In Episode 12 I speak to Miriam Schwab from Israel about running a WordPress agency, managing a team and playing Mum to 7 kids! Miriam confesses to having a crazy side and is very transparent in how she has coped with the stresses of building a team in Jerusalem. If you think you’ve got a lot on your plate, you need to watch this interview.
I'm giving away a free 30 minute coaching call - watch the interview for details on how to enter.
You can reach out and thank Miriam on her email at [email protected] or on her twitter at @miriamschwab.
Miriam suggested I interview Rami Yushuvaev from GenerateWP. Keep your eyes on your inbox Rami.
Hint: to enter the competition, tell us the best thing you learnt from this interview.
21 Responses
Loved this interview, awesome… Gold Nuggets… How to make an argument? and I also liked, the over deliver somewhat as your next project is coming from your past clients. The server hosting clause… as you said that is gold.
Glad you enjoyed it Steve. Miriam is full of good advice indeed.
Thanks! And thanks Troy again for the opportunity!
Great interview, Troy and Miriam! So many nuggets. Loved the screw it / just do it idea (i.e, don’t let fear stop you). And was also inspired by Miriam creating a team. I’ve always believed and understood that we can do together what we can’t do alone. Not just in terms of expanded skill set but also in mutual support and encouragement. Makes me want to find a way to move from “working alone” to working together with others. Thanks so much, Troy, for these pod casts. Really inspiring and informative.
final nugget — see your proposal as a marketing document! Wow, that’s huge. Love this and am taking this home!
Awesome. Totally stayed up past bedtime ‘cos this was pure gold. No big-noting, no BS stylin’, love it. Nuggets for me were her target market & her recommendation that speaking drives leads, but number 1. shiny for me was the difference in capabilities between a freelancer and an agency and therefore the different customers each serves well. Oh and the 4 legs analogy and wrapping extra value around the core wp offering. There was a lot. Thanks Miriam!
SeamusAnthony and Yael, I’m so glad you guys got so much value out of this interview! So I really have to thank you, Troy, for showing me that I have actually learned a lot during my journey as an entrepreneur, and have knowledge that can help others.
Such a great interview. Really engaging to see answers involving sales, ROI and benefits as opposed to plug in and technical talk.
In the end, everything is about people and relationships.
as Miriam said, when you have a safe working relationship with your client, you look out for the best for that client, and that may mean going the extra mile or even rejecting a juicy contract.
Providing service based on value is the way to go.
It seeems sad though that many people (clients) dont realize or value this sometimes….
Thank you both for a great interview. Troy – great questions. Miriam thank you for being willing the share both the successes and the struggles. It’s easy to start feeling like you are the only one with challenges. It was also interesting to hear how you over deliver on your projects as that makes a happy customer and the best lead generation. Something I’m almost compulsive about. I’d be interested to know how or if you communicate to the client all of the additional value you’ve added to the project. And last as the lead organizer of the Meetup in my city and with some changes coming on the horizon I’ve been inspired to consider how I can use my community activities to better support other women in the community here.
Miriam you are a breath of fresh air. It was so encouraging to hear someone so down to earth and open with their story. Sprinkle this openness with practical business tips – and you get an awesome interview. Troy – thank you so much for bringing Miriam to us.
There was SO much of what you shared that I could relate to. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post in our forum called “Full Transparency”. I decided that to fully engage with the wpelevator community, I needed to be open with my struggles. I have a friend who like your husband is my big advocate. Whenever I start questioning what I am doing and feeling like an “imposter”, she boosts my confidence and helps me get over those bumps. I think everyone benefits from having that special person in their corner.
I also agree with your take on differences between men and women. Something I had always thought but it was great to hear it verbalized in an interview. I think, as women, if we understand that difference, perhaps we will start seeing more women in the technology industry.
And then sprinkled throughout the interview were true nuggets for creating a successful business based on what you have learned despite the struggles. Your #1 tip for any freelancer trying to grow their business was great – keep your eye on the goal, have patience, lower your expectations so you won’t be disappointed and all this will give you the strength to keep going. Love that.
Thanks Miriam and Troy!
Thank you Miriam for your willingness to share with all of us. It’s this kind of learning and interaction with each other that makes me bounce out of bed every morning.
Hey Michael, you won’t find much plug-in or technical talk here 🙂
Hey Enrique, it can be frustrating that clients don’t see value sometimes but I see that as an opportunity to sharpen the saw and practice my skills at illustrating the value that we bring to a project. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the kind words Corrinda. Drip feeding a client a series of emails over the first couple of weeks post-launch with screenshots of their website appearing in Google search results, reminders of how easy it is to manage their own testimonials or checking in to see how their email newsletter database is growing are some simple ideas you can use to communicate the additional value you have added to the client’s business.
I’d be interested to hear any other ideas around this.
Thanks for the positive feedback Mary. Miriam’s energy and positivity is definitely contagious 🙂
I don’t mind admitting that I hesitated and thought hard about asking the gender question but I figure if I’m thinking about it then others probably are too. I like to spark the conversations that we sometimes wish we could have but don’t because everyone is too polite. Not that there is anything wrong with being polite of course. I’m extremely fortunate that I get to meet and interview people like Miriam who are open enough to have these conversations.
Awesome podcast, and yay for getting a WordChic on. Totally love her advice about adding testimonials and milestones on the proposal. Am adding ‘Why should you work with me’ to my FAQ tonight. thanks again, very inspirational.
WordChick! I like that 🙂 And thanks for your feedback!
No probs. And WordChic (k?) is sticking. I might get some badges or stickers made. Want one?
I’ll totally take a WordChic badge/sticker!