

[01:10–03:19]

• Mila shares how her childhood as a Jehovah’s Witness (knocking on doors from ages 4–18) taught her to become comfortable with rejection.
• This experience translated directly into her business and content creation: “So going back to like rejection therapy, I think just seeking out rejection… just makes you more comfortable with failing. And failure is inevitable.” - Mila [02:34]
• Failure isn’t the end, it’s practice: If you’re comfortable with rejection as a content creator or freelancer, it removes the “worst-case scenario” anxiety.

2. The Identity-Based Motivation Hack

[04:06–06:27]

• “The best way to get motivated is tying your identity into it.” Instead of just focusing on tasks, Mila reframes actions as part of her core identity (e.g., “I am reliable,” not “I will try to be on time”).
• “You can’t break your identity… So if any action I want to take doesn't align with that identity I’ve created, I don’t take it.” - Mila [05:11]
• Both reflect on how thinking in terms of identity rather than just to-do lists made hard habits (content creation, working out) easier and more durable.

3. Excuse-Busting and Implementation

[07:36–09:31]

• Mila recommends listing every excuse for not doing something, then evaluating their legitimacy one by one:
  • “Literally put everything on paper and go line by line. Is this worth me not doing the thing I want to do?” - Mila [07:54]
• For valid reasons (“I’m actually sick”), set the conditions for when you will do the thing.
• “It’s never gonna be the right time… you have to force yourself.” All these cheat codes of motivation, identity, and excuses feed into each other for a holistic self-management strategy.

4. Setting Boundaries and Qualifying Clients

[09:31–11:22]

• Mila no longer works with clients “whose motivation my deliverables are tied to”—she prefers autonomy and only takes on clients who enable rather than hinder her process.
• On filtering new clients: candid conversations about expectations are key. Mila values open communication and mutual respect.

5. The Two Best Ways to Get Clients: Networking & Content

[11:22–15:41]

• “Networking is just friend making.” Both hosts emphasize how high-quality opportunities come through authentic connections rather than formal “networking events.”
• Content creation is a long-term play: by providing value publicly, ideal clients come pre-sold and ready to work with you.
• “When people reach out to me… they’ve already seen so much of my content… no matter what happens on our one-on-one, they’ve already decided they want to work with me.” - Mila [12:14]
• “The word networking is maybe a little bit misleading. So more like make friends in business… and making friends is scary, but again, just rejection therapy.” - Mila [15:01]

6. Rest is Not a Reward—It’s a Requirement

[24:30–28:07]

• Both discuss overcoming hustle-culture conditioning:
  • Mila learned the hard way by burning out after early TikTok success, now prioritizing sleep, downtime, and honesty with her team about her needs:
    • “Rest cannot be optional. Sleeping eight hours a night cannot be optional. Spending time with friends… cannot be optional.” - Mila [24:49]
• Courtney adds that “True mastery of rest… is I am rested and centered even in chaos.” [27:36]

7. Charge More Than You Think You Should

[28:32–30:04]

• Mila's formula: Base pay for living + taxes, add what she wants to make, add a buffer for Scope Creep—charge a number that scares you a little.
• “It removes the possibility of resentment.” - Mila [28:59]
• Transparency with clients about rates and reasoning is a must.

8. Brand Partnerships: The Inside Track for Creators

[30:04–35:47]

• Mila’s pro tips for content creators wanting to work with brands:
  • Be Consistent: Show you take content creation seriously (good camera quality, visible contact info, regular posting).
  • Have a North Star: Make content about the brands you want to partner with. Demonstrate value with numbers (“high retention Notion tutorials”) before you ever pitch.
  • Tag Brands Organically: “If you talk about them and tag them, you’re much more likely to get a project.” - Courtney [35:47]
• “There's not enough content creators… it’s a huge open space” when it comes to B2B and LinkedIn influencers. - Courtney [32:16]

9. Caution: CapCut Usage Rights

[36:41–39:10]

• Mila warns about CapCut’s terms: the app claims worldwide, perpetual rights to your content. “They can sell it, use it in sponsorships… I’ve switched to DaVinci.” - Mila [36:59]
• Her viral PSA video hit 18+ million views and may have caused CapCut significant losses as creators deleted their accounts.

10. The “Do It Now” Mindset

[39:26–41:29]

• Mila’s favorite cheat code: Don’t overthink, don’t let internal discourse delay you—just do the thing immediately.
  • “You just let your body do what it needs… I've been finding that very interesting over the last few weeks. I’m getting more done.” - Mila [39:36]
• Example: She spontaneously pitched herself as co-founder to a company, which led to real negotiations—an opportunity she would’ve talked herself out of if she hesitated.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rejection:
  • “Being susceptible to rejection and making it make you act differently is you being controlled. So don’t allow that to happen, you know?”
    – Mila Holmes [03:41]
• On Identity:
  • “You can’t break your identity… So if any action I want to take doesn't align with that identity I’ve created, I don’t take it.”
    – Mila Holmes [05:11]
• On Networking:
  • “The word networking is maybe a little bit misleading. So more like make friends in business… and making friends is scary, but again, just rejection therapy.”
    – Mila Holmes [15:01]
• On Rest:
  • “Rest cannot be optional. Sleeping eight hours a night cannot be optional. Spending time with friends… cannot be optional.”
    – Mila Holmes [24:49]
• On Scary Numbers:
  • “Every single time it’s been a number that scares me, it’s ended up being one that I’m happy I charged later on down the line.”
    – Mila Holmes [28:53]
• On CapCut:
  • “They just have worldwide, perpetual usage rights to your content… that is a risk I’m not willing to take.”
    – Mila Holmes [36:59]
• On Action:
  • “Just do it now. Do things, don’t think about them.”
    – Mila Holmes [39:29]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:10] — Childhood exposure therapy and business mindset
• [04:34] — Motivation through identity, shifting habits
• [07:36] — Excuse-busting method
• [11:22] — Filtering clients and setting boundaries
• [11:41] — How networking and content bring clients
• [15:41] — Friend-making vs. suit-and-tie networking
• [24:30] — Rest is non-negotiable for sustainable business
• [28:32] — Always charge more than you think
• [30:04] — Brand partnerships: sourcing, pitching, and North Star strategy
• [36:41] — CapCut’s terms & viral content consequences
• [39:26] — “Do It Now”: Mila’s final productivity cheat code
• [42:37] — Action item for listeners

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Action Items for Listeners

1. Pick the thing you keep putting off—and “do it now,” or write out your excuses and systematically break them down.
2. Re-examine your personal ‘cheat codes’:
   • Are you charging enough?
   • Are you tying habits to identity?
   • Are you networking in ways that feel authentic to you?
3. Review the terms of the apps and services you use, especially if you’re a creator.

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How to Connect with Mila Holmes

• Find her on all major social platforms: @byMilaHolmes
• Mila isn’t taking new clients, but welcomes connections, engagement, and DMs for collaborative or friendly opportunities.

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Final Wisdom

Mila’s message to freelancers and creators is clear: build resilience to rejection, design action around your identity, charge what you’re worth, don’t pursue “low leverage” networking, and act immediately rather than overthinking.

“The thing that you keep thinking about… you can just do it now. Do the first thing that comes to mind to move you toward that. Don’t waste time.”
– Mila Holmes [42:37]

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If you struggle with procrastination, want insider strategies on freelancing, or need help building a personal brand, this episode is packed with timeless, practical advice you can implement today.

Transcript

[Mila Holmes]

Foreign.

[Courtney Johnson]

Welcome to Slay the Gatekeeper.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

I'm your host, Courtney Johnson, and I.

[Courtney Johnson]

Am here to un. Gatekeep the gatekeep. Thank you so much for being here. Enjoy. Hello, Mila. Welcome to Slay the Gatekeeper.

[Mila Holmes]

Thanks for having me.

[Courtney Johnson]

I'm so happy you're here because I think I started following you on TikTok, probably in like 2020, which is crazy. It was so long ago. And you have been a goldmine of cheat codes for really everything from like, habit building, organization, social media management. Like, wow. It's been really amazing. So I'm excited to get to chat with you.

[Mila Holmes]

I'm excited for this too. I was trying to think before this, like, what I. How I found you. And I remember just seeing your face a lot before I started following you. And I think I realized we were mutuals and it was like a big, exciting moment and obviously didn't really get to know you until our little retreat, but I'm really glad we're connected and we're doing this. This is cool.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. When's the next retreat?

[Mila Holmes]

Hopefully this year we'll talk about later, but I'm gonna do it soon.

[Courtney Johnson]

That'll be fun. Yes. That's a cheat code right there. Get an Airbnb with some girlfriends and cowork together all week.

[Mila Holmes]

Absolutely.

[Courtney Johnson]

Okay. So one of the cheat codes that you told me when we were at this retreat together was around this idea of like, exposure therapy or rejection therapy. And you shared that, like, growing up, you had a lot of, like, putting yourself in front of people at a really young age. And I'm just curious how that's impacted your business, your goals, and how other people can integrate that into their life, especially if that's not a skill that they already have. Hmm. Hmm.

[Mila Holmes]

I'm trying to think of this conversation to know what the root of it was, but I think you're talking about you.

[Courtney Johnson]

You were like knocking on doors for Jesus when you were seven or something.

[Mila Holmes]

Yeah, I grew up with Jehovah's Witness, so from age 4 to 18, I was preaching door to door like three times a week and sometimes more than that. So it was a lot of. I mean, you're walking up to a stranger's door, knocking on their door, and then asking them questions about God and death and love and morality. So it's like, it's very intense. It can be very, very nerve wracking, and you get all sorts of reactions. You can. You never know what to expect. But most of all, you get rejection. You get people telling you you're an idiot. You get people laughing at you. You get, you know, some people who are accepting, but mostly it's rejection. So I think growing up with that, I had to be comfortable with it. Like, that was just what came along with rejection. I think that immediately carried over into business, specifically content for me. So when I started publishing content on TikTok in 2020, I knew how I was gonna be perceived by my friends or my peers, my colleagues, and even some would tell me face to face how they felt about what I was doing. I was just thinking about this conversation the other day when one friend in particular didn't like what I was doing. I remember thinking I was like, I, I can't please everyone. I'm having a good time. And it really doesn't change a single thing. So going back to like rejection therapy, I think just seeking out rejection, even doing things you know are going to get you rejection, just make you more comfortable with failing. And failure is inevitable. So if you're comfortable with that outcome, there's no worst case scenario anymore, if that makes sense. So that's just the way I approach. Pretty much anything new is, even if I fail, it's fine because then I'll just try again and the failure isn't the end all, be all, you know?

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. I do feel like too, you, you teach a lot of people how to be freelancers, how to start their own business, how to be content creators. And if you are not comfortable with rejection, you absolutely will never succeed as a content creator. Like, you can't do it. There's not a way to do it. At least I have not found a way to do it. But while everyone still loves you, no, it's not possible.

[Mila Holmes]

And if you're, if you have that expectation, you're just going to quit. So I think it's also thinking of it as like, redirection is helpful maybe in the start. Like, it's not rejection, it's just redirection. I know people say that all the time, but it's just, I don't like to be controlled. So if you think about it from that perspective too, if you're like the kind of person who's kind of like obstinate and you want to do your own thing, being susceptible to rejection and making it make you act differently is you being controlled. So don't allow that to happen, you know?

[Courtney Johnson]

Mm, totally. Yeah. There becomes a time where you're so comfortable with it that it's like, all right, bring it on. I, like, I expect it. Right. Um, that's so helpful. Okay. I'm kind of moving into a completely different cheat code around this idea of motivation. So there's a post that you shared. I'm like, oh, that's so good. You share a bit about the best way to get motivated is tying your identity into it. Tell me about this.

[Mila Holmes]

Oh, I think about this all of the time. For example, the context I'm thinking about this in most frequently lately is fitness. So how do you turn into the kind of person who exercises? So I don't say to myself, I'm going to go to the gym. I say I am the kind of person who makes time to take care of their body. And by attaching identity to it, you can't, you can't break your identity. And of course it takes a little time to build. Like, oh, this is me currently building the habit of going to the gym. But a habit I've built through this method is being a reliable service provider. I'm a freelancer. People have to be able to rely on me. When I first started, I was not reliable. It was not good. So I had to tie myself to the identity of. I am a very well versed, responsible service provider. I'm the kind of person who has integrity. I'm the kind of person who stands behind the words they say, who will do what they say. So if, if any action I want to take doesn't align with that identity I've created, I don't take it. So I think the motivation piece is you're no longer waiting to feel a certain way. You just act based off of how the value is determined. You need to act. Does that make sense or is that just a bunch of words? So I do think about this a lot and I think it's definitely a hack because people, I don't think break down habits in this way or approaching new ways of life in this way. They just think of the action, not the value. So I do think it's very important. Shift.

[Courtney Johnson]

Did you do that when you were starting content creation?

[Mila Holmes]

No, I. Maybe without knowing it, I. I don't remember thinking about this as a structure until like two years ago, really. And I must have read it somewhere. I doubt I came up with it on my own, but definitely not. And I wonder what would have changed had I had that in my mind, which is what I think about all the time when I'm creative. Content is like, if I can put everything I've learned now into people who are just starting, like, how many more opportunities are they have and how much better are they going to be like, it just really excites me.

[Courtney Johnson]

Oh, that's amazing. Giving back is like the ultimate cheat code.

[Mila Holmes]

Trying. How about you? Do you feel like you have you always viewed developing yourself in that way or do you view it differently?

[Courtney Johnson]

I definitely had a shift. Like, I. I've always been really into self development and setting big goals and, and all of that my entire life. But I had a lot of. There was a lot of resistance in it. Like, it. It took me a lot of effort. There's a lot of like planning and it was a lot of focus on the doing until I was maybe like in my mid-20s. And then I got the aha moment around identity and everything became so much smoother. Like, it's not like, oh, now I have to do this task and this task and this task. Eventually everything becomes like, brushing your teeth. Like, yeah, this is a part of what I do and a part of who I am. Like, it becomes easier.

[Mila Holmes]

Absolutely. I think it also has to do with like, frontal lobe development. I feel like a lot of things clicked around. The same time that this clicked for me is just like, oh, obviously that's the way I have to think about it. It's clear now. So I think it's also just getting older.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, that is true. It's no. No surprise that that probably happened for me, like 25 or 26, which is when you. When your frontal lobe is. Is developed.

[Mila Holmes]

It checks out.

[Courtney Johnson]

Speaking of behavior change, you also have a cheat code around. Like, if you want to do something and it's not the right time, you need to define when or like the conditions. Explain this to me.

[Mila Holmes]

Excuses. If you have an excuse for not doing something you really want to do, valid. But make a list of the excuse. So what is it based on today? I didn't want to go to the gym. Why? Well, it's hot out. I don't want to drive. I don't have my headphones, so I can't listen to music. And what I would do is if I was going through this exercise, I'd literally put everything on paper and I'd go line by line. I'm like, is this worth me not doing the thing I want to do? It's hot outside. Okay. So every time it's hot outside, I'm not going to go to the gym. No. Okay. So that excuse is nulled and just like going line by line and breaking down why you don't do something. So like, just breaking down your excuses is the foundation of that. Yeah. It's just never gonna be the right time to do things. You have to force yourself, which also just ties back to motivation and identity. So I feel like it's one big ecosystem of. Of cheat codes, which is probably why it's all on my account.

[Courtney Johnson]

That's so helpful. Yeah, I love that. Like, you're breaking down the excuses. You're saying, okay, that one doesn't count, because. That one doesn't count because. And then you're figuring out, like, what. Like, if the excuses do count, let's say, like, okay, I'm throwing up and I'm sick. Like, then what do you do?

[Mila Holmes]

Then you can set a goal, and you have something to work off of. So, okay, so then when I am feeling better, I can do this. And. And I think the video you're referring to, I think I remember filming this. It was like, I put my car. My phone up on my car, like, license plate. And it. It's basically, if you list out the reasons why you're not doing something, then you can do something about those reasons. But if you're just letting yourself come to the final excuse, then you don't know how to break down that excuse, which is just going line by line and figuring out what are the things that's holding back from this. If it's not the right time, what are the circumstances that make it the right time? And how do I create those circumstances? Which is, I think, a very helpful exercise.

[Courtney Johnson]

How do you deal with that for clients? Because I assume that clients you work with, people that you're mentoring come to you because they want marketing content. They want their product, their music, their art, their, you know, service to be seen. So, yeah, if they're in that space of like, yeah, Mila, I know that I've committed to posting three times per week, but this thing's come up. I'm just really busy right now. Like, do you walk them through the. That framework?

[Mila Holmes]

Truthfully, I don't work with people like that anymore. I don't work with people who. Whose motivation. Whose. My deliverables are tied to their motivation. So if you've hired me to do something, I need to be able to do that autonomously because I have worked with people like that in the past, and it's. It's just like working with a micromanaging client. You can't change habits for people. They have to want to change them. So I find that trying to tackle that in clients or in students just is kind of a waste of everyone's time. So I don't work with people who make Those kinds of excuses. And I think it's also a respect thing. You know, if you, if you're paying for someone, if you're paying a pretty penny and you respect them and you want them to do their job appropriately, you're going to do what you need to do to let that happen. So yeah, I guess long answer or short answer is I don't work with people like them.

[Courtney Johnson]

I love it. How, how do you filter that?

[Mila Holmes]

At this point, I just don't take any new clients. I have two and I'm happy. They're, they're what I want, they pay me what I want. I'm happy with the lifestyle I have, I'm happy with the workload and I'm happy with the variety of learning to just implementing what I already know. So there's, there is no more filtering. If I had to go back to taking new clients and filtering, I would just ask honestly, like how much, how badly do you really want this? And on a week to week basis, how can I expect that you're going to give me what I need to do my job appropriately? I like having very candid conversations like that. So I probably would just ask point blank.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. And as far as getting those clients, you have another cheat code saying the two best ways to get work and to get clients is networking and content. Can you elaborate on like what actually to do with networking? What actually do to do with content?

[Mila Holmes]

That's so funny. I posted that lesson 24 hours ago. So you're like on it.

[Courtney Johnson]

Oh my God, I'm really, really close.

[Mila Holmes]

Maybe I've said it before, but. Well, the networking piece, it's when you're having conversations with friends and they say, oh, I know someone who's looking for this, or there's this new project starting and you might be perfect for that. That's just getting a foot in the door of things that would maybe otherwise never see the light of day. Like you'd probably never see that listed on a job site somewhere or a post about it. Like those, those opportunities only happen through conversation with friends. So I think that's the networking piece and then the content piece is for me, the way it's worked is being able to provide value before ever getting on a call with someone or ever having any sort of one on one. When people reach out to me to work with me, they've already seen so much of my content and they've already gotten so much free value from me that no matter what happens on our one on one, they've already decided they want to work with me or else we would have gotten on that call. So I think that approach of giving value without expecting anything in return just returns tenfold. So that's the personal experience I've had with that, which I'm sure you've experienced too, surely, with opportunities through networking, content, maybe those two together, I imagine. Yeah.

[Courtney Johnson]

I've never had to apply for a job. I've never had to go find clients. I've never had to go outreach because I've always had a personal brand. Like, I started posting on LinkedIn when I was in college, and although I wasn't actually consistent with it until I was maybe like 24, then I was like, posting actually consistently, it still led to, like, opportunities that I would not have gotten. Like, I think there's a, there's a stat about this. I don't know what it actually is, but something like 90% of jobs happen underground. Like, they're not on LinkedIn job, they're not on Glassdoor or Neat or. Indeed. And oftentimes people are like, literally searching for the people before they go to list the thing. It's just like much a much bigger lift.

[Mila Holmes]

And it's also, I mean, when you post a job listing, and I didn't understand this until I tried to hire is, you have no point of reference of whether or not you can trust this person. Like, you have no idea if they're gonna be able to do what they say they do, if they're trustworthy. Like, there's a lot of risk in just hiring strangers. But when you hire through your network, someone is vetting for them, and when someone vets for another person, it's like they're putting your relationship on the line. You know, like, if I were to recommend someone to you, I recommend someone else hire you. That person is gonna associate your value with my recommendation. So now there's, there's more people's value on the line. So I, I do, I get a lot of frustration in people in my comment sections when I talk about this, saying, like, well, I don't have a network and I just want to get a job. So, like, what do I do? Which is totally valid, but from the perspective of someone who is in it and hires people in it, it's the best way to find reputable people. So I think finding your way into networking, connecting with people, which is also there with the rejection. So, like, pitching yourself and willing to have conversations with strangers, those are the things that are going to get you the most opportunities. And it just kind of avalanches so yeah, I think networking is incredible.

[Courtney Johnson]

I have a chapter in my book about this, about, about networking. And the thesis of it is like, networking is just friend making. The idea in a lot of people's heads about networking is like, okay, yeah, Mila, you're telling me to network. So my action item is I'm gonna go put on a suit and I'm gonna go to the Wednesday networking events every week for the next year. And although, like, sure, I guess that might be helpful, like, that's not, not actually what networking is.

[Mila Holmes]

It's relationships, which is, I think all of business is just relationships and it's being professional in a relationship. So yes, I totally agree. I think not. I think I know the, the most valuable connections I have right now are with people in business who feel like friends to me. They're people I could have a friendly, deep, raw conversation with that has nothing to do with business. But we could also work really well together on a project and, and we have skills that compliment each other like it's twofold. So, yeah, I think you're right. I think the, the word networking is maybe a little bit misleading. So more like make friends in business and making friends is scary, but again, just rejection therapy. The more you do it, the more comfortable with it. So you just gotta go for it.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, I feel like a problematic, problematic hot take I have is like, actually if you, if you, if you're only networking by going to networking events where people wear suits, it's probably not super high quality people or like high quality opportunities that are going to come to you. Like the highest quality are either places where you got to pay a good amount of money to be there, like a conference, a mastermind, like a kind of under the radar event, or there's a lot of free opportunities, there's slack groups, there's discords. Like stuff like that you're meeting people online or the courses that you're taking, the project that, that you're working on, the things that you're learning. Like, I found so much of the highest value relationships is from what I'm learning again, classes, courses, masterminds, stuff like that. But there is like, I just don't think you're going to find amazing relationships by going to like the Better Business Bureau Wednesday networking in your city where you wear a suit.

[Mila Holmes]

I don't have any personal experience with those types of events, but based off of their stereotype and the way I could see those working in my head, I don't see how that would be valuable. And I think it's worth noting the people who are in your network that are very valuable. And I hate like condensing people down to this, but in this context makes sense. Very valuable. They have a lot of work, their time is money. They're not going to go to an event that's free to just talk with strangers. They're going to be somewhere where they can learn and expand their knowledge, like a conference or they're going to be paying a high ticket to connect with other people who can pay that high ticket. So I think ask yourself, the person who I want to connect with, who views their time as money, what are they investing in and how can I meet them there? And I think you can also make friends online. Like I've made friends from signing up in DMs. I've seen content creators the job right now I have, I work with Nana. You know her. So she owns a influencer marketing agency. I saw her on my reels like a year ago. I started following her content. One day I messaged her on her stories cause I liked it. I was a little nervous. Everyone was like, oh, this is me, like sending a little friendship DM to this girl. And now fast forward a year and a half later and we're working together and I'm helping her run this influencer marketing agency that would have never happened if I didn't send a dm. So like, I think there's other more attainable ways, like social media to make connections. But I do agree Better Business Bureau, little dinners are probably not the way to go, but I don't know, try it for yourself and you might be surprised. Who knows?

[Courtney Johnson]

That's true. Yeah, online friend making is huge too. Like a lot of people have like 15 minute free intro virtual coffee type things on LinkedIn or Calendly. Or you can literally just reach out to people and ask them questions. Also, I find that if you're a student or if you're learning something new, you can really like milk that student privilege and be like, hey, I'm a student. Can I get on a 15 minute virtual coffee with you? I would love to learn A, B and C or ask you like these three questions. And another really sneaky cheat code is, do you know? Have you read the book Content Based Networking? It's so fucking good. It's so sneaky. It basically is like the best way to network is to create content about other people. So if I really wanted to network with you, Mila, and I didn't know you, I might slide in your DMs and be like, hey, Mila, I'm writing this LinkedIn article about you. Or I'm writing a LinkedIn article about, like, you know, incredible tiktokers and, like, what I'm learning from them. Like, can I. Can I interview you for 10 minutes? Or I want to feature you, Mila, in my newsletter, and I would love for you to answer these five interview questions. You can get in front of anybody that way, because that is a win, win, win. It's. I'm networking with you. I'm building a relationship. We're building trust, and I'm promoting you and your work while still giving value to my audience.

[Mila Holmes]

Yeah, that's solid. I like that a lot. I'll probably do that.

[Courtney Johnson]

It's so sneaky. I mean, I think a lot of. A lot of. That's a lot of podcast strategy. Like, there's a lot of podcasts where people do not create a podcast for monetization or content or anything. It's literally just to get clients because they know, like, let's say you're selling to CPAs. If I had a CPA podcast, I could just interview CPAs, not really give a fuck about my reach or anything. Just to get on the phone with people I admire for an hour.

[Mila Holmes]

I love that. That. Yeah, that would probably really work and the element I would add to it just because I. That's probably one difference between you and I. The word sneaky scares me because I don't want things to be, like, perceived as sneaky. So I'd probably tell people, like, I have this, like, the CPA podcast. I have this podcast, and I don't really care about the reach, but maybe we'll get some reach. But I want to work with you, and I'd probably get in that way, and I wonder how that would go. And I actually kind of really want to try it, but I'm going to be reading that book. I like that.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, you could try it as a miniseries, too. And I love the word sneaky because it's provocative and so is problematic. It's so funny. My. My book is all about, like, the most problematic things I've done to get ahead in my career, but nothing's actually problematic. It's just, like, emotional intelligence positioned as problematic. So the. So the Gen Z folks will. Will like it.

[Mila Holmes]

Yeah, they'll eat it up, which is me being sneaky.

[Courtney Johnson]

Anyways. Yeah, it's a. It's a great idea. Like, even a content series, I'm featuring the five women I love to follow on LinkedIn. Blah blah blah. Like it can be helpful. Okay, next Cheat code Rest is not a reward. Oh I really needed to hear this. Tell me more. Do you schedule rest time?

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Courtney Johnson]

How it works is we meet on.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Zoom every single weekday from 8 to 9am we get on the Zoom, we play some fun music, we have a little mindful moment and then I give you a content prompt and we spend about 45 minutes working on this prompt together. In this time you can ask questions, get feedback on your content, and at the end, we all share our wins and we also share our content that we have created during that time so we all get an initial boost because we are liking and commenting on each other's posts. There's also a really fun and supportive group chat where you can ask questions, share your content, get accountability the Sunrise Content Club is an incredible way to stay consistent in your content creation and have community support. It is especially helpful with folks with ADHD who find value in body doubling. For a very limited time, you can join the Sunrise Content club for just $99 a month. This is a very special limited time founders rate and I am so excited to see you guys there. Join the Sunrise Content Club today.

[Mila Holmes]

When I need it, I'm now I'm mostly good at taking it. When I like my body needs it, I'll just walk away from work. But when I'm feeling particularly stressed out I'll like actually schedule it on my calendar. But I think this lesson was learned. It was a hard lesson to learn. When I was about 20, 21, 22 really, I burned myself out. I had just started making content on TikTok. I was making a lot of money and it was a direct result of how much effort I was putting in. So I was just putting in a shit ton of effort all of the time. And I just got to the point where I lost joy for everything. I was just like a shell of a human being and I it took me so long to bounce back from that. And I'm definitely the kind of person who learns from mistakes. Like someone can't tell me they made a mistake mistake and then I avoid it. I have to make it myself. And that that mistake was my way of learning that if I want to be a business owner, if I want to balance work and my life and have all the things I want, rest cannot be optional. Sleeping eight hours a night cannot be optional. Spending time with friends and recharging in that way cannot be optional. Going on walks like it just it reframed my way of thinking in a way that now I don't feel guilty when I do those things. Like for example, to be very candid, I get pmdd. So one week out of the month my brain just really does not work. I'm tired, I'm irritable. It's really hard for me to focus on work during that week. If I need to spend two to three days in a row not working because I wake up and there's no fuel left in me, I will not force myself to work and I will not bash myself for it. And because I'm honest with the people I work with about that, they know, and I'll just make up for it later. So I think it's a mixture of being okay with rest, not thinking it's a sign of weakness, and then not bashing yourself when you need it. So, yeah, that's kind of the way I view it. How about you? What's your relationship with rest? I feel like you're always going, yeah.

[Courtney Johnson]

I have a really interesting relationship with rest. And that is. I feel like if you are on your path, like, you're on your dharmic path, creating the impact that you're on earth to create, you will feel restful in the doing. Like, I actually believe that I could have the busiest day ever and still feel rested and energized at the end of the day, if I'm only doing the things that I desire to do, I'm delegating the things I don't desire to do, and I'm, like, truly on the path. And I do feel like a lot of people are like, well, true rest is not working at all today. Or true. Like, true rest is. I'm going to take on a lot less clients, which could definitely be true. And also, everybody has different. Like, different gifts and different abilities and capacities. But I just. I don't think anybody has ever lived a day where they're fully in their purpose and felt tired at the end of the day.

[Mila Holmes]

I think you're very right. And that's a perspective I haven't thought about. I think that's really. That's really aspirational that you get to say that. And I think. I mean, that makes complete sense. If you're only doing the things you love, then what would be draining you? So, yeah, I like that perspective. And it might be stealing it. Exactly.

[Courtney Johnson]

And also, there's. I. I think true mastery of rest and mindfulness is not like, I'm gonna be a monk at a monastery in Zen. It's. I'm a working mom with, like, four kids. And, like, the dog is, like, taking a shit on the ground, and, like, there's a leak, and I am rested, centered, and calm. Like, that is true mastery. And we can learn that in doing because there becomes a point where the doing where you're not doing. You're just observing your body do the things for you, you know?

[Mila Holmes]

You do. Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna steal that. I'm gonna see how that goes. Take a rest.

[Courtney Johnson]

We're getting. We're getting existential here.

[Mila Holmes]

I'll include this in my book when I'm 40, by the way.

[Courtney Johnson]

Okay. Love, yeah, all of. All of the frameworks. Okay. So I feel like one of the best cheat codes in being able to rest is charging what you should. So you say, always charge more than you think you should. Tell me more.

[Mila Holmes]

Scope Creep is inevitable. Matter of fact, I like it. I. So my main role is usually social media manager, but whenever I'm in a social media management role, I are I act more like a digital marketing director. And I want to have the financial freedom in that role to do what I need to do in the other things I see me doing in the business. So, yeah, I always charge more than I think I need to. I. I will come up with a number that is what I need to live where I need to pay taxes. I'll add a percentage to that for what I want to make, and then I'll add a percentage on top of that for Scope Creep. And it's always a number that scares me, which I think is important. Every single time it's been a number that scares me, it's ended up being one that I'm happy I charged later on down the line. And yeah, just so it removes the possibility of resentment. I don't think I've ever had a project without Scope Creep. But now there's never resentment, which is important. And I'm honest with my clients about this too. So it's like, for me, it's very important that there's no barrier between me and the people I work with. I want them to know my tactics. I want them to do what I do, know how I do the things I do. And this is one of those things I'm transparent about. And I've never had a client who said yes to a rate who was not okay with it because they understand the reasoning and it makes me very happy. So, yeah, I think you should always charge more than you think you're. You're supposed to. And I think it mostly applies to people who are just starting as well. They're typically undercharging anyways, so they're probably going to land at like a reasonable rate if they charge more than they think they should. And hopefully they raise even that over time.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm also curious about your experience hiring content creators. Now, a lot of my listeners are content creators, aspiring content creators stepping into content creation and obviously working with brands is a big part on how you can monetize content creation. And you posted a video the other day saying, like, you want to hire a lot of people, but there's kind of stuff in the gap of maybe they don't seem like they're taking it seriously. Tell me about this.

[Mila Holmes]

I think I do want to preface this by saying I think it depends on the kinds of brands you're hiring for. So when I made that video, we're currently working with a tech company. Tech companies, historically, for this kind of campaign, work with creators who are creators. Like, they, they're making income through this. They take it seriously. Their content is high quality, they are consistent, and it's very clear that they have an understanding of how to optimize things. Because if they can't optimize their own content, how are they going to optimize an ad with this tech company? It's just not going to work. So what I was finding when I was going through and sourcing creators is just little inconsistencies. Like some people's contact information would be nowhere to be found. Like, you'd have to go dig as far as you possibly could in their website to go find it, which was like a million clicks in five minutes. And had I not really wanted to, that person, I would have never gone searching that far. So they could have just lost an opportunity, which typically they would. Or their content, little things like their camera is smudgy or they're leaving a bunch of gaps between different cuts of their videos or their mic sounds terrible. And it's just, it's like, help me help you. If you're wanting to book these things and you're so clearly trying to make money from this and you're putting effort into the content creation, then at least go the little extra mile and optimize. So I think that that video I made was definitely born out of frustration. It was so funny to see how many people reacted positive, positively to that. But yeah, I just think if you're going to do content creation and you decided and you say, I am a good content creator, I'm the kind of person who books these kinds of brand deals, then play the part and make sure everything is optimized for that.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, I love that. It's. I found the same. I've done like a couple of projects where I get to source creators and it's harder than it seems, especially on LinkedIn. I say this all the time, but LinkedIn has so many brands that desire to advertise on LinkedIn or do influencer partnerships, and there's not enough LinkedIn influencers right now to fill those spots. And it's major, major Brands. We're talking like Microsoft, we're talking like Notion, we're talking Google, like all of these companies. And really there's not enough. Like I have one of my good friends that I interviewed on the podcast runs a LinkedIn creator agency and he's just like there's so much money to be made and not enough content creators. Which I also feel like is that is true too for B2B in general. Like even B2B on TikTok and stuff, there's not enough content creators, which is great. Huge open space.

[Mila Holmes]

Yeah, it's great for the people who are willing to like go all in and take it seriously. And I want to talk to you about content creation on LinkedIn.

[Courtney Johnson]

Cause I want to talk about it. Yeah, you've done quite a few like B2B type tech brand partnerships. I've seen.

[Mila Holmes]

I have, yeah, I did, I did quite a few last year and it was when I was first, I wasn't working on the brand side yet. I was just working on the creator side and like getting to see how those partnerships are structured and the workload and it was definitely a learning experience and I was definitely wowed by the money. So I took like way too many at a time and it kind of fucked up my engagement for a little bit. But it was a good learning experience and it's all helpful now. So that's great. I love it.

[Courtney Johnson]

Okay. Before. Oh, actually one more cheat code. How to get more brand partnerships. You said that the best way to get more brand partnership, your cheat code is to make like to come up with content ideas and send it to them.

[Mila Holmes]

I think, I think that's misleading. It's. There's not one way. And I think I notice a lot of people get really overwhelmed with advice on social media because there's the best way a million times. Like which best way do I follow? I just think there are many different routes to becoming a successful content creator. One of the ones I share frequently though is having a North Star. So who are the brands you want to work with? Be very specific. So for me it's Notion and then create content to show them that you have the numbers behind a high paying campaign. So something that they can use to defend why they would pay you 10,000, 15,000, $20,000 for a video. So for me, for working with notion, I have been starting a notion tutorial video series. It's been. Some videos are anywhere from three to six minutes long. Their retention is great and it's me showing people this is how you use notion. For these different, different use cases. And my plan is after a couple months of this, I'll take all of that performance and show it to notion and say, hey, this is what my audience thinks of you. They already know I talk about you frequently when you're building campaigns, I really want to be considered and when those conversations start, I'm going to have leverage for negotiation there, basically. So I think it's taking that same approach of who do you want to work with, what can you create now to start building a case for yourself basically to then eventually pitch and also just get you on their radar. They might see you before you ever pitch as well. So you just never know. And there's also the considerations. I just filmed about this today with different seasons. So there's a healthcare company or health insurance company I want to work with in the winter again stride. They do health insurance who are self employed but they're not going to be promoting health insurance until it's health insurance season in the fall and winter. So right now is the time for me to be putting the building blocks to then pitch a campaign later. They're not going to pay me for those building blocks and it's probably better that they don't anyway because then I don't have to disclose anything. It can just be me doing it out of, you know, desire. And then when we do do do a partnership, we can disclose it and then I can get paid and then we're good. So that's kind of the thinking there.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah. It's important to remember too that there's a lot of tools that brands can search if you've already mentioned them. And they're going to obviously prioritize people who already have mentions. Like if, yeah, if, if I, if notion wants to work with me, they can search a database. They can see if I've, if I've talked about them before, if I've tagged them before. And you're so much more likely to get a project if you've tagged them. So gentle reminder to make sure you're tagging your brands and talking about organically what you, what brands that you, you use.

[Mila Holmes]

Absolutely, yeah. And I think it's also just ties into having North Star. Sorry to interrupt you but like knowing what you're working towards rather than just I want to book brand partnerships, I want to book X, Y, Z. Just being specific.

[Courtney Johnson]

Love it. Okay. These are such helpful cheat codes. Before we go, I have one last question for you and that is why should the audience maybe be a little wary of using Cap Cut as of late.

[Mila Holmes]

Okay, I'm not an attorney, let's preface this by saying that. But there are terms and conditions which surprisingly aren't super new. I think they've been consistent for about a year. It's basically they just have worldwide perpetual usage rights to your content. You still own it, you still have ownership of that content, but they can use it however they want. And there was a lot of back and forth on social media about whether or not they needed those rights to just display content on capcut, meaning to like actually show it to you once you upload it. But I didn't see it. Again, I'm not an attorney, but I didn't see anywhere in the terms of service any sort of specification that it was only for displaying it. Said they can sell it, they can use it in sponsorships and advertisements, which to me just is a risk I'm not willing to take so personally. I've switched to DaVinci where there is no such ownership transfer. Yeah. And I think it's just a good reminder to read terms and conditions. And obviously a lot of social media platforms have similar terms and conditions. TikTok being probably the most severe. But other platforms like Instagram even have like a timeline. It's not perpetual. So I just think there's a lot of risk there specifically for people who are working on high end brand content that someone can just take like it just seems kind of sus.

[Courtney Johnson]

How many views did that video get?

[Mila Holmes]

18.4 million last time I checked. It was crazy. Gosh.

[Courtney Johnson]

And that's just on one platform. Probably more.

[Mila Holmes]

Only on one platform and it was 56 seconds long. Had it been five seconds longer, I would have monetized it. I know that would have been.

[Courtney Johnson]

I think I probably make like 500 per million views on a video like that. So yeah, at least a few thousand dollars. A nice little payday. Wow.

[Mila Holmes]

Dang.

[Courtney Johnson]

Yeah, I. How much money do you think you lost? Calf cut from that video? It's probably gotta be like hundreds of thousands.

[Mila Holmes]

I don't want to think about it. I mean there were so many people in the comment sections who said cancel my membership, requested a refund, delete it. Like it was for sure. It was the highest performing video I saw view wise for that topic, which was insane because I did not think that was going to happen when I posted it. Like absolutely not. And I yeah, if anyone from CATS puts cuts watching, I'm so sorry but like those usage rights are kind of crazy.

[Courtney Johnson]

So sorry team. No, I think it's an amazing opportunity for Maybe something to build something new, like somebody might have seen that video. And maybe cap cuts get losing users, but huge opportunity for a new platform to come in and compete in the market on something that's better and allows you to have more ownership over your content.

[Mila Holmes]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Courtney Johnson]

So you may have just contributed to ushering in a new age of content ownership.

[Mila Holmes]

Hopefully I'm not on a hit list. Yeah, let's hope that's the reality.

[Courtney Johnson]

Exactly. Okay, Mila, is there any other cheat codes that you want to leave to the audience?

[Mila Holmes]

Yeah. The one I've been thinking about lately, a lot that I honestly think about all day long is telling yourself in your brain, just do it now. Whenever you're wanting to do something, like, don't allow yourself to think about it. Literally don't. No reasoning in your brain, no discourse, no thinking, you just do it. No thinking about consequences, how you're going to do it. You just let your body do what it needs to do to complete the thing you told it to complete. I've been finding that very interesting over the last few weeks. Um, and I. I'm getting more done. Not like in productivity sense, but just doing more things I want to do because I'm not thinking about them. I'm just doing them and then I'm actually experiencing them. Cause I'm not thinking about how I want to do them. So yeah, just do it now. Do things, don't think about them.

[Courtney Johnson]

What is your do it now thing for? Right after this podcast, I'm gonna take.

[Mila Holmes]

A nap right after this podcast and then I'm going to go to a yoga class. But that's gonna be easy. I think the, the main ones for me are like getting out of bed in the morning. Cause I get so cozy and I don't want to do that. Going out for walks when it's hot, going to the gym, making really good meals, not allowing myself to skimp and make just the basics. Reaching out to friends, just things that I might need a little push to do because I'm thinking about them too much. I just do them. Oh my gosh. Wait. I should probably say the best example of this is I pitched to be a co founder to a company over the weekend with that kind of thinking, just do it now. I was like, I'm just going to send a slack message. I'm not going to put an email together. Whatever consequences, I'll just deal with them. And I got a maybe. So we're going back and forth, attorneys wise to see if that's going to work. Which would have never happened if I would have thought through it, because I would have talked myself out of it. So.

[Courtney Johnson]

Wow. Oh, my God. Yeah, I actually find that. That's so interesting. I. I'm gonna start to adopt this for my task or these ideas that come because I. I have that same mentality for content. If I get an idea and I'm driving, I'm on a walk, I'm in the shower. I'm like, I have to do it right now. I will get out of the shower with shampoo still in my hair. I will pull. Pull over to the side of the road. Because if I write it in my notes app and I'm like, I'll come back to it later. Either A, I won't, or B, I won't be in the same, like, spirit or energy or emotional state in order to make the delivery like it needs to be.

[Mila Holmes]

Absolutely. The spark just goes away. Yeah. A hundred percent.

[Courtney Johnson]

Okay. I love it. So do it now. Do it right the fuck now. And something else you should do now is follow Mila on all of her pages and connect and reach out to her. So, Mila, how can people follow you and work with you?

[Mila Holmes]

Well, I'm not taking any more clients, but if you. If you want to reach out for anything else, please do buy Mila Holmes by Mila Homes on all platforms. And, yeah, just connect and engage. We'll see you in the comment section.

[Courtney Johnson]

I love it. Is there. Is there an opportunity you're currently seeking, like speaking podcasts, clear co ownership of brands?

[Mila Holmes]

Not really. I'm really satisfied with the way things are right now. I want to keep making content and see what happens, but I don't have my eye set on anything in particular other than notion and stride. Those two things were like north stars, but that's about it.

[Courtney Johnson]

Okay. I want to give. I want to give our audience an action item. So usually the action item is like, you know, go sign up for this guest thing. But since you're like, I'm not taking on new clients, can you give them a different action item? Maybe. Maybe something. Something to give good in the world, something to learn, something. I don't know. Give them something.

[Mila Holmes]

I think the thing that you've been wanting to do that you keep thinking about, that keeps coming back to you day after day, but you're just not doing for some reason. You can just do it now, like, do the first thing that comes to mind to move you towards that. Or you can do that exercise of writing down what the perfect circumstances are to do that. And work through those perfect circumstances over the next two weeks and get it done. Don't waste time.

[Courtney Johnson]

So you guys are literally, as this episode is ending, you are either opening up a piece of paper and going through the excuses, or you are thinking of the thing you're doing now. It's already in your head, actually. I know it's already in your head. You're just, like, kind of avoiding it. So instead of avoiding it, after this podcast ends, you're gonna go do it now. Thanks to Mila.

[Mila Holmes]

Absolutely.

[Courtney Johnson]

I love it. Thank you, Mila. This is so great.

[Mila Holmes]

Bye.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Okay, y', all, if you like this.

[Mila Holmes]

Episode, you would love.

[Courtney Johnson]

Love my Patreon. Okay?

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

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[Courtney Johnson]

Content, tons of of other resources, and.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

A lot of juicy.

[Courtney Johnson]

Okay? So I hope to see you on my Patreon.