https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/Blog_Overwhelmed_Index.png
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. Over 5 years of working as a freelance web developer and SEO consultant, I’ve dealt with my fair share of “clients from hell.” The turning point in my career was the realization that I actually helped enable some of these horrible clients and projects. In many situations, I was just dealing with an inexperienced client and I took on the role of "contract employee" when I actually needed to be a consultant and project manager. In this article, I’ll break down a situation where I was able to identify and avoid a toxic relationship during the initial stages of a project. Identifying a bad relationshipAt one point in my career, a prospect selected me to handle a seemingly simple web development project with a fixed price. He gave me a general idea of what he wanted—a simple theme based on another website—and requested that we get started immediately after signing a simple workers agreement. Not so fast… The obvious problem with this situation is that there wasn’t a clear scope of work. As a consultant, it was my job to work with the client to define the precise scope of work and agree on the definition of success. This meant that “I want a website similar to these four websites” wasn’t enough information to estimate the scope of work. Precisely defining successI’ve had several projects that began with a vague scope of work drag on because I was at the mercy of the client to define what qualifies as a completed project. A client might take advantage of ambiguity to lock you into completing additional requests. For example, “develop a landing page” might appear like a simple development and copywriting job, but the client might claim that you obviously should also set up A/B testing, heatmaps, or even a multi-step, integrated submission form because “that’s what any competent web developer would do.” Yes, I’ve actually had clients make these kinds of assumptions and then attempt to pressure me into the extra work by insulting my experience level. Since you’re so far through the project and want to get paid, you’ll likely do the extra work to avoid friction. In my situation, I managed to grill the client until I got the exact scope of work. Get the detailsUnsurprisingly, the number of pages went from 5 to 25, with 3 unique template designs, one landing page with third-party integrations, pop-ups with varying actions, and a custom, on-page equity calculator. The client specifically requested help “creating a website theme,” but after uncovering the actual scope of work, it was clear that I would have been doing much more. Although the scope of work essentially doubled, I realized that the client would have asked for these tasks to be completed anyway. During our discussion, it became clear that the client assumed some tasks were easy and would take “like 30 minutes.” Although this might just seem like plain ignorance, this behavior indicates that the client won’t value the work. After adjusting the scope of work, the timeline, and doubling the project estimate, it was clear that the client would look for a cheaper alternative. A mutually beneficial relationshipClients benefit from selecting contractors who work with the client to define success and lay out a properly formulated project road map. A client can then identify competent contractors and avoid working with freelancers who over-promise and under deliver. When he’s not writing or tweeting, Ben Bozzay helps businesses build and promote mission critical web projects with branding, web development, and SEO. He’s the co-founder of Fullstack Digital, a digital agency working with forward-thinking companies like Dell Technologies, DDN Storage, and Quantum. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/28/how-to-deal-with-problem-clients/
0 Comments
https://tonygentilcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Books-3-1024x683.jpg
BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Ljubljana, Slovenia AND Los Angeles, CAThis workshop will piggyback on the material Dean Somerset and I covered in the original Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint. But now. BUT NOW…… ….It’s the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint. A bunch of wordsmiths we are. With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:
Ljubljana, Slovenia – October 20-21st. Los Angeles, CA – November 17-18th. (<— EARLY BIRD rate still in affect) All registrants to this course (as well as future dates in 2019 in Detroit, Philadelphia, Edmonton, Minas Tirith) will receive a free download of CSHB 1.0 so that you’re up-to-speed on the content Dean and I will be covering. To register and for moe details go HERE. 2. RISE Fitness Business Conference – San Jose, CAThe line-up is spectacular and I’m honored to be included amongst such esteemed company – Pat Rigsby, Mark Fisher, Molly Galbraith, Kellie Hart, Craig Ballantyne, and Scott Rawcliffe, to name a few. I’ll be speaking about shoulder assessment AND how to make killer cat memes. This shindig is taking place NEXT WEEK, and there are still a few spots available. If you’re a fitness professional looking to take his or her’s career to the next level this is an event you won’t want to miss. Full details and into to registration HERE. 3. Coaching Competency – NYCI’ll be back in the city that never sleeps this Fall to put on my popular Coaching Competency workshop. Albeit this will be condensed version (five hours instead of seven); a fitness amuse bouche if you will. Full details (itinerary, location, and cost) can be found HERE. SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
My 30 Days of Deadlifts on IG is hitting the home stretch. Are you keeping up? STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORKHow to Get Someone to Workout – T-NationThis is the latest compilation article I helped contribute to on T-Nation.com. Lots of great advice and insights in here from some amazing coaches. Hard & Soft Style Kettlebell Swing – Try It Both Ways – Jen SinklerOne is for strength and gaining muscle. One is for efficiency and endurance. Do both. Why a Ketogenic Diet Does Not Increase Metabolic Flexibility – Dr. Mike. T. NelsonBecause, science. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/09/stuff-read-youre-pretending-work-9-28-18/
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/Blog_ProductiveHome_Index.png
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. Let’s say you’re either living the dream or about to–you’re a solo entrepreneur/independent consultant/freelancer. A “business of one”, so to speak. Congrats! For most of us, that’s way better than being in an office. You know at some point you need an attractive website: Something simple yet professional. Maybe a single-page scrolling website or something up to 4-5 pages with a contact form. Maybe some social media links and a newsletter. Nothing crazy. Essentially a digital business card or online brochure that confirms your credibility enough for people to start a conversation with you. Why is that so damn hard to do?! Well, there a lot of options. First things first: disregard everything that anyone has ever told you about websites ever. The amount of confusion and misconceptions around this topic are endless. People read a few articles online on Inc or Entrepreneur and now they’re clearly digital marketing experts. You only need a website for now; forget social media, email lists, forget SEO, and even forget a nice logo + business card. Down the road, you may pursue this. For now, I imagine that your clients come in just fine through referrals/hustling/etc. The only thing you need is a professional headshot on your LinkedIn with some profile details, and that’s easily linkable on your website. Email listChances are that people don’t want your emails. People definitely don’t want to be added to your email list without their permission. Don’t take it personally–it’s one less thing for you to worry about for now. SEO (search engine optimization)Chances are, your best leads aren’t just finding you through a cold random internet search. Or it can be very costly and time-consuming to immediately get to the first page of results. So don’t worry about this for now. Logo and business card designThere are lots of online designers that can fit your needs at various price points. The good news is you don't need this piece to launch a good first version of your website. Start with your websiteNow that those things are out of the way and not involved in you launching your site, find a web-based content management system (CMS) that will allow you to build and manage your site easily and in a modular way (without having code anything by hand and without needing to install any software on your computer). Some of the most common web-based content management systems are Squarespace, WordPress, Weebly, and Wix. Usually, a solo entrepreneur/independent consultant/freelancer just needs a simple brochure website with pages like “Home,” “Services,” “About,” and “Contact.” You can easily implement simple eCommerce on your website if you want clients to pay for certain packages, or implement one of the many booking + payment software tools that can be embedded on your website. You’ve picked a platform, now what? Here are the questions from the project brief that I have new clients of WebsiteByTonight fill out: What’s the purpose of this new website/what are you hoping to accomplish?Chances are, it’s still the simple brochure website with a contact form to boost credibility. So optimize for that–simple enough to build credibility and entice people to pick up the phone/fill out the contact form. Don’t overthink it! Who is your ideal customer/client/audience? Usual demographic?Think about your best customer–the one that you can help the most, enjoy working with the most, and is willing to pay you the most for your service? Create the website with this person in mind. The more specific, the better. What are some websites you like–and why?It’s preferable if the websites are of the same industry, purpose, or type/amount of content. Once again, think of other simple brochure websites you like that. For example, let’s say you’re a business consultant. And you like the Apple.com website. As lovely as a website as that is, that website is made to advertise high-end electronic products, not consulting services. If you’re having trouble, there are many great online “best of the web” repositories, such as awwwards (which can be filtered by certain categories too), or you can simply search “Web design inspiration for independent consultant websites,” likely with many great results. Even though there are many high-end websites for solo entrepreneurs and thought leaders, many of the elements of those websites might be able to be applied to your site. Once you pick a few websites to model yours after–possibly mixing and matching some ideas–it makes it much easier to build that with your content instead. At the very least, it gives you ideas and a vision so it feels less daunting. When people see your website/brand, what adjectives or feelings do you want to pop into their minds?Is there an overall tone you’re going for (e.g. calm, trustworthy)? This will help determine the fonts and colors that you use on your website. For example, do you prefer a more modern and calm feel or a more sophisticated and passionate feel? There are no right or wrong answers–just whatever works for you and what your target audience can relate to. There are many websites with recommendations for “font pairings” to pick. Getting started on the platform of your choiceOnce you’ve followed the steps above and have picked a template, you’re usually given a free trial. You can build the website entirely on a private URL (and if you already have a website, it remains unaffected). A few other small odds & ends which are related and important:
Congratulations, you have everything you need to get started! There’s my exact framework that I recommend to everyone (and have done it myself multiple times). It lays the groundwork to get out there to focus on what matters most: selling, building relationships, and doing great work for your clients. And then you get dig into the nuances later as your business grows: a nice logo + business card, and elaborate content marketing strategy, SEO, etc. But thankfully you can have a pretty solid amount of success without having those things done. If you think it might be a better use of your time and money to hire a pro, schedule a free ideas call over at WebsiteByTonight. Jared Gold is the founder of WebsiteByTonight, which provides simple professional websites to solo entrepreneurs, consultants, and freelancers by building and launching live via screenshare. Jared and his team build all of his websites on Squarespace, and is even featured on their website as an expert on the platform, in addition to having a popular course on Udemy on using Squarespace. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/27/how-to-build-a-website-in-just-a-few-hours/
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/FU_Blog_TaxSavings_Index.png
This is a sponsored post from Honest Dollar. Tune in to hear about how Honest Dollar makes it easy for people to set money aside for their future in Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). During this webcast, we'll discuss how independent contractors can save for retirement and the benefits of beginning early. You'll learn how to get started and tips on how to stay the course. Webinar Details: Honest Dollar offers an easy-to-use online retirement-savings platform. Here are three reasons to consider opening an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) with Honest Dollar today:
Paid advertiser disclosure: Freelancers Union will receive compensation that may impact how and where offers like this one appear. Not all investment advisers or available IRA offers are shown. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC ("GS&Co.") is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a publicly traded bank holding company and financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and a world-wide full-service financial services organization. Model portfolios are developed by GS&Co. and invest in unaffiliated exchange traded funds. Brokerage services are provided by Apex Clearing Corp., a registered broker-dealer and a member of FINRA/SIPC. Investments are not FDIC insured. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. Please consider your objectives before investing. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment outcomes and projections are forward-looking statements and hypothetical in nature. Neither this document nor any of its contents shall constitute an offer, solicitation, or advice to buy or sell securities in any jurisdictions where GS&Co. is not registered. GS&Co. does not provide accounting, tax or legal advice. Nothing communicated to you in this email, should be considered tax advice. You should consult an independent tax professional regarding your personal circumstances. Regarding SEP IRA contributions by an independent contractor, you should consult your tax advisor to ensure that you have the correct contribution limits and other important information. This material is provided solely on the basis that it will not constitute investment advice and GS&Co. is not a fiduciary with respect to any person or plan by reason of providing the material or content herein. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/27/retirement-on-your-terms/
https://tonygentilcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/happy-clients-1024x683.jpg
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the most savvy business person. I likely wouldn’t be able to tell you my P & L breakdown for the month of September, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you how many sessions I completed this past month, and I assuredly, still, would need a few seconds to remember which was better:
I’m not entirely inept, though. I’m no Pat Rigsby or Pete Dupuis, but when it comes to the “x’s” and “o’s” of (fitness) business acumen I’m on par with Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. Okay, not great. And with that I want to share FIVE “things” you can do TODAY to help you retain more clients. No Diggidy, No Doubt1. Stop Selling/Pushing/Requiring PackagesI understand this won’t resonate or apply to those coaches/trainers who work out of a commercial gym setting, but for all others reading hear me out. This is something I adopted from my time and Cressey Sports Performance and a concept I know CSP business director, Pete Dupuis, has championed for years. Not many things are going to make someone pump the brakes on hiring you as their coach more than you asking/requiring a massive amount of money out of the gate. You: “That was an excellent assessment, I think we’ll be able to get a lot accomplished if we can work together.” Client: “I agree. How much will it cost to get started?” You: “I require six months in advance, and you have to share your Netflix account with me.” Not many people are going to do cartwheels and take out their checkbook when they hear something like that. It’s daunting and absurd. Instead, offer a monthly rate.
2. Know the WHY.This Tweet should explain things:
3. People LOVE to Hear Their NameI learned this subtle trick from my friends at Mark Fisher Fitness. The coaching staff there have a rule:
It ensures to the client that YOU’RE present and validates you’re paying attention to THEM.
It’s a brilliant if not altogether underutilized tactic. 4. Maybe Consider An After Hours Fight Club?Kidding. Or not. I don’t know. Maybe it’d be cool? No, it’s not. I’m totally kidding. 4. Little Things MatterThis is going to be the most cliche piece of advice I’m going to give. Call your mother. Seriously, stop being a jerk. Also, don’t discount the power of a hand-written note or card. Every client of mine receives a Birthday card of some sort every year. Here’s this year’s iteration: In it I’ll write a little sumthin, sumthin and also include a $10-$15 gift card to a local coffee shop or movie theater. Clients love it, and there’s little doubt in my mind that this teeny-tiny gesture produces an immense ROI that bodes in my favor. Likewise, if I haven’t seen a client in a while, or he or she has fallen off the grid, I’ll send them a wildcard card like this: One of two things usually happens: 1. They come back. 2. I’m handed a restraining order. 5. Just Do Your JobSmiling (without being obnoxious or creepy about it), showing up on time, providing feedback and a fun, inviting environment, showing empathy (albeit not refraining from offering tough love when needed), and writing programs based on your CLIENT’s ability level and your CLIENT’s needs and your CLIENT’s goals doesn’t require a fancy algorithm or a bevy of letters next to your name. It’s called doing your job. And it’s amazing how that alone will make all the difference in the world. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/09/5-things-can-today-retain-clients/
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/FU_Blog_FreelancersLetGo_Index.png
This is a sponsored post from Joust, the first financial services company animated by and focused on the unique needs of freelancers. What if your bank admired your passion and respected your work? And what if it could guarantee you got paid? PayArmour, a revolutionary new solution from Joust, takes the hassle out of invoicing clients and protects you against client nonpayment. Late last year I was riding in a Lyft and making small talk with the driver. The driver mentioned that he was making over six figures between his primary job and side gigs, but was denied a mortgage because his bank didn't know what to make of his non-recurring income and long lead time for payments from his work as an independent contractor translating documents. It was a problem I was familiar with. As a former refugee and immigrant, and now as an entrepreneur, I understand the value of ready access to financial services. And as a former federal bank regulator, I also know how antiquated and outdated the current system is. I knew there could be a better way. Drawing on both my professional and personal experience, I decided to create one. I've spent the past year speaking with many entrepreneurs: small business owners, independent contractors, and people working in the freelance economy. I was a small business owner too, and like them, I encountered a dizzying array of tools to manage my business' financial needs, as well as the ever-present stress of collecting on invoices. So, I created Joust. The Joust platform merges invoicing with banking, allowing you to accept all forms of payment directly into your Joust bank account. It also centralizes business finances with an all-inclusive toolkit that protects you against personal liability and unnecessary taxes by helping you to incorporate as an LLC or a C Corp. Additionally, Joust saves you time by integrating with many popular business tools like bookkeeping, HR, and tax management platforms. Fighting the #1 issue facing freelancersBut the biggest feature is our invoice assurance tool, PayArmour, which guarantees you payment when your customer is late or defaults. There's a ton of literature that painstakingly explains how NOT to get stiffed by customers, and I am sure that you have read it all. But, none of it provides a comprehensive solution to the incredibly delicate task of building relationships, while maintaining healthy pressure to get you paid. With Joust's PayArmour, you don't have to be a career diplomat to strike a perfect balance and get paid. Download our app and let us fund your invoice. We'll even make sure your client has a positive experience—instead of threats, we offer incentives and gentle reminders, letting your client know that we've got your back. Like every other banking platform, we collect all of the regulatory-mandated information to open an account. However, instead of discarding it, we link it to your history with Joust, your clients’ profiles, and to the details of the invoice. As a result, we are able to near-instantly predict the probability of default. But, since we need to know a little about you, PayArmour only becomes available after your third transaction with Joust. The great news is that with Joust, whether customers pay late or don't pay at all, you are covered. It's time to do moreIf you're like everyone else on the planet, you'll want to know that your money is being kept safe. Can't say we blame you. Joust has partnered up with several small community banks that excel at serving their respective neighborhoods by extending low-interest loans and revitalizing financial deserts. When you use Joust, your money isn't lining the pockets of the Wall Street fat cats. Instead, we are creating a financial ecosystem that both serves our customers and reflects our values. It's simple: With Joust you get the same benefits and protections enjoyed by major corporations, with financial tools developed for your small business. Lamine Zarrad is the founder & CEO of Joust, leading the mission of financial inclusion, eroding systemic barriers to fair banking and payments. Joust is the exclusive banking partner for Freelancers Union. Sign up for Joust now at www.joust.com to earn Pathfinder status, which gives you exclusive access to the Joust toolkit before we open it up to the world. Freelancers Union members can use the code “UnionPerks” to receive exclusive benefits:
via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/26/we-are-joust-because-you-should-be-chasing-your-dreams-not-your-invoices/
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/FU_Blog_Caregiver_Index.png
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. As freelancers and entrepreneurs, we've all heard the standard self-care strategies like take a break, eat well, exercise... yadda yadda. But there are a lot of things that many people don't talk much about that you can do in your personal life as well as your business to help prioritize your health and well-being. I'd like to run you through a few little-known self-care strategies that you might not have considered thus far to help keep you focused on what's really important in your business: You. Know how you spend your timeDo you know how you spend your time? Where do you use your energy throughout the day? To start, do you know how many hours are in a week without Googling it? FYI, there are 168 hours in a week. So, let's break it down, how do you spend a normal week?
All together that's 113 hours of things you "must" do. So, what're you doing with the other 55 hours? TV, Netflix, social media? If you don't really know, then it's time to find out. If you go to a nutritionist, what's the first thing they'll tell you? Keep a food log. If you go to a personal trainer what will they pull out? A workout log. Financial planner? A payment log. For these people to do their jobs, they have to know where you are right now to identify the areas of improvement. It’s easy to keep a time log. Grab a piece of paper, or you can do it in a Word Doc. Create a table with 7 columns, one for each day, and 16 rows, one for each hour that you’re awake. Every hour, write down what you’ve done. At the end of the week you’ll have a very good idea as to where all your time goes. Turn off non-essential notificationsNotifications were invented for one thing and one thing only: to distract you. I know it feels great that someone commented on your LinkedIn post or shared your newest Pinterest recipe. But, do you really have to know the second it happens? Waiting a few hours until you take a break or a little time to yourself will not change the fact that someone has interacted with your post. Now, I understand that for social marketing the faster you respond to comments the better the algorithm places your post, so using them for your business in that way is understandable. For your personal accounts though, no way! Do you need notifications that your Aunt Jannete has sent you an email on Gmail? Probably not. If you have a professional email for clients, then you can set up notifications for time-sensitive emails only if you must, but everything else is just a distraction. Personally, when I used to get notifications, I would look at every single one, no matter what I was doing. It breaks your rhythm and concentration and it's been shown to lower productivity and effectiveness. Not being productive and looming deadlines are a huge stress factor in most freelancer's lives. Just try to avoid as many distractions as you can. According to a study by Deloitte, if you're like most people you're checking your phone on average 47 times per day. But let's be honest, we freelancers like our technology more than that! Now, obviously, the numbers are different for different generations but even you're reaching half those numbers, that's still 15 hours of social media a week. How can you have any focused work time if you check your phone, on average, about 10 times an hour? Vision/mission statementDo you know why people are indecisive, make poor decisions, and waste time? It's because they lack a vision or a goal. If you don't know where you're headed, then every small decision has to be weighed and considered. That takes a lot of willpower and concentration that most freelancers can't afford to part with. Creating a mission/vision statement for your company puts up filters that easily allow you to decide if something will help you fulfil those statements or not. If it will help you and you can fit it into your schedule, do it. If it doesn't, don't. Easy as that. You need to have a direction and an endgame, or you'll end up saying yes to every little project, poorly paying offer, and nightmare client out there. Set your boundaries and stick to them. Pay yourself firstThis is a very part of a financial plan, because if you don't automatically transfer money out of your account right after getting paid it's very unlikely that there will be any left at the end of the month. When you pay yourself first, it doesn't "hurt" as much, and you're setting yourself up for future success. Now as self-care strategies go, it's fairly similar but paying yourself first in this regard means doing non-urgent priorities before you do anything else. What are non-urgent priorities? Those would be things like exercising, preparing a weekly food menu, meditating, journaling and doing the things that make you happy before you do the time-sensitive things. (Hint: you may have to overhaul your mornings, but most freelancers don't have a specific time they need to be at the office, so it's not that important). If you plan self-care first thing in the morning, you're much more likely to follow through. If you wait until 6 pm when you finish work, that glass of wine and the couch will beat out any health goals you had established. Pay yourself first, and you won't have to worry about saving extra energy at the end of the day or money in your bank account. Both are good strategies. Play a game you can winWhen it comes to to-do lists, many freelancers and entrepreneurs are playing a game they can't win. Our lists have 150 items that seem to just get longer throughout the day. We go to bed defeated because we think "we didn't do much" and wake up overwhelmed because "we have so much to do". There isn't enough time in the day to get everything done on that list. So how do we make this freelance game winnable? Change it. I've borrowed a few self-care strategies from Michael Hyatt, but I must say, his Big 3 have actually changed my life. In essence, the Big 3 are the three tasks that you need to get done today to make your day a success. Ask yourself, "What are the 3 most important tasks that will most help me reach my goals today?" Everyone can do three things today. The rest of the to-do list is just bonus points. I like this strategy for many different reasons, but unlike a few of the common self-care strategies of "make a to-do-list" and "write things down", the Big 3 prioritizes exactly what will help you the most today. This builds on the idea that "success is a series of small wins" and it's oh so true! Set time blocksIf you've been freelancing for a while you probably have a normal daily routine already, but you may not have let everyone else in your life know. Setting boundaries on your time is one of the most effective things you can do as someone who works from home. Say for example you work from 10AM-12PM on your biggest task of the day. Phone off, door closed, social media blocked (check out the anti-social app) and get to work. Can you imagine how much you could get done with zero distractions? You need to be very firm with these time blocks. Although you're working from home, you're still at work. No being bothered by the kids, your spouse, the dog, the mailman, nothing. 98% of things can wait an hour or two without the world catching on fire. Block out your timeslots and make sure everyone in your life knows that during those times you can't be contacted (besides emergencies of course). Make your bedI can hear you now, "really? A list of self-care strategies including make my bed? Great advice buddy..." Now just give me a second. There are certain habits out there like exercising, daily goal setting, family dinners, keeping a food log, and yes, making your bed, which have been linked to improvements in completely unrelated areas. It follows the idea that "success begets success" and there's hard data to prove it. One small win like making your bed every morning makes going to the gym, waking up without hitting the snooze button, eating better, and being more productive not seem so hard. Unsubscribe from everything that isn't helpfulLet me tell you a little story. I've been living in Spain for almost 6 years now, and as of about a year ago, I was subscribed to over 20 newsletters from US-based retailers that I hadn't used or read in over 5 years. I got daily emails from Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon.com and a lot more. Every day I would go into my email, and I would have to delete them manually. Every. Single. Day. Why was I doing that to myself? Laziness probably. It may not seem like much to delete a few emails each day, but there's a theory called Decision Fatigue. It's based on the idea that the more decisions you make throughout the day, the more difficult each decision becomes, and so you start making worse choices as the day goes on. So now back to my long list of subscriptions. I was wasting my precious decision-making muscle on whether I should read or delete emails from things I hadn't used in over 5 years. That's insane. So, head into your Gmail and unsubscribe from every newsletter that is not helping you achieve your goals or improving your life (except mine, of course :-D). Quit multitaskingMultitasking is “merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time”, as Steve Uzzel says in his book, The ONE Thing. Basex, an information-tech research firm, found that interruptions consume an average of 2.1 hours per day or 28% of the workday. The numbers are probably a bit different than for freelancers–but maybe not all that different if you think about it. Office workers have to deal with their bosses, co-workers, emails, phone calls and everything else that comes with working a 9-5. As freelancers, we have to deal with a lot more distractions that they haven't thought of. At home, you have your couch 50 feet away, Netflix is just a few clicks away, your kitchen on the other side of the wall, the dog needs to go out. Maybe I should fold some laundry, I haven't dusted for a while, how about I just take out the garbage... and on and on and on. If we don't firmly separate our personal and professional lives, they start to blend together, and multitasking becomes a part of our reality. (I'm ashamed to say that I have a load of laundry in the washing machine right now. Hey, I never said I was perfect, but I'm working on it.) A lot of these self-care strategies involve planning, and this one is no different. Setting goals allows you to prioritize decisions. Paying yourself first is planning your morning around different self-care strategies. Setting aside 10 minutes every Sunday night to plan out your weekly meals will not only save you from reaching for the snack drawer but also the decision fatigue when you get to the store. Tell me this, have you ever gotten to the store around 6 pm and you weren't sure what you were going to get when you went? What'd you end up buying? I'm sure it wasn't fish and vegetables. We've all heard the standard self-care strategies of taking a break, exercising, eat well, drink water. Don't get me wrong though! These are incredibly important self-care strategies, but I believe these don't happen overnight, and they need to be planned. Take care of yourselves out there. Freelancers are the future. Happy freelancing! Andrew Carter is the founder of Healthy Freelancers where he aims to help freelancers prioritize their health by learning to put themselves first. He's a full-time translator from the US but currently living in the Barcelona. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/25/12-self-care-strategies-for-freelancers/
https://tonygentilcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Hack-1024x683.jpg
Hack = BullshitIt seems you can’t go more than three clicks on the internet before you come across an article highlighting how to “hack” your way to a happy relationship, the job of your dreams, or hours of newfound productivity. In this sense the word hack isn’t referring to someone trying to snake your social security number, or Russians. No, the hack I’m referring to is the rigging of or improvisation of something crude but effective, usually as a temporary solution to a problem (like losing 10 lbs or making it so that the inside of your fridge doesn’t resemble a science experiment. I read an article on Yahoo’s homepage the other day written by a CEO of some company who went into spectacular detail on his “hacks” for productivity and success:
Blah, blah, blahbiddy, blah. All the suggestions were well and good and I didn’t have any issues with them. The article was fine. But if I had bring up one teeny-tiny “beef” with it, it was that it was bit preachy if not a tad self-righteous. And, to be completely candid, I was half expecting something really zany, new-age tidbit like:
That would be about as absurd of a thing as you’d ever hear, and you’d undoubtedly think to yourself:
But when you look at all the other egregious things being said out there – especially in the realm of health/fitness – is it really all that ludicrous? I mean, you People believed that, and Goop made a boatload of money off it. Another popular “hack,” this time around the idea of enhancing recovery, is cryotherapy. The obvious analogy here is Han Solo being frozen in Cabonite by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. Cryotherapy isn’t that far off. People will willingly subject their bodies to extreme levels of cold in an effort to promote recovery and reduce inflammation. My boy Dean Somerset wrote an excellent article on why it’s a bunch of nonsense HERE. Wanna wanna know what really improves recovery? Going…..the…..fuck…..to…….bed.There, I just saved you $100 a pop. I read a lot about nutritional hacks too. Some articles wax poetic about a certain way of eating. The current diet du jour – the Ketogenic Diet, or ‘keto’ – will have you believe it’ll help everyone lose weight, improve their blood profile, cure diabetes, and solve Middle Eastern peace. I’ve written about my thoughts on this topic HERE. Suffice it to say, it works (it’s not magic), and, in my opinion, serves more to prey on people’s relationships and psychological battles with food than anything else. The hack that should really be highlighted here is encouraging people to follow whatever approach allows them to 1) Stay consistent long-term, 2) Doesn’t demonize any food or food-group, and 3) Doesn’t make them want to stab someone in the face whenever someone offers them bread. Likewise, there’s no shortage of articles offering hacks to those people interested in getting bigger, stronger, and/or faster. I have a client who fits this mold. For the sake of anonymity, lets call him Wayne “The Sock” Swanson. He’s been working with me for a little over a year, and while I love the guy to pieces and appreciate him in every way, sometimes I’m forced to give him some tough love. For starters he’s always mentioning how tired he is (revert to my comment above about going to bed), and what’s more, I’ve had to jokingly “ban” him from using the phrase “this is hard” during his training sessions because he’ll say it all….the….time.
It’s almost as if he feels that just because it’s written on paper, shit will miraculously happen. He’s always bringing up “x” gadget or “y” supplement and asks whether or not he should give them a try to add some size. “No, work harder,” I’ll say, knowing full-well this is the opposite of a hack. A few weeks ago he brought in a pair of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) straps and asked if he could use them during his session? I gave “Wayne” a look as if to say “really, dude?” and he came back with “I used them during my entire session earlier this week and could really feel my muscles working.” NOTE: Before someone gets huffy with me and thinks I’m going to bash BFR training, relax. I am not. I’m on your side. I think there’s a time and place for it and feel there’s more than enough research to back its efficacy. In fact I’ve featured an article on BFR Training on this site – HERE. “This isn’t the answer,” I said. “I can appreciate your willingness to learn and want to try new things, and there IS a correct application for BFR training. However, how you’re doing isn’t it, and, to be frank, I think is a waste of your time. I’m telling you, work harder.” To prove my point, and because I had an inkling of what was really happening, as Wayne’s workout proceeded that day I made a concerted effort of counting his reps. NOTE: I work in a semi-private format which often means I am not right there to count every rep of every set for a client. I put his current program up on my computer screen and I discreetly started counting the total number of repetitions he was performing. I’d be working with or talking to another client, but I’d be counting his reps as he did them to see if the numbers matched. My suspicions were correct. They did not. [embedded content] He did half of what was written on his program. Half. A set of chin-ups called for eight reps, he did five. The next set called for MAX reps, he did five (and I KNOW he could do more). A set of split squats called for 15 reps/leg, he did seven here, 9 there. And all this took place with me in the room. Who knows what was going on on the days he was training on his own? Anyway, as he was leaving that afternoon I followed him outside and brought it up. I wasn’t a jerk about it. It’s not like I got in his face and was like “Ah-HA…….I knew it.” Rather, I put my hand on his shoulder and said “Wayne, I’m on your side and I’m here to help in any way I can, but you have to start taking some accountability of your actions.” I explained to him what I had done and that I counted his reps. We had a heart to heart for 2-3 minutes and I could tell he felt a bit embarrassed and ashamed. It wasn’t an easy conversation, but it was a conversation that was needed. At the end all I said was:
And that was that. The following week he showed up and crushed it, and I’ve seen a layer of motivation in him of late I haven’t seen in him before. The point of all this?Hacks are fine. But goddammit, sometimes you just need to do the work. And, go to bed. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2018/09/article-best-fitness-hack-ever/
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/Blog_AfraidtoAsk_Index.png
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. If you are trying to improve your site’s ranking, then you need to think about your off-page optimization. While there is no doubt that the information you share on your site influences your site’s rankings, there are many things that you can do off-page that influence your site’s rankings too. These ideas aren't just speculation on results gained from trial and error, they are rooted in actual studies conducted by professionals of various backgrounds. According to Sonya Zhang and Neal Cabage, in a study published in the Journal of Computer Information Systems, the three main aspects of an effective SEO strategy are content, link building, and social sharing. This article will discuss in greater detail some of these findings and how you can capitalize on them to improve the authority of your site. Your brand becomes much more visible when you are found on the first page of Google. Create links to your siteGoogle puts a lot of emphasis on getting links to your site as they think of them as a vote of confidence. The more domains that link to your site, the higher your site is going to rank. Additionally, Google considers the number of individual pages that link to your site. Therefore, you need to spend time creating good content that others will want to link to, but you also need to spend time asking for links from other webmasters. Usually, well-produced infographics produce the most links. You also need to spend time trying to get different different types of links. Now, realize that Google also considers the authority of the linking page before you rush out and buy 1,000 domains allowing you to link them all. Links that appear naturally in the content are seen as the most valuable. Write guest postsWhile you are seeking links from high-authority sites, explore the possibility of writing a guest post for other sites. Many times you will discover that writing a quality guest post will drive traffic to your site instantly. People who write guest posts also built their online influence and their credibility. When given the opportunity, make sure to link naturally to your brand name in your post. Furthermore, writing guest blogs is a great way for you to find out what others think about you and your content, because they are more likely to tell you on someone else’s site. Any guest posts that you write help build your online presence, but you should seek to write post on sites that have a higher ranking than your own. Become an expertMany people own websites in a niche where they are not an expert, but you could never tell. These people do their research so that they begin to understand the key concepts in the niche. They locate the people that are real experts through web filters, and they follow them using every means possible including hooking up to social media and attending industry conferences. One great tip is to analyze your key competitor’s sites to see what keywords they are using and what they are writing about on their sites. Social sharingIn today's digital world, you must have a strong social media presence. Whatever your business is, you will greatly benefit from building a following on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. As you write articles, whether they be on your site or as a guest post, the more you can get your audience to engage with that content through likes, comments, and shares, the more your site will gain authority on Google. If you employ keywords correctly, you can utilize these social media platforms to increase your rankings for specific searches that you are targeting. Create engaging content that gets people talking, post it regularly, and implement an aggressive social campaign to reach as many people as possible. The larger your audience and the more you engage, the greater results you will achieve as you adopt all of the above tips. Kevin Gardner is a Business Consultant and freelance writer. He enjoys writing about his work, experience, and relationships he has built through his career. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/24/8-tips-for-building-brand-visibility-with-off-page-seo/
https://blog.freelancersunion.org/content/images/2018/09/Blog_PageTips_Facebook.png
After launching a freelancing career and figuring out how to transition from the ideation phase to the execution phase, it’s important not to forget about the stage that often determines whether freelancing will be a hobby or a career: Sustainability. Sustainability and longevity are interconnected and for many freelancers, sustainability is the end goal. Who wants to start something, invest time, energy, and resources into it, just for it to dissipate over time or to discover that it’s not sustainable? I think it’s fair to say that none of us entered freelancing full-time without some sense of it being a sustainable lifestyle. As such, there are certain infrastructures that freelancers can put in to place that will lead towards a more sustainable freelancing career. Maintain a savings cushionIf there is a canary in the mine, it is often money. Too often, it is the lack of steady income that deters freelancers from pushing through the tough times. Even for those freelancers who have enjoyed financial stability, it is still important to have a cushion. Whether you refer to this as a savings account, rainy day fund, or reserves, the premise is the same—be prepared. The nature of freelancing is that some moths will be better than others. Even if your average monthly income is predictable, it’s probably never the same. Just as you have disability insurance for medical emergencies and liability insurance for your business, it’s important to have some built-in security so that if a contract falls through, a client leaves you, or you need to take an unplanned leave, this does not become the catalyst for you to quit freelancing. Ideally, try to put savings away for multiple months—3, 6, or 9—based upon what your monthly expenses are. Be willing to evolveThere was a time when I edited by pen. Then I started using Word and the track changes function. I slowly started editing PDFs, and now many of my clients prefer that their documents are edited using Google docs. This all changed over a relatively short period of time. Although I miss my red pen, I had to adjust or risk being left behind. In fact, I cannot think of a single industry that does not change in some capacity. As freelancers, we have to be willing to evolve. Sometimes this involves integrating new technology or software into our lives. In other instances, it is necessary that we attend conferences, workshops, or even online courses. We can’t be so stuck in our way of doing something or "how things used to be" that we don’t grow, even if that growth leads to growing pains. Does this mean that we should forsake best practices for some new gadget just because it is new? Absolutely not! But, it does mean that if we want to compete, which ultimately leads to greater sustainability, we need to pivot when necessary. Maintain your staminaA few years ago, I worked out at the gym 3 to 4 times a week. As a former athlete, I understood that there would be days when I just didn’t want to work out, but I conditioned myself to go and finish, even when I didn’t feel like it. As I built up my stamina, working out became such a steady part of my life that it was unusual for me not to go. In some ways, freelancing is just like this. Whereas we often think of stamina as a sustained physical effort, it is worth noting that stamina can also mean a sustained mental effort. Our mentality towards something will also determine how we react to it. If freelancing is something that you are committed to doing long term, be willing to put in the work, not just physically, but mentally as well. Sustainability, or the ability to continue at a certain level, is a realistic outcome for freelancers. Yet, it is not uncommon for some freelancers, especially second-career freelancers, to stop freelancing after a few years–not because they don’t love it and not because they are experiencing fatigue, but because they find that either the revenue isn’t there, their clientele has plateaued, or the market is over saturated. All of these potential hurdles are realistic, but they are just that—hurdles, not impenetrable fortresses. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2018/09/21/how-to-make-your-freelance-business-sustainable/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
April 2023
Categories |