Imagine a professor standing at the front of her lecture hall waiting for her students to show up to class. She has no idea if they are young or old, excited or lazy. She can’t tell you what they know about the subject she’s teaching or if they care to learn it. Do they need homework?

Welcome to the freelance economy. A job market where hustle and talent collide. The world is your competition and the field is absolutely packed. Now more than ever you need to talk about your small business a lot if you want to be heard.

Thousands of freelancers and entrepreneurs are using courses to fuel their business and brand. Cracking the code leads to more customers and a great revenue stream. But, it’s not easy building a great course that works.

I’ve got a kitchen full of ants right now. They are tiny little things looking for something to help their colony live and grow. I don’t know what they want, but it’s obviously tucked somewhere under a placemat or faucet. I watch them a lot as they move up and down the line.

This was a year of mistakes. I stood up and brushed off after each one. But they were still painful. I guess it’s inevitable when you dive into something with your ego leading the way. I knew what I wanted and how to get it. I was wrong.

Megan Telpner is a successful small business owner. She is an author, speaker, nutritionist and director of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition and, “head cheerleader of your life!” But she wasn’t always the head of a successful company.

Two years ago I sat down for a review with my boss. It didn’t go well. I decided at that point I was done letting other people arbitrarily judge my work. People my entire life have told me when to get up and go to school.

MY NAME IS GREGG. I’m 48. I have a cushy homelife, a view of the forest out back, and plenty of food in the fridge. I’ve been working since I was 15 and picked up a couple of degrees along the way. I’ve worked in some great jobs and great cities and now work forone of the best brands in the world.

It’s hard putting yourself out into this world. Opening up a window and yelling at the neighbors usually brings scowls and threats. But if you can sing a nice song or say something people want to hear, they might just listen for a few moments.