Episode 86 — How Nicolas Cole Scaled a 7-Figure Ghostwriting Agency on Cold Outreach

Links & resources can be found on the show notes page: https://dyf.link/episode86

In this episode, Zach talks to Nicolas Cole from The Premium Ghostwriting Academy about how he scaled his 7-figure agency with cold outreach.

If you haven’t heard of Nicolas Cole, he’s a ghostwriter-turned-agency-owner-turned-product-course-creator-biz-owner.

He is the co-founder of Ship 30 for 30, the largest cohort-based writing course on the Internet; Typeshare, the leading platform for Digital Writing tools & templates; and Premium Ghostwriting Academy, an 8-week training program teaching writers how to enter the world of ghostwriting & land high-ticket clients.

Cole is also the author of 10 books, including the best-seller, The Art & Business of Online Writing. His writing has accumulated hundreds of millions of views, and has been republished in TIME, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, Inc Magazine, and many more. In 2017, he built the first ghostwriting agency writing on behalf of 300+ Silicon Valley founders, investors, and CEOs of publicly traded companies, Grammy-winning musicians, Olympic athletes, and NYT best-selling authors & speakers-and to date has ghostwritten more than 3,000 articles for industry leaders on the Internet.

Today he shares his experience scaling his agency with cold outreach, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look into his story transitioning from agency work into products.
More details and links on the show notes page: https://dyf.link/episode86

Download Cole’s Free Ghostwriting Blueprint!

The Ghostwriting Blueprint walks you through the 5 Steps to landing your first $5,000 client: https://dyf.link/ghostwritingblueprint

You’ll learn…

- The #1 Reason Why Most Freelance Writers Are Broke (And How To Fix It).
- The Secret To Charging Premium Prices As A Ghostwriter.
- How To Create Your Own Irresistible Offer As A Ghostwriter (In 3 Simple Steps).
- A Proven Technique To Land New, High-Paying Clients Every Month.
- How To 10x Your Earnings (Or Make The Same Amount Of Money Working 1/10 Of The Time).
- BONUS: The Most Effective Way To Do Cold Outreach (Without Being "Salesy").
- BONUS: A 3-Part Formula To Finding Your Own Lucrative Niche As A Premium Ghostwriter.

Download it here: https://dyf.link/ghostwritingblueprint

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Follow Nicolas Cole:

- Website — https://premiumghostwritingacademy.com/
- Twitter / X —   / nicolascole77  
- Instagram —   / nicolascole77  
- LinkedIn —   / nicolascole  
- YouTube —    / @nicolascole77  

Get special bonuses and more episodes at https://doubleyourfreelancing.com 🙂

Great talking with you @nicolascole77 !

AI-Generated Summary:

0:00 - 15:00 — Zach introduces Nicholas Cole, detailing his career from blogging about gaming to establishing the Premium Ghostwriting Academy. They delve into Nicholas's transition from solo earnings to agency scaling, touching on content marketing vs. Nicholas's cold outreach approach, and the significance of personal branding across professions.

15:00 - 30:00 — Nicholas recounts his time as a top writer for Ink magazine, his pivot to ghostwriting, and the challenges of scaling his agency. Conversations transition to the ideal size for boutique writing businesses, Nicholas's book, and the creation of the Ship 30 project—a unique writing challenge.

30:00 - 45:00 — The intricacies of managing an agency, including task delegation and the "free work pitch" concept, are discussed. The importance of engaging potential clients through dialogue and specific service offerings becomes central. The duo also touches on handling feedback, balancing confidence, and gaining experience.

45:00 - 1:00:00 — The dialogue revolves around niche specialization, pattern recognition in niche industries, and the challenges of cold outreach. They emphasize the importance of real-world results and delve into the process of engaging potential clients, from problem identification to offering holistic solutions.

1:00:00 - 1:15:00 — The focus shifts to freelancers, with topics ranging from packaging services and cold outreach strategies to the challenges and growth potentials in B2B software niches. They also touch upon proactive vs. reactive freelancing and the 80/20 rule for freelancers.

1:15:00 - 1:30:00 — Discussions ensue on the dynamics of charging premium rates, especially on platforms like Upwork. Nicholas sheds light on the art of creating irresistible offers, emphasizing their importance over social proof. Authenticity, mentorship, and community value are also highlighted.

1:30:00 - 1:42:24 — The closing segments revolve around pricing strategies, the significance of maintaining lead flow, and the importance of continuously seeking new business opportunities, punctuated with insights about the long-term benefits of outreach.