Updated 12/27/2019 With the gig economy in full swing and the percentage of freelancers exploding toward 50% in the U.S., we were bound to see some entrepreneurial folk stepping in to take some of the edge off. Right now it looks like the primary targets are going to be the inevitable freelancing gaps like […]
What is “Strategic Freelancing” Anyway?
I’m a big believer that most of our freelance “failures” eventually point back to not being able to state why we’re freelancing in the first place, and then not having a plan that’s grounded in that ‘why’. If you follow me over on Twitter you’ve probably seen me mention “Strategic Freelancing”. It’s a concept […]
Short, Mid, Long — Which Marketing Level are You Missing?
Last updated: 11/8/2019 This post will help you with Phase 3 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! I just had broccoli greens for dinner (did you know they’re a cousin to collards? I didn’t). That’s a direct result of being a freelancer. Back when I was employed, I […]
You Have Options.
Leaving employment was a long process for me, but a few moments helped push that process along. The ones that pushed hardest were the overt efforts to remind me that I’m Black and that that fact could always be used against me. The last business trip I took was the last for a reason. Everything […]
Movin’ on to 2018 (Did goals make it into this year’s plans?)
So we’re headed out of 2017 and I can’t even say it flew by. The further away from employed life I get, the more realistic my perception of time seems to be. That means 2017—even with the walking disaster America’s got at the steering wheel—felt like an actual…year. It was a year that overall went […]
4 Simple Ways to Pace Your Freelance Earning
The only thing I miss about employment is the predictable income. While employment might not be a safe bet anymore, it does provide structured income that’s largely predictable at some level—even when I wasn’t salaried, I knew that there was neatly packaged demand and compensation for my work (even if I couldn’t count on a […]
I Almost Fell Back Into That “Stability” Trap
I’ve got to admit something that’s hard for me to say, especially as someone who runs this site. Over the past year, I’ve gotten really loose with my marketing. Don’t get me wrong…I’ve still been doing it weekly and jumping on LinkedIn and all that good stuff, but I’d stopped going that extra mile. I’d […]
7 Ways to Build Peace Into Your Freelance Business
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the Black Freelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! My first Internet business was impressively exhausting. I built it while working full-time in a job I hated, so naturally, it sucked up every extra bit of energy and time I had. […]
4 Years Later and I’m Still Dealing with Burnout
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! Last week, I missed a call with a client. There wasn’t an emergency or anything, I just kept working, ignored reminders, and completely blew past the meeting. It wasn’t like me at all, […]
30 Ways Employers Control Your Life
**This post will help you with Phase 1 of your Freelance Workbook.** We underestimate the impact employers have on our lives…and that’s an understatement. I fell asleep last night thinking of all the ways my life has been different since becoming a full-time freelancer but also wondering what my life would be like if I’d […]