Is freelancing a growing trend or a fad?

And if it's growing, who's really profiting from this massive shift in the labor force?

If you've followed me for a while, you probably know that I'm a big "trend junkie." I even put together two comprehensive reports on the state of freelancing, back in 2011 and 2012.

But I've never come close to the information and insights that MBO Partners has produced over the past few years, mainly through their State of Independence reports.

Ever since having MBO Partner's Gene Zaino on the show to discuss the new emerging models of freelance/client engagement, I've been meaning to have a separate discussion with him about the freelance economy — and specifically what his firm has uncovered via these comprehensive studies.

In this interview, Gene and I discuss the biggest findings from the 2014 report, including who's doing well, what they're doing to thrive, how freelancers impact the economy, and what's ahead in the world of independent work.

To explain how you can use Facebook to generate highly targeted leads for your freelance business, I've brought in one of the world's most recognized experts on the topic ... the one and only Amy Porterfield.

In this week's podcast, Amy explains why Facebook is such a powerful tool to generate potential clients cost effectively. And she walks you through a simple campaign you can set up and deploy immediately.

In the previous episode, I shared my recent experiments with habit development techniques ... and why I'm getting away from traditional goal setting.

Today's show is the second part of this important discussion. I've brought in my colleague James Clear to delve deeper into the topic.

James has done extensive research in the area of habits. He's also transformed his business and his life as a result of implementing cutting-edge yet simple habit-building techniques.

In this interview, we discuss James' 5-step habit building system, including:

Why it works
How to implement these steps
What to do when you slip
And how to develop and maintain long-term momentum

This is fascinating information you can put into practice immediately. And if you're participating in my 30-day "mini habit" challenge, I bet it will help you stay on track and keep you motivated.

I'm pretty much done with traditional goal setting.

I'm talking about your standard "I'm going to get X result by this specific date" approach to setting goals.

It's not that this approach doesn't work. It certainly does (sometimes).

I'm doing away with it because it's missing a core element of making the goal a reality—the daily and weekly action that needs to happen in order for the goal to manifest.

Without that key element, you're just shooting in the dark.

In this episode, I explain how I've shifted my approach to goal setting. And how focusing on habit development is changing my life and my business.

Freelancing can be a very lonely business.

Not just in terms of physical isolation, but also in the way of getting help to run your day-to-day operations.

Most of us don't have staff to take care of business operations and administration. Or a CFO and legal team to deal with finances, payroll and regulatory hassles. Or an IT director to manage our tech infrastructure.

We're expected to do it all. And that can be exhausting!

That's where a company like MBO Partners can help. MBO Partners combines a proprietary system to handle tax, expense, benefit, and payment and contract management for freelancers and independent professionals.

This is a new breed of business that's supporting the rapidly growing freelance economy. And in this interview, I talk with MBO Partners' president and CEO Gene Zaino about this missing piece in the freelance community—and how MBO Partners is filling this critical gap and giving many independent workers a true competitive edge.

The biggest breakthroughs I've experienced in my business and personal life have come from taking what seemed to be big risks.

Not the crazy, jumping-off-a-cliff-with-a-wingsuit kind of risk.

I'm talking about stepping far enough outside of my comfort zone that I changed for the better.

Even if the desired outcome never materialized.

If you want to take your freelance business to the next level, you HAVE to start thinking differently about risk.

Risk is a natural part of growth. And they key to getting comfortable with taking more (and smarter) risks is knowing how to do it well.

In today's show, I talk with solopreneur and risk-taking aficionado Tyler Tervooren from Riskology.co.

Tyler shares some fascinating information on the art and science of risk taking ... and how we can strategically improve our risk-taking "muscle" as solo professionals.

There comes a point when most freelancers wonder if (and when) they should find a good accountant.

It's an important decision. And there's much more to it than finding someone to do your taxes.

But when is the right time to look? Where do you start your search? What should you look for when evaluating potential accountants?

My guest for this episode is Jason Blumer of Blummer CPAs — a firm that works with creative professionals and agencies. In this talk, Jason answers all these questions (and more!). And he gives you a framework and a set of criteria for making smarter decisions about your finances AND searching for the right accountant.

Who said you had to limit yourself to your core services as a freelancer?

And who said you couldn't launch a separate side business that allows you to practice a hobby or passion?

That's one of the beauties of self-employment. You can chart your own course and make your own rules.

In today's episode, I interview my VP of operations, Crystal Coleman. Crystal has been instrumental in helping me grow my coaching and training business over the past 4-1/2 years.

One of the many things I admire about her is how she's recently taken a passion of hers and turned it into a rapidly growing side business.

Not only that, she's involved both her kids in virtually every aspect of this venture. And that alone has made the whole concept hugely successful.

In this interview, she explains what she's doing ... what she's learned ... and what you need to know to make a sideline work for you.

Do you typically quote prospects exactly what they ask for?

Most freelancers do.

But what if you gave your prospect more options?

What if you proposed two or three variations on the original scope of work? Would that just create confusion? Or could it present an opportunity to serve the prospect better while potentially increasing your income on that project?

In today's show, Ilise Benun talks in detail about a 3-tier pricing strategy that's working like gangbusters for freelancers who are using it strategically.

I'm really excited about today's show because I get to address what I believe is one of the most important topics in the freelance community—boosting self-confidence.

This is a topic I've addressed before in my High-Income Business Writing Podcast (Episode #22: "7 Tips for Developing Stronger Self-Confidence."

But for this episode, I wanted to bring in someone who talks about this subject every single week.

His name is Jared Easley, and he's the host of the Starve the Doubts podcast.

In a very short period of time, Jared has created one of the most popular business podcasts in iTunes. He's interviewed business leaders such as Seth Godin, Pat Flynn, Gary Vaynerchuk and others.

And in this interview, he explains how we can develop and nurture greater self-confidence in ourselves and in our work.

He discusses some of the biggest fears he's had to overcome to succeed in business. And he tells us how he used Kickstarter to validate a dream of his: creating and hosting the biggest podcasting conference in North America, The Podcast Movemement, which will be held next week in Dallas, TX.

It's a great talk that includes both inspiration and practical information.