Hey friends, Hannah here 👋

I've been thinking a lot lately about the "behind the curtain" stuff. Let me explain.

This here email in your hands is written by me, but sent through my email marketing provider, Kit. I have been using Kit for over 10 years! I'm a Pro user because, not to brag, quite a few thousand of you are reading my words. I don't take that lightly, and it makes my heart full; in fact, I take it seriously, which is exactly one of the reasons I invest in this platform to help you have a great experience.

Kit recently opened in-person creator studios that customers, like me, can use to record content - for free! They are in NYC, Boise, and Chicago so far, and they are beautiful. Fully equipped with professional cameras, lighting, mics, stunning backdrops and props, and a member of the team is on hand to help you make the most of the spaces. They have rooms for solo recording, video podcast recording, and more. So yeah, these words in your hands have a whole cool creator ecosystem behind them.

I’ve been utilizing the Kit studios when I’m in New York to record social media and learning content, and they’re brilliant. They make me never want to leave them as my email service. Here's a little tour:

So while Kit is awesome, and I actually recommended it for freelancers and VAs who want to start an email list (check out why here), that's not what this email is actually about...

More recently, Teachable, the course hosting platform I use to deliver The Virtual Excellence Academy and others, invited me to Miami for an intimate learning and skill-sharing event for some of their top creators. This is a taste of what they offer creators who use their payments tool, and that's not the only thing; they also offer mentoring, sales page audits, and a whole host of other perks, which I haven't taken advantage of yet. These are all new.

Anyway, I'll be flying out in two weeks' time. Naturally, I was thrilled to get the invite. 😂

But it got me thinking:

Why are software companies suddenly love-bombing us with cool extras?

Studios. Events. Communities. Education. Networking opportunities. Creator experiences.

It doesn't take a genius to note that in the age of AI, the product itself is becoming less of a moat. In a day or two, you can now whip up your own CRM, project management system, email marketing tool, or some mildly terrifying combination of all three.

Will it work perfectly? Absolutely not right away. 😂

But the barrier to creating software is dropping FAST. So if features become easier to replicate, how do software companies stay relevant?

They make the experience of being their customer harder to replicate.

This is where there’s a really useful lesson in this for freelancers and service providers. Luckily, we’re actually in a better position than software companies, and personalized support isn’t going anywhere.

Someone who knows your business, anticipates what you need, remembers how you like things done, spots problems before you do, wields AI for you in many cases, and cares about the outcome is still super valuable.

But we can and should go further.

Way before AI was even on our radar in its current form, I’ve always been obsessed with client experience, because the best client relationships aren’t:

You pay me → I complete task → goodbye.

They make people feel looked after. I have often gone as far as to say:

80% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services - Salesforce Research

And if you want to get much better at this, beyond the "being authentic and human" stuff, my Client Experience 101 mini course is actually on sale at the moment. It’s a 90-minute training for VAs, freelancers, and service providers on creating a truly memorable, unique client experience from first touchpoint onward, including the little things that make clients stay, refer you, and happily pay more. You also get lifetime access, the workbook, and my Client Experience checklist.

One way to take the lessons from these software companies is to look at...

The perks of working with you.

Not discounts. Not constantly giving away more work for free, but actual experiences and added value that make someone think:

“I love being one of their clients.”

A few ideas:

• Client coworking days. Invite your clients into a virtual coworking room once a month. They get focused work time, access to you, AND potentially meet other interesting people in your network.
• Client-only office hours. One hour a month where existing clients can drop in and ask questions outside the normal scope of your work.
• Introductions. If two clients would benefit from knowing each other, connect them. Being a useful connector is massively underrated.
• A quarterly strategy session. Step outside the day-to-day deliverables and help them look at the bigger picture.
• Priority access. Existing clients get first dibs on new services, additional hours, or limited availability.
• Your resource library. Templates, checklists, recommended tools, SOPs, or other things you’ve already created that make their life easier.
• Client gatherings. If you have several clients in one city, grab coffee. Host a tiny dinner. Organize a casual meetup.
• A private newsletter. A resource for your industry that feels exclusive and gives them insider knowledge and support to grow.

None of these things need to cost very much, some cost absolutely nothing. But they change the relationship from:

“This person performs a service for me.”

to:

“Being their client gives me access to something priceless.”

That distinction will matter more and more as AI makes tasks cheaper. Software will keep making features easier to replicate, and service providers that compete purely on executing tasks will feel that pressure.

But exceptionally good, unique, human-centered client experiences are way harder to automate and that's your special sauce. So maybe the question isn’t:

How can I become better at the service I provide?

Maybe it’s also:

How can I make being my client an awesome experience?

Again, Client Experience 101 is on sale right now, you can grab it for just $90, and this can be the thing that changes it all for you.

🗓️ Free Class on Sept 29th: First Client Live 🎉

Maybe you're not at the point where optimizing your client experience is the obvious next step - maybe you're right at the start of your journey. This one is for you: on September 29th, I’m teaching a completely free live class all about starting your VA or freelance career and landing your first, or next, paying client.

We’ll talk about how to transfer your existing skills into sellable services, find great, well-paying clients, and get started right where you are now. This is completely beginner-friendly; we'll cover the foundations you'll need, and you'll leave with an action plan that can get you paid - fast!

That's a wrap 🌯

Hannah

Speaking of perks...