Deliberate Freelancer

Today’s guest is Omar Gallaga, a technology and culture freelance writer from the Austin, Texas, area. Omar has been writing about technology for years. He has written for NPR, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Hispanic Magazine. He spent 21 years as a reporter and editor for the Austin American-Statesman—where he helped launch the Spanish-language newspaper ¡ahora sí!, as well as a personal tech section called Technopolis and two podcasts, called "Statesman Shots" and “I Love You So Much,” which he co-hosted. Omar helped create NPR’s “All Tech Considered” segments, and he can be heard every week on the radio program Texas Standard talking about technology news. Most of us are used to working from home and have figured out the technology to make it work. But during the coronavirus pandemic, you might have clients that are learning how to use new tech tools or wanting to try new things as they figure out working from home for the first time. And you may suddenly find yourself in a not-so-quiet house if you suddenly have a partner/spouse and/or kids suddenly home all the time. Omar explains video conferencing tools like Zoom, Zoom alternatives, security issues and the need to set a password for your Zoom chat. Discord, which gamers are more familiar with, is an alternative to Zoom and Skye, especially if you only need audio. Omar found Discord video a little “finicky,” especially on Macs. Consider the background and setup of a video conference call, but you don’t need to buy fancy lights. However, make sure you’re not backlit and can be seen clearly on video. Consider investing in an external microphone, which sounds much better than using the computer’s internal microphone, if you’re doing a lot of video chats. Omar’s family has been using Jackbox and Zoom to play games with family members, but without an external mic at each location, the other players have trouble hearing each other. Headphones are also beneficial because they cut down on echo and feedback. Melanie recommends Bose noise-canceling headphones, which she uses for her podcast interviews. Think about the etiquette of video chats, like dressing appropriately, muting your mic, not using the “private chat,” which might not be private. Be aware what’s in your video frame and in the background. Omar goes through some of the options for project management apps like Basecamp and Asana and how you can choose which tool is best for you. Melanie has used Basecamp twice before, but was pulled into it from client/vendor. She didn’t purchase it. Melanie used Asana effectively with her virtual assistant, to keep track of tasks and set deadlines, without the risk of such tasks getting lost in email. Omar also talks about how to use Slack chat effectively. Be aware that some employers may add you to Slack, which can then be filled with non-work Slack channels that can be distracting. You can also consider using Slack for projects you as a freelancer are managing that involves subcontractors. You can use Slack just for the duration of the project and then close that Slack chain down when the project is finished. Most of these tools integrate well with software such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can easily share links. Omar talks about tools and tips for families that are now all together sheltering-in-place and how to find quiet work time. He prioritizes one room in the house and takes advantage of their back patio. He also recommends headphones and external microphones, which cuts out the background noise. Some microphones, like the Blue Yeti, can be set to pick up only the sound from the front of the microphone, not all sides. Melanie’s husband invested in a smartphone tripod so he can create online videos for his own outdoor adventure and team-building business. There are also smartphone stabilizers to steady your camera better. You may also want to look into getting new lenses for your phone to improve video and photos. Be sure to have a backup to your backup. Use something in the cloud, like Google Drive, Carbonite or Dropbox, but then have an external hard drive as well. Let’s talk ergonomics. If you have the means, now is the time to invest in creating a more comfortable, usable office setup. You may want to also consider buying a bigger monitor to decrease your eye strain. If possible, invest in a quality ergonomic office chair to reduce back and neck pain. Omar and Melanie are both fans of Herman Miller Aeron chairs (which is what Melanie has used for the past seven years and had previously as an employee). After neck pain 4–5 years into freelancing, Melanie realized she needed to improve her ergonomics. Just using a laptop means either your eyes are level and your hands are held too high or your hands are at the right height and your eyes are looking down. Instead, Melanie bought a desk riser—which has hydraulics that converts it into an optional standing desk—and a separate keyboard and mouse.   Resources: Omar on Twitter Omar on Instagram Omar’s website: Tech Minute (which includes 200 audio segments on technology) “Zoom: Every security issue uncovered in the video chat app” “Are Zoom Chats Private? Here’s Why You Should Think Before Opening The App” Discord video and audio chat Blue Yeti mic Blue Snowball mic Melanie’s mic: Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Jackbox games Wunderlist to-do list app is now called Microsoft To Do Drobo external backup system Herman Miller Aeron chairs Melanie’s desk riser and standing desk

Today’s guest is Michelle Garrett, a public relations consultant, content creator, blogger, speaker and freelance writer. She is also the host of the weekly tweet chat #FreelanceChat, which you can join every Thursday at 12 p.m. Eastern time. Michelle is the first guest to return to the show. She first appeared on episode #7 to talk about blogging and tweeting to build your business. I invited Michelle back because I knew she would have great advice about how to do marketing, social media and PR for our clients right now during the coronavirus pandemic—while being thoughtful and not tone-deaf. And I knew she would have advice for freelance business owners on how we can continue to market ourselves, network and get new work. Michelle says her clients are all handling marketing and PR during this coronavirus in different ways. The most important thing is to be mindful and thoughtful. As she said, “It’s common sense a little bit. The things that didn’t work before are not going to work now—pushy, salesy.” Be careful about automating social media posts and newsletters. But stopping social media entirely isn’t necessarily the answer because you don’t want to have completely silent social media accounts for several months just to suddenly start again. You have to be aware of the crisis and its effect on people, but not every post and message has to be connected to the coronavirus. Some people will want to escape that for a while. Be careful about your email newsletters and messaging. You don’t want to send emails that talk about how concerned you are for your customers and then make an abrupt pivot to a sales pitch offering a discount. Companies should not disappear. That’s probably the biggest mistake. Think about how your clients can communicate appropriately and effectively. As for freelancers, stay connected with your network, including on social media. Instead of just posting, though, engage with people more. Focus on just a few platforms that you like or that work for you. “It’s OK to email or message clients to check in—How are you doing? How are you getting along?—something subtle, nothing pushy.” Some clients will struggle financially too. But if you’ve already done work, be sure to follow up with the client to be sure you get paid on time. If work is slow, it might be a good time to evaluate your business and your services. Invest that extra time back into your business. How do you want your business to look when this is over? Consider learning new skills. There are a lot of discounted or new online courses right now. Work on getting yourself and your client ready for when the sheltering-in-place ends and businesses start to reopen. Consider what your ideal clients are and be ready when demand picks up again. Moving forward, if you can, start saving money for a crisis, so you won’t panic (as much) next time. Michelle likes to say “make hay while the sun shines.” Try to work as much as you can when the opportunities are there, as much as you feel comfortable. (Melanie took a lower-paying gig recently for $300 that in normal times she might have declined, but cash is critical right now.) Save money where you can. Melanie is holding off on paying her first quarter taxes, even though she has the money. She’s going to wait until quarter two payments are due and possibly pay both quarters at that time, seeing first if she needs that cash to pay her bills between now and then. The IRS has moved the tax deadline from April 15 to July 15, including for estimated taxes. However, the regularly scheduled June 30 estimated tax payment deadline has not been extended. And you should check with your state about its quarterly payments—some states have extended the deadline, while others have not. Self-care is also important. Michelle has been taking walks outside for her self-care—as opposed to her previous routine of walking on a treadmill while watching the news.   Resources: Episode #7 of Deliberate Freelancer: Blogging and Tweeting to Build Your Business, with Michelle Garrett   Michelle Garrett’s website   Michelle Garrett’s blog   Michelle Garrett on Twitter   #FreelanceChat — Twitter chat for freelancers every Thursday at 12 p.m. Eastern (U.S.) time   Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus tax deadline extension

On today’s show I talk about how sometimes I’m just not feeling it. Sometimes I just feel blah and unmotivated. But, I have client work to do. But, I’m having a hard time kicking my butt into gear. Two interesting reasons I might be feeling blah that I learned about in recent years: One, I learned from my acupuncturist that some people feel blah or out of sorts when seasons change. The past two years, I’ve noticed this feeling as winter turns into spring—which is strange because I’m a much bigger fan of spring than I am of winter—but I feel out of sorts around April. And now, this week, my favorite season, summer, has slowly disappeared as October has arrived. That change of seasons might be causing some of my malaise. Another thing that women should be aware of: When your hormone levels go down, you might feel a little unmotivated and not like yourself. This can happen before or during your menstrual cycle, and for those of us in our 40s, it can happen as we head into menopause. A lot of women start experiencing menopausal symptoms in their 40s, so you might want to talk with your doctor about this. Back to feeling blah. As an employee, you can feel blah and show up to work and go through the motions. Maybe you won’t be that productive that day and not on your game, but you’re there and you’re collecting a paycheck. But as a freelancer and business owner, it’s all about discipline. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid. So, how do you push through that malaise and get to work? First, consider taking the day off and NOT pushing through. It will depend on your schedule, but we should not feel guilty for taking a Mental Health Day. So, if your schedule allows, take the day off and do something fun. Treat yourself. That wasn’t an option for me this past Monday. I had work to do. But I ignored my 7 a.m. alarm and dragged myself out of bed at 8 a.m. I took a shower, which is a morning requirement for me, but I realized I needed a plan to push through my lack of motivation. A plan might not help me feel better, but I needed to work. I started by making myself some tea with caffeine. Then I did a few guided meditations for 15 minutes using the Breathe app. Then I listened to a few fun songs, but I cannot listen to music with lyrics while I’m working, so I turned the music off after a few minutes and dug into my email. I asked people on Twitter what they do when they’re struggling like this. Here’s what some of them said: Sarah Brodsky said: I break up the work into 100-word chunks. After writing each chunk, I watch for a few minutes as a reward. I asked Sarah how she keeps from watching too much TV because I think that would be my challenge, even though I really like this idea, and she said the dread of not getting the work done usually keeps her focused. For me, I think I would either need to set a timer to stop watching TV or stand up the entire time, so I’m just watching 10–15 minutes. Chloe Brooks recommended: Break it into chunks with rewards in between! Give yourself 30 minutes to work on something you’d rather do and then bust out the client work. Chloe tells Siri to set a timer. And her rewards may be as simple as stretching in a different room, taking a quick walk around the block, doing a load of dishes/laundry so it stops bugging her. But sometimes she eats some chocolate or watches an episode of something funny. She’s a fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Bob’s Burgers. Chloe also recommended just moving to a different room of the house, which also works for me and was a good reminder. KiKi L’Italien said: I’ll turn off all notifications, shut my office door, set the Insight timer app for 15-20 minutes, and practice a little deep breathing and purposeful NON-action. It works as a reset! Usually I realize how lucky I am to have the work in front of me and it shifts my mindset. Jackie MacDougall said: I give myself one small task. That’s usually enough to trigger motivation. OR I take the day and get up the next day at 5 a.m. to do it. Sometimes I too would rather take the day off or take the afternoon off and just get up super early the next day. A few more tactics that I use: Time tracking. Time tracking usually keeps me on task. I like breaking up the day into chunks of time and time tracking—for whatever reason—keeps me accountable to myself. For example, if I waste time by playing on social media or I take a long lunch while catching up on “The Voice,” I have to look at my time tracking that I scribbled onto a piece of paper. I don’t like the look of spending 30 minutes on Facebook randomly scrolling in the middle of the day or taking a two-hour lunch when I have work to do. Pick one thing. I choose one thing that I absolute have to do that day and focus on getting it done. Its sounds simple, but the concept is described in detail in the book “Make Time,” which describes how you pick a highlight for your day and then laser focus on getting it done by eliminating all distractions. Pick three things. Michael Hyatt, who wrote the book “Free to Focus,” chooses just three things on his to-do list each day and works solely on those. That’s not possible for all of us every day, but when it is, it’s a way to keep you focused. Zero in on those three things and don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked by anything else. Reach out to people. This helped me feel a little better by Monday afternoon, even though I did it on accident. As an introvert, I like to be alone, so when I’m feeling down, I definitely don’t think immediately, “Hey, I need to be around people. I should call my friends!” But three things happened on Monday that made me realize I needed people interactions: I interviewed an inspiring podcast guest who lifted my spirits. Then, by reaching out to my Twitter community and asking them how they dealt with these feelings, I connected with my network online that knows exactly what it’s like to run a freelance business. And the third thing was my husband offered to take my walk with me that afternoon and we spent an hour walking and talking about non-work stuff. Please know that as freelance business owners, sometimes we’re going to feel unmotivated and severely lacking in discipline. Whether you can take the day off or have to push through those feelings, that’s OK. It’s totally normal to feel like this occasionally. I’d love to know what you do to keep on track when crappy moods hit you. Feel free to email me at melanie@meledits.com or tweet me @MelEdits. Biz Bite: Spend Your Morning Focused on Email The Bookshelf: “All You Can Ever Know” by Nicole Chung   Resources: Episode #5 of Deliberate Freelancer: Track Your Time for Better Efficiency “Make Time” by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky “Free to Focus” by Michael Hyatt Breathe guided meditation app InsightTimer guided meditation app

Today’s guest is Mira Dineen, a registered social worker and organizational consultant in Toronto, Canada. In her clinical counseling practice, Mira specializes in working with women with anxiety, worry and perfectionism. As a consultant, she designs and delivers wellness programming in post-secondary institutions, startups and nonprofits. While Mira is only allowed to offer clinical therapy to people living in Ontario, she is available to everyone else as a consultant—she offers wellness coaching and organizational consulting services. Her links are below under Resources I interrupted my previously announced March podcast hiatus because I wanted to bring you this episode during the coronavirus pandemic. I know I needed some reassurance and coping strategies to manage my anxiety, and Mira offers both of those in this episode. I know I’m not the only one dealing with the rollercoaster of anxiety—one day paralyzed by fear or on the verge of tears, and the next day feeling fine and ready to spend all day diving into work. Mira offers gentle, comforting words. But she also offers very practical advice and strategies for all of us, but specifically for freelance business owners. Please know that anxiety is completely normal right now. Have some self-compassion—you can’t be expected to work your normal productive 9–5 schedule right now. Let’s stop beating ourselves up and let’s do the best we can. Mira offers strategies on how to figure out what your own individual anxiety triggers are and then how to minimize those triggers. She also talks about how to boost our capacity to work more effectively. Mira referred to these current times as a “collective uncertainty.” We don’t know what is going to happen day to day, but I hope this episode helps reassure you and provides some strategies to keep your anxiety at bay and help you figure how to keep doing your freelance work.   Resources Mira Dineen’s website Mira Dineen on Twitter Mira Dineen on Instagram Freedom app (to cut back on social media) Good News Network (curated positive stories) Good News Gurus podcast How to Use Netflix Party to Binge-watch with Your Friends I Homeschool My Kids and Also Work From Home — Here's How I Do It 6 Tips for Getting Work Done with Kids at Home DC Hero Chef Jose Andres closes DC restaurants and turns some into community kitchens during coronavirus U2’s Bono creates new song during coronavirus, Let Your Love Be Known Penguins at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium explore the closed aquarium

Where do you want to go in the new year (metaphorically)? On today’s show, we’re going to set you up right for the new year. I’m going to talk about how you can reflect back on the past year, analyze the good and the bad, and then plan for next year. The end of the year is the perfect time to think about the big questions surrounding your freelance business. What does success and growth look like to you? To me, growing my business means continuing to earn more money in less time, so I can have a personal life, pursue new interests outside of work and travel a lot. This is the perfect time to schedule a solo business retreat—a time of reflection, analysis and evaluation of the INSIDE of your business. It’s a time to step away from client work and the busyness of our lives. First up, you need to look back to look forward. Evaluate your freelance business in 2019. What were five successes you had or five things you really loved about your work this year? Write them down. Next, write down five things you disliked or hated or that were frustrating this past year. Even areas where you thought you failed spectacularly. Write them down. Now, begin to evaluate those lists. What areas do you love that you want to double-down on? What areas do you hate that you want to avoid getting into next year? Are there things you want to accomplish or achieve, but you’ve just felt stuck? How can you get unstuck from projects? Were there red flags with clients that got you involved in a project that is now frustrating you in some way? Are there clients that just get you down? Do you get emails from certain people and immediately want to run and hide? Maybe it’s time to fire some clients and/or look how to replace that income. Now, do a mini performance evaluation of yourself. What do you personally need to improve upon, what areas do you struggle with, what are you not great at? This is where you can think of the things in your business that you can delegate, automate and terminate. Some things you can delegate to others; some things you can automate through apps and services; and some things you can just terminate from your business. When it comes to delegation, hiring a virtual assistant (VA) might be a good option. Another thing you might want to think about for next year is defining or redefining your value proposition. Your value proposition is WHY someone should hire you. What do you offer that no one else can? What sets you apart? A few years ago, I created an ultimate goal that defines me for the year. My goal states: To be a respected, go-to writer-and editor in the association industry. I printed out that goal, which is hanging near my desk. That sign reminds me constantly that everything I do needs to go back to that goal—unless I have a good reason that a project or client doesn’t meet that goal. This process really helps me from straying too far from what I want to do with my business. So, what would be your big goal that everything goes back to? What are you trying to do with your business? Who do you want to reach? What projects do you want to focus on? See if you can put that in one sentence that encompasses most of what you want to strive to do with your business. Lightning-round questions you could also consider during your solo business retreat: If money were no object, but you still had a freelance business, what would you be doing? What are your non-negotiables? What do you want to stop doing in 2020? What marketing tool or event would you like to invest in? What is your big financial goal next year? Be bold! What is a dream client or project?   Quotes about Failure: Bill Gates: “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Biz Bite: Pick a word of the year The Bookshelf: “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel   Resources: Paul Jarvis’ idea of the Company of One (book, podcast) Episode #3 of Deliberate Freelancer: Host a Solo Business Retreat Episode #36 of Deliberate Freelancer: Spotting Red Flags and Scope Creep Episode #39 of Deliberate Freelancer: Raise Your Rates—Without Emotion Episode #30 of Deliberate Freelancer: How a Virtual Assistant Can Help Your Business, with Cat DiStasio Episode #26 of Deliberate Freelancer: Delegate, Automate and Terminate to Improve Your Business

On today’s show I help you visualize your absolute perfect work day and then help you figure out how to make that happen—providing tips and tactics. I believe you need to visualize your perfect work day step by step so you can start to implement systems, processes, habits and goals to create that type of day. Let’s daydream to start: How would you wake up on your perfect work day? What would you do before work? How would your actual work day begin? Would you exercise? Meditate? Relax a bit with coffee or tea? My perfect morning routine would look like this: Get up naturally or easily at 5:30 or 6 a.m. without using a snooze alarm. Go for a walk in my neighborhood for 15 or 30 minutes, either listening to a podcast or brainstorming on a work problem. Come home, shower and get ready while listening to an inspiring podcast. Fix my healthy breakfast and indulge in my fancy hot tea. Start my day. My perfect work day would end around 3 p.m. To make this happen, I need to be more efficient. To do that, focus on your peak productivity time. Do you know when that is for you? Maximize your time by focusing on deep work without distractions. Maybe try the Pomodoro method, which is when you work in 25-minute blocks, then take a 5-minute break before working for another 25-minute block of time. Next, get rid of distractions. Email is my biggest distraction. I either tackle email first thing for a set period of time (set an alarm) or I skip it for a few hours and don’t check it till mid-morning. Definitely turn off email notifications on both your computer and your smartphone. Those distractions are terrible for your productivity and focus. Try a batch time or day: Combine like tasks into one set period of time and stick to that time period every week. Figure out how to work on projects you love that pay you well. First, analyze your freelance business to determine the projects that you love to do the most—not just the projects you might be good at. To start to make more money, analyze your rates and how you landed your best clients. Make a list of your highest-paying clients. Then circle the ones you love to work with. How did you get these clients? Focus on getting more of those clients from the same places. Make another list of all your regular clients and services and how much you charged. Put them in order of the most money you earn to the least money you earn per client. Why do you have those rates? Did you set them? Or did the client offer them to you? Can you raise those rates? Create a wrap-up-the-day routine. For me, this includes creating a short to-do list for the next day and shutting my laptop, leaving my computer and my smartphone in my office for the night.   Biz Bite: Set timers for appointments and phone calls. Resources: My favorite tea (hot Cincinnati spice black tea) from Churchill’s Fine Teas   My favorite podcasts: Before Breakfast Company of One Crime Writers On…True Crime Review Ear Hustle Happier in Hollywood Happier with Gretchen Rubin High-Income Business Writing (with Ed Gandia) Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield Unemployable: Advice for Freelancers and Entrepreneurs What Should I Read Next? Writer’s Bone Boomerang plugin for Gmail Episode #3 of Deliberate Freelancer: Host a Solo Business Retreat Episode #18 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Set Higher Rates

Stop hustling. Stop flying by the seat of your pants. Host your own solo business retreat and take a step back to analyze your business and where you want to go—and how you can get there.

On today’s show I want to stress the importance of getting a good night’s sleep—especially when you are a freelance business owner. I’m really good at sleeping. I need about eight or nine hours a night, and I prioritize my sleep. I’ve also purposefully developed several habits to master and create the perfect sleep environment. And I want to share them with you. As an employee, you might have been able to get through the day when you were tired, even if you weren’t your best self. But as a freelance business owner, everything is based on your own discipline. You have to make yourself get up, get into work mode, start projects, stick to a task, work when you might not feel like it. It can be way too easy to get distracted and browse social media or spend too much time on admin work, “pretending” to yourself that you’re really working. All of this is amplified when you are tired. If you do not get enough sleep, you are not likely to have much discipline that day. Or even if you are trying to do work, your brain is not at its best. There’s one thing I used to do an as employee to sabotage my own sleep needs, even though I knew I was doing it. If you are your own boss and doing this thing, it’s a warning sign: I would stay up way too late at night to prolong the evening so the next day would not arrive. I was dreading something about the next day. As an employee, remember those Sunday blues? Do you ever feel like that as a freelance business owner? I think that’s a warning sign. Ask yourself why you’re dreading the next day. Have you taken on a project you don’t like? Do you have a regular client who you don’t enjoy working with? What can you do so that you look forward to Mondays—or at least not dread them? Now, let’s talk about how to create a conducive sleep environment. Start by creating a cool, dark room. The National Sleep Foundation recommends you keep your bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep. Another tip: Wear socks to bed to help your internal body temperature find the right setting. Other ideas: black-out curtains or dark, heavy curtains. Ceiling fans or standing fans if the AC doesn’t make it cool enough. Think about noise too. Maybe invest in a white noise machine or noise-masking headphones. And I highly recommend always taking ear plugs with you when you travel, and, at the hotel, request a room on the quiet side of the building. This may be the back of the hotel and you may lose the view, but at least you’ll sleep. Consider a humidifier in the winter. Dry air can irritate your throat and nose and can cause nasal congestion, coughing, even nosebleeds. I also use a stand-alone air purifier to help clean allergens out of our bedroom. Consider the age and style of your pillow and mattress. I’ve been using a Tempur-Pedic neck pillow for years and my neck is never sore when I get up. I couldn’t say that in the past with regular pillows. One more overarching thing about your bedroom: Your bedroom should be a cozy, calming place. Get rid of any clutter. If you have cold floors, buy an area rug or slippers. Add a cozy chair with a blanket or hang some calming photos or art. I like to get into a bed with crisp, clean sheets pulled taut so I make my bed every morning. Now, let’s talk about going to bed and sleep habits. Think about how you go to sleep now. Do you go to sleep at different times each night? Do you stay up so late that you’re almost too tired to drag yourself upstairs? Are you mindlessly watching Netflix or scrolling Instagram all night on the sofa because you’re too tired to do anything else? If you have kids, do you use the time after they go to bed to do chores and catch up on work? Analyze how you typically go to bed. What is your routine? What do you think you’re doing now that you could improve upon? I encourage you to figure out how to wind down before you go to bed—to create a routine that you look forward to. You need a buffer between your daily activities and trying to go to sleep. We’ve all heard that we need to stay away from our screens right before we go to bed. If you have your laptop or phone in your bedroom, you’re likely not feeling very relaxed or winding down. You’re also being affected by blue light, which suppresses the secretion of melatonin—melatonin is what affects our circadian rhythm, or our internal clock. Go to your smartphones and computers right now. Go to Settings and then Display and look for something called Night Shift or Blue Light Filter. You can set the hours you’d like to filter out the blue light, which gives your screen a much warmer, less bright display. Are there other ways you can create a set bedtime routine? What about going to bed the same time every night, just like we did as kids? One suggestion I’ve heard if you’re a parent is to get ready for bed at the same time as your kids—brush your teeth, wash your face, take out your contacts. Do this even if it is only 7:30 at night. You’ll get these necessities out of the way and start to signal to your body that you’re winding down for the night, even if you’re awake for another three or four hours. I love to read before bed, so I’ve focused on making that a habit. I get completely ready for bed and read in bed. Sometimes I read for only 15 minutes; sometimes I read for two hours. Let’s talk about caffeine. I gave up caffeine completely in 2009. I was heavily addicted to soda. I went years without any caffeine until a few years ago when I started drinking just one cup of caffeinated tea. But I don’t have it every day, and I try never to drink tea past 11 a.m. because I can tell at night if I’ve had caffeine too late in the day. On my caffeine-free days, I like to drink Rooibos tea, a tea from South Africa that doesn’t have caffeine. If you want to stamp out your caffeine addiction, figure  out if you’re the type of person who can gradually taper off or if you have to quit cold turkey. If you aim for cold turkey, I suggest planning it out. Maybe stop on a Thursday when you know you can be free from work and any activities from Thursday through Sunday—because the withdrawal process will make you exhausted and likely give you headaches. But you can do it! What are your sleep habits? I’d love to hear from you!   Biz Bite: Follow the one-minute rule The Bookshelf: “Long Bright River” by Liz Moore Resources: Bluetooth sleep headphones My Tempur-Pedic neck pillow Rooibos teas that I love (my favorite is Hot Cincinnati Spice)

Today’s show is a bit shorter than usual because I’m tired. Not physically tired as much as mentally tired. I get enough sleep—I’m really good at prioritizing that—but you know as a freelance business owner that your brain is always on. It’s hard to stop thinking about your business. Plus, February is my busiest month. But what really got me off track last week was the infuriating and frustrating news that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2474, a bill that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to have much to do with freelancing. It’s a pro-union bill heavily supported by Democrats (who control the House), which is how it passed easily. However, the bill defines independent contractors in such restrictive terms that it would require most of our clients to hire us as employees or not to use us at all. This would affect ALL independent contractors and freelancers in ANY industry, which is why we need to fight against his bill. If you’ve heard of AB5 in California, which became law this year, H.R. 2474 is similar—except AB5 actually has some exceptions for certain industries. The national bill does not, making it much more dangerous. The bill comes up in the Senate next (Senate bill 1306), and while it will likely not pass in the Republican-controlled Senate, that doesn’t mean we can slack off. We have to educate our representatives and senators about the dangers of this bill because a future Democrat-controlled Senate and House would likely pass this bill. A Democrat president would sign it. A Republican president would likely veto it, so then it would depend on whether Congress had the votes to override the veto. Please check out the links below and start educating yourself about these national bills. I promise to have much more about this and what we can do in a future episode. For now, all of this is to say that I was frustrated, angry and mentally drained last week as the House was voting. So, I went off social media and email all weekend, which gave me a much-needed mental break. Plus, my husband kept reminding me that yes, I have to fight this bill, but I didn’t have to do it immediately, not necessarily that day. In this podcast, I try to provide you inspiration and tips every week so you can build a successful freelance business. But I want you to know that I struggle too. I procrastinate. I stress about money. I definitely stress about the world around us—and then feel guilty for turning off the news and burying my head in the sand. But I also really love where I am in my life. And a huge part of that is because I’m my own boss. Freelancing has given me the freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want. Freelancing really is about freedom, and I treasure it, even when it can be stressful.   Biz Bite: Practice professional greetings and goodbyes   The Bookshelf: “If You Lived Here You’d Be Home By Now” by Christopher Ingraham   Resources: Episode #37 of Deliberate Freelancer: California’s Harmful New Freelancer Law, with Randy Dotinga   An archive of AB5 news articles   A compilation of personal stories from California freelancers about how AB5 is hurting them.   HR 2474 bill text and actions by Congress   Senate version of the bill, S. 1306   Fight for Freelancers New York Facebook group   Fight for Freelancers New Jersey Facebook group   Follow freelance writer Kim Kavin’s blog—she’s been fighting against these bills for several months.

On today’s show I talk about boundaries, both in your business and your personal life. For the most part, I have figured out how to set boundaries. But I also admit I was quite lucky that when I started my freelance business, my family and friends understood that I was actually working throughout the day and that this wasn’t some hobby. I know some of you are not so lucky and have people occasionally bugging you to help them out with things or hang out with them during the day because you “of course you can’t be working.” Boundaries tell you and those around you what is acceptable, appropriate human behavior. They vary from person to person. Knowing what your boundaries are and setting them is critical to building healthy, respectful relationships in your life. This is important in both your personal life—setting boundaries with your partner, your family, your friends, even your neighbors—as well as in your freelance business—with clients, colleagues, subcontractors. I want to talk about setting boundaries in your personal life first. An article on PsychCentral.com called people who break your boundaries “emotional manipulators,” a phrase I like because if you think of them as manipulating you, maybe you’ll see how wrong and invasive they are being. The article suggests setting boundaries by first writing down the ways that people in your life are hurting you by the things they say. Then, consider what the other person’s motivation might be and begin to write down answers to specific comments. I think it’s important to not only know what you’ll say next time, but also know how to cut the conversation short. You shouldn’t be dragged into a 15-minute conversation in which you’re being forced to explain your life choices. When you’re figuring out what to say, remember what their motivations might be. Then, you might say something like, “I know you only want the best for me and you’re worried that I will have trouble paying my bills, but the decision to be a freelancer is mine. I am going to work really hard at this for a while. I’ve already gained a few clients and am talking with other freelancers about how to build my business. Please don’t criticize or question my choices anymore. I would appreciate your support instead.” And if you hear in return, “but, but, but …” I recommend you cut the conversation short. Be prepared to say, “I’m not going to discuss this with you. I’ve told you my plans and asked you not to criticize me. We’re done talking about this.” Depending on the person’s role in your life, you could even say, “Listen, I love you, but you have to stop.” And then stay strong. Be prepared to hang up the phone, walk away, stop texting. Stop responding and back away or the person will just keep going. And if that same person starts in on you again later on, remind them of this conversation: “No, no, remember this is my life. I have already asked you to not criticize or question my choices. I only want your support or we’re not talking about this at all.” The PsychCentral.com article also makes a couple more recommendations that I think are really helpful to keep in mind. It says “Remember the importance of saying ‘no’ to unreasonable requests, and reasonable ones from time to time, if they conflict with your plans.” Yes, saying no is huge! I am actually really good at saying no in my personal life. Where I have trouble saying no is with volunteering in my industry. That’s where I am practicing saying no this year. One more thing the PsychCentral article recommends is to challenge all insults masked as humor.  I know all of this is really hard. I don’t expect you to get it perfect all the time, and I’m not an expert or a therapist. But I want you to succeed in your business and in your life. I think it’s really important for people—women especially—to learn how to speak up for ourselves, stand up for our own lives, tell people to stop. Next, let’s talk about boundary setting when it comes to your freelance business. For some of you, this needs to start with a mindset shift that you are a freelance business owner. You’re not freelancing on a whim, this is not a hobby, you’re not “just” a freelancer. You own a freelance business. I think something happens in our brains when we start to think of ourselves as business owners. I firmly believe it builds confidence. You’re not just hustling from one gig to the next. You’re not just taking whatever job you’re offered. You’re not taking whatever fee you’re offered. Your language changes. Instead of asking, “how much do you pay?” you can say, “My rate for this type of project is XXX.” You are in charge. When you’re setting boundaries in your business, again, make a list of what boundaries clients and colleagues are breaking. A few big ones are expecting you to reply after hours, creating scope creep in projects, and expecting you to reply on vacation. I have news for you: Most clients are only expecting those things from you because you set that expectation. It’s the hard truth. If you are responding to emails, phone calls and texts at all hours of the day and night, well, what client wouldn’t love that? It is up to you to set boundaries with your clients. One of the biggest boundaries you can set right now, if you haven’t already, is to create office hours for yourself. When do you want to work? Be creative! If you’re not a morning person and your peak productivity time is at night, take advantage of that. I’ve never told my clients my schedule because it falls into the typical 9­–5 workday. But, if I had a new client who was expecting me to check email all hours of the night, I would speak up and say something like, “I wanted to let you know that my office hours are 9–5. I don’t check email after those hours unless we’re on a deadline that we’ve already agreed to.” And then don’t check email! I know some people find this really hard and think checking email at night is particularly harmless if you’re not responding to it. But you’re still working when you told yourself you wouldn’t be. You’re still mentally pulling yourself back into work. Once you’ve set office hours, what other boundaries do you want to set? What is annoying you, getting in the way of your work? Evaluate your days and how you work and where you work. This also means setting boundaries for yourself. We often push against our own boundaries—procrastinating or not unplugging and taking true vacations. Another boundary you might need to set is how you want people to communicate with you (email, phone, text). Another is scope creep—when a client starts asking you to do things you didn’t think were part of the project, things that are taking more time and energy. Biz Bite: Create templates The Bookshelf: “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster” by Adam Higginbotham Resources: PsychCentral.com article “The Importance of Personal Boundaries” Episode #1 of Deliberate Freelancer: Change Your Mindset: You Own a Freelance Business Episode #36 of Deliberate Freelancer: Spotting Red Flags and Scope Creep