Every time I see someone say they’re working on business goals as a blogger, a little piece of me winces. It’s not because blogging isn’t important or powerful…it is, I’ve started a whole business around it and still do it myself. It’s because too often, when people are talking about blogging on its own, they’re […]
5 Signs Your Workplace is More Racist Than Normal
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the Black Freelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! One of the main reasons I started freelancing was a need for more control over my work environment. I’m an introvert, and being American, most work environments I’d been in were designed to […]
Your Support Network Probably Won’t Look Much Like That White Guy’s You Follow…
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the Black Freelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! I ran into my youngest uncle yesterday. He stands a striking, but inviting 6’7″ and has always been nothing short of magical to me and my brother. He ordered suits from Japan and lived […]
Why I Just Turned Down A Full-Time Job
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the Black Freelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! One of the greatest things about freelancing is that it gets you in close, long-term contact with people who hire. I’m always hearing stories from other freelancers about being offered full-time work or great […]
Sleep And The Independent Worker…How I Found My Peace
My relationship with sleep is probably best described as “difficult”. As a freelancer with fewer external forces shaping my schedule, I’ve been forced to make peace with it. I don’t have any formal disorders (as far as I know), it’s just not an activity I enjoy. I prefer staying up until 2 and hate sleeping […]
Quick Thoughts: The De-punking Of Afropunk…It’s Not Just The Music
“Black people with a lot of piercings always throw me off.” This statement came from a heavily tattooed, bi-racial, White-acculturated friend of mine whose visual presence meshes easily with an Afropunk aesthetic. In response I mentioned the eponymous festival and my plans to go. He had no clue what it was. See I’d wanted to […]
You Don’t Need Experience To Get Experience.
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the Black Freelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! The catch-22 of needing experience to get experience is not a conundrum. It’s not a puzzle designed to frustrate new entrants or test for the most plucky or driven. It’s a signal. […]
The Cost of Being the “Good” Black Worker
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the BlackFreelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! I freelance because I’m Black. I’m not saying that freelancing is universally great for Black people…it works differently for everybody. What I am saying, is that my experiences in racialized workplaces were a […]
Things I Don’t Care About As A Black Business Person
This post will help you with Phase 1 of the Black Freelance Foundations Workbook…if you haven’t started yours yet, download it now! “The Hustle” A “normal” career Being an MBA (very different from having an MBA) “Networking” Being an “Entrepreneur” Events/Panels Being a CEO (or a C-anything) Being Busy Looking Busy Having my picture on […]
Marketing Your Freelance Services To Black Businesses
Let me start this off by saying this is not my area of expertise. I work with B2B companies in a standardized industry, but want to help further a deeper conversation around marketing, and help you sell your services at the same time. I’m not a procrastinator. I’m the opposite…I over-prepare and pre-prepare, and […]