Nebojsa Dolovacki, Author at Freelancelifemagazine

Angela Tague, Content marketing writer and founder of WebWritingAdvice.com

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 08:03:57 +0000

Angela Tague is an Iowa gal born and raised. She grew up in Eastern Iowa, then migrated to the central region for college and have finally landed in the northwest corner of the state bordering Nebraska and South Dakota. Angela currently work from a home office in Sioux City Iowa.

In her free time, she love to be outside in nature as much as possible, go cabin camping, snap photos, dig in the garden, explore nature trails, walk her dog, go on road trips, spend time with loved ones, go to rock concerts, make art, practice yoga, try new recipes, go thrift store shopping and so much more. She is never bored.

– How did you become a journalism-trained writer?

I attended the University of Iowa in the late 1990s. I studied journalism and mass communications and hold a Bachelor of Arts. I also have a second area of concentration in global studies. I completed that during a study abroad year in Australia. After I graduated in 1999, I worked for several newspapers in the Midwest before transitioning into marketing work.

– What skills does a freelancer, or any person, must have to become a successful journalist/writer?

To become a successful journalist or writer I think you have to be very inquisitive. I’m always asking questions, doing research and excited to learn about new things. As a writer, it’s your job to understand and communicate topics to your readers in a digestible, interesting way.

– You cooperate with many content marketing platforms, marketing departments, digital marketing/SEO agencies, website design firms and media publishers. How did you manage to achieve so many collaborations?

Time and patience. I’m not new to freelancing and I have worked for many years to establish the relationships that I have with various businesses, digital marketing agencies and platforms. It all started with chatting about writing in an online forum in the early 2000s. Remember those? Writers were talking about great places to find freelance work. I put in the effort and reached out directly to various publications and companies, and now almost 14 years later as a full-time small business owner, I have built up a reputation in the industry that nurtures ongoing relationships and referrals.

– What topics do you cover as a writer, do you specialize in some areas or can you write about anything?

Over the years I have tackled a variety of topics, but now I’ve settled into writing mostly about health and wellness, pets, small business, lifestyle topics, home, personal finance and of course the freelance writing lifestyle. On my writing website, Web Writing Advice, I have a blog filled with tips for making it as a freelance writer in the content marketing space. I share insight and lessons learned directly from my desk with my readers to help inspire them along in this crazy creative career path.

– What is more difficult, to start cooperation or to continue and make it permanent?

I really think both starting and continuing partnerships take an equal amount of work. I really try to focus on timely communication, drafting clean copy, meeting my deadlines, asking productive questions and at the end of the day, being human. Although we’re all working behind screens, life is happening beyond our writing assignments so having empathy for what your colleagues are managing can go a long way. This might mean being flexible with your deadlines when an emergency pops up, scheduling interviews to coordinate with a different time zone or even the way that you connect with your interviewees. For example, in the past I’ve worked with hearing-impaired individuals and they prefer to have questions sent to them on email versus taking a phone call. I’m happy to collaborate in a way that is best for all involved.

– Can you give advice to new writers on the easiest way to get new clients?

The easiest way to get new clients is to do excellent work. There seems to be a snowball effect in the freelance world. When you are kind to your collaborators and turn in excellent copy, they talk to their colleagues and people in their network. Then, emails start to pop in asking about your availability. At this stage in my freelance career, most of my work comes through organic inbound communications.

– I see you are also involved in the Cupcakes and Yoga Pants healthy lifestyle blog. Can you tell us something about that role?

The Cupcakes and Yoga Pants blog is my little corner of the web to share inspiring ideas about making healthy choices one day at a time. I started the blog years ago to keep myself accountable for making healthy choices while managing mulitple autoimmune diseases and health challenges. I chat about everything from nutrition and supplementation, to mental health, exercise, trauma therapy, acupuncture and yoga from a first-person perspective. This personal lifestyle blog has also become a marketing tool to attract health-focused content marketing work, including my previous “Living Well With Rheumatoid Arthritis” column in Everyday Health magazine and my current work with medical suppliers and pharmacies.

– If someone wants to hire you, how far in advance should they contact you?

My calendar fills up quickly these days. I appreciate when potential clients loop me in on their ideas as early as possible — at least a month or two before they want to start actively onboarding. I am managing a full roster of anchor clients at the moment and only take on new projects as others wrap up. With that said, when a potential client reaches out to me I love for them to have their content needs outlined. Do you have a content strategy and editorial guidelines that you can share with me? Are you working with buyer personas that I can review? Do you have an editorial calendar with project timelines and due dates? This information helps me discover if I’m the best match for their content needs and how their project would fit onto my calendar.

– Do you offer any other services besides writing? In fact, what all services do you offer?

I focus on a variety of writing services including blogging, ebooks, articles, feature writing, social media blurbs, newsletters, landing pages, employee feature profiles, staff bios and product descriptions. I’ve also worked with marketing directors to create content calendars and buyer personas. Lately, some of my clients have reached out about reviving published content to make it more SEO-friendly, update old sources and add personality with new quotes or expanded content. So, I guess I do some editing too!

– Do you have any advice for people who want to hire you? How should they prepare and what should they do before contact you?

Before a potential client reaches out to me, I hope they have a clear understanding of what they need. I love to review assignment briefs, content strategy, editorial guidelines and content calendars. I’m also going to ask questions about the workflow, payments, deadlines and how you manage the revision process. I prefer to work with clients that use project management software (like Asana or Basecamp) and/or content marketing platforms (such as Contently or Skyword) for collaboration. This approach streamlines the communication and collaboration process.

– Do you have any habits that you believe have contributed to your success?

I feel like my success as a freelancer is largely based on my belief in personal wellness. I’m intentional about how I start my day, I listen to my body, I rest as needed and take naps most days. There’s no badge of honor in becoming burnt out and working from morning till midnight. I learned long ago that I’m actually more creative and productive when I’m at my desk fewer hours and spend the rest of the time nurturing my physical and mental health. When I’m not looking at my keyboard, I’m either exploring a nature trail with my dog Leo, enjoying a yoga class at my local studio, visiting with my mental health therapist, playing around in the kitchen, reading for enjoyment or spending time with loved ones. So many of my creative ideas come to me when I’m not at my desk, so I’ve definitely found the value in rest and play as part of my business plan.

– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your career?

Some of the best advice I heard at the beginning of my career is to simply do my own thing. It’s really easy as a freelancer to fall into a rhythm of emulating what others are doing, or mirroring your past scheduling and expectations from an employer. You don’t have to work 9-to-5. You don’t have to write the same amount of words as others. You can start a personal blog as a side project. You can do whatever you want to do that positively influences your business goals and creative needs. That might mean spending a weekend at a seminar learning more about your craft or relaxing at a fancy hotel solo. Do whatever works for you, and keep on doing that.

– More and more people decide for the freelance lifestyle. What are the advantages of such a way of life in your opinion?

There are so many advantages to adopting a freelance lifestyle. I personally love the freedom and flexibility of working during the times of day that I feel most inspired, focused and creative. Since I don’t have to punch a time clock, I can intermix personal time with errands and writing tasks. It brings a nice balance to my days.

– Do you think there are any disadvantages?

I think freelancing would be very hard for individuals who are not self-motivated, time conscientious or able to put themselves out there. Successful freelancers must be able to promote their services, which can be difficult for those just starting out because it can feel egotistical. I would advise those people to remember that you’re promoting your business. Yes, that means promoting yourself, but you’re also explaining the services that generate your income.

– What do you love most about your job?

I love that I get to learn about new topics and meet new people all the time. I’ve come away from so many interviews with information I never expected to gather, insights about myself and a new respect for various situations. It’s never a dull day at my desk. Also, you never want to play Trivial Pursuit with me. This career has led me to tally up quite a few random pieces of knowledge.

– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

Use a calendar! I used to be a freelancer with a perpetual to-do list that stressed me out. Using a calendar with time blocks has made me take a realistic look at how much time it actually takes to complete various tasks. Once my day is filled on the calendar, that’s it. I used to overbook myself and try to get too much done in a day when I simply used a list. With that said, all things – work and personal – go on my calendar to better organize and manage everything that needs to get done in a day.

Readers can connect with Angela on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

https://twitter.com/AngelaTague

https://www.instagram.com/angelatague/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-tague-44330a45/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063732691738

This interview was published in

Freelance Life Magazine #5.

The post Angela Tague, Content marketing writer and founder of WebWritingAdvice.com appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Sarah Mason

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 11:21:16 +0000

Sarah lives just outside of Augusta, Georgia, and grew up about 80 miles away in middle Georgia. She has two adult children, one stationed in Korea with her wife and the other is a junior at the University of Georgia. “I’ve been married since 2019 to a wonderful man who retired from the Army just before I met him”, Sarah says “I enjoy reading, watching TV, and cooking.”

– How did you decide to start offering Transcription Services?

It’s actually a weird story. Back in 2008, I was working for a construction company and then the housing bubble burst and they decided to get out of the industry. I was unemployed for quite a while, but it was just when Obama was pretty much paying everyone to go back to school, so I did. I received an AAS in accounting but was unable to find a job in or near the small town I lived in at the time. I had taken some transcription classes in college and wanted to find out more information. A Google search led to me to Odesk (currently Upwork), and that’s how I found my first client, transcribing for the “Restaurant: Impossible” TV show. Everything just blew up from there.

– What skills are required for someone to do this job?

Fast typing is helping in being able to get more done and earn more money, but the most important thing is to know proper written English. You can just look at Facebook today and see that most people in America did not absorb the 12 years of English they were taught in school. It doesn’t do any good to transcribe quickly if the output is incorrect and unusable.

– There are plenty of software that do this job, more or less successfully. Do you use any of this software to help you?

AI software is definitely more of a hindrance. I can just do it correctly the first time faster than I can correct the output of AI software.

– You are very successful on Upwork. What makes you more successful than other freelancers who offer similar services?

I believe I have fair rates, and I’m not overseas. Some clients want American workers, and I have excellent ratings on Upwork. I’m not the cheapest out there, but I’m definitely one of the best.

– What skills does a freelancer have to have in order to be successful?

In general, a freelancer has to be self-motivated. I’ve run across many people who think they want to be a freelancer but then won’t force themselves to actually sit down and do the work. It’s really not for everyone.

– Have you had the opportunity to work full time, or have you always wanted to be a freelancer?

I worked for MANY years before finding freelancing, but once I had a child, it was more important to me to stay at home with her as much as possible. Since I’ve found this opportunity, I haven’t been anyone’s employee and am able to create the schedule I want. I never missed any important event at school, not one recital, presentation, or speech. That was always very important to me.

– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

Again, having a child was the most important thing to me about working for myself.

– What are your success habits?

I guess my “habit” would be that I treat this as any other job. I start work at the same time every day and work until everything for the day is done. I check every day for new work when I need to, and I stay in contact with all my clients.

– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your freelance career?

I never got any advice; I had never known anyone who did freelancing work before. This was a wing it and find out situation.

– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork?

I started out on Odesk, which was bought out by Upwork. I was also on a few others, but everything there became a scam, so it’s just Upwork and word-of-mouth now.

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

I can work when I want to (or not work when I want to). I can set my own hours and only take projects that I want to take. No one tells me what to do or how to do it and usually, I’m the one telling them when I’ll do it. It’s SO much better than being an employee!

– And what are the disadvantages?

The only disadvantage for me is having to work on Upwork where no one cares about the scammers. Upwork is so full of them that if I had any other option, I’d go somewhere else.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

Honestly, I can’t think of any hard decision.

– In order to succeed, freelancer must also possess certain soft skills, such as communication, organization, time management … Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?

Apparently, when people read messages, they assume a tone, and my tone doesn’t always come across as the best because I’m matter-of-fact and don’t always use all the unnecessary niceties. I’m to the point and direct and people just don’t like that, especially when you’re telling them they don’t have the skills to do this kind of work.

– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, forums, instructions on freelance platforms or something else?

Because my industry is very written English-related, my biggest benefit came from having a 7th grade English teacher that I loved. I’ve never had a hard time with the subject, but that teacher really showed me why and how it’s important to use proper written English and I just learned all the rules; it came easily to me. Most people don’t see the difference in “Let’s eat Grandma,” and “Let’s eat, Grandma.”

– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

I’d start sooner!

– What is your biggest motivation?

Sadly, it’s that I have to pay bills.

– What do you love about your job?

I enjoy learning something new every day, not always entertaining stuff, but I a few clients with very interesting topics.

– How important is constant professional improvement?

I really need to learn a few more types of software, especially the ones that do closed captioning. I’m just on the older side and am not particularly interested in learning something new!

– What are you most grateful for in your freelance journey?

Again, I have to say I’m the most grateful that I was able to stay at home with my child while she was growing up. Most people don’t have that opportunity, and I was very lucky to find a niche that catered to it.

– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

When I’m done with work, I’m done. I might answer emails from my phone here and there, but I don’t let it interfere with family/friend time. I have a room I work in, and that’s my office where no one bothers me. I feel it’s very important to have a designated work space; it helps with the self-motivation.

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Self-motivation: no one is going to tell you to do it. You have to want to do it on your own.

– What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t marry the first guy! Nah, just kidding. I’d tell myself to start sooner, maybe follow this career path in school. I wanted to be a court reporter, but no school near me offered the course, so I should’ve done more digging to make that happen.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?

The best advice I can offer is to make sure this is something you can really commit to. Be prepared to start out at a really low rate until you prove yourself but after that, the sky’s the limit!

You can contact Sarah at info@professionallyfast.com and http://www.facebook.com/profasttranscripts

The post Sarah Mason appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Charlotte Anaïs

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 09:08:23 +0000

“The sky is the limit when we have a strong why and we live a life that’s truly aligned with who we are and what we value ” – Charlotte Anaïs, freelance translator and author

In each issue, Freelance Life Magazine presents interesting freelancers with different occupations. This time we go to Paris, France, and present Charlotte Anaïs, freelance translator and author.

Charlotte is 29 years old and lives in Paris, France. She is French and grew up speaking only French in small town in Normandy and then Lorraine, before studying Translation in Brussels and London. Her life has always been very unconventional. She has been working as a freelance translator (from English and Russian to French) for the past five years now. Charlotte is also a writer, and in free time travel a lot, wander around Paris, and practice yoga and roller skating.

– How did you become interested in the job of translator?

I always had a deep love and fascination for languages and foreign cultures: when I was a child, my hobbies were reading bilingual dictionaries, bilingual books and watching my favourite shows in English with subtitles. I have also always loved writing, so Translation naturally fit my personality.

– What skills and education are required for someone to do this job?

I hold a BA in Translation from the Higher Institute for Translators and Interpreters (now HEB) in Brussels, and it was a very demanding curriculum. We not only had language and linguistic classes in all languages learned but we also had modules such as world history, philosophy, art history, economics, law, science… The aim was to provide us with a solid general knowledge, since it’s essential for a career as a translator. A degree in languages would be the most straightforward path to becoming a translator. The skills required to succeed at this job are a deep understanding of the complexity of language and cultures, continual professional improvement, reading frequently in all your working languages, having perfect grammar and writing skills, conducting extensive research, and paying close attention to detail. It’s not uncommon to spend a LOT of time finding THE perfect word – which is so fun if you’re a true linguist at heart.

– Today there are a lot of translation software, how far are they from a high-quality translation?

I can always spot right away a non-edited machine translation. Translation software don’t pick up on the nuances and complexity of the human language. No machine will ever be able to grasp the very real complex emotion of human thought and speech; especially when it comes to literary form. Translation is not a mathematical equation: language is about emotion and that’s something only a human can convey.

– You have a lot of interests – spirituality, business, travel, health, and wellness. Do you have time to devote yourself to all these interests?

I make time to devote myself to my interests. Not too long ago, I barely did and it actually resulted in me going through burn out. Now, I make sure to take time throughout the day to reconnect to who I am outside of my freelance business. The human behind the emails. I have a solid morning and evening routine, without my phone or computer, and traveling every month is one of my top priorities. Each day, it’s up to us to make time for what matters by deciding what our priorities are. I now know that me taking time to play, have fun and take care of myself makes me a better business owner.

– What is the most important thing for someone to become a good translator?

Being ready for a lifetime of learning and improving, and directly experience the culture of your working languages as much as possible. I visit the UK very often and my husband is American, so I’m always connected to English-speaking cultures. I am based in Paris and evolve in France, therefore I’m also in touch with the culture of my target country, which is crucial to being a good translator.

– In your opinion, what skills does a freelancer have to have to be successful?

I think the most important skill to have is tenacity – to cultivate a growth mindset. It allows you to problem-solve, to be oriented on the solution rather than the problems when they arise, to remain optimistic in the face of uncertainty and challenges. Many other skills needed to succeed can be learned along the way thanks to this growth mindset: negotiating, time management, communication, marketing, stress management… But at the very beginning, being tenacious is required. Many people cannot see the forest for the trees when they are confronted with a problem; however, as your own boss, you don’t have the luxury of staying stuck. Self-managing is also obviously an essential skill to have, but I believe it can also be learned through developing a growth mindset. Finally, being open to constructive feedback is also very important, so that you can become a better service provider, raise those rates and get even more clients on board.

– Have you had the opportunity to work full time, or have you always wanted to be a freelancer?

I worked full time as a waitress before, never in an office. Actually, yes, I have worked as a translator in an office for a few weeks at the very beginning of my professional life and it was the worst. I felt so… out of place. It felt incredibly wrong. I quickly realized it was not for me! I then quit and found a job as a waitress while I freelanced almost full time next to that. I worked close to 80 hours a week – I don’t recommend that to everyone, but in the moment it’s what I needed to do, and I absolutely do not regret it. The last service job I had was actually empowering because I worked side by side with a quite famous business woman in one of her restaurants, and it was very inspiring to be so close to a woman my age who had made it. It solidified my belief that I could be my own boss too, and that I was closer than ever to realizing my dreams. Long story short, I was able to quit waitressing within 10 months, and have been freelancing full time since January 2019.

– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

I’ve never shied away from a personal challenge, and freelancing seemed like the ultimate challenge. I’ve always made decisions which didn’t make sense to others. I had just moved to Liverpool, England, was fresh out of university, had spent a semester teaching French in America, and I had never wanted a desk job. I wanted to do my own thing – I wasn’t sure if I could though, because I come from a working-class background and I was never surrounded by self-employed people. I had to overcome a lot of limiting beliefs… But I was so inspired by the thrill of making my own rules and being able to grow something myself that I silenced the voices very easily!

– What are your success habits?

I have been teetotal for almost 3 years now and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made for my business and personal growth. I have a lot more confidence, I’m extremely focused, I am always clear-headed, and I have had less anxiety ever since I decided to stay away from alcohol. Another habit of mine is that I always ask myself the hard questions and the answers orient my actions. I spend a lot of my free time reading inspiring books, listening to podcasts and doing things that really make me feel alive. I aim to live life to the fullest on a daily basis. I regularly invest in myself through books, courses and events. Again, cultivating a growth and positive mindset is a top priority for me and I know that it’s what has led me this far. Each month, I decide my goals and they guide my decisions through the month. Also, upon waking up every morning, I make a mental list of 10 things I’m grateful for, and I do the same thing in the evening when I go to bed. Cultivating gratitude for what you have right now is the best way to ensure more gratitude to come. Practicing self-love and making sure I believe in myself is another one of my best success habits: when you believe you can make something happen, your creativity to reach that goal is truly unleashed. Finally, regulating my nervous system is the most crucial habit, and yoga and breathing exercises do wonders for that. Oh, and of course, I always celebrate every success, even tiny ones!

– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your freelance career?

The best advice I got at the beginning of my freelance career was that I had to behave as the business owner I now was, not as an employee. I had to understand that companies are happy to pay me for my services because they are valuable and worthy of good compensation. That was a gamechanger for me!

– And what’s the worst advice you’ve ever got?

That freelancers should accept every project that comes their way, at any fee, because any work is better than no work. I now regret accepting low rates for a good while at the beginning of my freelance journey. This is what caused me to freelance more than 40 hours a week next to my day job without being able to quit my job. The freelance industry is plagued by low rates, and people accepting them because they think they have to as a rite of passage is making things worse. We have bills to pay and are service providers: just because we work from home doesn’t mean our career is a hobby. The services we provide are highly valuable. We’ve spent money and time cultivating our skills so, in my opinion, we should never accept abysmally low rates, even as beginners.

– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork?

I have worked on a few freelance platforms other than Upwork, such as ProZ and Translatorscafe, which are platforms specific to translators. Actually, I don’t even go on Upwork that frequently, to be honest. I go and have a look once in a while to see if there are fun projects. I mostly get sent project offers directly from the agencies and publishing companies I collaborate with on a regular basis.

– Why has UpWork become your choice?

There are usually fun projects on UpWork and it’s great for someone like me who loves changes and stays as far away from routine work as possible. It’s also a good way to practice your elevator speech and your negotiation skills! Whenever I apply for a job, I rework it and add new things. I mostly use Upwork for fun on the side!

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

The freelance lifestyle fits my personality perfectly. I love the total freedom. You can work from wherever you want, whenever you want, however you want to. You pick the projects, your rates, your clients… You’re in charge of your life and that is something I could never give up. I travel very frequently and always feel lucky beyond measure when I get to work from anywhere in the world simply with my laptop. However, I don’t like using the word lucky because there was no luck involved. I very consciously created, and worked hard for, the life I live today. On another note, the unpredictability of freelancing is actually a thrill to me. I have total faith that everything will work out best case scenario. I know many people tell me they could not handle the “instability” of freelancing, but it’s an aspect I absolutely adore and thrive off. It keeps me on my toes and life is never boring. Finally, uncapped income, being paid to work on exciting diverse projects, and being able to take a day off whenever I need to? Yes, please!

– And what are the disadvantages?

There are very stressful elements to freelancing that require a very high stress tolerance. You have a responsibility towards your clients, you have to keep them happy, you have to deliver strong results, and there is no one to help you with that – unless you decide to hire an assistant down the line. The unpredictability and instability can also be disadvantages depending on your personality type: unless you work for regular clients who give you regular work, it can be stressful to not know when they next paycheck will be. It’s all on you and that creates a big pressure sometimes. It can also be lonely: you don’t have colleagues, you don’t have anyone that can help you or to whom you can delegate the work you struggle with… You’re completely in charge. And that can be very daunting and stressful at times, which is why developing a growth mindset and regulating your nervous system is absolutely essential. Having no paid time off or sick days is also a drawback.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

Taking time off work when I was going through the worst of my burn out. As someone who barely ever took a day off for the first few years, it was very hard to be forced to take several weeks off this year in order to get back on my feet. It was a very hard time, but it taught me the importance of making time for yourself and to have hobbies and a personal life outside of your work. I am glad that I prioritized my mental health at that point. Burnout is not talked about enough, and the long-term effects it can have on the brain and body are actually terrifying. Luckily, my savings could cover my time off without much stress – so may this be your reminder to save a portion of your earnings for rainy days!

– In order to succeed, freelancers must also possess certain soft skills, such as communication, organization, time management… Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?

Negotiation was definitely a hard soft skill to learn. Since I come from a working-class background, I had to develop an entrepreneur mindset. Stress management and problem solving are also two things I had to learn the hard way, as someone who dealt with a high level of anxiety. But you learn that as you go, by making mistakes, learning from them, and behaving differently.

– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, forums, instructions on freelance platforms or something else?

Making mistakes and learning from them is what’s benefited me the most to become a successful freelancer! I strongly believe that making mistakes is the best way to grow and become successful in the end. I also read a lot of books about success, psychology, and mindset. Two I would particularly recommend are Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill and The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest. I also regularly invest in courses and listen to podcasts every day. Mind your Business by James Wedmore and Manifestation Babe by Kathrin Zenkina are my favourites.

– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

I wouldn’t listen to the cacophony of uninformed opinions. I would raise my rates earlier. I wouldn’t accept some very low-paid jobs at the beginning. But overall, I would actually not change anything because again, you learn by making mistakes and I had to learn the hard way in order to make better decisions.

– What is your biggest motivation?

My biggest motivation is definitely living a life that feels amazing to me, on my own terms, by keeping my freedom: my freedom to travel, to choose the projects I dedicate my energy to, to spend time with my husband, with my family, with my friends, whenever I want to. Freedom is my number one value and what I cherish the most. My second biggest motivation is to constantly surprise myself and inspire others to live life on their own terms, too. I love sharing what I learn through the books I write and my blog.

– What do you love about your job?

I love that it’s constantly evolving and constantly changing. All projects are different. I love that my job feels like an extension of me and truly allows me to grow as an individual too. I’m always learning tons.

– How important is constant professional improvement?

So important! Especially as a business owner. Constant professional improvement helps with fighting imposter syndrome and boosts your confidence. When you stay on top of your game, you’re less scared about competition and losing your clients. All the industries are rapidly evolving and changing, so it’s very important to keep that pace with your skills too.

– What are you most grateful for in your freelance journey?

I’m the most grateful for all the lessons that I could apply to my personal life, too. Being a focused, dedicated person has improved my confidence and my relationship with myself. My laptop lifestyle has allowed me to travel to beautiful places and call them home for a while. I would have never been able to see so much of the world if I were not a freelancer. I’m able to see my friends who don’t live in Paris, and my family whenever I want to. I’m also so grateful for showing myself how much I’m capable of, and that I can do really hard things. The sky is the limit when we have a strong why and we live a life that’s truly aligned with who we are and what we value.

– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

I struggled with that for a long time. I’m a passionate individual and I brought too much of that passion into my multiple jobs. Having strong boundaries is ultimately the best way to maintain a good work life balance as a freelancer. It’s hard to say no to jobs when the more you work, the more you earn money… but we all have to say no at times. It’s even harder when you love what you do. After my burnout, I have now developed a solid structure to my days and I never work past 6pm. Also, my daily yoga is non-negotiable. So, in a nutshell: boundaries and checking in with yourself that your work isn’t taking too much space!

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Developing a success and growth mindset. Read books, listen to podcasts, watch TED talks… You’ll be able to overcome any obstacle.

– What advice would you give your younger self?

You were right to not follow the herd, and to make all the crazy decisions you made! Stay weird and stay authentic to yourself. You can and will do hard things. You will get to live life your way so don’t give up and ALWAYS follow your intuition.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?

Take the leap! Make a list of your reasons why and stay focused on that. Do not listen to everyone’s opinions, protect your energy, and know that anything is possible! Mostly, listen to your gut – it never leads you astray. Finally, don’t forget to have fun and to enjoy it!

Charlotte is a freelance translator and a writer. When she is not traveling, she is based in Paris, France where she lives with her husband and her books. She has been freelancing full time since 2019 and loves inspiring others to follow their big dreams. You can find her on Instagram @roamwithcharlotte.

The post Charlotte Anaïs appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Silvia Pinho, Social Media Manager & Content Creator

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 11:08:22 +0000

Silvia is Social Media Manager & Content Creator for FUN small businesses on UpWork. She was born & raised near Lisbon, in Portugal, and she love all things Disney, cats and videogames. I had the opportunity to talk to her, and these are her answers and advice.

– You studied Fine Arts, what attracted you to that?

I actually studied Multimedia Arts in a Fine Arts school, and what attracted me to it was the fact that I could not only improve my video creation and design skills (which are very useful now), but also learn about creating my own videogames, which I’ve done a fair share of, and am looking to do more of in the future.

– I see you have a cat. How important is a pet for freelancers?

I actually have not one, not two, but three cats! They’re the best, I treat them as my kids, they keep me company most of the time, and sometimes even entertain my clients when they show up on calls.

– Have you had the opportunity to work full time or have you always wanted to be a freelancer?

I never wanted to be a freelancer, because I never knew what it was. I kinda fell into it on accident, loved it, and stuck with it. But no, never had a full time, “real life” job myself.

– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

The fact that I was able to make money on the side of my studies (back then) without having to leave my house…it was a no-brainer! Also, having the flexibility to work anytime, anywhere and do something I love is still to this day what keeps me going.

Social media can encompass a lot of things

– How do you approach failures or setbacks?

I’m not gonna lie, I’m usually pretty hard on myself and tend to get stressed and anxious when I fail or do something short of “perfect”. That being said, it’s something I’m actively working on and hoping to be better at looking at in a more reasonable and rational way in the future.

– What are your success habits?

Honestly, I used to really plan my days to the minute and have very strict boundaries, and it worked pretty well to get the job done, but I found it was compromising my mental health. So I recently switched to a more goal-oriented approach, where I write down my top priorities for the week/day and as long as those get done, I can call it a successful week! Work still gets done, but at my own pace, which feels much better. (I still time block upcoming weeks, just to make sure I have time for all my clients thought)

– How have you decided to become social media manager? Or did it just happen?

It kinda just happened, much like freelancing, by “accident”. I was offering illustrations and designs originally on Upwork, and kept seeing a lot of job posts looking for Virtual Assistants. I didn’t know what that was, but saw I fit the requirements, so I went for it! Eventually, most of my clients needed social media help, so I started doing it, learning more about it and eventually fell in love with it!

– How much would you recommend someone to start a career in social media? Is it a very demanding job?

Social media can encompass a lot of things. I’ll say that creating content for clients can be demanding…depending on the clients. Some are very chill and will love everything you do, while others can be…very picky. The worst is when they don’t know what they want and have you guess it for them. That being said, you can offer other services that don’t involve content creation, such as strategy, engagement or even consulting.

– How much do social media influence today’s business?

I think it’s a crucial part of any business for sure. It gives you a level of credibility, much like having a website, and also allows you to reach new audiences and connect with existing ones. That being said, it is a time-consuming thing, hence why a lot of people look for help in managing their accounts.

I’m proud of the content I create

– Are employers aware of the importance of social media or do you need to educate them about the need to be online?

I find they’re more aware now than they used to be maybe pre-pandemic, for sure, but I sometimes still find myself explaining the value of something to them. That being said, it’s now usually more explaining the value of a full management package vs just content creation (which is the bit they see), rather than explaining why they need to be on social in the first place.

– You are also an online educator? Tell us more about it.

I am! That’s again something I eventually fell into, and honestly have been loving every second of. When I started posting about my journey and services on social media, inevitably people started asking me about it, and I found myself answering the same questions on the daily, so I decided to pivot my content away from promoting my services (since I had Upwork doing that part already) and into educational content for my fellow freelancers. I eventually also started creating courses on how to get started as a freelancer, work on Upwork and even promote yourself on social media, to help them even further (while having an additional stream of income, of course).

– How much do online education and social media have in common? Do these two jobs require different knowledge and skills?

I get to use my social media skills to promote my content and courses, so they have that overlap for sure. I also get to use my marketing knowledge to teach my students how to position themselves and well – market their freelance business. That being said, you do need some additional teaching skills in order to be a good educator, which apparently I have since my students seem to like me!

– Which of these two jobs gives you more pleasure?

Honestly I love both, and like that I get to do them at the same time and have variety in my weeks. And while I’m super proud of the content I create for social media clients and that process is truly fun for me, seeing my students get their first clients and essentially change their lives because of me is a level of fulfilment that I think is unbeatable.

– You have a great Instagram profile and YouTube channel. Which of the two is more demanding to maintain and update?

YouTube for sure. While Instagram “requires” more frequent content, recording a YouTube video takes a lot of time and energy – from scripting to recording, since thankfully I have help in the editing process. That being said, video content is definitely more rewarding to see the final result of, and part take in the creation process.

– And which has brought more benefits to your freelance career?

Probably Instagram at this point, since I do have a bigger audience there, and get to have a closer connection with my followers, which can eventually turn them into clients or students much easier.

Send 1-5 GREAT proposals each day

– Can today’s freelancers make a successful career without promotion in social media?

For sure! I didn’t have social media myself for the first 7 years of my freelancing career, and I did just fine! That being said, I do always recommend choosing 1 social platform and 1 freelancing platform – not more, not less – in order to diversify your lead sources.

– Has today’s social media become more important and influential than a personal website?

Again, I mentioned before that they’re both really helpful to build trust and credibility. That being said, if I could only choose one, I’d go with social media since it allows you to reach more people, again pairing that with a freelancing platform like Upwork where clients can go to in order to hire you (or is that cheating?)

– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your freelance career?

The best advice I got was actually from a client and that was to raise my rates. I’ll never forget that I quoted them on a project and they wanted to pay me more than that since they knew it was worth more. They also advised me to raise my rates with each new client I got, especially in the beginning, to reflect my increased skills.

– And what’s the worst advice you’ve ever got?

This wasn’t given to me personally, but I’ve seen it floating around the internet – to submit A LOT of proposals to jobs each day, in order to have more chances of getting noticed. I definitely think quality trumps quantity anyway, and I’m a big believer that you should send 1-5 GREAT proposals each day, to jobs that you’re genuinely interested in.

– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork?

I’ve tried Fiverr for a while, but only ever sold two gigs there. I know of a lot of people that do well there, so I’m assuming I did something wrong, but eventually gave up since Upwork is enough for me and I’d rather focus on one platform versus many. Again quality over quantity.

– Why has UpWork become your choice?

It was the first platform I was on, back in 2013, therefore the one I have more experience and reputation on, giving me the best results.

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

I’ve mentioned this before, but being able to work at the times that I’m most creative and feel my best, as well as working from home or from anywhere I may be (i.e. while travelling) are definitely the biggest selling points for me.

– And what are the disadvantages?

You’re responsible for everything – no one’s telling you what to do and when, so you do have to manage your own time so you get to everything you need to do. Also it’s usually harder to shut off after work, since you may not have that change in scenario, or if you’re like me you can be tempted to do “just one more task” at the end of the day.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

When I started to hire out and grow my team, that was hard. I’m very frugal and very much a perfectionist, so having to delegate work to someone who may not do as good of a job scared the crap out of me. Thankfully I’ve found a great team that does as good if not even better than me, and I absolutely love working with them.

– There are many freelancers with skills like yours. What makes you stand out and make you more successful?

I like to think my fun vibes – both in my personality and the work I do – are what makes me stand out the most, and what I tend to hear clients rave most often about. I’m also again very much of a hard worker, so I always get things done on time and as best as possible, so there’s some bonus points as well.

I’m a native planner

– To succeed, freelancer must also possess certain soft skills, such as communication, organization, time management … Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?

I’m a native planner, so time management is easy for me (maybe too easy since I tend to overdo it). I’d say the most challenging is communication, not because I don’t love talking to my clients – I truly do – but because of my social anxiety I’m always a bit afraid of saying the wrong thing or coming off as someone who doesn’t know what she’s talking about (when I do).

– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, forums, instructions on freelance platforms or something else?

Online courses have been great, and have taught me not only different skills but also different viewpoints on things. I’m also eternally thankful that I found Upwork when I did, since it essentially introduced me to the world of freelancing, and made it as easy as it could be to start & succeed in my journey.

– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

I’d have charged higher, for sure. I didn’t value my work as much as I should’ve back then, and I left a lot of money on the table by doing that.

– What is your biggest motivation?

My biggest motivation is being able to essentially design a life I love – from my schedule to my workplace and the work I do – while making an impact in others’ lives and businesses.

– How important is constant professional improvement?

It is key, I’m always listening to podcasts and watching educational videos to improve my skills and learn something new.

– What are you most grateful for in your freelance journey?

Again, the fact that I found Upwork and all the clients it introduced me to – some of which I ended up working with for 3-4 years straight.

– Can you give one free tip to all freelancers, how to improve presence on social networks?

Focus on the client, their pain points, and how you solve them. Truth is they don’t care about all the features of your packages, they care more about the end result. Will you save them time? Get them more leads? Increase their ROI? Focus on THAT.

– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

Time blocking, to an extent, is great. Also knowing when you need to stop and honoring that is key for not reaching burnout down the line.

– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?

I’d say video. Being present on video, whether it’s in your Upwork profile, proposals or Instagram stories has been life-changing (or business-changing rather) for me. Video gives you the opportunity to show your personality, while creating a deeper connection and trust with your client, making them more likely to want to work with you!

– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube – which social channel can contribute to the success of freelancers the fastest and most?

I think it truly depends on where your ideal client is the most.

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Definitely knowing what you offer and who you offer it to, as well as what motivates a client to seek out that particular service. This will help you write your content, your profile, and even the proposals you send, while again keeping the focus on the client.

– What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t undervalue yourself. The work you do is great and valuable for the client, so you can safely double your rates and still get hired.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?

Just start. Obviously figure out what you want to offer and all that first, but don’t tell yourself you need to take “one more course” or create a website or this and that before you start. Those are excuses we tell ourselves and they don’t matter. You can learn a lot on the job, you can work on your website while you work with clients, just start today and figure it out as you go – that’s what I did!

The post Silvia Pinho, Social Media Manager & Content Creator appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Mike Lane

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 10:37:53 +0000

The number of different professions that freelancers are engaged in is constantly increasing. We are used to freelance designers, programmers, writers… but not so often to freelance math teachers. And Mike Lane is just that, a math teacher. I had the pleasure to ask him about his life and freelance career.

– Please tell our readers something about you and your interests.

I have two older brothers and a younger sister. We were all born in Texas, but moved around a lot growing up, almost yearly. We put down roots when we moved to Virginia, so I consider that to be home. My mother is from Kentucky; she moved back after my sister graduated high school. My oldest brother lives in Virginia with his wife and kids, my sister lives one town over from mom, and my other brother lives in the same town as mom.

My wife and I live with our son here in Virginia. She is a former teacher and works in the library system in charge of children’s programming and community outreach. I am a full-time virtual teacher. I enjoy listening to audiobooks while driving, building projects with my little monster, and cooking.

– You are a math teacher; did you love math when you were a student?

Fun fact, NO! I was always good at math, but it was one of my least liked subjects, as I did not see much use for it. It is also basically the last subject I thought I would teach, however, in the last seven years of teaching I have come to truly appreciate the subject! One of my main goals is to help students understand the why behind the what. It isn’t enough to just learn the concepts, we need to make sure students understand the importance behind the skills. To help with this I will develop lessons that are real-world based. By real-world, I don’t mean, “Mr. Lane was buying 63 watermelons.” No, instead I strive to build lessons that have real, practical applications. One lesson that comes to mind was when my seventh graders were learning about inequalities. To demonstrate, we spent the day learning about circuit breakers, and how they are a tangible example of how inequalities are used in real life. Almost everyone has experienced overloading a circuit and tripping a breaker, and now my students understand it on a more fundamental level.

I had various jobs in lots of different places

– How did you decide to become a math teacher?

I will be the first person to tell you that I was a terrible student. I cared more about the social aspects of high school instead of the classes, so I did just enough work to keep my grades eligible for sports. I carried that attitude with me to college, and I was twice asked to leave (very politely, of course). So, I struggled for quite a while. I spent a total of six years in the Army, mostly in the Reserves, although I did do a year of active duty at Fort Lee, Virginia. After that I kind of drifted around. I had various jobs in lots of different places: waiter, bartender, bouncer, logistics coordinator, overhead hoist operator, electrical grunt, QAQC Assistant Superintendent building windmills. I was an insurance salesman, a general manager for a gas station, and an assistant manager for a fast-food restaurant. And I realized, “I’m NOT lovin’ it” (pun intended). It was around that time that I found a college that allowed you to take 99% of your classes online, was nationally accredited, and had killer military benefits. So, I started taking classes, and I finally found a learning environment in which I thrived. I was able to work at my pace, and I am very much a “start the project and get finished” kind of guy, so when the course opened on a Monday, I would go on a bender and finish the class by Saturday. Virtual learning allowed me to obtain my degree (four degrees, actually). The only drawback was even though I had a bachelor’s degree, I did not qualify for a teaching license because I hadn’t had the supervised classroom experience.

So, I started working as a Teaching Assistant, serving K4 exceptional learners. While I was gaining valuable experience, I kept looking for a teaching position. I applied to everything, Language Arts, Math, Science, Physical Education. And a school responded by needing a math teacher! They asked me to prepare a sample lesson, and my interview was literally me teaching a 7th grade math concept (surface area of rectangular prisms) to the principal and the math coach. Turns out, all those years of being a bad student have helped me become a good teacher, because I knew how the students were thinking. The principal sponsored me for a provisional teaching license, without which I would not be where I am today. I am licensed to teach math in seven different states now!

– New technologies have affected all professions, is the job of a teacher changing?

Technology is always changing, and it affects all professions. With teaching, I think there is both a significant PRO and a significant CON that is most profound. The pro is the access we now have. We are able to do more, research more, share and collaborate more. I participated in the Rural Math Innovation Network, which connected rural math teachers all across Virginia. There are so so so many amazing teachers out there I never would have had the honor of meeting but for the ever-changing world of technology.

The biggest CON about technology is the detrimental influence social media has on students, particularly middle school students. These “challenges” kids are doing these days are dangerous. Maybe not physically, but the emotional trauma kids are experiencing, the societal pressure to make poor choices, it is truly disheartening to see.

– You are also a military veteran; can you tell us something about that?

I loved serving my country. Most of my time was in the reserves, and I primarily did paperwork in an S1 shop. My military time really helped me learn my organizational skills and attention to detail.

With Upwork, I am building relationships and collaborations that are paying what I feel my profession is worth

– How did you discover freelancing?

I have been fortunate over the past several years to have the opportunity to work on grant-funded projects in education. These projects allowed me to continue growing professionally, and the side money was very helpful! When the funding ended, however, I was at a loss. How could I supplement my income while still continuing to hone my craft? This led me to frequently searching the internet for side jobs in education. One thing led to another, and I kept seeing a common theme, “Work as a freelancer.” So I started researching. Several articles I read talked about freelancers doing well on Upwork, so I decided to give it a try. It has been an amazing three months! One of the chief complaints you hear from teachers is how the pay isn’t reflective of our professional knowledge. With Upwork, I am building relationships and collaborations that are paying what I feel my profession is worth.

– What is the biggest difference between classroom teaching and online teaching?

For me, the biggest difference is the time. As a classroom teacher I would get to school two or more hours before the students. I was often the first person in the building, and it wasn’t uncommon for me to be the last person to leave. I can remember several times when I wouldn’t leave until well past midnight. With virtual teaching, I am fortunate enough to have found a company that truly believes in self-care. They have entire teams building and perfecting the curriculum, it is the educational version of “plug and play”. I see my family so much more now.

– What are the biggest challenges of online teaching?

Virtual teaching can be lonely. You miss the connections you build with the students, your coworkers, the community.

– What are your success habits?

For teaching – continuous improvement. What we know about how students learn is always changing, so you have to always be willing to adapt your methods. I am a huge fan of productive struggle, pushing your students out of their comfort zones, but still supporting them so they don’t crash.

For freelancing – Daily monitoring. I check the app probably a dozen times a day using the “Best Matches” feature to look for work. If I see something I like, I submit a proposal. If I don’t see anything I like, oh well! There will be something next time!

– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

My goal is to build a client base that will allow me to cover my monthly expenses from freelancing part time, so that my full time pay can go straight to savings.

Don’t sell yourself short

– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your freelance career?

Make sure your profile picture shows your character, have patience, and KNOW YOUR WORTH! When I was building my profile, I spent a looooooooong time considering what to put as my hourly rate. I settled on $50/hour based on a project I had recently finished building lesson plans. Each lesson plan took (on average) about five hours, and I was getting paid $250 each, so I figured, why not? So don’t sell yourself short. If you believe your work merits the price, ask for it. Just be certain that you deliver.

– And what’s the worst advice you’ve ever got?

Take any job offered to build a profile. If you are not going to enjoy the work, don’t accept it.

– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork?

Nope!

– Why has UpWork become your choice?

Honestly, it was the first one I found, but I am having a blast using it so I don’t feel the need to expand my horizons!

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

Freelancing has given me more freedom and flexibility, a stronger sense of control.

– And what are the disadvantages?

Sometimes a client “feels” fishy. I only submit proposals to jobs that have the “Payment Verified” designator, and I make sure to report any client that tries to break the terms of service, such as trying to work off-platform.

– Are you still teaching, or have you become a full-time freelancer?

I am a full-time teacher and part-time freelancer.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

When to say no. There are jobs out there that are easy to do, but can quickly become very time consuming. I have had to set boundaries for myself. I like to use the “gas station” standard: If I can earn the same amount of money in the same amount of time working at a gas station then this is not a project I should accept.

I can attribute my success to the experiences and lessons learned from working in the classroom

– To succeed, freelancer must also possess certain soft skills, such as communication, organization, time management … Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?

Thankfully all of the soft skills needed for teaching coincide with the soft skills needed with freelancing, so the transition has not been a struggle for me.

– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, forums, life experience or maybe your military background?

The majority of my freelance work has been centered around educational topics, such as tutoring, assessment creation, and consulting. I can attribute my success to the experiences and lessons learned from working in the classroom, and the opportunities that came with.

– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently in your life?

I would try and do a better job planning and setting goals.

– What is your biggest motivation?

My little monster! I want to make sure I do what I can to take care of him, make sure he is safe and knows his mother and I love him and want the nest for him.

– What do you like most about teaching?

Knowing that I helped someone be a better person.

– How has COVID and lockdown affected your personal and professional life?

I have grown closer to my son, gotten the chance to know him better. Professionally, I truly believe if it were not for the lockdown I would still be in the same school, teaching the same thing, and not doing freelance work. While it has been a horrible time for everyone, there have been some silver linings.

– What is the best way to organize freelance jobs, regular job, and private life?

Scheduling! We don’t have access to good internet, so I have to rent an office in town (for now at least). Juggling my job, my freelance work, my wife’s job, it can be a bit of a struggle. The best advice I can give is get a paper calendar and actually use it. Put it somewhere visible and be sure to update it regularly.

– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you as a teacher and freelancer?

Flexibility – I had a drill sergeant that would say, “The best laid plans go out the window as soon as the first shot goes downrange.” That is something I have always kept in mind. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I was driving to school and realized a better (sometimes) way to teach something, that I thought would resonate more with my students, so I scrapped the lesson plans I had written and started over. Or even revised and adapted between classes. There are so many factors that influence everything we do, and most of them are out of our control. Just roll with it and do you.

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Be confident. You are the one who knows you are a professional, so it is your job to show the client why they should pick you. I have one client who decided to interview me because my proposal was, “the only one that sounded like a real person who actually knew what they were talking about.”

– What advice would you give your younger self?

Eat more salads, drink more water, nothing good ever happens after 2am.

– Do you think freelancing will change the way of teaching in the future? Or has the future already begun?

I don’t think freelancing will change the future of teaching.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career.

Don’t give up. I didn’t get a response to my first couple dozen proposals, but I kept trying

The post Mike Lane appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Momoko Takahashi, freelancing is a double-edged sword

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 09:08:32 +0000

Freelance Life Magazine always tries to present you interesting freelancers and their stories, this time we have the pleasure to present Momoko, translator and content writer on the UpWork platform.

Science and art are symbiotic

– Tell us something about yourself.

Currently, I live in Malta, a super sunny island close to Sicily. It has beautiful beaches, warm people, and delicious food. I live with my husband and my daughter who is going to have her 1st birthday soon.

I grew up in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It is a very busy and crowded city, and the thing I miss the most about Dhaka is my friends and the street food. I have also lived in Japan, Ireland, and Denmark. My father is from Bangladesh, and my mother is from Japan. So, when I was growing up, me and my family used to travel back and forth between Japan and Bangladesh.

I completed my bachelor’s degree in Bangladesh, and by that time, I was dying to go out of the country and to explore the world. It finally became possible when I was hired by an Irish company to work for the Japanese market. Then I moved to Ireland and lived there for two years. During this time, I met my husband, who is from Denmark. Therefore, we moved to Denmark together. We were planning to stay in Denmark for a while, but I found out that there were not many jobs in Denmark for Japanese speakers, so we moved to Malta.

– You studied genetic engineering and biotechnology, but also photography. How did you combine science and art?

It might seem like art and science are somehow against each other, but I think you can find art in science, and, without the help of science, art would be very boring or one-dimensional. So, I could say science and art are symbiotic (science term!). I get goosebumps when I go to an art museum and stand in front of a magnificent painting, but when I look into a microscope and see the utterly breathtaking beauty of a plant cell, I get the same goosebumps. Also, my foundation in Physics helped me quite a bit when I first joined a beginner photography class – there were many scientific things we had to learn, starting from how light rays are bent, how cameras work, aperture, exposure, and so on.

– Apart from work, what are your other interests?

In my free time, I love reading, taking photos, and exploring the neighborhood.

I love reading both fiction and non-fiction and am especially into reading short stories with a good character study.

I tend to combine my exploration of the neighborhood with photography, and it helps to appreciate the beauty in small details of seemingly ordinary alleys and streets. It is amazing how different the same location can appear, depending on factors such as the time of the day or the weather.

I enjoy content writing projects

– Which has been more valuable in your career, your education, or your experience?

To be honest, I have not done any work related to what I majored in (Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology), so you can guess – it was definitely my experience. However, I would say this, the fact that I have a college degree, has helped me tremendously in opening new doors of opportunities. So, I am happy that I did not quit my college, even though I wanted to give up on college halfway through (as I realized that I did not want to work in my area of study).

– How did you get started, what was your first job?

My first job after graduating college was in Ireland. I was very eager to go out of the country I grew up in, so I can explore the world and expand my perspective. So, I started applying to anything and everything I could find on the internet that provided visa and relocation support to Japanese speakers. One day, a company from Ireland replied back to me – it was a sales job, and I could move to Ireland through this job. The job entailed calling and writing to Japanese businesses and selling novelty products to them. It was always night shift due to the differences in time zones, but I was highly motivated and determined to do well. In the beginning, I was scared out of my wits, because I have never studied anything business-related in my life, let alone ‘sales(!)’. We had to reach challenging weekly sales targets and most people who joined with me did not pass their probation periods due to not being able to reach the sales target. But I did everything in my power to improve, and within a few months, I was the top sales agent in the team.

– What are the challenges of a translator’s job?

I think the most common challenges are

Specialized topics (e.g., computing, academic writing, legal, etc.)
Difficult to understand source materials (bad handwriting, dialects, terms specific to certain regions)
Tight deadlines
Having to learn different platforms to work in
Understanding language nuances and subtleties and make sure it reaches the target audience

– What is the mistake you have learned the most from in your career?

I think I have always been a bit shy of asking questions, always trying to solve things on my own, and try to figure things out without taking help from others. But time and time again, I am reminded that trying to figure out everything on your own and avoiding asking questions (no matter how silly it might appear to you) is highly unsustainable, and tragically inefficient.

When I first started freelancing, I was very careful of the way I appeared to my clients (very few first clients), in terms of skills. One of the tasks required me to figure out some technical aspects of a specific online software. I researched for days using every available source, and still could not figure it out. So, finally I asked the client if he could show me how to do it, (thinking in my head that they must be so disappointed and would probably ask me to stop working on the project). It turned out there was an error in the system, and they were happy I noticed it, so they fixed it, and came back to me, and the issue was solved in a matter of minutes! All I had to do was ‘Ask!’.

I also realized that most clients do not expect you to know everything from the start. They also prefer someone who might not know everything, but is eager to learn and improve, rather than someone who does not ask questions, and does everything on their own.

– What is your biggest motivation?

My biggest motivation is the feeling I get when I am able to complete a project successfully even when it is challenging. Every time I receive an offer to work on a project that seems ‘way beyond my league’, I try to assess, if there is a way for me to push myself beyond my limits and work on it – if the answer is yes, I take it on wholeheartedly and give everything in my power, even though it might mean going to bed late, and having to miss out on a few meetings with friends. It is because, once you have overcome that challenge, it means you will not be afraid to work on something similar in the future, and the next time it is going to be a whole lot easier.

– What do you enjoy more, the job of a translator or content writing?

I enjoy content writing more because it allows me to have room for creativity and freedom. Translator jobs can be fun as well, if it is a topic I am interested in. For example, there was a project I worked on, where I had to translate and explain Japanese comedy videos. How fun it is that you get paid for watching comedy videos and translate the content so that someone else can laugh along with you! However, translating projects that are fun are few and in between. So, most times, I enjoy content writing projects more.

I have always been motivated by working

– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had left my last job because the company was moving to Japan, and it required me to relocate to Japan if I wanted to keep my job. I was not aware how difficult it can be to find a new job when you are pregnant. I have had interviews that went perfectly well, and the interviewers seemed super hyped to take me on to the team, and then the moment I mentioned my pregnancy, they would send a vague email later stating that they cannot hire me.

I have always been motivated by working, and I was losing my mind not being able to work. I was 4 months pregnant when I opened my Upwork account, hoping that I will be able to find ‘something’ to do. For the first few months, there was nothing. Then finally after a few months, I got my first project on Upwork, and I did not have to look back since then. When I started freelancing, I did it as a necessity, but now, I do it besides having my full-time job, and a 11-month-old baby – only because I enjoy it.

– Do you have experience with any other platforms?

I have done a few freelance styles works before Upwork, but the set up was informal and not on any official platforms. For official platforms, I do not have experience outside Upwork, but someday I would like to try out different platforms as well. For now, I am quite happy with the jobs and clients I have in Upwork.

– Why has UpWork become your choice?

To be honest, I decided to focus only on one platform and to strengthen my profile as much as possible; otherwise, I think I will be stretched out too thin. Also, my experience in Upwork has been for the most part, very positive. I also had a case of an unresponsive client, and the customer support at Upwork has been quite helpful. I do wish that Upwork fees were a bit lower, or there was some way to make up for the portion of the earnings we pay to the platform, but I think any platform takes some kind of fees, so it is something I just have to accept and move on.

– How important are platforms like UpWork for finding new customers?

I think it is extremely important, depending on what kind of field you work in. Also, for someone like me, who is very busy with the family, there is not enough time to invest in networking and finding clients. This is where platforms like Upwork are very useful. Another great thing about Upwork is that it allows the freelancers to know their clients before sending a proposal, such as verification of payment, reviews from other freelancers, and other projects by the client.

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

I have a full-time job (work from home) and I do freelance as my ‘side hustle’. There are many advantages to this and below are few:

It helps me to always be in a state of growth in terms of career, knowledge, skills, and networking. Working for different clients through freelancing means I am able to learn how to use different platforms, and software’s, and also to be comfortable doing various types of work. For example, I am comfortable using Slack, Todoist, Teams, Zoom, Google sheets, buttercms, freedcamp, Loft, Loom, Workbench, Zendesk, and many other programs that I would not even hear the name of if I was not doing freelancing.
It gives me the peace of mind that if we were to relocate to a different country or to change jobs, I would have at least one source of income where I can earn enough to sustain our family.
I can choose what type of projects I want to work on, and when. If I have a month where I am on a long vacation, all I have to do is make sure I don’t take up new projects with tight deadlines. On the other hand, if I want to make a little extra money to buy my family a gift, and I have some extra time, I can choose to work more than usual. It gives you far more control on your working style and schedule when you are freelancing.

– And what are the disadvantages?

Freelancing is a double-edged sword, and as much as the benefits are great, there are some serious disadvantages. Below are some of the main disadvantages that I have to overcome as a freelancer:

In general, pay is unbelievably low. Sometimes you wonder how someone can feel ‘okay’ paying so low for a task that requires so much work! It is important to be careful not to take on projects where you might be underpaid. That being said, these extremely low-pay projects might be the ones you have to take on to build up your profile.
As if the low pay was not bad enough, you then have to pay 20% Upwork fees, so then you end up with an even smaller pay for your hard work.
To maintain top freelancer status, there are certain criteria to maintain, for example, having a certain amount of earning each year, having good ratings, etc. and it is always an ongoing process. So, you have to constantly keep on working and maintaining a top freelancer status in Upwork.
Some projects require you to pass test tasks which might or might not be paid for. Looking for new clients and projects, and then sending proposals can be time-consuming. (And also costs you ‘connects’.)
There is no ‘real’ security when it comes to freelancing tasks, so you can never rely on just one or two clients. This is because if something happens to the projects on the client’s side, you lose the job, and there is not much to do from your end.
For most projects, there is no ‘work culture’, or benefits that you can find in non-freelancing jobs. For example, you might be working as a team on the same project with other freelancers, but you will never meet them face-to-face. The most you might know about your team members might be just a line with their names and contact details in a Google sheet. Also, there are no employee benefits.

– What do you love most about your job?

What I love the most about my job is the fact that I get to work in so many diverse types of projects, with people from all over the world, and learn new things. It always keeps things interesting. For example, I have clients from Canada, Japan, Europe, India, Turkey, USA, and so on. I also get to work on different types of projects from different industries -data annotation for social media content, data analyzation of customer reviews, transcription of videos about fitness, Japanese dance, comedy, gaming streams, translation of legal documents, content creation for the coffee industry, and so on.

– How do you organize your time?

When I did not have my baby yet, it was easy to organize my time, working when I could, as much as possible, and making sure to have a time of the day, for example, the evening free from doing any work. This meant turning off notifications from various types of channels through which the clients might contact me, because once you read the message, you are tempted to get back to work, and it can kind of create a havoc in work-life balance. However, now that I have an 11-month-old to take care of, it is quite difficult to manage my time. I work when my baby is sleeping or playing on her own, making sure that I get enough sleep and at least a day off during the week when I do not do any work.

My greatest strength is my resilience

– If you could start your career again, what would you do differently?

I think I would have liked to have a degree in Japanese languages, linguistics, or become a certified translator. There are some specific fields in translations that pay very well, for example medical, academic research, or legal. I would like to study something related to these fields.

Also, I would like to build a proper and complete home office. Right now, I am working on a tiny secondhand laptop that is almost 10 years old. It is painstakingly slow, and ineffective. I would love to invest in having a proper work desk, a fully-fledged personal computer, and a good recording environment, as it will allow me to take on recording jobs, and be able to do simultaneous translations of online meetings and interviews.

– What do you think is your greatest strength?

I think my greatest strength is my resilience. Even when things are very difficult, I do not give up. I press on.

– And greatest weakness?

My greatest weakness is that I overthink. I am working on it, but as they say old habits die hard, it is quite difficult to not overthink. For example, I would be spending a lot of time worrying about certain projects, and if I should have phrased something I had said to a client differently.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

It was during the first few months of my freelancing journey. At that time, I was working for only two or three clients, and I had a very good client who was actually my first client on Upwork. Although in the very beginning I was very happy to work for whatever he was offering me in terms of remuneration, I realized that other clients were offering more for the same work. I was torn between whether I should keep on working at the same rate or if I should bring this up to the client. I was scared to damage a very good relationship that we had built and losing this client could mean I will lose 60% of my work in Upwork at that time. For a few weeks I kept on working at the same rate, not asking for a raise, but then I realized that the thought of being somewhat underpaid was always burning at the back of my mind – it affected the quality and motivation of my work. Then I finally brought it up to the client, and he was very happy to raise the rate to the price I was asking for. I still work for this client, and he has been one of the best clients on Upwork; I am very happy that I decided to pluck out the courage to talk about this openly with the client.

– What are you most grateful for in your freelance journey?

My freelancing journey has given me the courage and confidence to be comfortable in taking on new types of work and to work with people from all over the world. Before freelancing, I would shy away from types of work that entailed doing something that was new to me, or I did not have enough knowledge about. Freelancing has changed that forever, now I am even more interested in taking on projects that are new to me, because I know that it is very possible to learn new skills and become knowledgeable about new topics, and that if I work hard enough, I can succeed even in things that might seem impossible in the beginning.

Most important characteristic is to be hardworking

– What advice would you give to someone starting out?

When you begin freelancing, remember that it is not going to be easy, it is going to take time, and you will have to work hard to get to where you want to be in freelancing. Many crash courses and freelance trainers promise you success in a week, and that you can become rich very quickly through freelancing. I don’t think that could not be further from the truth, at least for the majority of us.

During my first months of opening my Upwork account, there were days when I would send out proposals after proposals (but at the same time, afraid that I was wasting my ‘‘Upwork connects’), then not hear back from anyone. I have cried. I was this close to giving up, to never check my Upwork feed because it was too frustrating. It made me feel like a failure.

However, I kept on learning more and more about Upwork, how it all works, how to write effective proposals, and which job postings to apply to. I read articles, watched videos, went to reddit and Quora and read what other freelancers were saying. Then slowly, with time, I started to apply the things I have learned, and after a few months, I finally realized the small details of what I was doing wrong.

When I got my first project, I gave it all I had in my power, and made sure that it was the best piece of article I have ever written. Once I got the knack of writing an effective proposal, I started to get responses from other clients. So, my number one advice would be please, please, please, do not give up, be patient, and keep on working on how you can improve your performance in freelancing.

I would also like to share a little bit about how my proposals started to get responses from clients, as I feel like it was the most crucial point at the beginning of my freelancing journey. In the beginning, I was writing short, generic proposals, and never got responses from any clients. What worked was when I started to put in effort into writing each proposal, just pretending in my head that I was getting paid for writing the proposal or that the proposal was part of the project (I mean, you’ve got to find some way to keep yourself motivated, right?!)

The proposals I sent out were long, divided into sections – for example, in the beginning I would start with an introduction section, then my language abilities section, my work ethics section, and then ‘why I think I am a perfect fit for your project’ section. I made sure that the proposals were personal, (I always look at other freelancer’s reviews of the client, and then if I can find the name of the client, I make sure to start my message as ‘Dear/Hi _name of the client), and that it showed how ‘desperately’ I wanted to work on the project, and that I will be serious about the job if I get it.

Another thing that helps me to make my proposals better is that, if I see the client is Japanese, I write an English proposal, but also include a Japanese version of the proposal below, this already gives a practical proof of my bilingual abilities to the client).I also attach samples of my past work if I have any that is relevant to the job I am applying to. So, the second advice is, send out a good number of proposals, but make sure that each one is made especially for the job you are applying to (not copy pasted), and it shows how much getting the job means to you.

The third advice is learning how your freelancing platform works. Not just the main things, but the small details too. For example, it made a huge difference when I learned how to decide whether or not to apply to a job. On Upwork, this meant learning which information I really need to take into consideration about a certain job posting. For example, how long ago the job was posted, how many people have already applied for the job, whether the client is already interviewing someone, if the client has already hired someone, etc.

The fourth advice is to build trust in the client. The client does not know anything about you, other than the fact that you are a freelancer. Ask the client questions – what are his/her expectations from the project, is there a deadline, is there any concern the client might have, is it better to have a call to discuss the project better, etc. Then try your utmost best to respect your client’s expectations. You have one thing to gain the trust of the client, and that is the quality of your work, so give it your all and take it as seriously as possible.

– What skills would you recommend new freelancers to learn?

It really depends on your expertise, but there is some work on freelancing platforms that are especially open to beginners from any field. Some of them are as follows:

Data Entry
Transcription
Content writing
Virtual Assistant
Customer Service

I would also suggest that if you are going to learn a new skill, learn it to develop a skill that you are interested in, or feel like you are good at. On freelancing platforms, most fields have lots of competition and to stand out in the crowd, you have to be either good at, or love (or at least enjoy to a certain degree) doing the job you are applying for.

– What are your success habits?

Finding the time of the day when I feel most productive/creative and getting most of my work done during that time. For me this time tends to be early morning. So even if I am tempted to stay up late and work when my baby is sleeping, I make sure to go to bed, get enough sleep, and wake up early and work during the early morning hours.
Checking in with clients throughout the project. For example, if I start working on a project and it has a deadline of a couple of days, I contact the client every two-three day to let him know of my progress and ask if there is anything the client would like to add.
Not to let a negative experience with a specific client or my proposal being rejected affect me for a long time. After all we are humans, and of course something like that is going to feel pretty bad. If it is difficult for me to get over something like that, I take a day or two off, spend some time doing what I love, and come back to work.
Tracking the projects I am working on and to keep record of my past projects.

– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?

Hard work
Consistency
Having a dedicated time and space for your freelancing work
Not staying in your comfort zone for too long
Good communication
To know your worth
Not giving up when things get hard

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

I think the most important characteristic is to be hardworking. To be hard working is not to kill yourself working day and night for a bad client who underpays you. It is to always be vigilant for new opportunities and to snatch it when it comes your way. It is to be consistent in the quality of your work, it is to keep promises you make to your clients, and to give your best to the projects you have on your hand.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?

If you are starting out your freelancing career, be prepared to work very hard for a few months, at least until you have more than one client who gives you constant work and has a good relationship with you. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, slow, and tough in the beginning, but in the end, it is going to be worth it.

The post Momoko Takahashi, freelancing is a double-edged sword appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Miroslav Trifonov – 3D, video, and graphic freelance designer

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 29 May 2022 12:09:43 +0000

Miroslav Trifonov is successful 3D, video, and graphic designer from Bulgaria. He is a Top Rated Plus freelancer who you can hire on the UpWork platform. If you need services in 3d product modeling and visualizations, pre visualizations, interior visualizations, floor plan modeling, 3d package visualizations, 2d artworks, video edit and high class web development, he is the right person for you. I recently had a chance to talk to him. I believe that his advice and messages can help many to advance their freelance careers.

Art holds a special place in my life

– Please tell me something about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, what school did you finish, etc. …

I was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 35 years ago. Considering the fact that it is the second biggest city in our country, you can have some good opportunities here.

I have studied art at various art schools since 1st grade. I graduated Highschool of Arts and The Art Academy in Plovdiv with master’s degree.

– Love of art usually appears very early, when did you start to be interested in art?

At my early age I considered art as nothing more than an opportunity not to study complicated disciplines. I was not good at math for example, but the art was OK.

Years had to pass before my realization that there is an entirely different dimension to the world of art. But still – the visual work I did at that point I cannot consider as art. Art holds a special place in my life, and it is not that much of a professional work.

– Is 3d modeling and visualizations a continuation of artistic interest, or is it a step aside?

I would say it’s a continuation, because during the years in high school, me and my friends already had access to visual art creations software like 3ds max, CorelDraw, Photoshop, etc. And it was pretty interesting of course, because it gives you the opportunity to do everything you want- as if you are playing a game. Much more interesting and futuristic. It is like an open doorway to new options and fields of work.

– Which has been more valuable in your career, your education or your self-improvement and experience?

Everything I know about the processes that I work with I have learned for myself. Including all the software, techniques, managing projects, employers, selling yourself as a service, etc. But I am sure that all the years in school, working with colors, compositions, shapes, lights and shadows and everything that you learn develops your sense of aesthetics that you need to have in your professional work as a 3d visual artist. There would be a huge gap between the results I can achieve now and the final results that I would have achieved if I didn’t have a professional degree in arts.

You have to be extremely persistent

– How did you learn all the necessary skills, at the academy or did you have to work on your own improvement?

I didn’t learn how to work on a computer in the academy. I learned that all by myself. In the early years between 2004 – 2007 me and some friends exchanged CDs with tutorials for 3d Maya and 3ds MAX. Of course, I did not work professionally as a 3d artist at that time, but it was all a good foundation for what was to come next. After that I was able to find everything I needed on YouTube, so I continue to develop my skills using the platform.

– Have you had the opportunity to work full time, or have you always wanted to be a freelancer?

When I was a student, I had to work all kinds of jobs to be able to handle life. The years after my graduation I worked full time but not as a visual artist. My first earnings as a freelancer were mostly some small side tasks I found online. And this happened once per year.

– What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

A friend told me about this web platform where people all over the world post their offered work and you can bid and be selected to work for money. This was Elance.com I believe in 2009. I registered my portfolio and started bidding on projects showing my skills at that time. And of course, nobody contacted me, because I didn’t have a good portfolio, I didn’t have the right approach and most importantly I didn’t have any rating. But I saw this as an opportunity because I didn’t like my regular jobs. And I was always relying on someone else but not myself. At that time all I wanted was to rely on my own skills and my attitude and be able to build something all by myself. I wanted to have that freedom. This was the main motivation element.

– In addition to 3ds MAX, zBrush, Maya, you also use CorelDraw. Is there still a demand for CorelDraw, despite the influence of Illustrator?

If there is some simple vector task, I still prefer to work with Corel, because it is simplified and I can achieve the same good results as illustrator. Illustrator is a more powerful tool and when I need it, I work with it.

– What are your success habits?

You have to be extremely persistent. I can write down 100 pages with actions you must apply in your life so you can follow what your passion is. But if I have to tell you one single word, it would be “persistent”.

When I first registered on Elance.com in 2009, I started sending offers to potential clients and nobody messaged me for almost 3 years. But for 3 years I kept sending offers. And not only on Elance but a few others similar platforms. Then in early 2012 I received the first email reply, and I did a test project. Unsuccessful test project.

When you want to do something, don’t wait until you know all about it. Just start. In my experience, “Learning-by-doing” is the best way you can proceed. You have to make a decision about what you want to do and decide how you want to start doing it. No matter right or wrong. Performance – persistence – progression. Walking that path will enable you to start optimizing your performance and set it up better for your purposes. Lots of people realize what they actually have to do but do not realize how much time it will cost them, and they quit. If you don’t quit, you will succeed. But you have to know that if you want to do what you like to do, you have to work twice as much as everyone else.

All depends on my actions

– What was the best advice you got at the beginning of your freelance career?

Unfortunately, the best advice were mostly negative comments like “You have to find a regular job” or “You can only do this temporary”. OK, let’s try and see.

– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork?

I started with Elance in 2009. А few years later Elance migrated to UpWork.

At the beginning I tried a few different platforms and Elance was the one that worked. So, I focus all my efforts there.

– Why has UpWork become your choice?

UpWork is always reliable. I have great support. I have great opportunities as my profile grows. I have an awesome way to present my skills.

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

I have to rely on myself.

This means that whether I’m winning or losing, it all depends on my actions or lack of them and there is no one else to blame but me. This develops a high level of strong discipline that helps me not only in my professional life, but also in other aspects of life – sport, personal life, side projects, etc.

– And what are the disadvantages?

I have to rely on myself

The biggest disadvantage is I cannot take breaks longer than the weekend. I have to be always focused searching for the next task that will make all the established processes work.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

When things started to work well in terms of projects and multiple clients I had to start thinking out of my small box and try to predict what happens next. I had to switch from one mindset to another. How do you delegate responsibilities? How do you target employers, how do you select candidates, how do you organize and manage the work at this next level, and how do you invest your earnings well? These are all things I didn’t know I’ll have to face. But once again, you have to see it in front of your door and consider it as a chance to grow. And start doing it.

– What do you love about your job?

No one can ask me why I’m late at the office.

– There are many freelancers with skills like yours. What makes you stand out and make you more successful?

I know tons of artists with skills and knowledge better than mine. I hire artists with better skills than mine. And they usually struggle in their professional life. I mentioned a lot of this above, but if you want to do what you love, you have to work twice as much as everyone else.

A lot of the freelancers work from home and most of the people in the home office have problems focusing their attention on the work. I worked from home for more than 5 years in 2012-2018 and never had that problem. I consider this as a personal quality.

Rent office. Not some shared workspace with a bunch of people that will still distract you from your work. Hire your own place, arrange it in your own style, buy more computers even if you have work that can be done only by you at that point. You still don’t have a boss, but you have to be at the office 1 hour earlier than all the people that have a boss. And stay 3 hours more. Split your 12-hour working day into 3 workdays. I can assure you that you can handle the work for 3 days in just 10-12 hours.

And in the period when you don’t have assigned projects – improve your communication skills, search for projects, work on your portfolio. And very important – create a list with all the clients you had till now, including their emails and date when you contacted them last. In the tough times you will go through old contacts and message them. You cannot imagine how many projects I worked on that way. People usually forget that you exist. Remind them.

And if you have clients from your local areas, organize your meetings in this office. There are a lot of people that you can collaborate with.

I wouldn’t change anything

– In order to succeed, a freelancer must also possess certain soft skills, such as communication, organization, time management … Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?

For me, one of the most challenging skills is the communication approach to my potential clients in different situations. There are usually patterns that you have to follow, and you can somehow find your way of doing it, but I strongly recommend finding some professional lectures and advice in this particular field. This can help you a lot.

– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, forums, instructions on freelance platforms or something else?

I have to say that it is my persistent efforts. There are a lot of important courses, advice opportunities, and books that you want to cover, but these are all side notes that will improve your performance. They are not fundamental for me.

– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

Looking back in time, I can see that every step was there to give me a lesson and to show me something I have to understand and improve. For me learning by doing is the best way to do things. If I had to choose, I would choose to learn from success and not from mistakes, but there is no way to do that. So, I wouldn’t change anything.

– What is your biggest motivation?

Not to waste my life complaining about doing things I don’t like.

– How important is constant professional improvement?

Professional improvement happens when you are ready to take the next step. If you don’t improve, you will stay in one place. In order to grow professionally you have to improve personal and professional skills.

Get out of your comfort zone

– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

The best way for me to organize jobs and private life is to have a schedule.

When I started covering multiple tasks, I had to write them down because it was hard to remember, and I started creating a daily schedule for my work. Some time after that I realized that this schedule also has to include time of the day for the different tasks. This gave me huge optimization in the work processes.

If you want to be successful, you have to have a simple and slim schedule. My schedule includes personal tasks and time for my family during the work periods. There is nothing wrong adding “Meet my grandma” in your daily plans and then going back to work.

– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?

– Get up early.
– Don’t waste time. You don’t have much of it.
– Add sport activities in your daily routine. Sports people have better mental shape, better focus and sharpness of mind.
– Optimize your time management.
– Try to establish successful daily habits related to the work process.
– When you start to feel insecure, quit thinking and continue according to your schedule.
– Keep yourself busy no matter the day of the week and the amount of projects you have. There are always things to do and improve.

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Consider your job as a real job that can change your life.

– What advice would you give your younger self?

It would not be related to professional life. It would be personal advice.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career.

Get out of your comfort zone. It is worth it.

The post Miroslav Trifonov – 3D, video, and graphic freelance designer appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Saga Vigre Bohinen

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 22 May 2022 14:11:33 +0000

It is usually expected that a freelancer’s path to success is a long one. But Saga Vigre Bohinen, a freelance writer, social media and video editor, is proof that even as a young person you can make some of your dreams come true.

She grew up in South of Sweden dreaming of becoming a dancer. As I child, Saga loved reading, writing and dancing but also being in nature a lot. Growing up on a farm she sort of took it for granted, but now she really appreciate the freedom and nature she experienced growing up.

The more I learn, the more I want to learn

I see that you have studied some different topics – Language studies, Political science, Web Development, Academic Writing. Have your interests changed, or has something else influenced it?

University is free in Sweden, which is amazing! So I have studied many different topics to learn about things that interest me. I mainly studied whilst working to really maximise the use of my time, since I think the pace at University is a bit slow.

Funny enough I use the experience from all of my studies in my daily life, and I think University or learning is incredible important. The more I learn, the more I want to learn and I love to see how all different topics connect and create our world we live in. My interests are still the same, but I love learning new things, so studying is a way for me to learn more whilst gaining new interests!

But writing seems to be your greatest love?

I always wanted to write and have done so since I was very little. Writing and literature, to me, goes hand in hand and language is my favourite way to express myself. With language we can create ourselves, limit ourselves, and experience life in a whole new way.

Words and writing are also a source of culture, history, tradition, and psychology and that is my favourite part about writing. That it crosses into all these different aspects of life.

If I am copywriting for a big brand psychology and length are very important factors, if I am writing a blog post flow and SEO might be much more important. So it all connects and if you know one thing, chances are you can use that thing you know when learning something new!

You have lived and worked in several countries. Tell us about that experience.

I never really liked travelling because I found it made me exhausted and I never really got to experience anything that felt real. So when I got the opportunity to instead live in different countries I was very happy.

Living and working in different countries gave me a whole new appreciation and understanding of the culture, people and everyday life. There is nothing like being able to experience everyday life as a true local in a foreign country.

I also found learning languages much easier whilst living in the country, and walking down a street, trying to do everything you normally do, but where no one speaks your language is a very humbling experience.

How did you decide to stay in New Zealand?

I am in New Zealand because of the opportunities to do modelling and acting here, and also because my partner is from here. New Zealand is a small country so it offers opportunities that can be very hard to come by otherwise.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my spare time I practice yoga, read as many books as I can, hike and swim (year around). I love movement, nature and literature so that is how I spend most of my time.

What was the last good book you read?

I have read so many good books… But the last book I read (that was also very good) was not a novel, but a book called “How Not to Diet” by Dr. Michael Greger which I recommend everyone to read.

You can live the life you dream of

You have a very interesting YouTube channel, how did you decide to start it?

I tried starting my YouTube channel twice but I struggled a bit with how to communicate my thoughts. I wanted to start a YouTube channel to share my experiences and what I have learnt.

I have struggled with depression and anxiety for many years, and because of this I have spent years learning how to live a better, more compassionate, ethical and meaningful life. And I really want other people to know that you can live the life you dream of – so that is what inspired my channel.

But the focus of your career is writing?

I don’t really have any career goals or focus in my career. My only goal is to learn more. I could probably be more niched, but I prefer learning new things and doing things I have never done before, so I try to only accept jobs that allow me to do so.

What are the topics you like to write about?

I write about everything from tech start ups to beauty blogs to learning guides, every job is different.

What was the weirdest topic you ever wrote about?

A sound-theme quiz book. It was my first ever freelancing job…

Have you ever refused to write about something for any reason?

Yes, I often do not take jobs because of the content. I do not like making claims about health that are not based on good research, and I also do not like making people want to buy something because they are not good enough. Those jobs I always turn down.

What is the mistake you have learned the most from in your career?

To charge what you deserve. In the beginning I did not charge enough for what I was doing, because I was scared there would not be enough work. I wrote that whole quiz-book for less than what my hourly rate now is. Needless to say, it was a long mistake… So now I always make sure I ask for the right pay.

Freelancing was always something I wanted to do

What influenced you the most to start freelancing?

I felt a bit stuck in my work-life. I knew I did not want to work for someone else but I did not really know what else to do. Freelancing was always something I wanted to do, I just did not know how to go about it.

Why has UpWork become your choice?

One of my friends told me to try UpWork and within a week I quit my regular job. I find UpWork has so many jobs to choose from and as long as you only go with real, trustworthy clients it is a great platform.

Do you have experience with any other platforms?

Not really. Sometimes I also used LinkedIn or Social Media!

What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

Getting to work from home, and being able to live anywhere in the world!

And what are the disadvantages?

No pension scheme, but if you sort that our yourself I think freelancing is the best possible opportunity.

What do you love most about your job?

That I make enough money to feel happy, and that I get to choose how I spend my time. If I work I make money, if I want a break I can take one.

What are your success habits?

Organization, clear communication and always learning.

How do you organize your time?

I work in the beginning of the day, and try to not work in the afternoon. This makes me more motivated to organise my time effectively and spend time on my other projects throughout my day.

I learn, read, and write quicker than most people

If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

Charge more and apply for jobs where I had less experience, but do it anyway.

What is your biggest motivation?

Financial freedom (FIRE).

How you deal with difficult clients?

I try to be professional and I am never ever emotional with a client. If a client is difficult I try to ask clear questions and make them give me an answer. I will then end the contract as soon as possible and stay away from these types of clients.

What do you think is your greatest strength?

I learn, read, and write quicker than most people which is very useful as a freelancer.

And greatest weakness?

Worrying about stability and the quality of my work. So often I worry about my work not being good enough and I am scared to check my UpWork messages, but really a client only just wanted one edit or really liked it.

Which has been more valuable in your career, your education or your experience?

A combination of both, that is also the reason I decided to create my own degree at University instead of following a set curriculum.

What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

To quit the jobs I liked but were not paying me enough.

What are you most grateful for in your freelance journey?

That I have gotten to do so many weird and new things, and the people I have met.

Confidence and ability are really important

Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?

Honesty, confidence and ability are really important to me. I try to always be honest with myself and with the people I work with. I value being confident because it makes my job easier. And I try to always learn new things so that I can be better at what I do.

If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Independence.

What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

Have a set schedule, work in one space (i.e. cafe or office desk, do not work in bed!), and do one thing at a time.

The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?

Remember that you can always quit. Try it as a spare time job, do one or two projects and see how you feel. If you do not like it you can just quit.

Watch my YouTube video on how to become successful on UpWork and start today, not tomorrow!

The post Saga Vigre Bohinen appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Tara Sullivan, the flexibility and freedom is the main draw of freelancing

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 15 May 2022 14:39:56 +0000

Nomadic lifestyle is freedom

– Please tell our readers something about you.

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and moved to Houston, Texas in my early adulthood. That move followed the first collapse of the auto-industry, which was ruinous to the Detroit economy. As in many American manufacturing hubs, Detroit was what you’d term a “one-horse town” when it came to economics. When Ford Motor Co. began laying off workers, every other industry in the region suffered. This was my first lesson in the potential effects of betting your financial health on a corporate employer.

I currently live in a 1963 vintage travel trailer, along with two large dogs and a lizard! We are presently parked in the Southwestern region of the United States, close to the Rio Grande River. It is hot but beautiful and expansive out here. I planned to stay here for only a month or two but might make it three before I head up the rest of the Western coastline. That’s the beauty of this life though, I never have to stick to a plan!

– You are a full time RV nomad; how did it get started?

I began my nomadic journey just after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to a devastating layoff and divorce, I had planned to embark on a six-month hike along the Appalachian Trail. It was there that I hoped I could heal and prepare to professionally reposition myself. I sold my house and prepared for my journey. But then, the Pandemic struck. There was so much unknown at the time, that it felt unwise and unsafe to follow through with my hiking plans.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy also requested that hikers who had not yet started their journey put their plans on hold, out of respect for the rural and vulnerable communities that line the trail who lacked adequate healthcare infrastructure. So, without a solid plan, I completed the sale of the house, moved into a small apartment, and began brainstorming. A few months into the Pandemic, it was clear that I could not carry on simply draining funds from the profits of my house sale. I began researching alternative lifestyles and settled on the idea of becoming a fulltime RV nomad. The goal of the AT hike was to break free of financial and societal chains in order to do some hard self-reflection, and nomadic life seemed as though it could deliver the same. I was correct in this premise and have been on the road now for a full year.

– What are the biggest benefits of nomadic lifestyle?

Freedom is by far the biggest benefit of this lifestyle. If I am unhappy with a place, I move. If I feel burdened by costs in an area, I find somewhere less expensive. If a work opportunity presents somewhere else, I can travel there. Anywhere I go, my home and “office” follows. Fuel is an expense of course, but it is much easier to move your entire home with contents intact than selling a house or waiting on a less to terminate. As a remote freelance worker, I can stay or go… it’s lovely.

– Can you share with us some interesting travel experiences?

As with all things, I would say the most interesting travel experiences have been the unexpected. The first leg of my travels landed me stranded during a Category 1 Hurricane in Galveston, Texas. There was also an unseasonal blizzard and ice storm during the fall months I spent on the border of North and South Carolina. During both, I learned to trust myself, the RV, and the community around me. I don’t use the term “strangers” anymore.

When I land in a new place, the folks around are more accurately, “friends I have not yet met.” People are generally kind and helpful. During the hurricane, we lost all power for several weeks. Other RV’ers shared generator power and food, creating the atmosphere of family amongst individuals who had never before met. I have experienced the same in many places, under many different circumstances. When I lived in large cities, I believe I feared the unknown, especially unknown people. This has all changed, unexpectedly, and in a most profoundly positive manner.

– Have you found a place where you would like to settle permanently, or are you still looking?

I am still looking! There is so much to see and explore first, though. I am in no rush to settle down. Everyone asks me, “when will you stop traveling,” and I have no answer. When you live in one place, it can be a challenge to arrange vacations to visit out-of-town friends and family. I have had the luxury of spending extended time with loved ones all over, and I have many more visits planned on the horizon. In between these destinations, I have fallen in love with so many communities along the way! I feel like a chameleon who can find happiness virtually anywhere.

Communication is the key to success

– Tell us something about your first job.

I am a writer and editor, and my first “real” job in the field was reporting for a small newspaper called The Baytown Sun in Baytown, Texas. It did not pay very well, but I loved the work. Writing is something that I have always been called to do. What I loved most about the reporting job was the freedom it afforded. I did report to an office each morning, but I was tasked with finding my own stories to cover, traveling to conduct interviews, and generally self-directing my workday. My comfort in that type of environment was a foreshadowing of where I would eventually land as a fulltime freelancer.

– How has your career continued?

The newspaper industry is volatile, and eventually the meager pay within which became burdensome. I left the industry in search of higher wages. I landed in event planning, which was a very lucrative field before the pandemic canceled most large-scale events. In the event planning arena, clear communication was the key to success, and I had mastered that skill in the newspaper realm already. The Pandemic forced me to change career fields again, as the events industry was not viable amidst lockdown measures. So, I returned to writing and editing, and I am so thankful I was forced to do so.

– Now you have your own company – www.thewritegal.io. How did you get the idea to start such a business?

COVID-19 killed off the event planning industry for a time, but I can’t say there wasn’t a positive angle to being forced out of a job my heart just wasn’t in. I was working long hours and stressed to the max. I earned a very nice salary, and purchased a home because of it, so there were perks. But I can’t say it was worth the stress. It was also stressful to lose my source of income, but I think it was less so than the pressures I had been facing in the workplace. Also, even within event planning, I never left the writing sphere fully. In the event planning company, I morphed into the de facto “company wordsmith.”

I wrote the copy for the company website, helped colleagues edit client emails, and even took on crafting responses to customer concerns. I knew other companies needed this type of help, even more so amidst the changing Pandemic economy. So, after I left event planning, I came up with a company name, got incorporated, and developed a website (www.thewritegal.io). I began small, approaching businesses to let them know I could assist in their client communications during these difficult times, and this was well-received.

– Can you tell us what services your company offers?

I call myself a “wordsmith” – anything having to do with words, I offer. I began with business communication services, but I have expanded into many different arenas. Today, I am most often contracted to assist with self-publish book editing and formatting, the creation of engaging and SEO content for websites, and even essay coaching for college students. The beauty of running the type of company that I do is that I am essentially a “branded” fulltime freelancer. I work on a per-project basis with all of my clients, and I have the freedom to pick and choose who I work with, and on which projects. Every project is a little different, and that is exciting for me! I love learning new skills.

– In your opinion, what are your success habits?

The biggest success habit I have developed is self-promotion, which hinges on the dissolution of the fear of rejection. When I began this business, it seemed scary to approach potential clients that I already knew. I made my website and initially sought out businesses with whom I had no prior working relationship. It took me a little while to have the courage to advertise my services to people I had known personally.

I was afraid I would come off as “pushy,” or “pressuring.” I had to stop and realize; I get junk mail and spam email all the time and it’s no big deal! Leaving a business card with a friend or sending an email to someone I know I can help is no big thing. Now when I travel and meet people, I introduce myself AND my business. That’s the biggest habit I can’t stress enough to new freelancers: tell people what you do! It’s actually easier and more rewarding to help the people you already know. They are also more likely to tell others about your services. There is no downside, it’s all in your head.

Freelancing is safety net

– Why did you decide to start freelancing?

Freelancing is diversified income, in which you retain control. Twice in my life I was negatively impacted by reliance on a single industry. The first time was when the auto industry tanked the economy of my hometown. The second was when a global pandemic completely halted my second-choice career field. I started my writing company, The Write Gal Co., in response, but I resolved to never again rely on just one income stream. I have accounts on Upwork, Guru, LinkedIn, my own website, a thread on Reddit, and am always looking for new arenas for business connection. If one of them goes down, I have safety nets. That flexibility and freedom is the main draw of freelancing, in my opinion.

– The best advice you got or read at the beginning of your career?

Don’t be afraid to take small or unconventional gigs to get started! You might be “qualified” for more, but you need to build connections, testimonials, and a portfolio. Freelancing in general is like a domino effect. It takes a moment to position all the pieces, but once the first domino falls, the rest will follow.

– What are the reasons for your decision to work at Upwork?

Upwork is well-respected in the freelance world, and I appreciate their commitment to integrity. I feel when job connections come through Upwork, I can trust that the client has been vetted.

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

I am able to work as much or as little as I desire! Because I travel fulltime, some days I will find myself immersed in the beauty of nature, beckoning me to take a week off to explore. Now, I have only to consult with my bank account!

– And what are the disadvantages?

There really are none. I would say in the beginning of my freelance career I was scared of the uncertainty; the ebb and flow of work opportunities is something you have to get used to if you’ve relied on a steady paycheck prior to transitioning to freelance work. I quickly learned that the fear of uncertainty is just a matter of looking at things. It may feel secure to work for someone else, but in reality, they can let you go for any reason, at any time. It is no more certain that working freelance gigs. I feel freelance gigs are more transparent, as you know when the contract is up and can plan ahead!

– What mistakes have you made in your freelance journey?

The biggest mistake I have made is overpromising my time. In the beginning of my career, I wanted to impress new clients so badly that I would set very demanding deadlines for myself. I wanted to be known as a hardworking and fast producer. When I accepted that this was unsustainable, I started adding padding onto the time I would think it necessary to deliver a job. For example, if I landed a contract and expected I could finish within a week, I would tell the client it would take a week and a half, or even two.

When I began finishing projects earlier than expected, I got the client responses I was initially searching for! My client reviews started saying how quickly I worked, and how impressive my delivery time was. The difference was there was absolutely no pressure. Try and remember when starting your freelance career that it is better to under-promise and over-deliver.

– What was the hardest decision you ever had to make as a freelancer?

As a freelancer, the hardest decisions in the U.S. seem to surround tax filing. I wanted to do this all myself, and it was very complicated! It was hard to decide to hire and pay for a professional accountant’s help. Ultimately, this is an expense that saves me so much time and energy. I try to look at it in the same way I hope my own client’s view my services: what is my sanity worth?

Enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare

– If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

I would only say that I would continue to bid on projects even while I am stacked with work. In the beginning, I would get a project and work only on that, neglecting the opportunity to prospect for new work until I was finished. It’s important to keep prospecting so you can line up the next gig seamlessly.

– Is there a quote that motivates you?

I have a chalkboard in the RV which I frequently write motivating quotes on! Most recently, I added “enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare.”

– What is your biggest motivation?

Freedom is the biggest luxury of my choice to work as a freelancer and live in an RV, and it is also my biggest motivation to continue. I don’t want to give up this freedom any time soon, so I keep working for it.

– What do you love about your job?

I love making people happy! It is very rewarding to have a skillset that can be put to use helping others. Writing comes naturally for me, but it’s something so many have struggles with. It is very rewarding to hear how I have helped others translate their ideas. I can’t tell you how many times I have been told a client cried when they read my edits or completed copy!

– What do you think is your greatest strength?

The ability to understand what a client needs is definitely my greatest strength. Often times, a client will call because they want one thing, but it’s not exactly what they “need.” Remember, I am a communicator. That’s what writing is! People call me because they’re struggling to communicate something, and I am very skilled at helping them to excavate what precisely that may be.

– Which has been more valuable in your career, your education, or your experience?

Experience, by far. In freelancing, people want to see what other people have to say about you. If you have 20 degrees or certifications but no feedback or samples, you will have a hard time getting hired. Conversely, a portfolio and extensive reviews with no formal education will land you top jobs, quickly. In this arena, demonstrating what you have to offer is king. Also, because there are so many applications for my skillset, a single educational track doesn’t scratch the surface of offerings.

If you want to freelance, just begin

– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?

I would say diversification is most important. Every freelancer needs to consider how their skillset can be applied in diverse ways. This will allow you to land more gigs and expand your offerings.

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

A freelancer must believe in themselves enough to persevere. You will face rejection and dry spells. You have to believe you will land another job and keep trying. If you persist, you will find success, but you’ve got to hang in there.

– What steps do freelancers need to take to be more successful, in your opinion?

If you’re already freelancing and wondering how you can be more successful, I would begin by asking clients for honest feedback. Be prepared to learn from any criticism as well. When I am ending a job, I always ask a client what they enjoyed about working with me, and if they have any suggestions for things I could do better. When I get these tips, I really appreciate them, because sometimes they reveal perspectives that I never considered but can now integrate into future success.

– What is the best advice you can give to other freelancers?

My best advice is to start now. If you want to freelance, just begin. Make an Upwork profile today. Bid on some small gigs to get your feet wet. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the education credentials or a perfect resume, just start! The rest will follow.

The post Tara Sullivan, the flexibility and freedom is the main draw of freelancing appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Jeffrey Fucci – successful freelance lawyer

Nebojsa Dolovacki — Sun, 08 May 2022 06:54:42 +0000

When someone talks about a freelancer, we usually think of a programmer, designer, or blog writer. Almost no one would think of a freelance lawyer. But the freelance lifestyle is expanding, there are more and more different jobs that are done remotely and using freelance platforms. So, this time we present to you Jeffrey Fucci, a freelancer with a not so common profession – a lawyer. Jeffrey grew up in a suburban area of New Jersey right outside of New York City, near an environmental preserve called the New Jersey Meadowlands. It’s a very complicated, beautiful, busy place.

PERSONAL LIFE

– Is there a particular reason why you became a lawyer, or was it a combination of different factors?

I was inspired by other lawyers, particularly ones I had a chance to work with at a state agency who were responsible for economic growth and environmental preservation in my community. I wanted to have the knowledge and authority to make an impact similar to the impact my mentors were making.

– Did you have the support of your family to become a freelancer? Or it’s a decision you made yourself.

For me, becoming a freelancer really was a growth spurt: one morning you wake up, and you are too tall for all of your clothes. It was the same way for me working with law firms. They are a very common career pathway for attorneys in the NYC Metro area. Your law school classmates go to work for them. Your career services advisors in law school tell you to work for them. Their billboards loom over the New Jersey Turnpike. But one day they just became an awkward, uncomfortable fit. My wife is always saying to wear the clothes that actually fit you, not the clothes you think you should fit into. Wise advice like that has been just one of the many ways she has been supportive of me as I have grown my legal services business.

– How has your freelance life affected your family life/personal life?

It has made me a better husband, better son, and better dog companion. I’d like to think that I carve out quality time for my family as seriously as I schedule appointments for clients every day.

CAREER

– Can you tell us something about your studies at Seton Hall University?

Very proud to be a Seton Hall Pirate. I am forever grateful to the English Department and Communication Department professors who allowed me to be creative in my undergraduate studies. Their open-mindedness allowed me to be not only educated, by enriched.

– After that, you went to Vermont Law School. Was it a continuation of your education or was it a turning point, a change of career?

It was definitely a change in career – I worked as a newspaper reporter and in public relations for nonprofits for almost ten years before attending law school. And all of this was in my home State of New Jersey for companies and nonprofits I had close relationships with. Heading to the mountains of Vermont to seek a law degree was a hard reboot.

– I can see from your resume that you worked as a public relations professional, nonprofit manager, and policy advisor. Can you tell us something about those days?

I can say with pride that during the early years of my career I was very involved with my local community. That was uniquely important to me in those years, and although Vermont Law School taught me to think globally, I was glad I had the chance act locally first.

– What influenced you to direct your career towards a freelance lifestyle?

I had reached a level of knowledge in my profession where I knew that I could provide all of the legal services clients might need, for a price point and skill level they would be pleased with, without the need for the managerial overhead.

FREELANCE CAREER

– When you started freelancing, did you have clear goals that you wanted to achieve, or did you adjust along the way?

In the beginning, it was just work as hard as you can, for as many clients as you can. With time I became more refined, seeking a certain type of client, a certain type of experience that would result in both of us being more satisfied and maintaining the relationship looking forward.

– The best advice you got or read at the beginning of your career?

My wife said to me “work with people who are going to help you.”

– Have you worked on any freelance platform other than UpWork? If so, what are the experiences.

I’ve tried some other platforms and remained open, but for me it’s really UpWork and brick and mortar clients.

– What are the reasons for your decision to work at UpWork?

The platform provides a great access point to a variety of interesting jobs and clients. I can’t think of a better built, broader base that’s out there right now for independent professionals.

– What are the advantages of a freelance lifestyle for you?

The direct relationship between work and reward.

– And what are the disadvantages?

You have to stay focused, stay organized, and stay hungry every moment of every day. And we are all human, so that can be hard some days.

– Are you planning to continue working as a freelancer or are you considering starting a law firm or company?

I have a couple things going in addition to UpWork, including growing my own firm, J. Fucci Law, LLC, which is leading the way in remote legal services, and joining on as in house counsel to a number of established companies. Hoping to grow onward and upward from there!

FREELANCING

– Do you work from home, or do you use some other spaces?

I like to change it up, sometimes preferring the bustle of a café or a shared office to my home office, but I do recommend that anyone living the freelance lifestyle take care of themselves with a comfortable, productive space.

– Which soft skills were the most challenging for you?

Time management can be a challenge in that I don’t want to leave a client or a job until it’s done. And the practice of law involves a lot of call and response; you’re waiting for other parties in a contract, other lawyers in a dispute, in short, other people. Sometimes you have to be willing to place a matter on pause to move onto the next one to have a productive day.

– According to all statistics, freelancing is on the rise. Is that the situation in your profession?

I can’t say for sure. I think many attorneys wish they could maintain their own direct relationships with clients, and I know a good number of them, especially the ones early in their career, want to help people. They shouldn’t be afraid to trust their instincts, and I promise the bills will still get paid.

– Artificial intelligence is slowly taking over some jobs. Do you think AI can threaten your job or maybe help you?

I think it will only help because this is still a very human profession. We have leather bound volumes full of case law, for example, but lawyers still write memos and judges still render decisions. I think we have some time yet.

– What has benefited you the most to become a successful freelancer? Your education, certain books, courses, instructions on freelance platforms or something else?

My education, but primarily the skills of versatility that was taught to me by the professors at Vermont Law School, both in terms of legal scholarship and how they lived their lives.

– What is the biggest problem or awkward situation you have faced as a freelancer?

It can be difficult when you are deep into a task and realize that there was a miscommunication upfront. A house can’t stand on a shaky foundation, and then you have to make the tough decision, which is usually to tear it down and start over. Who owns the miscommunication? The awkward part is sometimes having to own it even when you think it wasn’t your fault, so you can get the structure built and livable.

Listening and patience are keys to success.

Jeffrey Fucci

TIPS

– Several factors are important for success. Can you name some of the most important for you?

Listening and patience are keys to success.

– If you had to single out one characteristic that is most important for the success of a freelancer, what would it be?

Setting clear expectations upfront about what you can and will do for the client.

– What is the best way to organize multiple jobs and private life?

Surround yourself with people who care about and support your success, so you have support when you need it, someone to call when you’re between jobs, whether you’re in the car or online.

– What steps do freelancers need to take to be more successful, in your opinion?

Freelancers need to remember to build their portfolios every step along the way. What else can the job do for you, besides just a paycheck? Look for ways to utilize every positive client experience as a stone in the path to the next one.

– The best advice for those who are considering a freelance career?

If you are thinking about it, you already have what it takes.

All photos by Joseph Cutalo, of Joseph Cutalo Photography

The post Jeffrey Fucci – successful freelance lawyer appeared first on Freelancelifemagazine.

Nebojsa Dolovacki, Author at Freelancelifemagazine

Angela Tague, Content marketing writer and founder of WebWritingAdvice.com

Freelance Life Magazine #5.

Sarah Mason

Charlotte Anaïs

Silvia Pinho, Social Media Manager & Content Creator

Social media can encompass a lot of things

I’m proud of the content I create

Send 1-5 GREAT proposals each day

I’m a native planner

Mike Lane￼

I had various jobs in lots of different places

With Upwork, I am building relationships and collaborations that are paying what I feel my profession is worth

Don’t sell yourself short

I can attribute my success to the experiences and lessons learned from working in the classroom

Momoko Takahashi, freelancing is a double-edged sword

Science and art are symbiotic

I enjoy content writing projects

I have always been motivated by working

My greatest strength is my resilience

Most important characteristic is to be hardworking

Miroslav Trifonov – 3D, video, and graphic freelance designer

Art holds a special place in my life

You have to be extremely persistent

All depends on my actions

I wouldn’t change anything

Get out of your comfort zone

Saga Vigre Bohinen

The more I learn, the more I want to learn

You can live the life you dream of

Freelancing was always something I wanted to do

I learn, read, and write quicker than most people

Confidence and ability are really important

Tara Sullivan, the flexibility and freedom is the main draw of freelancing

Nomadic lifestyle is freedom

Communication is the key to success

Freelancing is safety net

Enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare

If you want to freelance, just begin

Jeffrey Fucci – successful freelance lawyer

PERSONAL LIFE

CAREER

FREELANCE CAREER

FREELANCING

TIPS

Mike Lane