#6 · 15 mins of practical task prioritization

youtube ↗AI & Automation

Any tips for beginner freelancers on using Make when they don't have much to automate?

Sure, I’ll give you some tips for beginner freelancers using Make. First, consume the first 12 videos of my ‘Make Money with Make’ series to get familiar. Then create an Upwork account so you can see job postings. Read every automation job posting each day and look for the ones that clearly state what the client wants—those are the simplest and give you direct insight from customers who have money to spend. Try to build as many of those flows as you can each day; they’ll usually be simple two‑ or three‑module connections (e.g., linking Go High Level to Monday.com). Do this for a week, aiming for maybe twenty builds total. Next, record a video of yourself doing one of those builds (I use Loom) and send that video along with your application to the job. This shows you can deliver exactly what the client needs and gives you real‑world feedback from paying customers, which is far better than any influencer advice. If you don’t have anything to automate yet, just follow this roadmap from start to finish; it should take you about three days if you’re new, or a day if you’ve already done the basics, and then another week to feel comfortable applying to paid jobs. That’s the practical way to get up and running with Make as a freelancer.

make.comfreelancerautomationbeginner

Related answers

youtube ↗Client Acquisition

Your content is mostly focused on AI and building AI businesses — what advice would you give to someone who's not in the AI space and just wants to start a successful online business? (For context: I've been freelance video editing for 3 years, making about $1,500/month, and my biggest challenge is consistently getting clients since it's custom project work.)

Everything I talk about is immediately applicable to almost any digital business — the common thread is low startup cost (no capital tied up in machinery, trucks, equipment; just a couple hundred bucks a month in software). My advice works especially well in low-barrier-to-entry, competitive businesses, which freelance video editing definitely is — you could copy-paste everything I say about AI/automation client acquisition directly onto video editing. If getting clients consistently is your challenge, that's not one of several challenges — it's your only challenge. Until you're at $10K/month, don't spend a single unit of time on anything besides client acquisition. Start your day with it, spend at least 50% of your day on it, and only fulfill client projects with whatever time is left over.

non-ai businessfreelancingclient acquisition priorityvideo editing
youtube ↗Agency Operations

How do I deliver automations to clients?

Start with a kickoff call after the client pays, where you help them set up any needed platforms and possibly share your affiliate or partner codes for discounts or revenue. Then state that you’ll build everything in their environment so they retain full control if they stop working with you. Build using their tools (they give you credentials), and deliver the project with a video SOP that walks them through the system and serves as documentation for future maintenance. Use that video as a retention mechanism, then upsell related projects based on the knowledge gained from the current job. Mention that you can save them $500–$10,000 per month with a simple system, and invite them to a quick call if interested. The loop gets you in and prints money; you can pitch a monthly upsell or another one‑time project.

automation deliverykickoff callvideo sopretention
youtube ↗AI & Automation

Jack Burke-di asks: As a total beginner with zero programming background, what path should I take to become proficient enough to sell automation services? What concepts should I learn first, and what key things do I need to get familiar with? I've been watching your videos and using Make resources but retain little because I don't understand the terminology.

Here's exactly what I recommend: go to nicksmake.com/playlist. It will take you to Make.com, a no‑code platform that's the simplest and easiest to get up and running with—just drag and drop modules across the screen. You already know what Make.com is, so I won't explain it. My playlist walks you through everything you need to know to actually make real money with the platform, not just academics but how to take the various tools and sell them. That's where I'd start. A couple of key things to be familiar with: I also recommend a video called '80% of automation basics in less than 30 minutes' (though I misspoke earlier; it's actually '80% of automation AI basics'). In that video I cover the main concepts: using APIs, webhooks, prompt engineering for AI, and test‑driven development. If you get those two resources, you'll probably be good. I don't recommend watching all 60+ hours of my Make.com videos; just the first 10‑15 should suffice.

make.comno-codeautomation basicsbeginner
youtube ↗Client Acquisition

I’m spending a lot of time learning automation and building systems while also trying to build an Upwork profile and create content. What should I focus on to get my first paying clients?

Focus on the need‑to‑know, not the nice‑to‑know. Get customers first, then let their feedback tell you where to invest your time. Apply for jobs on platforms like Upwork to start earning, and learn the tools you need by actually doing the work for a client. Prioritize outreach—cold email with personalized Loom videos works well initially—rather than spending endless hours learning theory. Once you land your first client, double down on delivering value and then scale from there.

upworkcold emailfocusfirst client