Deliberate Freelancer

On today’s show I share two timely new resources: Introducing Deliberate Freelancer Clarity Calls! These are 45-minute Zoom video chats to talk through 1-2 challenges with podcast host Melanie Padgett Powers.   Are you feeling stuck in your business and need help reigniting your momentum? Do you have a million ideas but need help zeroing in on the best one for you? Are you overwhelmed with your to-do list and need help cutting through the noise?   Are you feeling insecure or uncertain about a proposal, project rate or pricing structure? Schedule a Clarity Call with Melanie — she can be a sounding board to help you cut through the noise and allow your best ideas to shine through. You can talk through roadblocks to help reignite your momentum. Or you can work together to uncover fresh solutions to client and project challenges.  Clarity Calls are for any creative — any independent business owner — in any industry who is selling services. These calls are for those who are already freelancing and have at least

Today’s guest is Michelle Rafter, who lives in Portland, Oregon. Michelle is the owner of WordCount Editorial Services. She is a former journalist who is now a ghostwriter of books, research reports and articles for CEOs and management consultants. She’s a former newspaper staff writer, wire service columnist and freelance reporter who covered business, enterprise technology and workplace issues.  Michelle has weathered several economic downturns in her longtime journalism and freelance career. She recently updated her blog post “How to Maintain Your Freelance Business in Bad Times,” so I invited her on the show to go through some of her tips. I also crowdsourced questions from the Deliberate Freelancer community so we could address your questions and concerns about the economy right now and how that may be affecting freelance businesses.  Another potentially helpful resource: The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) is hosting a webinar at 1 p.m. E.T. on Monday, May 19, called “What the Trump A

Download transcript of episode 205. Today’s guest is Sara Kobilka, who lives in New York state. Sara is the owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting. Sara has an insatiable curiosity that has driven her career in many different directions that she’s been able to connect in her freelance work. She primarily works in the STEM space.  Sara is also a career coach, primarily for people looking to change industries or disciplines. She hosts LinkedIn sprints to help freelancers and others increase their presence on LinkedIn.  She is passionate about incorporating diversity, equity, inclusion, access, accessibility, belonging and justice (DEIAABJ) throughout her work. In today’s episode, we focus on accessibility — how we can support people with disabilities and embed accessibility into our work. In this episode, we talk about:  The current political climate in the U.S. and how it affects DEIAABJ. Why the term DEI is limiting.  The wide variety of disabilities and the five primary categories of disabilities — it’s so m

In today’s episode, I recap what my business looked like in January and February. This includes: Why I got a slow start to 2025.  Why I’ve been focusing only on current clients and not marketing. How much I earned in January and February. How much I worked in January and February. The number of clients I did and the types of work. How I’m thinking about so-called “low-paying clients.” How I offered two options in a proposal for a new client.  What self-care means to me.  How I’m playing around with ChatGPT.  What I Learned This Week:  Goat therapy is awesome. The Bookshelf: “The Silence in Between” by Josie Ferguson Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #200 of Deliberate Freelancer: WTF 2025! (Plus, My 2024 Recap) Episode #198 of Deliberate Freelancer: November By the Numbers

Today’s guest is Matthew Fenton, who lives in Oregon wine country with his wife and two cats. Matthew is the founder of Three Deuce Branding, a one-man consultancy with a simple mission: “to help good people build great brands.” Since 1997, he has helped hundreds of clients — including Fidelity Investments, Wrigley and Valvoline — to achieve what he calls “brand clarity” by better positioning, strategy, and messaging. Matthew also spent seven years in client-side brand management, including two as a chief marketing officer. During that time, he launched White Mystery Airheads and led Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers to become the best-selling gummy worm in the U.S. Matthew is also the founder of Winning Solo, a coaching business designed to help other independent consultants and creatives to enjoy longevity, balance and success on their own terms.  Today’s conversation is divided into two halves: Matthew recently became a fractional chief marketing officer for a longtime client. A “fractional” role has become a buz

Today’s guest is Alan Heymann. Alan is the owner of Peaceful Direction. He is an executive coach and facilitator and is the author of two books on leadership analogies: “Don’t Just Have the Soup” and “Embrace Your Inner Peaches.” Alan is also a faculty member of the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership.  In this episode, we talk about:  How we’re dealing with the uncertainty of the world now.  The importance of being transparent and vulnerable about our businesses on social media and elsewhere.  Why Alan shared on LinkedIn that in July 2024 his gross revenue was only $600.  Alan’s freelance world pet peeve. How he involved his virtual assistant in a reflection on ideal clients. Why LinkedIn is a paradise for introverts. How he respects his free time.  How he checks in with his community or network.  Why he loves connecting others.  The journey of breaking out of the “employee mindset” or “late-stage capitalism.”  How Alan blocks off a time twice a week for “exercise, create and lea

On today’s show I discuss my favorite books I read in 2024 and share my most anticipated books of 2025, plus some popular authors coming out with new books this year. A few statistics first. In 2024:  I read 67 books. I did not finish (DNF) 16 books. 67% of my books were fiction, with 33% nonfiction. All but one book was for adults; I read one young adult book. I read 21 debuts, or first-time-published authors, which was about 31% of all my books. All my books were physical books. I don’t use an e-reader or listen to audiobooks. Mystery/thriller was my most read genre. Here are the books I read that were mentioned in this episode: Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman Falling by T.J. Newman Drowning by T.J. Newman Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh The Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanaugh Colored Television by Danzy Senna James by Percival Everett   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan  Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan Summer Romance by

On today’s show I discuss the rough start to 2025 and share my 2024 end-of-year review, which includes: My gross and net income for 2024 My expenses for 2024 My income goals and whether I hit those each quarter How I landed a new client How many hours I worked  The importance of vacations, mental health days, spontaneous days off, and staycations A client mistake I made — you would think I’d know better by now!  Clients I lost for 2025 What I Learned This Week:  Go to https://5calls.org for an easy and meaningful way to contact your U.S. congressional representatives and senators to let them know that you want them to DO SOMETHING.  How to use 5calls.org and why it works.  “Is Somebody Doing Something?” — A great explanation from an attorney that I found informative and a bit reassuring.  The Bookshelf: “How to Age Disgracefully” by Clare Pooley  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Deliberate Freelancer Starter Pack on Bluesky Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee

Today’s guest is Rosanna Campbell, a freelance content writer who writes “non-boring content” for B2B SaaS clients like Dock, Lattice, and monday.com. She lives in Madrid, Spain, with her husband, son, and their beagle who eats her furniture. Rosanna’s been freelancing for eight years. In this episode, we chat in-depth about six tips she shared in a recent LinkedIn post that helped her get clients when she found herself in a “total, terrible, terrifying scramble.” Rosanna is also consistent on LinkedIn, which we also talk about at the end of the episode. In fact, she is creating a workshop on how to be successful like her on LinkedIn, so I encourage you to follow her on LinkedIn for information on that workshop and lots of other great tips.  In this episode, we talk about:  Why and how she became a freelancer How some freelancers are struggling right now  How she shifted her mindset to better “sell” herself How to think about niching down your service and your industry  How to evaluate your LinkedIn profile

In today’s episode, I recap what my business looked like in November. This includes: How much I worked in November. Why I got behind and how I dealt with it. The types of work I did and how I charged. My total monthly earnings. Why I offered to help a new client for “free.” What I Learned This Week:  How Poet James A. Pearson (and his friend) look at burnout: “The Hidden Invitation of Burnout” Poet James A. Pearson on Instagram The Bookshelf: “The Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #194 of Deliberate Freelancer: October By the Numbers Episode #62 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Prevent and Deal with Burnout, with Alan Heymann

Today’s guest is Melissa Hobson, who does business as The Ocean Writer Ltd. Her writing focuses on marine science and conservation. Melissa lives in Hastings, England. She has written for National Geographic, Scientific American, BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile, New Scientist, the Guardian and more. She also does some content and copywriting for NGOs and companies, but still focuses on the ocean and conservation.  In this episode, we talk about:  The revelation she had after a conversation with a friend.  Using “I’m so busy” as an excuse.  Fear of failure. What she did in her business after a mindset shift.  How she gamified her pitching.  How she organizes her finances.  Using “busy” as a badge of honor or part of our identity.  Try this: Ask yourself “why” five times.  How she became interested in writing about the ocean.  The importance of following your curiosity.  Resources: Melissa’s website  Melissa on LinkedIn Melissa’s article about Fat Bear Week  Fat Bear Week in Katmai National Park, Alaska Delibe

I’m excited about Bluesky! Are you on the platform too? Let’s create a Deliberate Freelancer starter pack — more on that in this episode — but follow me at @MelEdits. On today’s show, I share five questions to help you wrap up your year to create a “fresh start” in January. I explain the difference between these five questions and larger questions to ask yourself later in a solo business retreat to set up your year for success. The five questions are: What do I need to do now to line up work in January?  What do I need to do to wrap up the year?  Do I need to raise rates or fire anyone?  Where do I need to improve my marketing and networking? How much money did I make this year? What I Learned This Week:  Your standing desk isn’t making you any healthier: https://wapo.st/3ApawfD The Bookshelf: “Slow Productivity” by Cal Newport  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Melanie on Bluesky Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #149 of Deliberate Freelancer: Evaluate—and Expand or Fi

On today’s show, I talk about how hiring a business coach for a few months helped me get excited about my business again.  Here’s what I share with you in this episode: Why I hired a coach. The initial goals I had with coaching and how that changed.  How outlining who my “core self” was helped me with my business direction.  Insights that my coach had that helped me.  Why you should ask yourself if the services you provide “light you up” and bring you joy.  How fight/flight/freeze/fawn may affect our businesses.  What the Polyvagal Theory is and a few ways to quickly calm your nerves (see links below).  What I Learned This Week: I need to create a menu of joy.  The Bookshelf: “The Caretaker” by Ron Rash  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support ad-free Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee How to find a certified menopause practitioner Informative Johns Hopkins article about menopause Menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver on Instagram Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s book “The New Menopause” Arti

On today’s new regular monthly episode I recap what my business looked like in October. This includes: How much I worked in October. The types of work I did and how I charged. Why a lower-paying passion project can be worth it. My total monthly earnings. How I landed a new anchor client. Why I sometimes break the “freelancing rules” and charge hourly and per word.  What I Learned This Week: I am not as young as I used to be.  The Bookshelf: “The Flatshare” by Beth O’Leary Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Email Melanie feedback or suggestions about “By the Numbers” episodes: melanie@meledits.com  Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee

Today’s guest is Reyna Gobel, MBA, MPH, a New Yorker who is a purpose-driven freelance writer. She writes journalism and content on personal finance, travel, pets, and health and nutrition.    Reyna is a personal finance and health expert and award-winning author. Her articles and quoted advice have appeared in over 300 publications and websites, including Forbes, Money, Reuters, NPR, Harvard Health, and The Atlantic. Michelle Singletary selected three of her books as the book of the month in The Washington Post. Reyna co-created the 30-Day Precision Nutrition Challenge and recently authored the fourth version of Graduation Debt : How to Manage Student Loans and Live Your Life.  In this episode, we talk about:  How to reduce your “ghost spending.”  The biggest mistakes she sees freelancers make with their finances. The importance of tracking your expenses. How budgeting apps can help you. How unexplained illnesses led to her nutrition journey. What she offers through her nutrition course. What I Learned Thi

I am finally back! I know, I know — this was way longer than that a “summer” hiatus. I’m sorry for the delay, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure I was coming back. I’ll talk about that in today’s episode and share why I did come back (mainly because of you, my wonderful listeners).  Here’s what I share with you in this episode: A few minor changes to the podcast. How my income goals are going. Why my “summer” hiatus took so long. How I was reminded to prioritize what’s important to me. How I spent my summer vacation.  Why hiring a business coach was the right move. What I Learned This Week:  The types of Zoom backgrounds that are most and least likely to cause Zoom fatigue. The Bookshelf: “Everyone But Myself” by Julie Chavez Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #182 of Deliberate Freelancer: A massive pivot from freelancing to owning a business with her husband, with business coach Jenni Gritters

I will be on summer hiatus from June to September. This episode gives you a quick update about my summer plans and provides a sneak peek into what I’m looking forward to talking about in September.  Resources: Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn Melanie’s other podcast, Association Station

Today’s guest is Austin L. Church, who returns to the show to talk about his book “Free Money.”  Austin lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. He helps e-commerce founders stand out online with their brand strategy. Lately, he’s been working as a fractional chief marketing officer, consulting for creator economy companies. He also coaches freelance creatives. Austin returned to the podcast to talk about his new book, “Free Money,” which I have read and highly recommend for all freelancers. In this episode, we talk about:  Who this book is for and why he wrote it.  How our beliefs about money from childhood affect our businesses now.  The financial numbers you need to know to run your business. What “pessimistic pricing” and “weirdly precise” numbers are.  Set a price that reduces the chances you will resent the client or the project. The fine line between setting boundaries and being difficult to work with.  Why the “hustle” isn’t sustainable and can lead to burnout. The four stages of freelancing: Moonlighter, Hust

Today’s guest is Rachel Meltzer. Rachel lives in Massachusetts after doing the “van life” thing for a few years. She is a freelance writer for software as a service companies or SaaS. She’s written for Lenovo, Grammarly, Loom, FarOut, Six Moon Designs and more in the tech and outdoor recreation industries. She’s also a coach. She’s coached over 100 freelance writers on launching their businesses and getting clients and then scaling their businesses. She loves the freedom that freelancing gives her to thru-hike, live in a van, move whenever she wants, and spend time with her loyal cat, Bonnie.  In this episode, we talk about:  The winding journey that led her to a freelance writing career.  How her Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2018 changed her life. The value in community and sharing experiences with other people.  How she went from a scarcity mindset to a healthier perspective.  The jealousy we’ve had of other freelancers and how we fight against that.  What she learned from a failed project. The importanc

Today’s guest is Louis Tinsley, a DC-based commercial photographer.  Louis has been working in the industry professionally for more than 10 years and sits on the board of the DC chapter of American Photographic Artists, where he runs the annual Photo Assistant Workshop. He also recently joined the Northern Virginia Community College Photography & Media Curriculum Advisory Board. His clients have included General Dynamics Corporation, the TED organization, local news station WTOP, and DASH Alexandria Transit Company in Virginia.  In this episode, we talk about:  How Louis got into photography.  What he loves about being a freelancer — and what he finds challenging.  What a good headshot and branding photos can do for your business.  What we should consider before we hire a photographer.  What should be included in the conversation with a photographer you are considering hiring — how much retouching is done, what to wear, whether a makeup artist is included. How a photographer should work to put a nervous