From Bunny Slippers to Business Plans
What a week! It started out on a somber note, with an overnight trip down to MD for a cousin’s funeral, but quickly turned around, with a job offer, my very first career coaching teleclass, and some exciting new projects. Excitement!
While I go do my happy dance (again), I’ll leave you to read this week’s link love:
[Photo via]
My husband and I are…different.
He is rational, while I am emotional. He is cautious and conservative, while I preach the necessity of taking risks in order to move forward. He worries about immediate income — ensuring that we don’t go homeless or hungry — while I give him an ulcer by concerning myself with the future.
Last night, our differences sparked a major argument.
This week’s link love is quite brief, but that’s probably best. After all, I’m about to set out for two more vineyards (in hurricane/tornado weather no less)! Wish me luck!
Things have been looking up here, finance-wise, despite the fact that I still haven’t found another regular gig. I’ve gotten three new clips, with a fourth on the way, and also talked my way into a bit of a “raise.” Huzzah!
It’s not enough, of course, which is why I read the following two blog posts with such interest:
My husband battled his fears of eventual bankruptcy by supporting my decision to leave my staff job and pursue freelancing full-time. And when I succeeded in bringing in my former staffer income within half a year as a freelancer, I sort of wanted to wiggle my butt and point and scream “In! Your! Face!”
The only thing that kept me from doing so was the knowledge that I still had a lot of debt to manage…debt that I probably should have taken care of before leaving my job.
Since I’ve started freelancing for a living, I’ve screwed myself over multiple times, mostly by undercharging clients.
It never fails. A new possible client asks for my rates, I panic, and then I proceed to sell myself short. I’m still learning, even as I get a firmer grip on market norms, which is why Laurie Lewis’s What To Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants is such a great resource to have on hand.
After the jump, my five favorite things about Ms. Lewis’s book:
