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Don’t Pour Arsenic on Your Dreams

Sometimes I suffer from “chicken little syndrome.” For the unfamiliar, it’s a children’s story where a chicken believes the sky is falling because an acorn fell on her head. The chicken then goes around to a bunch of other animals and tells them, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” As a marketing content writer, freelance journalist, and ghostwriter for therapists, I fall into this trap frequently when I have a lighter work week. 

Business has its ebbs and flows but somehow I always interpret an ebb as a sign of the times, not a natural part of the cycle. However, I can take comfort from Chicken Little because there are multiple versions of the Chicken Little story. In one version, Chicken Little and all her friends are lured to a fox’s den and never seen again. In another, they tell a king their worry and the king reassures them the sky is not falling, plucking an acorn from Chicken Little’s head.

acorn -- marketing content writer
Who knew something so little could cause such a ruckus? Photo by Nicolas Ruiz on Unsplash

Remembering there are multiple versions of Chicken Little offers me perspective.  I could be like Chicken Little and let my fear lead me to a metaphorical fox’s den where I’ll be devoured. Or I could be like Chicken Little and let my fear lead me to a metaphorical palace where I’ll be reassured. The choice is mine and not at all a foregone conclusion.

Tosha Silver talks about this choice in her book Outrageous Openness. She says she offers her problems to a power greater than herself and that doing so is like planting a seedling. “You put the fledging roots into the soil, and then fertilize and water to allow for flowering,” she writes. “The more you protect the plant, the better it grows. So would you pour arsenic on that delicate thing to see if it could survive? Would you stick it in [the] burning sun for a week just as an experiment?” Good question, Tosha. Real-life plants I would never pour arsenic over, nor would I stick them in the burning sun without any water. But metaphorical plants? In this case, my faith, hopes, and dreams? I do pour arsenic on them. A frequent refrain in my mind is, “It won’t work out! Everything will crash and burn!” But, well, it doesn’t and hasn’t.

brown bottle
Pretend this is arsenic. Photo by Denise Chan on Unsplash

I’ve worked as a marketing content writer, freelance journalist, and ghostwriter for therapists for a while now and every time one client drops off, another one comes on. Every time I fret I’ll never write for a certain magazine again, they contact me about an assignment. Maybe it’s time to stop drinking the poison I keep offering myself and instead marvel at how things work out. Because they always do! 

How does this relate to clients? My current clients already took the leap of faith and said, “Yes! I want to work with you! I think it will help me!” Potential clients are often nervous and have numerous questions about ghostwriting.  Will it work for them? Will it actually help their business? I can give them tons of stats and case studies and testimonials to show that it does but ultimately the decision has to come from them. Do they want to be Chicken Little? Do they want to pour arsenic over their dreams? Or would they rather believe that everything works out?

I’m a pragmatic marketing content writer, freelance journalist, and ghostwriter for therapists so that means we always start with a paid sample or a one-off project so really, what is there to lose? If you’d like to give hiring me a shot, reach out. I’m here.

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How to Feel Worthy Regardless of Your Productivity

I was privileged to be on Shanne Boss‘s “Rewilded Leader” podcast recently. We talked about my journey to becoming a marketing content writer, ghostwriter for therapists, and someone who offers SEO blog writing services. 

In addition to my genesis story, I shared all my tips and tricks for feeling productive even if you aren’t able to accomplish much for whatever reason. Watch the video below to learn more or click the link to listen to the audio.

Audio link. 

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Business is Like the Bus

The other week I saw a meme that stopped me in my tracks: “Business opportunities are like buses — there will be another one in 15 minutes.” As someone who historically operated from a scarcity mindset, that’s not how business has felt to me. Very often I pounced on whatever opportunity came my way because I was scared there wouldn’t be another one. Business opportunities were not like buses, but rather like shooting stars — rare, and if you blink, you’ll miss them.

However, the longer I’m in business for myself as a freelance ghostwriter for therapists (and others), the more I’m finding the meme to be true. As soon as one business relationship ends — either because the contract is complete or I decide it’s not for me — another one takes it place. I’ve gotten so many out of the blue emails and messages from people asking me if I’m interested in working together. Not all of those messages amount to anything, but some of them do. And the more I have an abundant mindset — that business is like the bus — the better off I am.

san francisco content writer

It reminds me of a quote from Rumi who said, “Move, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.” Yes Rumi! For so long I’ve moved in exactly that way. I didn’t know how to move differently, to be honest. And I thought I had to do everything. I mean, as a freelance ghostwriter for therapists I do a lot because it’s just me over here — the bookkeeping, the marketing, and oh yeah, the writing! — but I’m really just an instrument.

I enjoy freelance writing for therapists and other busy professionals because 1.) I know a lot about therapeutic topics and 2.) I seek to take the stress out of writing. I know not everyone has the time or talent to write so I want to do that for them. I want other people and businesses to thrive and I can help them do that with my skill/gift: writing. It reminds me of another quote, this one by Tosha Silver.

She writes in her book Outrageous Openness: “Life changes radically if you know you’re a conduit for what wishes to happen as opposed to the one making it all occur.” Precisely. I’m quite clear I’m not the one making everything occur. Why do random business opportunities come my way? Yes, in part it’s because I have a blog and I use SEO practices to my advantage, but it’s also because I’m an instrument over here. That comes across especially with ghostwriting because I have to think about what the other person would say. How they want to present information. In that context I’m truly being a conduit because they’re not my ideas or even necessarily how I’d present the material.

SF content writer

Some people ask me, “Are you OK with that? Not getting any credit?” And the answer is, “Yes,” because there are other places where I get credit — my blog and with journalism pieces for instance. I don’t need my name attached to everything, and besides, I want to bolster other voices. That means being open to whatever wants to be occur — whether I’m ghostwriting for a therapist, or a mom with a side hustle, or a businessman with a brilliant idea. When the right partnership occurs, the result can be magical. Based on things I’ve ghostwritten, I have clients who are getting published all over creation, and even asked to write a book! And when those relationships fizzle out — because they will — I’ll be OK because I know business is like the bus.

If you’re interested in working together, contact me. Let’s see if we’re a good fit.

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How to Conduct Business During a Pandemic

First off, I want to say I’m writing this article for me. Primarily I want to know how to conduct business during a pandemic. I also want to acknowledge here for some people they won’t be able to conduct business. If someone makes a living that requires in-person contact, a cuddle therapist for instance, they won’t be able to go about business as usual. There are many people who are or will be impacted by a pandemic either through a slowdown in their business or a temporary halt altogether.

A question on my mind is what can be done for people who don’t have the luxury to work from home? If anyone has ideas, I’d love to hear them. My university set up an emergency fund for students who now find themselves forced to return home.

But let’s say you can work from home. How do you ensure you’re as productive as if you worked in an office? In my more than a decade of experience of working from home first as a journalist and now a freelance content writer, I have some tips to share.

1.) Feel Your Feelings

First and foremost, feel your feelings. These are not normal times. Things are scary. Even if you’re not worried about the coronavirus yourself, you likely know others who are worried about it. Fear is contagious. So is panic. Let yourself cry and shake and scream or whatever it is you need to do to move the fear. Otherwise, the fear stays stuck in your body like a whirlpool sucking much of your energy.

freelance content writer

After your freak out, take a deep breath and remember your resilience. Remind yourself of all the hard times you’ve already gone through and how you’re still here. You made it! You wouldn’t be reading this if you hadn’t. Also remember human history is filled with episodes of pandemics. This happens. I’m not saying pandemics come without costs because they do. Millions of people die, which is tragic, AND millions of people also live to tell the tale. It’s likely your parents or grandparents or great-grandparents lived through the Spanish Flu of 1918. Some of them died, but more of them lived. That’s worth remembering.

2.) Maintain Set Hours

Working from home it may feel like you have all the time in the world, that you can work whenever, and that’s true. But that mentality is also how you can idle the day away and not accomplish anything. You don’t have to keep the same hours you had while in the office – for instance you could work 9 to 5 instead of 10 to 6 – but set aside certain hours for work. I’m more of a 10 to 6 gal myself and that means from 10 to 6 I’m working. I’ll take a break in the middle of the day for lunch, but if I have work to do, those are the hours I’m working.

Having the mental boundaries around when it’s work time and when it’s playtime will help you stay productive. Otherwise it’s all too easy to say, “I’ll do it later.” As my parents often said, “Later never comes.”

freelance content writer
Photo by https://photos.icons8.com.

3.) Keep Your Rituals

If you have certain rituals around going to work, keep them. Maybe not the ones that involve going to a coffee shop, but the ones like taking a dog for a walk or going for a run. The normalcy of your routine will help you feel like it’s any other workday, because it is, minus the location.

This also means changing out of your pajamas, for some of you. Some people revel in being able to stay in their pjs all day, but I find getting dressed helps me step into work mode. There’s a clear delineation between sleep and relaxation time versus work time. Similarly, I find getting out of bed to work makes me more productive. There’s a space in my house that’s my work space. All my serious writing takes place at my desk, which means I associate my desk with work and the rest of my house with relaxing. You may not have a desk, but do you have a table or a counter top? Sequester a section of your place specifically for work and that will help with productivity.

freelance content writer

4.) Minimize Distractions

Working from home it’s easier to get distracted – your phone doesn’t have to be on silent and there’s that Netflix special you wanted to watch. And it’s such a beautiful day. Wouldn’t it be better to go for a hike? If you’re someone who can work in that way, more power to you. But I think that’s the trouble of working at home for many people – it’s too easy to get distracted.

Minimize distractions by silencing your phone because hey, you’re at work remember? However, if you normally keep your phone on at work, then do that. Whatever method works for you to minimize distractions when you’re at the office, employ the same strategies when you’re at home. You can give in to all the tantalizing distractions after you’ve accomplished your work for the day. Luckily for you, there’s no commute to take into account.

What are some tips you have for working at home? Let me know in the comments. As always, if you need any writing help, reach out. I’m here.

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Everything Has Its Own Timing

One of the most frustrating parts for me about running my own business, and really if I’m honest, life in general, is how long things take. I’m the type of person who zooms off like a rocket after the word “go.” Coming from my journalism background, I’m used to ceaseless deadlines and a swift pace. When I contact someone for an interview, we speak soon and the story moves ahead. Or if the person doesn’t respond to my interview request, I write the article anyway without comments from them. Regardless, the story is going live at a certain day and time.

Freelance writer Oakland

Now that I’m mostly out of the journalism world and writing for small businesses, everything moves much slower. If someone indicates interest in working together, we could spend weeks going back and forth about the details. When I turn in a blog to a client, unlike with a news article, there’s no rush. The blog may not go live for weeks or perhaps months. People take their time because they can. This is a complete reversal from how I used to operate and it’s a huge adjustment. That’s a polite way of saying it bugs the heck out of me. I’m probably not supposed to admit that, but it’s the truth. I realize I can’t control or change other people, I can only manage myself. I’m the one who’s impatient and has certain expectations. And that means I’m the one who has to adjust.

Thus far, I think about advice I heard ages ago: However long you think something will take, double it. For me, I think I need to triple it. That way when a project takes significantly longer than it “should,” I won’t get as bent out of shape because I modulated my expectations. Problem solved! Sort of.

The reality behind impatience for me is I’m a compulsive doer. It feels better/safer/more gratifying to act all the time. It’s hard to slow down. And where I live, hustling is prized. We admire people who work hard, who do a lot. I haven’t seen an award for sitting around all day listening to the birds. I haven’t read any newspaper articles about a person who went for a walk and made a cup of tea later. No. We want achievement. We want people who are doing extraordinary things. Given that atmosphere, it can be hard to sit back and twiddle your thumbs, but inevitably there comes a time when everyone just has to wait. A time when things are not moving. Even in the news room there were days we really didn’t have anything to write about. Or at the very least, we couldn’t write an article because we were waiting on more information.

freelance blogger Oakland, CA

What’s helping me adjust to a new sort of timing is thinking about surrender. Surrender means to stop fighting. How can I stop fighting the reality of slow business sometimes? How can I work with it? How can I embrace that there will be days I won’t have anything to do? That sometimes my hands are tied? Instead of rushing into action, or creating work for myself, I can relax, let go, and trust that everything has its own timing. Everything has its own flow. Including business. And while I’m waiting, I can listen to the birds chirp, go for a walk, and make myself a cup of tea.

What about you? How do you cope with waiting? Let me know in the comments below.

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More on Synchronicity

In my last post, I wrote that what you’re looking for is looking for you. Today I had affirmation of that. I called a woman to interview her for a project I’m working on and she asked me if I’m a professional writer (I was calling on behalf of another business). I answered affirmatively and it turns out she’s been looking for a writer! I don’t know if we’ll be a good match, but it was nice to get that wink from the universe. Especially after this week when things felt tough. You know how it goes — you email people, you leave messages, you try different strategies for lead generation, and nothing works. All you’re left with is silence.

magic-freelance-writer

In the face of that silence I felt discouraged (understandably), but today happened. I am reminded there is magic and mystery in the universe. There’s a proverbial matchmaker in the sky who wants to connect people. Sometimes that happens out of the blue and sometimes that happens as a result of research and perseverance. Mostly I’m just grateful it happens.

I don’t have any tips today, just my personal experience that I’m mentioning as a reminder to myself and others that life isn’t always scientific and rational. Sometimes it’s mysterious and baffling, and on my down days I’d like to remember the possibility of what could be.

Have you had any experiences like mine? I’d love to hear them! Tell me in the comments below.

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What You’re Looking for is Looking for You

In previous posts I gave practical advice about how to grow your web traffic — specifically blogging and the importance of storytelling, but I also provided tips for writing better. Today’s post is a pep talk.

There comes a time in every person’s life (whether they’re entrepreneurs or not) where they feel discouraged. “Will I ever find what I’m looking for?” It could be a job or a partner or client/customer. Doubts set in and the person may give up hope. They’re trying so hard, they’re searching so tirelessly, all to no avail. Something I remind myself is what I’m searching for is also searching for me.

Woman sitting in a chair

Author and spiritual teacher Doreen Virtue appeared on Jaden Sterling’s blogtalk radio show several years ago to share some insights. One of the things she said was, “As much as you’re looking for something or someone, they’re looking for you too. Whether it’s a soulmate or a job or a home to live in. It’s all law of attraction.” She recounted a story of how a few weeks prior she created an oracle card deck (kind of like a nicer, gentler version of tarot cards) that her publisher wanted on the market right away.

Typically, it takes an artist a year and a half to paint the 44 pictures needed to accompany the text of the oracle cards. Doreen needed something right away and knew exactly what she wanted. She didn’t know who the artist should be, but she had a picture of the artwork in her mind. She went to her computer and said, “Angels, I need to find this artist but I need her to have 44 images available.” Doreen found an artist immediately and sent her a personal email. The artist said she previously had jobs that were really high paying but they all dried up. She was working for magazines creating art she didn’t enjoy. She made a new year’s resolution that she would never again compromise in her artwork and say no to all jobs unless they involved her true passions. Doreen contacted the artist within 20 days of the New Year with a big job to not only license her artwork, but license 44 pieces of her artwork that would give her enough money to survive.

paintbrushes

“That’s how the universe works,” Doreen said.

The same day I heard that story I settled down in my living room to watch a movie that sat on my coffee table for literally a month. Every time I thought about watching the movie previously my lip curled up and I said, “Meh.” But that night I felt it was time. I won’t tell you the movie because I don’t want to ruin the plot for anyone, but a very tiny piece of what happened is at one point a character in the movie says to another, “You’ve been looking for me, but for the past year I’ve been looking for you.” I cried in that moment — it was so sweet, so poignant to think I’m not the only one searching.

As a business owner as well as a person, frankly, I think I have to do everything. I have to go out in the world and find clients. I’m the one searching, pitching, researching, visualizing, etc., but Doreen’s story reminds me I’m not alone in this. I’m not the only one searching, pitching, researching, visualizing, etc. What I’m looking for is also looking for me, and that means clients too. There are people out there who would be thrilled to work with me and vice versa.

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The same goes for you as well. What you have to offer, people out there want. It may seem like you have to do all the work to find them, but you don’t, because they’re also looking for you. Our job is to boost our chances of meeting each other.  What can you do to help facilitate that? Tell me in the comments below.