Deliberate Freelancer #182: A massive pivot from freelancing to owning a business with her husband, with business coach Jenni Gritters
Today’s guest is Jenni Gritters, from Oregon. She is a business coach for freelancers and creators. She’s also a former journalist, and a current writer who runs a small content and community agency called The Riverwoods Media Group. Jenni is the former co-host of The Writer’s Co-op podcast and workshops.
Be sure to check out Jenni’s group coaching program for freelancers, called SUSTAIN.
In today’s episode, Jenni shares how she made a massive shift in her business, going from a freelancer; then part-time freelancer while raising two young kids, while her husband was a critical care nurse; then being the primary income earner while her husband took on the primary household and kid duties (and joined Jenni’s business).
We talk about all that, but we also talk a lot about building a successful business, from Jenni’s coaching perspective, which I really appreciated and learned from.
In this episode, we talk about:
- The many pivots and iterations of Jenni’s business.
- How, as a freelancer, she carried over the same negative work patterns she had as an employee.
- Going from reactive to proactive in our business.
- The decision for her husband to quit his nursing career and Jenni to become the primary income earner.
- Splitting her business between coaching and a content agency.
- How she structures her week — and why she takes Fridays off.
- How she makes money as a coach.
- How she switched from sole proprietor to an LLC to an S-Corp.
- Addressing the pushback against six-figure freelancers.
- How your identity as a journalist may be holding you back.
- How to evaluate and reflect on your business through a business audit.
- How to make micro changes to gradually change the structure of your business.
- Many freelance writers are experiencing a downturn — tips to find more work in this weird season.
Biz Bite: Defining your “needle movers” every Monday
Resources:
Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee
Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group
Jenni’s group coaching program for freelancers: SUSTAIN.
Subscribe to Jenni’s “Mindset Mastery” free Substack newsletter
Download Jenni’s free business planning workbook
Gusto online payroll tool