If you want to talk about running a 6-figure freelance writing business, Matt Villano is the person to call. He has been a full-time freelancer for 25 years and during that time he’s written for publications such as The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and many others. He also specializes in copywriting, editing, and branding for a host of companies and nonprofits. Despite the pandemic, 2020 has been his most lucrative year yet.

In this episode, Matt and Jenni talk about parenting and freelancing during a pandemic (Matt has three daughters, and Jenni has a 9-month-old). Matt explains how he reaches out to brands and why he thinks of his business as a factory with product lines. He walks us through his strategies for finding work (which mostly involve talking to people), and he explains the importance of having a designated work space.

You can find Matt on Twitter @mattvillano. His website is whalehead.com.

This week, Writers’ Co-op Patreon members will receive notes about Matt’s business model, a template that you can use if you want to reach out to brands to find work, and a year-over-year breakdown of how much Matt makes doing journalism, brand work, and more.