Becoming a freelance writer has been the greatest decision I have ever made for my career, hands down! Though I do it đ FULL TIME, YO! đâYou may only be looking to put words out there. Test the waters. See how it feels to write something and thenâŠpeople 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 â 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 folksâlike 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.
đItâs afforded me to live on my own.
đItâs afforded me a new car.
đ„łItâs afforded me a move out to the beautiful coast of NC.
Freelancing isnât FREE
But it doesnât come for free. You have to have a growth mindset or this career will not go the way you planned. In fact, itâll eat you alive and have you working around the clock for penniesâŠif you donât work it, smartly. If youâre on the hiring end of freelancing, the same goes for you. Freelancing isnât FREE. Fees for hiring freelancers wonât be penniesâŠbecause this type of work requires a special type of person with a specific skillset, beginning with mindset.
âĄïž Without a growth mindset youâll find yourself overworked for less pay than you want. (This is true for freelancers and for business owners, donât you think?)
âĄïž Without a growth mindset youâll always be afraid to charge more. (For freelancers, certainly, but for business owners â without a growth mindset youâll be afraid to PAY for services you know you need!)
âĄïž Without a growth mindset youâll 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 theyâll beat you to those glorious 10-15K/mo earnings years before you get there. As a business owner, without a growth mindsetâŠwell, 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 Iâve 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 donât know â Then, go learn.
You must be honest about what you can do and cannot doâThen, 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 canât 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, youâll 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 canât fit them all into one post!
The bottom line here is to not be afraid.
Aim high.
You can do this.
Recent WINSâŠ
Writing for the BEST
This past week I wrote for Menâs Health. Iâve also added OK! Mag to my portfolio recently.
Sharing My Voice
Iâve been talking about important issues like heart health and gun violence in our schools.
I wrote this impactful poem (thatâs 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!! đ„đ„đ„
Hereâs where you can join us in the fun. (Not an affiliate link)
Getting the Big Interviews (Pssst. Hereâs where youâll find themâŠ)
I have âbig fishâ 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.
Thatâs 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. đ„đ„đ„
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. Itâs so easy and itâs where all the cool writers get started. A tiny bit of it does kick back to the writer who inspired you to join (Thatâs ME!).
Have a wonderfully blessed day!
Christina M. Ward
The happy freelancer :)