Ryan is joined by Michael Brooks in this episode. Michael is both the founder and ceo of goLance, a freelancer platform that is both fully remote and staffed completely by freelancers.
Michael talks to Ryan about how they differentiate themselves from other freelancer platforms, what he has managed to build through the power of relationships, communication and trust as well as the highs and lows of having a fully remote, fully freelance team.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

GoLance try and provide as much value as they can on places like Quora, LinkedIn and in Facebook communities, they find this is a great way to market themselves and the acquire a lot of clients and referrals this way.
GoLance works like a recruitment agency except it’s all digital and all jobs and candidates are freelancers. They differentiate themselves from other freelancer platforms by assuring quality.
There is a lot of cultural work attached to what goLance do, they don’t simply match jobs to freelancers, they ensure the culture fit is right as well as the experience level and communication style.
Pricing at goLance works similar to Airbnb, they charge a flat rate of 7.9% which represents great value to both client and freelancer.
Some freelancer platforms, such as Upwork, are very transactional and they are also strict about how communication between freelancers and companies takes place. Golance are a lot more open and transparent, they want communication to flow and take place as it should so have little restriction on what is and isn’t allowed.
Michael isn’t frightened to turn down business or capital that he knows doesn’t work for goLance. It’s more important to him to get the right fit and work with people that align with the values and culture of goLance.
For a 7-year old company, getting to 40 million plus revenue is exciting, but something Michael also finds incredible is the fact that some of goLance’s freelancers have earnt 7 figures with them in this time too!
A hands-on approach to managing relationships and their freelancers is something Michael is keen to keep going at goLance. It allows them to have complete control over the process and the quality for their clients too.
Having a human being reach out and connect with you, giving you answers you need, is so much more effective than ad-spend. Giving value on Quora and similar sites has been a winning strategy for goLance.
When you’re in touch with your market, you can drive your business to meet their needs.
Find a problem in your industry, look at how your competitors are addressing the problem, then look to see how you can solve it.
Building a remote culture, especially with a fully freelance team can be a challenge but there are ways to make it easier, such as having multiple interviews with prospective freelancers and finding creative ways to make them feel part of your company.

 BEST MOMENTS
 “Providing value is the best marketing one can do”
“No one feels hurt, everyone feels like they have a lot of value”
“We want to build relationships that last forever”
“You can drive your business by understanding the responses of your community”
“Find creative ways to create culture and give people a sense that their part of your company”
 
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Ryan Staley
Founder and CEO
Whale Boss
312-848-7443
ryan@whalesellingsystem.com
www.ryanstaley.io 
 
EPISODE RESOURCES
https://blog.golance.com/author/michael-a-brooks/
https://pr.linkedin.com/in/michaelabrooks
https://www.amazon.co.uk/REMOTE-Freelancers-Thriving-Business-Anywhere-ebook/dp/B08DM7VT5D
 
ABOUT THE SHOW
How do you grow like a VC backed company without taking on investors? Do you want to create a lifestyle business, a performance business or an empire? How do you scale to an exit without losing your freedom?Join the host Ryan Staley every Monday and Wednesday for conversations with the brightest and