Hi Reader, (In my previous newsletter, I mentioned not being able to find YouTube's built-in setting for viewing a video's transcript. I found it! You have to click to expand the videoās description, and then scroll to the bottom to click the āShow transcriptā button. Now, on to this week's email.) Prospecting for clients is like planting seeds. You plant your seeds and water them. Then, you wait. Despite your best efforts, some seeds will never sprout. (The prospect ignores you.) Meanwhile,...
19 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hi Reader, I'm trying to get better at spending money. It's so hard, because: My business' money is still my money, unlike how employees generally don't think of their company's money as their money It seems we're brought up to save, save, save as much as possible because whatifeverythinggoeswrongandIneedmoneyhelp! But spending money on the right things can be life-changing Take interview transcription, for example... In the past, I was a cheapskate who transcribed interviews using YouTube's...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
Hi Reader, Pop the champagne, because today marks my second year of full-time freelancing! š Keeping calm and carrying on This second year felt a lot calmer than the first. It's probably because I've been working on fewer projects after losing several clients last year. (I just checked: over 120 projects versus 180+ in my first year.) This isn't a completely bad thing, though. Having fewer clients means having fewer client requirements to manage and remember (e.g. Client A uses this project...
about 2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hi Reader, Even though I generally donāt bill by the hour, I still record how long I spend on each writing task. I track time using the Toggl app. I activate its timer just before I start writing something. Then, when Iām done writing, I stop the timer. Rinse and repeat. On one day earlier this week, for example, I spent about 4.5 hours working on three tasks: I also label each time block with the project Iām working on and the work I did. This way, for any given project, I know: How long I...
2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
Hi Reader, What's the freelance career path like? And what does it look like for me? I'm still figuring this out. If you decide to be a lawyer, for example, you'll start as a trainee before progressing to being an associate, then a senior associate, and then a director or partner. There's a clear career progression path. But if you're a freelancer, your title might just...be that forever. There's no "Master Freelancer" or similar more senior title. People tend to want senior roles because...
2 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Hi Reader, I recently visited Casa BatllĆ³, which is a really aesthetic house in Spain. I had a great experience there and thought there might be some things we could apply to the way we serve customers. I talked about my ticket-buying experience in my previous newsletter. Today's will be about visiting the house itself. Going on a house tour All Casa BatllĆ³ tickets include an audio tour. Which is a good idea because you'll learn more about what you see. Instead of, say, visiting a place,...
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
Hi Reader, I want to talk about my favourite sightseeing stop during my Spain trip last month: Casa BatllĆ³. This is a house ("Casa" is Spanish for "house") that the BatllĆ³ family used to live in. It was designed by the architect GaudĆ, and it's beautiful. This photo doesn't really do it justice I had a really good experience visiting it and took away some things that could help us do business and serve customers better. Tiered pricing You have to buy tickets to visit Casa BatllĆ³. There are...
3 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
Hi Reader, Hola from Heathrow! Iām writing this during the layover before my flight home because the person who planned my trip decided to pick return flights with a 6 h 40 min layover in between. š (In my defence, this flight arrangement had the best balance between price and agony, okay?) By the time you read this, I will have returned from my epic trip to Spain!* It was about two weeks long, where I went sightseeing and also met with three clients in Barcelona and Valencia. Hands were...
4 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read
Hi Reader, I have once again been doing lots of screaming in my head as I work to settle stuff before I'm OOO (out of the office) for my upcoming trip. This trip has been in the works for months, but you know, with things happening months away, you typically don't work on them until their date approaches. And what happens then? You suddenly have 1,000 other things also competing for your time and attention. š But yes, my trip plans are coming together! Being away from the business kinda...
5 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 4 min read