Deliberate Freelancer

On today’s episode, we’re talking about goals—setting them, working on them, tracking them, achieving them. Goal-setting can be tough, and I think part of that is the words we use. For example, New Year’s resolutions are essentially goals, but about 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. We’re all eager in January to jump on those resolutions, but then we get bored, or we forget or life gets too busy and gets in the way. Goal-setting can happen at any time. You can wait for that feeling to hit you that you want to work toward some new things, or you can be proactive throughout the year. To get started, I recommend setting only a few big goals at a time. Otherwise, you fall into that New Year’s resolutions trap again. First, start by setting one to three goals for your business. Your goals should be specific so that you can later tie them to step-by-step goals and habits to implement. Saying you want to grow your business is not a specific goal. On the personal side, wanting to become a better

On today’s show I am going over 33 ways you can find new clients. But before you embark on that project, you’ll need to do a little prep work. First, consider what type of work you truly want more of. What do you love to do? What work pays well? Focus on that. Next, raise your rates. Then, be crystal clear on what you want to say to those potential clients. Focus on how you can help them and what they want. Now, you’re ready to find new clients. Here are my tips (scroll down to the Resources section for a printable pdf of this list): Ask current clients for new work. Ask current or past clients for referrals. Go to industry conferences. Maximize your LinkedIn profile and add keywords. Send a ridiculous number of letters of introduction (LOIs). Follow up on past LOIs or with people you’ve met in real life. Add a new service. Apply to speak at conferences as an expert in your field. Reach out to your contacts who are at new jobs. Write a guest blog post in your industry. Ramp up your social media game. Go old

On today’s show, I’m going to report on what I did during my most recent solo business retreat and my lessons learned. Some of you already know I love taking a solo business retreat about once a quarter—or at minimum, twice a year. A solo business retreat is just you, away from your regular workspace—even in that means just heading to another room in your home—and taking a half day, entire day or even two days to step back. It’s a time to think big and to work ON your business, not just IN your business. In episode 3, I talk about how to host your own solo business retreat—what you need, where you can go to do it, what to think about. Two episodes ago, episode 40, I gave tips and hopefully some inspiration for things that would work well during a solo business retreat—how you could evaluate the past year of your business and then analyze what you needed to do differently this year. I also mentioned in that episode that I was going to host my first solo business retreat outside my city. It was in Chicago last

On today’s show I am going to go through several tips and tools for creating and sticking to new habits, as outlined and inspired by James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits.” But first, please consider donating $5–10 to a fellow freelancer, Cat DiStasio, who is recovering from a severe stroke that happened right before Christmas 2019. Cat was my guest on episode 30 about how a virtual assistant (VA) can help your business. She is a former VA and now focuses on writing and project management. Cat is a single parent and the sole income earner for her and her child. Unfortunately, in the U.S., we don’t have a safety net system when things like this happen to people. We have to rely on our community and the goodwill of others. Under Resources below, you will find the link to a GoFundMe account set up by fellow freelance writer Jennifer Goforth Gregory. As a fellow freelancer, I’m sure you understand the fear of what would happen if you got sick or injured and couldn’t work—especially if you are the sole or primary inco

Where do you want to go in the new year (metaphorically)? On today’s show, we’re going to set you up right for the new year. I’m going to talk about how you can reflect back on the past year, analyze the good and the bad, and then plan for next year. The end of the year is the perfect time to think about the big questions surrounding your freelance business. What does success and growth look like to you? To me, growing my business means continuing to earn more money in less time, so I can have a personal life, pursue new interests outside of work and travel a lot. This is the perfect time to schedule a solo business retreat—a time of reflection, analysis and evaluation of the INSIDE of your business. It’s a time to step away from client work and the busyness of our lives. First up, you need to look back to look forward. Evaluate your freelance business in 2019. What were five successes you had or five things you really loved about your work this year? Write them down. Next, write down five things you disliked

Today’s episode focuses on how to raise your rates. Raising your rates is not about if you should raise them, but when and how. On episode 28 of Deliberate Freelancer, my guest Pam Capalad talked about the need to take the emotion out of raising your rates. I thought that was so smart—and easier said than done. Pam recognized that a lot of issues tend to pop up when we talk about raising our rates: imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, wanting to be liked. All of that is emotion. I wish I could help you instantly channel the confidence of a successful businessman who was born into privilege and never questions how much he charges his customers. But I can’t, so let’s talk about how to raise rates for your freelance business. Start by eliminating your hourly rate. Start charging by the project. If you work fast, you are penalized for charging an hourly rate. And, an hourly rate doesn’t recognize the value you’re bringing to a project. Instead, create a secret hourly rate. Aim to earn way more than your secr

On today’s show, I’m going to take you through my nutrition journey and how I’ve learned to eat healthier over the past few years, which is invaluable to me as a freelance business owner. As freelancers, in particular, we need to focus on our health. Often, we sit at home all day behind a computer. Many of us are not getting enough exercise—we’re not even getting up enough throughout the day to stand, walk or stretch. And food temptations are just a room or two away. As freelancers, if we don’t work, we don’t make money. If you’re eating foods that make you feel sluggish, or you’re dehydrated and tired, or you’re hopped up on too much caffeine, you’re not going to do your best work. Your brain might not be as sharp that day, or you’re just tired and want a nap. As an employee, you can feel this way and either push through or just suffer through the day—but you get paid either way. Not so as a freelancer. You need to be on your game and doing your best work. This episode is not about weight, even though I do w

Today’s episode is a little different. I have invited a guest on to explain a dangerous new law in California called AB5 that all freelancers need to know about. It threatens the very existence of freelancing. Even if you don’t live in California, you need to know about this law because other states are following suit. In fact, after I recorded this episode, I learned that New Jersey Democrats are enthusiastically supporting a bill based on California’s bill. New York state is also working on a similar law, and every Democratic presidential candidate is said to support this type of law because they see it as pro labor. So what is this and why should we worry? Assembly Bill 5—or AB5—takes effect in California on January 1. My guest in this episode, Randy Dotinga, a fellow freelance writer, explains the law and its ramifications to us. Randy is the former president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and has been a full-time freelance writer for 20 years. He lives in California and continu

On today’s show I am going to outline several red flags to look out for when you’re a freelance business owner. I’m sure many of you have learned some of these the hard way. I know I have. But it’s important to recognize when they happen and keep a mental list of what to watch out for. In some “red flag” cases, you can find a work-around and figure out a solution that works for you. In other cases, you need to run screaming in the other direction. Red flag #1: Not respecting your rate or low-balling you. Red flag #2: Wanting to jump on the phone too quickly. Red flag #3: An amorphous deadline. Or no deadline. Red flag #4: A client who doesn’t know what they want. Red flag #5: The dreaded phrase from a potential client “let’s see how it goes.” Red flag #6: Scope creep. Red flag #7: Not respecting your boundaries. Red flag #8: A potential client’s personality that doesn’t mesh with yours.   Biz Bite: Calendly The Bookshelf: “Molly” by Colin Butcher   Resources: Episode #4 of Deliberate Freelancer: Work Only wi

Today’s guest is Jonathan Small, an award-winning journalist and editor based in Los Angeles. He is the host of the podcast Write About Now, where he interviews successful writers about their journeys and what they’ve learned along the way. He is also the founder of Write About Now Media, a creative consultancy group specializing in non-fiction writing, editing and podcast production. He is also editor-in-chief of Green Entrepreneur, which is a new website and print magazine about the cannabis industry that is published by the editors of Entrepreneur magazine. Jonathan has had an interesting career, moving from editing major magazines in New York, including Stuff, Glamour and Fitness. Then, he moved to LA and got into film and video and later was the vice president of content for the Game Show Network and later the chief creative officer at DanceOn, a YouTube-funded dance and pop culture channel co-owned by Madonna. Jonathan likes being his own boss and believes freelancers need to be self-starters and know h

Today’s guest is Latisha Carr. Latisha is a trained life coach and self-care strategist who helps entrepreneurs build both a healthy personal foundation and healthy business cultures. Her signature framework allows her to help business owners find their essence—all while addressing thoughts and behaviors that are ineffective in helping them reach their goals and dreams. She leads events that help creatives and entrepreneurs develop new businesses, reach higher goals and create effective self-care plans. Latisha has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling and then completed an intensive life coach and leadership training program. After earning her master’s degree, Latisha realized she wanted to help people “create a life that they love” so she became a life coach instead of a therapist. She now focuses on helping entrepreneurs and business owners embrace self-care and wellbeing practices. Latisha experienced burnout herself when she was working in the mental health field. She say

On today’s show I am going to outline five lessons I learned at the She Podcasts LIVE conference that are relevant to freelance business owners. She Podcasts LIVE was an inaugural conference for the She Podcasts community, which started as a Facebook group that now has 14,000 members—all women podcasters. There’s also a She Podcasts podcast hosted by co-creators Elsie Escobar and Jessica Kupferman. While I learned a bunch of podcast strategies and tips at the conference, there were also tips and reminders that can be helpful for all freelance business owners, no matter what service you provide. Lesson #1 is brought to you by Erica Mandy, host of the very successful podcast the NewsWorthy. Erica is an experienced broadcast journalist who quit her job and launched a daily 10-minute news podcast just a few years ago. In her session at She Podcasts, she offered up the The Six Cs of Success. No. 1 is confidence. Erica says you have to have the confidence that you are resourceful and that you can figure out the sol

Today’s guest is Vincent Pugliese, the owner and founder of Total Life Freedom, an exclusive and intimate mastermind group of generous entrepreneurs and freelancers who are building and helping others create a life of money, time and location freedom. Vincent also wrote a book on this idea of money, time and location freedom called “Freelance to Freedom.” He is generously giving you all a free audio version of the book, so scroll down for a link to that book. Vincent was a professional photographer for 22 years, as a freelancer, a newspaper employee and then as a business owner with his wife, Elizabeth. Vincent is also the host the Total Life Freedom podcast. Vincent and his wife—who is also a photographer—now live in Pittsburgh with their their sons. Hear why Vincent was angry after winning a prestigious national sports photography award and what he did next. When he called his dad, his father told him, “I’ve been trying to tell you … You have a skill but you’re not using it correctly. You’ve settled for $

On today’s show I talk about how sometimes I’m just not feeling it. Sometimes I just feel blah and unmotivated. But, I have client work to do. But, I’m having a hard time kicking my butt into gear. Two interesting reasons I might be feeling blah that I learned about in recent years: One, I learned from my acupuncturist that some people feel blah or out of sorts when seasons change. The past two years, I’ve noticed this feeling as winter turns into spring—which is strange because I’m a much bigger fan of spring than I am of winter—but I feel out of sorts around April. And now, this week, my favorite season, summer, has slowly disappeared as October has arrived. That change of seasons might be causing some of my malaise. Another thing that women should be aware of: When your hormone levels go down, you might feel a little unmotivated and not like yourself. This can happen before or during your menstrual cycle, and for those of us in our 40s, it can happen as we head into menopause. A lot of women start experien

Today’s guest is Cat DiStasio, a freelance writer and project manager who specializes in human resources, business, marketing and technology. Cat also consults with small businesses on HR processes, teaches content marketing writers how to market their services, and blogs about the business of freelancing.  Cat has also been a virtual assistant—or VA—although she is now transitioning out of that kind of work. But she still knows a lot about hiring a VA and graciously helps connect freelancers and VAs to each other. Cat says to think of a VA like an executive assistant in the corporate world: an administrative person who can do a lot of things, such as proofreading, research, travel support, email and calendar management. They can also help you with brainstorming and developing processes. A good VA can be a sounding board for your business. Cat recommends making a list of the things you keep putting off or tasks you are bad at. And then find a VA who loves doing those things. Think you can’t afford a VA? A VA

Today’s guest is Pamela Capalad, a certified financial planner and accredited financial counselor in Brooklyn. Pam created this really cool program called Brunch & Budget, which helps people who feel ashamed or embarrassed about money have a safe and friendly place to talk about their finances—over brunch with Pam. I think this is genius. It makes people more comfortable and really open up to Pam, whose mission is to make financial planning as affordable as possible for the communities who need it most. We didn’t get into it in this episode, but Pam and her husband teach hip hop and finance workshops to kids, teens and college students across the country through a program called Pockets Change. They also host the Brunch & Budget podcast, where they discuss how personal finance and racial economic justice intersect. And—if that’s not enough—they started a financial planning program designed for the needs of people of color called See Change. In this episode, learn how Pam went from working in wealth ma

On today’s show I am going to outline 10 micro habits that you can consider implementing in your life to improve your work-life clarity. Building habits into my life helps me commit to work-life clarity. Micro habits are tiny, incremental things you can start to do that seem so incredibly easy that you might just continue to build them. And, if you find they are working for you in some way, they might grow into larger habits and eventually habits you don’t even think about. Not all of the micro habits I’m recommending are directly related to your business. Your life and your business are intertwined. Plus, I think we should all be focusing on our health. So, some of these will be healthy micro habits, and some will be things that will lift your energy and put a smile on your face. I’m not recommending you implement all 10 of these micro habits. It’s better if you start small and just try a few of them. Plus, some of these might not be relevant for your individual life or may not interest you. But I hope they

On today’s show I am going to go over three concepts that will help you better manage your time and focus on the parts of your freelance business that you love. But first: an update on my early morning walk. I’ve actually become so hooked on walking that I’ve been getting up earlier 5–6 days a week to do my daily walk in the morning. I walk fast for about an hour while listening to podcasts. And I have a loop around my neighborhood, which means I don’t have to think about which direction I want to go in each day. Let’s discuss three concepts to improve your business: delegate, automate and terminate. I actually stumbled upon these concepts gradually as my freelance business started to grow, and I realized I couldn’t do it all. There’s only one of me and there are only so many hours in the day—more importantly, there are only so many hours that I want to WORK in a day. But it’s not just about managing your time or even managing your energy. I believe you should delegate, automate and terminate so you can actua

Today’s guest is Jessica Kupferman, co-founder of She Podcasts (the podcast, the brand and the live event). She Podcasts has an incredible community, primarily through an awesome female-only Facebook group. The She Podcasts brand currently supports over 13,000 female podcasters and has a digital marketing reach of over 50,000 content creators. And October 11–13 in Atlanta, for the first time, She Podcasts is becoming a conference: She Podcasts LIVE, which was funded through Kickstarter. Jessica talks about how she got started in podcasting around 2013—when very few women were podcasting and especially not about entrepreneurial topics. As her then-podcast, Lady Business Radio, became popular, she was getting pitched a lot of guests and saying yes to many of them. Then, she realized her show was becoming an opportunity for guests to use her show for their gain, but she wasn’t having the conversations she wanted. She decided to let that show go and focus on She Podcasts. Jessica talks about how she met Elsie Esc