I spent a lazy weekend (first in ages) lounging and napping and spending time outdoors on what was one of the nicest winter weekends. Also, I started (and finished) reading Carrie Fisher’s new book Wishful Drinking, one of the better autobiographies I’ve read. No, let me restate that – it was a compelling, funny, fast-and-furious…
Creating Value and Loyalty in a Sucky Market
Now that I’ve pounded it into the freelancing world’s collective brain that we deserve to be paid what we’re worth, maybe I should talk about how to give value and inspire client loyalty when everyone is bargain shopping. You’ve worked hard to build that list of clients. Why not help them increase their own brand…
Your Aching Image
I’m about to try proving a point about your rates by taking you through France to get to New Jersey. Bear with me – it’s relevant. Somehow. Image and brand – in some cases, they’re the same thing. Don’t think so? Ask Michael Phelps right about now. And Miley Cyrus? Both her image and her…
What’s Your BATNA?
Sometimes you’re going to have client issues that you’re just not going to be able to resolve. It sucks, but it’s life. I dealt with one recently that left me feeling unheard, unappreciated, and unwilling to continue with the status quo. Unfortunately, it was a situation that had been quite lucrative in the past. But…
Your Brand and Why You’re Killing Me Here
Oh come on, you have a brand. You do. Didn’t know that, did you? Well, each time you interact with a client, you leave an impression. You also build a little more credibility in an industry or a niche, which helps define your future projects and clients. That’s what I want to talk to you…
Diversity
Back when I was on staff, I remember my first intro to this new company. They did everything right – they blitzed the media, made personal contact, attended the conferences, spent money to build the brand, and secured some pretty impressive client business. A year later, they were sponsoring conferences and being quoted in various…
Your Monthly Assessment – January
Oh, I know how you hate when you’re called out like this, but I figure since I’m doing my own monthly business assessment, why not include all of you? This month I set a small goal, expecting business to be slow (and missing a week because my mom came for a visit). I was right…
Social Irresponsibility
The Great Social Networking Experiment (just one more time) It’s already happening – one week into my Twitter networking experience and already I’ve spent entirely too much time “tweeting.” Yesterday was a light work day, true, but it seemed to take me forever to finish one small project. Here’s how it went – (opening email)…
Here Comes the Shovel
No, not for snow – for the high levels of crap job postings that are increasing in frequency and ridiculousness. A sampling from this week: “…editing about 95 website reviews; each review is about 125 words and consists of the review, site name, URL, as well as a brief summary. Many reviews will require rewriting…
Insider’s View of Twitter
The Great Social Networking Experiment (yet again) My questions, confusion, and laments about Twitter have captured the attention of one freelancing chum – Amy Derby. Amy was kind enough to ignore my whining and answer my myriad of questions regarding proper Twitter usage. Thank you, Amy, for your patience and your help to my readers…