A Growth Mindset for Freelancing
If you're not growth-oriented, you'll get left behind
Becoming a freelance writer has been the greatest decision I have ever made for my career, hands down! Though I do it 🙌 FULL TIME, YO! 🙌—You may only be looking to put words out there. Test the waters. See how it feels to write something and then…people read it.
Or you may be a business owner and need to know more about how to use the words on your site to get you more readers (AKA traffic to your site), more buyers, and more loyal customers.
Freelancers are the folks that help you do this — we help you use words to grow your business. That's what we do.
Smart and successful freelancers have one thing in common: We are ripe with a growth mindset. Bursting with it!
Surround Yourself with Big Thinkers & Big Achievers
Becoming a freelancer, for me, meant meeting other aspiring writers, some who are wildly successful. I am learning from other writers and meeting like-minded folks—like a supportive network of work buddies. Each day, this team of connections helps me to stay in that growth mindset, always asking more of myself and my work.
Secondly, I am making a higher income than any job has ever provided me.
🎉It’s afforded me to live on my own.
🙌It’s afforded me a new car.
🥳It’s afforded me a move out to the beautiful coast of NC.
Freelancing isn’t FREE
But it doesn’t come for free. You have to have a growth mindset or this career will not go the way you planned. In fact, it’ll eat you alive and have you working around the clock for pennies…if you don’t work it, smartly. If you’re on the hiring end of freelancing, the same goes for you. Freelancing isn’t FREE. Fees for hiring freelancers won’t be pennies…because this type of work requires a special type of person with a specific skillset, beginning with mindset.
➡️ Without a growth mindset you’ll find yourself overworked for less pay than you want. (This is true for freelancers and for business owners, don’t you think?)
➡️ Without a growth mindset you’ll always be afraid to charge more. (For freelancers, certainly, but for business owners — without a growth mindset you’ll be afraid to PAY for services you know you need!)
➡️ Without a growth mindset you’ll fail to continue growing and learning and improving your skill.
Simply put, without a growth mindset, other writers will out-bid you, out-charge you, and they’ll beat you to those glorious 10-15K/mo earnings years before you get there. As a business owner, without a growth mindset…well, your business will be held back. Other businesses, who pay for professional freelance writers and media experts and social media marketers, will run financial circles around you as it pays off for them.
So, how do you develop a growth mindset?
Well, lots of ways. But here are a few paths to growth that I’ve learned along this freelancing path to SUCCESS:
You have to be a goal-setter and a go-getter.
You must be honest about what you know and don’t know — Then, go learn.
You must be honest about what you can do and cannot do—Then, go learn how to do better.
You must become an expert in your field (develop a niche). Clients want smart freelancers who know how to represent their voice and their product. You can’t be flying blind into every assignment.
You MUST learn the tools of the trade. New tech, for example, that can help you with your job. Sometimes, you’ll have to spend a little money to do those things. (Invest in yourself before you wreck yourself.)
There are SO MANY other tips I want to share here but I can’t fit them all into one post!
The bottom line here is to not be afraid.
Aim high.
You can do this.
Recent WINS…
Writing for the BEST
This past week I wrote for Men’s Health. I’ve also added OK! Mag to my portfolio recently.
Sharing My Voice
I’ve been talking about important issues like heart health and gun violence in our schools.
I wrote this impactful poem (that’s blowing readers away!) on the state of our precious earth. This writing was inspired by the 2022 WWF Living Planet Report, which you can read right here.
Learning About 10K!
Recently, I joined a group of Successful Freelance Mom (ers) and have met other 10K/m writers who aim high and go for what they want. These women are inspiring me to keep climbing this ladder of success.
Plus, the course materials are fire!! 🔥🔥🔥
Here’s where you can join us in the fun. (Not an affiliate link)
Getting the Big Interviews (Pssst. Here’s where you’ll find them…)
I have “big fish” clients reaching out to me regularly on LinkedIn. This platform is where I have found the highest-paying freelance gigs. I have an interview scheduled soon with one of them and that work would more than double my income. Another rung on the ladder, folks.
That’s all for today in the life of a freelancer :) I sure do love sharing WINS with you, and hope. Because hope is fuel for your fire. 🔥🔥🔥
If you have NO IDEA where to get started writing (as a side-hustle or even for pure enjoyment of self-expression): JOIN THIS PAGE where the payment is so tiny compared to the benefit you get of meeting others, learning about publishing, and creating your portfolio of online work. It’s so easy and it’s where all the cool writers get started. A tiny bit of it does kick back to the writer who inspired you to join (That’s ME!).
Have a wonderfully blessed day!
Christina M. Ward
The happy freelancer :)