Earn1K 2.0 Exclusive Update

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Andrew Baber

Quick Update from Andrew: If you haven’t seen the official page already please click here to check out Ramit’s new Earn1K 2.0 program to learn about the specifics on the new and updated freelancing course.

All Earn1k 1.0 members have access to Ramit’s newest materials as it comes out so right now I’m in the process of going through 2.0 version of the course again.  This time I’m approaching it as a Mobile Food Consultant for Street Food Vendors in San Francisco — last time I went through as a personal chef & tech consultant. (You can read about my prior experience and results below)

Every time I go through the materials I’m reminded why this course was able to change my life so dramatically – it really kicks your ass into gear.  I’ll update this blog with reviews on the new material and tips on how to make the most of your time in Earn1k 2.0.

Written by Andrew Baber+

August 8, 2011

ps: If you’re still not sure about diving into the full course – check out this free time clinic for a great place to get started (and will get you some extra $ in your pocket in the meantime!)

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Earn1K – What is it?

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Andrew Baber

Earn1K is the course by Ramit Sethi that will teach you the 16 steps you need to earn your first $1000 on the side.

You may know Ramit from links on Lifehacker or his “automate your finances” video.

You’re here because you’ve heard about the course, and you want to know more before you decide. As a graduate of the course I’ll share my personal experiences with you so you can make the right decision.

Judging by the value in Ramit’s blog alone it’s a no-brainer to invest in his other products. Ramit’s products have, for me, paid off easily over 10x their cost and have allowed me to set up the proper systems for financial success.

A word of warning: before you think about starting Earn1K – at LEAST complete Ramit’s entire book or bootcamp. If you have not, you run the risk of getting overwhelmed and needing to automate everything at the last minute. It is preferable to have your finances automated, your credit cards cleared and your rates lowered before you invest in Earn1K.

This is Ramit’s most value-packed product to date and it’s also the most life-changing. If you are stuck in a job that makes you absolutely miserable and you want freedom, or you’re out of a job and you’ve gotta get something going to make ends meet then this is exactly where you need to be.

Did I personally have to wheel and deal to put together the money for it? Yes I did. Was I crazy nervous about failing? Hell yes. Did I hate my job enough to not care about ANY of these things? HELL YES!

So I went for it.

I am an Earn1K alumni, and it was worth every penny.

HOWEVER: There are some drawbacks, downsides and pitfalls:

  • If you don’t have at LEAST 5 hours a week to dedicate – forget it, save your $$$
  • Do NOT take this course if you have debt. Focus on getting financially stable first [ignore this at your own peril]
  • Prepare to take flack from friends/roommates when discussing Earn1K – they won’t understand what you’re going through
  • Then prepare to field business questions and ideas from those same friends after witnessing your results
  • Stick. To. The. Program. – I cannot emphasize this enough. Complete every week and if you fall behind, don’t get caught in a guilt-loop and lose your inertia! Forget whatever survey/video you missed and MOVE ON! This is super important – momentum is CRITICAL!!
  • You will and must learn how to get inside your client’s head. You will dominate with this tactic so long as you’re not 0% empathetic.
  • If you can work on Earn1K somewhere other than home, do it. Coming home from a crappy job is a surefire way to end up watching TV or slacking off on the internet. Go somewhere on the way home and work on E1K for 60-90 and you’ll get more done.
  • Freelancing can be HARD! Get ready to take some knocks, be ignored and shot down. The people who make the most money are the ones who figure out how to stand back up the best.

So, what are you waiting for?

Click here for the Official Site.

Official Site

Written by Andrew Baber+

August 8, 2011

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Freelancing – Is it right for me?

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Andrew Baber

“Is freelancing right for me?”

“I could never freelance full-time”

“Freelancing is hard… how does anyone live that way??”

Those are the exact questions I asked myself before committing.

Before I found Ramit’s program I had picked up a few hours here and there in various freelance gigs but had never considered going full-time. I had some incredibly frustrating client interactions that I just didn’t know how to handle and ended up convinced that freelancing was a pipe dream.

BUT every single time I had to wake up to an alarm set by someone else, the possibility of being my own boss nagged at me.

Now I have 10 freelance clients, am doing work that I enjoy thoroughly and am working with people that are WAY cooler than the folks at my day job.

At first sending out invoices felt strange but then seeing three and four digit paychecks from on-the-side work more than made up for it.

Now my friends are jealous of the work that I’m doing and constantly ask me about how they can get involved. I’ve started to turn work down (a far cry from my days of pleading for work!) and I’ve got a heck of a lot more $$$ coming in than before the program.

Here are some of the best benefits of freelancing:

You get to:

  • Set your own hours
  • Work with whoever YOU want
  • Do meaningful and fulfilling work
  • Live wherever you want
  • Have the freedom to live life on your own terms
  • Set the bar for achievement
  • Get paid what you’re WORTH

Freelance downsides:

You must:

  • Find new clients / upsell old ones / get referrals
  • Have a financial buffer – There’s no “reliable” paycheck once you go full-time freelance
  • Wrangle your own insurance
  • Deal with quarterly taxes

So, how do you decide when to go full-time freelance? Here’s the best part – you don’t need to decide right now.

You can start freelancing on the side and when you get enough momentum you can take the leap to full-time. Heck, I’ve still got a part-time day job for insurance purposes and use the rest of my time to work for my 10 freelance clients! [update: 8/12/2010 – gone full time freelance – working from home!!]

So here’s the breakdown – if you’re ready to work for yourself, go sign up for Ramit’s course. There is so much amazing information in the free 7-day trial that I made $1000 before I even started the program!

What would you do with an extra $1000 right now?

Written by Andrew Baber+

August 8, 2011

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Earn1K Overall Evaluation & Review

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Andrew Baber

Looking for the Official Earn1K Site?  Click here.

So, is Earn1K worth the money?

The short answer is yes, but not for everyone.

When I joined Earn1K I needed a push in the right direction along with actionable steps and accountability.  Being a member of the program gave me everything I needed to take action.

Was the course perfect? No, and I’m going to share with you some of the flaws and drawbacks of the course and what you can do to avoid them.

But first, let’s look at the facts:

Old Day Job Rate: $17.50/hr

Old Freelance Rate – $10/hr

New Average Freelance Rate – $150/hr (updated 8/6/11)

(my avg hourly rate has gone up 15x, and I keep raising it to limit demand!)

Highest Freelance Rate – $300/hr

# of New Clients: 30+

Total Freelance Income: $4300 $7900

[update 11/16/2010: $17900 – avg 4k-6k/mo!]

[update 5/27/2011: $44600 and billing at $100/hr!!]

[update – 8/6/11 : $65300 and billing at $150/hr…
…from anywhere I want to work] 

Think about what you’re making right now and how that work makes you feel.  Wouldn’t you rather do work that you enjoy and that actually makes a difference in people’s lives?  What if you could get paid what you’re worth and what you deserve to do that work?  Guess what?  YOU CAN!!

As a whole, the Earn1K system is the highest quality freelancing guide in existence.  If you follow the program exactly and spend at least 5 hours per week working on your business you WILL succeed.

The basic premise of Earn1K is simple — identify a set of people who have a specific problem that they are willing and able to pay to have solved and solve that problem for them.  You will accomplish this by getting inside your client’s head and crafting an incredibly compelling offering.

Once you’ve got 3 clients all you need to do is optimize, deal with issues and rake in the referrals!

All of this, however, is based on you GETTING OFF YOUR ASS and TAKING ACTION. You can read through all the material, watch all the videos and post all over the forums but if you don’t actually GO OUT AND DO IT you’ll still be exactly where you are right now.

I promised to tell you about the drawbacks of the program and here they are:

  • There is a LOT of material and it can be overwhelming if you fall behind.  Solution: Keep the momentum up and don’t get discouraged if a module takes you a long time.  You can always come back to it.

  • Keep a copy of your answers to the surveys — you might not be able to access them later.

  • It can be tempting to spend a lot of time in the forums asking and answering questions – DON’T.  This time is much better spent finding clients or working on your value proposals.

  • Earn1K is NOT about passive income – if you’re looking for $$$ without putting in effort, look elsewhere.

Here’s what you should do:

  1. Sign up for the free, no obligation 7-day trial to make sure the program is right for you

  2. Think about the lessons you learn in the first week and think how much more you’ll learn in the whole 8 week program

  3. If you’re sure that you’re ready – sign up for Earn1K and take a month to be sure.  Ramit offers a 30-day money back guarantee *Update* 60 day- money back guarantee because HE wants you to be sure as well

  4. Profit

  5. Email me and let me know how you’re doing – I want to hear from you!

  6. Live life with the freedom you’ve always dreamed about

Ready to get on the path to freedom?  Click here for the Official Site.
Official Site

Written by Andrew Baber+

August 8, 2011

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