Clients & Gigs
Acing the negative stress test
Have you ever had a “stress test?” I had one just last week. The purpose, more or less, is to test your heart and make sure all is functioning properly.…
Money & Taxes
How to save money, in spite of yourself
I never do this, but I actually re-listened to our Saving & Investing episode on Bondfire Radio this week (Week 3 of the 5-Week Financial Plan!) and took notes! I…
Fun
How my best friend and I inspired each other's careers
Every freelance writer has a story to tell. I’ve read a lot of stories about how people ventured into freelance writing and they’re all unique. There are those…
Creativity
How travel can help you overcome writer's block
If you were anything like me after graduating college, you’ll remember the anxious feeling that comes along with all of the uncertainty ahead. And you’ll remember how deadly…
Fun
How to clean your computer, keyboard and mouse
Proofreading is not fun. Submitting a carefully crafted project or pitch only to appear unprofessional due to keyboarding or formatting errors is even less fun. Although there is no substitute…
Clients & Gigs
How NOT to overshare with your clients
"T.M.I." may be a dated cultural reference (that's right, I said it, and I'm sure those I've offended are no doubt imploring me to talk to the hand)…
Advocacy
Owed over 130k for services, one freelancer heads to court
In many ways, May 2014 was an exciting month for my career. I was working full-time with Estee Lauder and juggling a full-time freelancing role with a promising fashion company…
Creativity
5 tools that will make you a better writer
Writing is a fulfilling but lonely pastime, and sometimes you're not sure as to how to improve your skills. Thanks to the internet, though, there's plenty of help that can…
Clients & Gigs
Don't have money to invest in your business? Here's how you can build it anyway
In a perfect world, we’d have more than enough money to build an epic website, invest in video marketing, run Facebook ads, rent out a massive conference room to…
Clients & Gigs
10 tips for a successful working vacation
We did things a bit differently this year, summer vacation-wise and consequently work-wise. We decided to create a working vacation experience, with recreation and family time reserved for evenings and…
Money & Taxes
3 reasons to get your down payment via check or transfer
When I tell potential new clients that I require down-payments and payment by check (or bank transfer), some of them balk. Can’t I take credit cards? Yes, I can…
Creativity
5 reasons to share your work-in-progress
It is easy to fall prey to the conviction that we can't share our work until it's polished and ready for a formal unveiling. We feel like we need to…
Clients & Gigs
Make your business meetings more meaningful with these 5 principles
The key to having a good meeting is preparation. If you just show up, you're already behind – you'll spend the time working through the task at hand rather than reviewing…
Advocacy
Freelancers included in NYC anti-discrimination legislation
Have you ever been turned down for a gig because of your race or gender? Discrimination among individuals in the freelance workforce isn’t commonly discussed – mostly because there’s…
Advocacy
A freelancer makes fashion week beautiful, one face at a time
Imagine being a line cook, but instead of plating the next course, you’re painting yet another beautiful face to the specifications of a famous fashion designer. That’s pretty…
Advocacy
A freelance hair artist shares her Fashion Week journey
Working at NYC Fashion Week is like beauty bootcamp – it’s intense and it can be stressful and taxing, but it’s also one of the most rewarding experiences in…
Creativity
3 business boosting exercises you can do at the beach, park, or lake
Hip, hip hooray, it’s the final stretch of summer! What are your plans? Wherever you fall on the spectrum of work and play, the last warm weather days of…
Fun
Top ten signs that your summer is over (freelancers edition)
Your impending deadlines cause you to break into a cold sweat whenever you hear a Back-to-School commercial featuring the word “homework”. You find yourself silently judged for eating ice cream…
Clients & Gigs
Feedback from the Inferno: "I have no idea what my niche is – help!"
I don’t have much experience freelancing and I’m confused how to sell my services – what makes me unique? I’m an illustrator, I started freelancing straight out of…