You know those freelancers you see on Insta who boast multiple revenue streams and a wanderlust lifestyle? Some aren’t faking it. They’re real. Meet Sam Laliberte
Katherine Steiner-Dicks has a candid and inspiring chat with Sam Laliberte, a self-taught entrepreneur who has a unique freelancer mindset that affords an enviable lifestyle and business ethic
In this article you’ll find:
- How turning a service into a product can change your lifestyle and earning power
- Why you should consider building multiple revenue streams versus focusing on just one
- One of the best pieces of advice any freelancer could have
- How to cut 4 hours of work down to 45 minutes
Sam Laliberte and I first met via a WhatsApp call. I was at my desk in Spain; she, meanwhile, was hunting for a stronger mobile signal during a nighttime stroll from a freedom camping location in New Zealand. I wouldn’t expect anything less nomadic, or indeed, liberating, from a self-taught entrepreneur whose website is named Freedom Lifestyle.
Sam’s business entails speaking engagements, a DIY podcast course, podcast management and coaching for entrepreneurs. But it didn’t start that way. Here she shares her journey from providing freelance services on Fiverr to building multiple revenue streams while travelling the world.
“The way I got into freelancing was my expertise in podcasting,” she starts the conversation.
That was back in 2017 when podcasting was still a shiny new thing. Sam wanted to start her own podcast, so she taught herself how to set up and produce one. Once word got around to other freelancers and startup founders, they started paying her to consult on how to set up theirs. Then when she started to make a name for herself, she started attracting “big whale” clients that would engage her services on retainer.
Looking back, Sam admits she was no different from many freelancers starting out. “When you first start freelancing, for a lot of people, it’s a question of: how can I get paid as quickly as possible in the most flexible way?”
The turning point came when Sam transformed her knowledge and services into a product. “Initially, it was a service,” she says. “I then quickly transformed it into a product, creating my ‘Launch a Podcast on a Budget‘ online course on Fiverr. After successful in-person workshops in Toronto, which consistently sold out, I realised the potential to scale. This transition to a passive online course opened a new revenue stream, freeing me from location constraints.”
I’m naturally inclined towards innovation and I get bored easily. Once a product or service is working, while scaling it is exciting, I eventually feel the need to try something new.
Sam Laliberte, host & creator of the Freedom Lifestyle podcast
Today, podcasts are much more common than they were in 2017. There’s an entire freelance economy built around them, from hosts, researchers, music engineers, video and sound editors to social media specialists. Sam says in today’s market, to get an advantage, freelancers should “really look at what are some upcoming trends, things that are happening on the internet, upcoming technologies, anything that you’re actually interested in.”
She adds, “If you can be an early expert, very quickly you can start being paid as a service provider to help others.”
I honestly thought it was a failure… I think a previous version of myself would have quit then, but I didn’t. I tried something different.
How getting bored easily has actually driven Sam’s business
“I’m naturally inclined towards innovation and I get bored easily. Once a product or service is working, while scaling it is exciting, I eventually feel the need to try something new.”
Her ability to get bored quickly hasn’t held her back. It’s been a successful part of her mindset and the force behind her multiple revenue streams and wanderlust lifestyle.
Despite her 5-star status on Fiverr, she acknowledges the challenges inherent in building a freelance career. One of which is the fear of failure. “Overcoming the fear of failure is crucial,” she says. “It’s often what holds people back: the ‘what if it doesn’t work out?’ question.”
For those who struggle with the fear of failure, Sam advises taking small steps. “How can you create one product or even one offering? Or get one customer and start with something that you know you can be successful at? Because that’s what grows your confidence.”
She continues, “So much of it is just your resilience and being willing to say, okay, my first strategy for success, didn’t work. But does this mean that my whole idea is a bad idea, or does this mean that I just need to come up with a new strategy to test this idea?”
Even her successful 90-day coaching programme faced initial setbacks. “I honestly thought it was a failure… I think a previous version of myself would have quit then, but I didn’t. I tried something different.”
She soon learned after participating in four separate webinars with 40 plus free consultation sign-ups not one person signed up for her 90-day coaching programme. She decided to target the programme to a different type of client and a new marketing strategy. It worked.
When you feel like you are failing, Sam advocates from experience to call on your resourcefulness. “I really believe that a lot of it is being resourceful and trying to find different ways to solve the problem, versus giving up at the first attempt.”
She also emphasises the importance of catering to different audiences. “I want the entrepreneur who’s like, I just need a couple calls with you, Sam… but then I also want something for the person who’s like, you know, I’m just starting out of my business… And then there’s another group, right? There’s the companies.” This says this multi-targeted approach allows her to maximise her earning potential. It also keeps her from getting bored.
The price that you set for your service, signals so much about the quality of your service. If I am saying my time is only $20 an hour versus $200 an hour, there’s going to be a large group of people who are going to think, Oh, she’s only £20 an hour. You know, maybe she’s not the person I’m looking for.
–Sam Laliberte
Freelancer systems: why we all need them
To manage her diverse business lines while travelling, Sam relies on systems and fellow freelancers. “I have perfected my one hour consult on Fiverr so well that I literally have a document on my computer called my master podcast consulting doc… I’m so confident because I now just know it so well.” This document is the cumulation of hundreds of consultations. After an initial call, Sam can often send report to clients in less than 12 hours.
However, to keep her multi-income machine running smoothly, she employs freelancers in different time zones, including her marketing assistant who’s in the Philippines. She says she and her assistant connect at certain times of the day. Sam can set out tasks for her assistant at the end of her working day, that way while Sam is asleep in another time zone her assistant can get all the tasks handled by the time Sam wakes up the next day. It works seamlessly.
Best advice Sam probably ever got
Reflecting on the ample advice she’s received from podcast guests; Sam highlights the one tip that she has used in her own business. The importance of pricing.
She explains, “The price that you set for your service, signals so much about the quality of your service. If I am saying my time is only $20 an hour versus $200 an hour, there’s going to be a large group of people who are going to think, Oh, she’s only £20 an hour. You know, maybe she’s not the person I’m looking for.” She adds, “When there’s more of an investment on their end, I find people do their homework more.”
She says that is particularly the case with her coaching side of the business. “People put the work in if they see it as an investment,” she says.
The power of feedback
When developing a new product, Sam suggests learning from others. “One of my mentors uses the phrase, ‘success leaves clues’, and I love that,” she says. She also stresses the value of feedback. “Get other people to trial your product. Let them tell you what they love about it. This is where you can gather testimonials. Make tweaks to the product where it makes sense.”
She says the feedback process “makes you more confident that you’ve created something great.”
Being a people person pays off
In the face of increasing competition, Sam believes freelancers need multiple revenue streams or a strong network and personal brand. She appreciates not everyone will be able to generate multiple revenue streams, so she suggests another strategy is to be a brilliant “people person.” She continues, “Having a great network, having a good personality, being charismatic, being able to spend time with people. People who can create job opportunities for others they like and trust.”
Sometimes, just spending less time on your laptop can be more efficient.
If you’re using something like Chat GPT, Claude or some type of generative AI tool… it’s an 80%-time reduction for sure.
–Sam Laliberte
How does Sam get so much done in a day?
Currently in New Zealand working as a digital nomad, Sam is balancing work and living an enchanted lifestyle with her husband who is on a paid sabbatical.
“For the last three months, I have been really thoughtful about which of my revenue streams I turn on, which ones I pause with a lot of care and intentionality so that I come back to lots of work.” This experience she tells me has taught her the value of efficiency.
She says this week she will be looking for a McDonald’s to get Wi-Fi so she can put in 45 minutes of work. This work used to take her four hours, but now she uses AI tools and a greater focus on getting work done in less time.
She says if you have plans to do something you really enjoy on any given day, it’s amazing with a heightened focus and fewer distractions how much more you can get done.
“Sometimes, just spending less time on your laptop can be more efficient,” she says, adding, “If you’re using something like Chat GPT, Claude or some type of generative AI tool… it’s an 80%-time reduction for sure.”
Check out Sam’s website and podcast episodes
