Next week, I’ll be attending the 4th annual Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago, and let me tell you, I can’t wait. Sure, CFC teaches lots of useful skills and gives insights into important aspects of small business ownership, but the real value is in the people, the ones who inspire me and kick me in…
Tag Archive: freelance
Be Careful What You Wish For
Remember when I mentioned that I’d hoped to step out of my shell this year to do more public speaking? My wish has been granted. I’ve been selected to speak at the 2011 American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Conference in Jacksonville this fall. The topic: Presenting Yourself as a Freelance/Independent Professional. I’m more excited than…
Not My Job. Or Is It?
We sat at breakfast one Wednesday morning, and I was recapping the previous night’s Team in Training run with my then 3-year-old son. He listened carefully as I talked about our tempo run, and seemed deep in thought as he ate his oatmeal. “Is running your job?” he asked between bites. “No,” I explained. “I’m…
Do As I Say, Not As I Do
On Saturday night, I had the privilege of being part of the Freelance Success panel at the Creative Freelancer Conference. It was absolutely fascinating to be the focus of a room full of freelancers, looking to the three of us for magical answers. Of course, we don’t have magical answers. We’ve each made plenty of…
All or Nothing
Freelance work is inherently cyclical. Colleagues in corporate jobs often ask if the cycles make me crazy. The answer is no, but that answer has come with time and experience. Rather than fight the cycles and worry about when they will start or end, I’ve learned to relax and ride it out. January is a…
My HARO Experience: Part 2
On September 25, 2009, I ran my second HARO sponsorship ad. Information on my first sponsorship (January 20, 2009) can be found here. Did it generate traffic? Yes. Website traffic increased more than tenfold on the day of my sponsorship, and has been cruising along at about 2-3x my pre-sponsorship levels for the past two…
The Business of Being Creative
I was planning on writing about the 2009 Creative Freelancer Conference, but I can’t seem to separate my 2009 experience from what I learned in 2008. So many of 2009’s ideas are still percolating in my head, whereas the lessons learned in 2008 have already been turned into measurable actions. Last year, the conference (a.k.a….
Creative Freelancer Conference 2009
I’m departing for San Diego this morning to attend the 2009 Creative Freelancer Conference. Last year’s conference was great, and I’m hoping for an equally good experience this year. I’ll have a comprehensive recap posted by the end of the weekend.
My HARO Experience
For as many people who have called and emailed to ask about my experience with sponsoring the HARO email blast on January 20, I’m guessing that there’s an equal number who wondered, but didn’t call. Here are the answers to the most common questions. How many clicks?Three days later, my web counter tells me that…
Financial Markets and Freelance Strategy
The recent turmoil in financial markets has left everyone panicked. It’s hard not to look at your IRA statement, or your child’s dwindling 529 account, without freaking out just a bit. Jobs are less secure and freelance work will likely be harder to come by as we head into 2009. The lessons of the financial…