Deliberate Freelancer

On today's show I discuss some client wins, a fail and some ongoing challenges in my freelance business so far in 2023.  Here's what I share with you in this episode: A win in which I didn't dismiss the client because it wasn't a straightforward proposal and I had to customize it.  A "bridge service" win, in which I took an existing service and skill I'm good at and went beyond it a bit, expanded...

Today's guest is Eva Stabenow, a Pilates teacher and movement coach who helps freelance writers, translators and other desk workers heal their bodies through movement while continuing to pursue the work they love.  In the early 2010s, after a successful career as a German medical translator, Eva began to suffer from severe shoulder and wrist pain caused by long hours at her desk. After years of se...

Today's episode features several guests who all have an interest in ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI). Their varying backgrounds and experiences in tech, writing and editing provide unique insights into the potential and risks of generative AI such as ChatGPT.   ChatGPT has risks and opportunities. Most of us are hearing how ChatGPT plagiarizes, how we can't fact-check what the s...

Today's guest is Michelle Jackson of Denver, Colorado. Michelle is a freelance content creator. She has been blogging, writing and talking about personal finance for the past decade—although she will tell us in today's episode how she's pivoting her business away from that.  But, I've been following Michelle on Twitter for a while and learning from what she has to say about earning and managing mo...

Today's guest is Miranda Marquit. She lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Miranda has been writing and podcasting about money on a freelance basis since 2006. Her work has appeared in various media, including CNBC, NPR, Forbes, and TIME.  She has a background in journalism and enjoys telling stories about finances and creating your own financial journey. Miranda has created a successful six-figure freela...

I finally have had a moment to reflect on last year and look at my numbers. I reflect briefly, taking a qualitative look back, but this is mostly a quantitative look.  Here's what I share with you in this episode: My 2023 income goal (big and audacious!) My 2023 word of the year  A reflection on how 2022 was for me My Q4 recap, including an analysis of income and time tracking My 2022 total income...

Today's guest is Mary Tindall. Mary launched Mary Tindall Communications in 2018. She is a content marketer and thought leadership strategist in Orlando, Florida. Mary leads a boutique agency team that specializes in healthcare content marketing, working with leading institutions and innovative startups across the U.S.  Mary became a six-figure freelancer in 2020, which was a goal of hers. Then sh...

As the year ends, please consider supporting this free podcast at Buy Me a Coffee . Your support is helpful financially, obviously, but it also boosts my spirits and keeps the show going.  Today's show is my special wrap-up episode where I share my top 10 books of the year. I read 65 books in 2022, as of December 19, and narrowed down my favorite to 10. Eight of the top 10 were published in 2022,...

Podcast news: After much deliberation, I'm changing the schedule of Deliberate Freelancer slightly. We will stick to weekly Thursday episodes, and the episode format will remain the same. However, I will now publish in two big seasons, with breaks in between. So, after December 22, 2022, the podcast will go on hiatus until February. Then, the schedule will resume through May. I will take a summer...

Podcast news: After much deliberation, I'm changing the schedule of Deliberate Freelancer slightly. We will stick to weekly Thursday episodes, and the episode format will remain the same. However, I will now publish in two big seasons, with breaks in between. So, after December 22, 2022, the podcast will go on hiatus until February. Then, the schedule will resume through May. I will take a summer...

If you're like me, you've learned the hard way that if you don't plan for January right now, you might have a very slow start to the new year.  A lot of places shut down between Christmas and New Year's Day, which can make that a great time of year to take off from your freelance business — but it can also be a great time to catch up on work or work on your business,  But those last two weeks of t...

This week I'm excited to recap the third quarter of my business. Some great news first: I'm starting to feel like myself again, after a summer of grief and anxiety. Even before that, I was definitely languishing through the pandemic, and I'm not sure I've felt this great since before the pandemic—almost three years ago!  As for quarter three, you might have noticed there was no Q2 recap, in the mi...

I have been at a client's conference all week, so I wanted to share a previous episode that I hope you find it valuable. I originally recorded this episode in February 2020, but it's definitely relevant today—we all need reminders from time to time on the importance of setting boundaries in your personal and work life.  In this episode, I aim to give you a mix of a pep talk, tactical advice on how...

Today's guest is Erin Brenner, an editor in Massachusetts. Erin is the owner of the editorial services agency Right Touch Editing, which specializes in providing small and midsized organizations with writing and editing teams. Erin also offers training in writing and editing, particularly for editors and for professionals who write.  Today, Erin talks about how she is building a team of contractor...

Today's guest is Lauree Ostrofsky, who is a coach and speaker living in the Hudson Valley of New York state. Her business is called Simply Leap. Lauree's clients are A-students and introverts wanting to feel more confident putting themselves out there in a bigger way, including in their own businesses.  Lauree has written two books: a happy how-to called "Simply Leap: Seven Lessons on Facing Fear...

In the Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group I asked listeners: What questions do you want to know about how I run my six-figure freelance business?  One listener replied: I know you achieve an incredible amount in a relatively short period of time. What's the secret to this? Do you use a timer? Do you have to shut down distractions?  So, in today's episode, I talk about self-discipline—how I achie...

A recent "escape" or vacation, and big family news are both helping me get through this summer's grief, languishing and brain fog. So, in today's episode, I am thinking about ways we can learn to love our business again when we need a fresh start in business or in life.  I want to embrace this "fresh start" concept starting in October and for this final quarter of the year. You might not be ready...

In today's episode, I talk about the power of finding and really zeroing in on your very specific niche and how that's unique to you. I think there are a lot of benefits to knowing exactly what your niche is and not getting sidetracked by other work—getting to the point where you turn down other work and not just say "yes" because someone asked you to work for them. Today's conversation is actuall...

Today's guest is Sabrina St. Peter, founder of SmartSpark Business Solutions, a bookkeeping firm that supports brand builders and storytellers, such as professionals in public relations, marketing and advertising. Sabrina, who is based in Chicago, is passionate about small businesses in every form—from the freelancer to agencies with multiple employees. Understanding that most people did not start...

This week's episode is unique in that it's a cross-post episode. What that means is that I, Melanie, was invited on Hilary Sutton's Hustle & Grace podcast recently. Not only does that episode debut on Hilary's podcast this week, but I agreed to share it here on Deliberate Freelancer.  Hilary is a writer, speaker and consultant. And she has become a real-life friend who lives here in the DC area ne...

Trigger warnings: pet death, pet euthanasia, pet illness, grief over the death of a loved one,  anxiety, bike accident I'm back! Back from my extra-long summer hiatus—longer than I expected or planned for. In this episode, I explain why it took me so long to return and share the grief, anxiety and other mental health struggles I've been dealing with this summer.  If you are dealing with grief or a...

Deliberate Freelancer is on a summer hiatus and will return toward the end of August. Take this time to listen to some previous episodes or relisten to favorite guests! Or make a playlist of specific topics, like finding clients or financial tips.  The Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group will still be active during this time, so please join us over there for great conversations with other listene...

In April 2021, Jasmine Smith quit her full-time job to pursue freedom and creativity through self-employment. She is the Founder of SmithCo, an experiential marketing agency, and co-founder of Open Door Concept, a rental space centered around community, conversation and creativity in Washington, D.C. Motivated to share her experience and the experience of other Black entrepreneurs, Jasmine launche...

Trigger warnings: pet death, pet euthanasia, pet illness, grief over the death of a loved one.   On April 25 my cat Bella died. We had to make the agonizing choice to humanely euthanize her. And I was heartbroken and full of guilt. But I still had a freelance business to run. So, how did I do that when I could not think or concentrate clearly?   In this episode, I share what led up to Bella's deat...

Today's guest is Susie Jackson, a finance and pricing mentor for freelancers from the U.K. Susie helps freelancers figure out how much to charge and how to manage the financial side of our businesses so we can earn a decent living doing what we love. Susie is also a freelance copy editor and a Spanish-to-English translator specializing in academic texts for the social sciences. Susie likes that sh...