Focused

Being good at what you do isn't enough. You also need customers, clients, or whatever else you need to pay for shoes. That may mean you have to do a little promotion of your own. But you can be really great at what you do and still terrible at self-promotion. Tricky stuff! This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

Very recently David's Mac Power Users co-host, Katie Floyd, left her law firm and went out on her own. We ask Katie about making the move, her workspace and work habits, and the issues of adding support staff and partners versus staying entirely independent. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy. Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership Free Agents Facebook Group (ask to be invited)

One of the best things an independent worker can do is invest in both belts and suspenders. We discuss cultivating and managing multiple income streams, and both the risks and benefits of getting your money from a bunch of different places. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Equal Experts: A diverse network of experienced software consultants, specialising in agile delivery Links and Show Notes: Support Focused with a Relay FM Membership

We discuss planning and taking vacations as an independent worker. How do you set client expectations? How do you set boundaries with the people you're traveling with? What's the best way to get prepared for taking a trip? Most importantly, we talk about the importance of taking time off and meaning it. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content.

In a wide-ranging episode, David and Jason answer your letters and tweets. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content.

Email can be a vital communication mechanism, but it can also be a black hole of lost productivity. David and Jason discuss managing email and setting rules about how you use it. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Agenda Minder: A meeting is only as good as the agenda. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content. Inbox Zero - YouTube

So you've decided to leave the nest. What can you do to prepare while you're still working for the man? What's the right way to give notice, and prepare for the aftermath? David and Jason discuss getting set up, preparing your loved ones for the change, rehearsing your big break-up speech, and the importance of not panicking when everything goes sideways. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Agenda Minder: A meeting is only as good as the agenda. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content.

PlayStation veteran Shahid Kamal Ahmad left Sony to become an independent game developer. We discuss why he left and how he schedules his workday in his garden shed, the ShaShed. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Equal Experts: A diverse network of experienced software consultants, specialising in agile delivery Guest Starring: Shahid Kamal Ahmad Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content.

Clients: Getting them (by marketing yourself), keeping them, and the dangers and rewards of taking them with you from your previous job. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Equal Experts: A diverse network of experienced software consultants, specialising in agile delivery Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content.

Deciding where to get your work done can be a difficult challenge for an independent worker. Can you work out of the house? Does renting office space make sense? What about co-working spaces, or that long wooden table at your neighborhood Starbucks? There are a lot of options. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Equal Experts: A diverse network of experienced software consultants, specialising in agile delivery Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended episodes with bonus deep dive content.