05.26.23

11 years of freelancing: Things I’m still working on

Today, I celebrate 11 years of freelancing.

It feels like just yesterday when I wrote about a decade of doing this. In wedding anniversary materials, I should be gifting myself with something made of steel (blah blah about being married to my work). In the past, I’ve done posts that list the things I’ve learned, but I’m switching it up this time to 11 things I’m working on.

Thinking back to my early days of freelancing, I remember comparing myself to others further in their careers. I thought they knew everything and were so put together. So I’m here to combat that belief: I don’t know everything and I’m still kind of messy.

Here are 11 things I’m still working on (lots of reframing work happening here):

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02.22.23

my writing process

My writing workflow is probably more elaborate than it should be. I’m a slow writer. At least, I believe I am. I would never survive in a newsroom. It takes me what feels like forever to gather interviews, and that part alone isn’t a single task.

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02.15.23

There is always a budget even if they don’t tell you so

In my experience as a consultant and freelancer—trying out different ways of handling new client inquiries—asking for the budget is one of the ways to weed out those who aren’t serious yet about hiring you. I make the intake question required, though people have filled it out before without actually putting in a number. I don’t ask for an exact amount; a range is fine. What I really want to know is whether you put a little thought into what a project might cost you.

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06.15.22

Why I’m a marketing specialist and not a generalist

A few times a month, I receive work inquiries about consulting with a company that is not in the coffee industry. They’ve sometimes found me through my writing on Sprout Social or through a google search. Some have even read my note about taking on only specialty coffee coaching clients, referencing the note in their form, and yet still email thinking that I am the solution to their problems.

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05.26.22

10 Lessons from 10 years of freelancing

Today, I celebrate a decade of freelancing/self-employment.

Something funny happens when you give notice at a job: people ask you what you’re going to do next. So when I put in my notice at Groupon a decade ago, after burning out twice, I did it because I was on the edge of a third burnout. I had enough saved up at the time and very few expenses so I was able to leave without thinking of what I’d do next. But because people kept asking, I ended up scrambling for an answer and blurted out, “I’m starting a business! I’m going to do coffee crawls!”

Wow, I was so naive. Fast forward through creating and ending that business, part-time jobs, a “full-time” client that paid me as a consultant, and offering and stopping services, here I am.

One decade is a long time. If you’ve been following along in my journey, you’ll know that I like to celebrate the wins, no matter how small. My freelance-versary is a big win: it’s marked in my calendar, I usually do something to celebrate it, and I write one of these posts to mark where I was in the journey. You can read my 9-year post from last year here.

Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned from 10 years of freelancing:

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12.08.21

Redefining productivity

I used to be one who wanted to “hack” my way through productivity.

If I woke up earlier, I’d have more time to get things done. If I did tasks in 20-min chunks, I’d find that creative flow. If I planned my day out in the morning and then recapped my day at EOD, I’d know what to do.

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11.24.21

To pay or not to pay

If you’ve been in the business of providing services long enough, you’ve likely grappled with this question. “Should I charge for this X thing?” And even if you’re mostly a product-oriented company, you probably offer some services like classes or tutorials.

I do not have an easy answer for you, as it’s something I am also struggling with. Expertise comes with experience built on labor, whether physical or mental. When you reach a certain level of expertise, people start coming to you with questions. This isn’t about how to set your rates or prices, it’s about whether you should or not.

I am a believer in both not gatekeeping valuable information and paying people what they’re worth. It is unfortunate that we tie money with value but it is what it is. When you pay for something, you want to receive something back. This is an easy enough concept for physical goods but not so much about digital ones or intangible ones.

If you pay for a cooking class, you expect to learn how to cook that meal. The more you pay, the more detailed, personalized, and valuable experience you expect to have. Yes, you can watch a free recipe video on YouTube but maybe you want more.

And this is the hazy line that I’ve settled in. Generalized information and advice, like this newsletter, is free. Once you start veering into the personalized advice territory (i.e. “What should I do with my Instagram account for this specific goal I have in mind?”), it becomes a paid service. Digital worksheets could be both as long as the free one has some clear goal. It could be brand awareness or leading customers to a paid worksheet.

Likewise, you could offer free video tutorials on how to brew coffee with a certain method (there are so many of these out there). AND you can offer paid small group classes or 1:1 home barista training.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, especially if you’ve drawn a different hazy line than I have.

10.13.21

Why I don’t recommend generic freelance websites for hiring creatives

Say you need to hire someone to design a new website, photograph your products, or manage your social media. Where would you first go? Usually, referrals are the first choice – you find fellow business owners and ask them for people to check out. What if those don’t pan out? The next step usually is to head straight to Google and cross your fingers for a good match.

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07.29.20

So you want to pick my brain

Disclaimer: this is not about you. I have received many pick-your-brain emails through the years. I also volunteer a lot of time to community efforts and provide free content (like this newsletter and blog) because I believe giving back is important for sustaining an industry.

So you want to pick my brain about what I do and how I got here. Before the pandemic, you probably wanted to grab a coffee, now it’s video chats.

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03.11.20

Relearning how to work

When I first started out working for myself, I had issues with working. I was in a studio apartment in Chicago. My desk was one foot from my bed. My counter and stool was across from my fridge. Naps and snacks were so tempting and it didn’t help that my natural inclination was to be a night owl.

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