Deliberate Freelancer

Download transcript of episode 205. Today’s guest is Sara Kobilka, who lives in New York state. Sara is the owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting. Sara has an insatiable curiosity that has driven her career in many different directions that she’s been able to connect in her freelance work. She primarily works in the STEM space.  Sara is also a career coach, primarily for people looking to change industries or disciplines. She hosts LinkedIn sprints to help freelancers and others increase their presence on LinkedIn.  She is passionate about incorporating diversity, equity, inclusion, access, accessibility, belonging and justice (DEIAABJ) throughout her work. In today’s episode, we focus on accessibility — how we can support people with disabilities and embed accessibility into our work. In this episode, we talk about:  The current political climate in the U.S. and how it affects DEIAABJ. Why the term DEI is limiting.  The wide variety of disabilities and the five primary categories of disabilities — it’s so much more than a person who uses a wheelchair.  The “curb cut effect” — how accessibility designed for people with disabilities ends up benefiting the larger population.  The disability community is one of the only (or only) marginalized groups you are able to join (when you break a bone, suffer chronic pain, have a temporary condition).  The movement away from the term “invisible” disability.  Remember: Progress over perfection.  Areas to start with: alt text, hashtags, closed captions.  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #176 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Use Conscious Language in Content Creation, with Crystal Shelley Sara’s website, RenWomanConsulting.com Sara’s LinkedIn Sprints Sara on LinkedIn Sara on Facebook Sara on BlueSky Sara on Instagram Lily Zheng’s FAIR framework Lily Zheng on LinkedIn AccessibleSocial.com The Open Notebook’s list of Diversity Style Guides for Journalists BetterAllies.com Meryl Evans’ TED Talk: “The Pandemic’s Influence on Accessibility” Meryl Evans on LinkedIn Sara’s blog post “Finding Resources to Support Accessible SciComm Efforts” “10 Resources to Advance Disability Inclusion and Justice” by Lindsey Mandolini

In today’s episode, I recap what my business looked like in January and February. This includes: Why I got a slow start to 2025.  Why I’ve been focusing only on current clients and not marketing. How much I earned in January and February. How much I worked in January and February. The number of clients I did and the types of work. How I’m thinking about so-called “low-paying clients.” How I offered two options in a proposal for a new client.  What self-care means to me.  How I’m playing around with ChatGPT.  What I Learned This Week:  Goat therapy is awesome. The Bookshelf: “The Silence in Between” by Josie Ferguson Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #200 of Deliberate Freelancer: WTF 2025! (Plus, My 2024 Recap) Episode #198 of Deliberate Freelancer: November By the Numbers

Today’s guest is Matthew Fenton, who lives in Oregon wine country with his wife and two cats. Matthew is the founder of Three Deuce Branding, a one-man consultancy with a simple mission: “to help good people build great brands.” Since 1997, he has helped hundreds of clients — including Fidelity Investments, Wrigley and Valvoline — to achieve what he calls “brand clarity” by better positioning, strategy, and messaging. Matthew also spent seven years in client-side brand management, including two as a chief marketing officer. During that time, he launched White Mystery Airheads and led Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers to become the best-selling gummy worm in the U.S. Matthew is also the founder of Winning Solo, a coaching business designed to help other independent consultants and creatives to enjoy longevity, balance and success on their own terms.  Today’s conversation is divided into two halves: Matthew recently became a fractional chief marketing officer for a longtime client. A “fractional” role has become a buzzword, at least in the U.S. freelancing world, and Matthew is the perfect person to talk about what this means and how we might consider becoming a fractional “whatever” — the role is not limited by industry or service.  Then, we talk about a conversation that he and I had started offline about the importance of improving both the quality of your work and how you are to work with from the client perspective.  In this episode, we talk about:  How he was failing at the start of his freelance career.  How he is focusing on his physical and mental health in the chaos of 2025.  How his career took an unexpected pivot recently.  What a fractional role is — and what it is not. The three qualities you need before you market yourself as a “fractional.” How to protect yourself as fractional when it seems you might be putting “all your eggs in one basket.”  The benefits of being a fractional. How to set boundaries with a fractional client so you are not seen as an employee.  The importance of doing outstanding work and improving your craft every single day.  Strive to be in the top 5% of your craft. The problem with focusing on personal branding first and not your craft.  “Talent” is not a good enough reason to rehire someone if they are difficult to work with.  The four areas to evaluate so you can improve as a freelancer: core skills, adjunct skills, the work that brings in the work, and character traits.  Three ways to ask clients for feedback so you can continue to improve.  How time tracking has helped us improve our business — but also our craft.  Ways you can begin to improve your craft.  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Book that Matthew mentions: “Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works” by A. G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin  Matthew on LinkedIn Matthew’s consulting website Winning Solo website

Today’s guest is Alan Heymann. Alan is the owner of Peaceful Direction. He is an executive coach and facilitator and is the author of two books on leadership analogies: “Don’t Just Have the Soup” and “Embrace Your Inner Peaches.” Alan is also a faculty member of the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership.  In this episode, we talk about:  How we’re dealing with the uncertainty of the world now.  The importance of being transparent and vulnerable about our businesses on social media and elsewhere.  Why Alan shared on LinkedIn that in July 2024 his gross revenue was only $600.  Alan’s freelance world pet peeve. How he involved his virtual assistant in a reflection on ideal clients. Why LinkedIn is a paradise for introverts. How he respects his free time.  How he checks in with his community or network.  Why he loves connecting others.  The journey of breaking out of the “employee mindset” or “late-stage capitalism.”  How Alan blocks off a time twice a week for “exercise, create and learn.”  Resources: Alan’s business, Peaceful Direction Alan’s books Alan’s LinkedIn post and blog post: “How I made $600 last month” Episode #62 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Prevent and Deal with Burnout, with Alan Heymann Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee

On today’s show I discuss my favorite books I read in 2024 and share my most anticipated books of 2025, plus some popular authors coming out with new books this year. A few statistics first. In 2024:  I read 67 books. I did not finish (DNF) 16 books. 67% of my books were fiction, with 33% nonfiction. All but one book was for adults; I read one young adult book. I read 21 debuts, or first-time-published authors, which was about 31% of all my books. All my books were physical books. I don’t use an e-reader or listen to audiobooks. Mystery/thriller was my most read genre. Here are the books I read that were mentioned in this episode: Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman Falling by T.J. Newman Drowning by T.J. Newman Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh The Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanaugh Colored Television by Danzy Senna James by Percival Everett   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan  Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan The Caretaker by Ron Rash Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler The Women by Kristin Hannah The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent The God of the Woods by Liz Moore Long Bright River by Liz Moore The Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner (loved books 1-2; hated book 3) Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich Dracula by Bram Stoker The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (memoir) The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin (memoir) The Message by Ta-Nehisis Coates (nonfiction) Into the Forest: A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love by Rebecca Frankel (nonfiction) How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley 2024 books I tried to read in January but DNFed: The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (very popular but I couldn’t get into it) Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj (debut I was excited about but discovered the main characters were all teenagers) 2024 books I’m still excited to try: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family by Mark Daley The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz (memoir) A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever by Kim Mager and Lisa Pulitzer The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson 2025 books I’m excited about: Back After This by Linda Holmes — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo) Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister — publishes Feb. 25 (author of Wrong Place Wrong Time) The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker — publishes Feb. 25 (author of The Age Of Miracles and The Dreamers What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon — publishes April 15 It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan — publishes May 27  Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — publishes June 3 (author of Daisy Jones & The Six) King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby — publishes June 10 (author of All the Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Teers) Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (fourth in Frankie Elkin series) — publishes August 12 All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall — published Jan. 7 (I loved it! Similar in tone to Station Eleven) Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel — published Feb. 4  GoodReads’ “Readers Most Anticipated Books of 2025” Big-name authors with new books in 2025: Fiona Davis Anne Tyler Jojo Moyes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Frederik Backman Kevin Wilson Alice Feeney Freida McFadden Riley Sager Lisa Jewell John Scalzi Grady Hendrix Stephen King — book #4 in the Holly Gibney series publishes May 27 Ali Hazelwood Abby Jimenez Jasmine Guillory Emily Henry Beth O’Leary Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee

On today’s show I discuss the rough start to 2025 and share my 2024 end-of-year review, which includes: My gross and net income for 2024 My expenses for 2024 My income goals and whether I hit those each quarter How I landed a new client How many hours I worked  The importance of vacations, mental health days, spontaneous days off, and staycations A client mistake I made — you would think I’d know better by now!  Clients I lost for 2025 What I Learned This Week:  Go to https://5calls.org for an easy and meaningful way to contact your U.S. congressional representatives and senators to let them know that you want them to DO SOMETHING.  How to use 5calls.org and why it works.  “Is Somebody Doing Something?” — A great explanation from an attorney that I found informative and a bit reassuring.  The Bookshelf: “How to Age Disgracefully” by Clare Pooley  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Deliberate Freelancer Starter Pack on Bluesky Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee

Today’s guest is Rosanna Campbell, a freelance content writer who writes “non-boring content” for B2B SaaS clients like Dock, Lattice, and monday.com. She lives in Madrid, Spain, with her husband, son, and their beagle who eats her furniture. Rosanna’s been freelancing for eight years. In this episode, we chat in-depth about six tips she shared in a recent LinkedIn post that helped her get clients when she found herself in a “total, terrible, terrifying scramble.” Rosanna is also consistent on LinkedIn, which we also talk about at the end of the episode. In fact, she is creating a workshop on how to be successful like her on LinkedIn, so I encourage you to follow her on LinkedIn for information on that workshop and lots of other great tips.  In this episode, we talk about:  Why and how she became a freelancer How some freelancers are struggling right now  How she shifted her mindset to better “sell” herself How to think about niching down your service and your industry  How to evaluate your LinkedIn profile and what it says about you How to make cold emails work for you The opportunities in your email inbox you’re missing out on Why she likes virtual coffee chats Why and how she’s become much more consistent with LinkedIn  Resources: Rosanna’s LinkedIn post: “Need to get a new client, like, NOW?” Follow Rosanna on LinkedIn Rosanna’s website Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #127 of Deliberate Freelancer: Embrace LinkedIn to Improve Your Business, with Atlas Katari

In today’s episode, I recap what my business looked like in November. This includes: How much I worked in November. Why I got behind and how I dealt with it. The types of work I did and how I charged. My total monthly earnings. Why I offered to help a new client for “free.” What I Learned This Week:  How Poet James A. Pearson (and his friend) look at burnout: “The Hidden Invitation of Burnout” Poet James A. Pearson on Instagram The Bookshelf: “The Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #194 of Deliberate Freelancer: October By the Numbers Episode #62 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Prevent and Deal with Burnout, with Alan Heymann

Today’s guest is Melissa Hobson, who does business as The Ocean Writer Ltd. Her writing focuses on marine science and conservation. Melissa lives in Hastings, England. She has written for National Geographic, Scientific American, BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile, New Scientist, the Guardian and more. She also does some content and copywriting for NGOs and companies, but still focuses on the ocean and conservation.  In this episode, we talk about:  The revelation she had after a conversation with a friend.  Using “I’m so busy” as an excuse.  Fear of failure. What she did in her business after a mindset shift.  How she gamified her pitching.  How she organizes her finances.  Using “busy” as a badge of honor or part of our identity.  Try this: Ask yourself “why” five times.  How she became interested in writing about the ocean.  The importance of following your curiosity.  Resources: Melissa’s website  Melissa on LinkedIn Melissa’s article about Fat Bear Week  Fat Bear Week in Katmai National Park, Alaska Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #163 of Deliberate Freelancer: Dealing with Overwhelm and Uncertainty: A Mini Coaching Session, with Helen Jane Campbell

I’m excited about Bluesky! Are you on the platform too? Let’s create a Deliberate Freelancer starter pack — more on that in this episode — but follow me at @MelEdits. On today’s show, I share five questions to help you wrap up your year to create a “fresh start” in January. I explain the difference between these five questions and larger questions to ask yourself later in a solo business retreat to set up your year for success. The five questions are: What do I need to do now to line up work in January?  What do I need to do to wrap up the year?  Do I need to raise rates or fire anyone?  Where do I need to improve my marketing and networking? How much money did I make this year? What I Learned This Week:  Your standing desk isn’t making you any healthier: https://wapo.st/3ApawfD The Bookshelf: “Slow Productivity” by Cal Newport  Resources: Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Melanie on Bluesky Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Episode #149 of Deliberate Freelancer: Evaluate—and Expand or Fire—Your Clients for a Strong 2023 Episode #123 of Deliberate Freelancer: My 2021 Business Review and Questions to Help You Episode #148 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Line Up January Work Now