A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from someone saying she needed a writer to create a conference presentation for her on a health and wellness topic. She provided the timeline and the length of what she was looking for and asked if I'd be interested in taking on this project. I was a bit skeptical as to the authenticity of the request, which came from a gmail e-mail. I mean first, no one is running conference right now as the world is going through a pandemic. Second, if she's giving a presentation on a topic, why isn't she an expert and needs someone else to research the material and write it? 

Since I didn't want to say no outright, and was curious what kind of game she was playing (as I was pretty sure it wasn't legit), I asked for more information. The response was almost instant, thanking me for being interested, providing an outline of a ten tips type of article that is all over the Internet for any number of health and wellness subjects, including the one being suggested, and then there was the phrase "I need 2000 words and will pay .90 per word. Payable by check." Say what? 

By the second e-mail, I was sure the writer was a non-native speaker of English and most people know that checks drawn on foreign banks aren't cashable. And the rate?! Way too high to be offered from an unknown source. To put this in perspective, many 800 word articles at the top newspapers in the U.S. (NYT, Washington Post, etc.) fetch $250-350, which if you like math, know isn't even .50/word. 

I mean there are plenty of companies and organizations and magazines that pay $1/word or more, but that is not the norm. And would especially not be the norm from an unknown entity. And the majority of payers pay through electronic means, ACH, Venmo, PayPal, direct deposit. 

I responded, "I'm not interested. Thank you."

The same day I got that e-mail, a thread appeared in an online group of women writers to which I belong and which has more than 80,000 members worldwide. Many people in the group received the same e-mail and the name on the e-mail signature was one of two consistently. One of the group members who had decided to take "the deal" a month before filled the rest of us in. She had done the assignment and received a check for the work but the check was for more than the agreed upon amount. The person asked for her to return the difference. She did only to find out the original check that she had deposited bounced. 

This whole scam is very similar to those that have proliferated on Upwork and other gig economy based sites, especially since the pandemic started and more people have flocked to those sites in an attempt to get work. NBC News reported that people have lots thousands of dollars to scams. They reported, " As of May 21, the Federal Trade Commission said it had received more than 52,000 reports of coronavirus-related fraud costing people almost $40 million." 

​Scammers aren't just sending bouncing checks. They are using things like Cash App, Venmo and Zelle, too. And they are going after people who are accountants and bookkeepers, in addition to people who work in writing/journalism, editing, art and architecture, as virtual assistants, and many other fields.

So if you're approached by a stranger or if you see a work from home position, do your due diligence. Google the name of the person and the company, check out their online ratings at the gig economy sites, schedule video meetings, and talk to your colleagues. And remember the old adage, if it seems to good to be true, it often is.     

​

This past week I was solicited by yet another platform where freelancers, contractors and consultants can market themselves for free and find work. These platforms that help pair companies and individuals who want to hire writers, editors, artists, musicians, developers, designers, etc. with said professionals have proliferated in the last two decades. The majority of them are structured similarly in that it is free to join but they take a cut (often 20 percent) of any work that gets assigned and completed through the platform. 

Here's a rundown of some of the possibilities, if you are looking for more work:

1) Guru.com is one of the original platforms that appeared, back in the early 2000s. They have contractors available all over the world and a broad base of skills that can be hired. In fact, their "Top Skills" list is 54 categories long, every thing from logo designers to app developers, architects to bookkeepers. In my experience, some of the jobs or people looking for contractors on Guru.com don't want to pay very much. For example, I've received numerous "job" offers to write full length ebooks for $250, which when you live in an economy like California, is a paltry and unsustainable about of money for the work. 

​2) Upwork has been a super popular site for people who provide and are looking for web development, writing, administration support, sales and marketing, design and creative professions, customer service, data science and analytics and engineering. And because of the COVID-19 epidemic, Upwork is offering up to one million dollars in grants to the talent on its network. (See the website for full details on how to apply.) 

​3) Fiverr tag line is "In Does We Trust" and the site has been an active part of those who have made their careers based on the gig economy. They boast over 100,000 "sellers" of services, and some freelancers have gotten almost all of their clients through Fiverr so for some people, it can be profitable.

​4) Freelancer.com has over a million subscribers in a wide range of fields. And in fact, on this Sunday when the SPaceX Dragon just attached to the International Space Station, Freelancer.com's website claims that a radiation shield was designed for NABA through their site and that it cost NASA US$500 and took 15 days to make. 

5) LearnNexus is a newish start-up geared towards connecting professionals in education with experts in assessment, learning management systems, curriculum development, and other K-12 through university related needs. And right now, because they are new, this site isn't flush with a bunch of talent, so if you have the needed skills, it may be a good place for you to find work. 

6) Solidgigs is connected to ryobi and provides registered users a weekly gig list so that one doesn't half to track down the work, and as they say on the website  "waste time" looking for great clients. "Stop hunting. Start billing." the site admonishes the freelancer. This site also offers plenty of training and templates (think client e-mail templates) in the ways of courses, videos, and online examples.

7) CloudPeeps may be a good choice for you if you have a strong portfolio that focuses on social media management, content marketing and SEO expertise. This site doesn't accept all freelancers; you have to apply and have your stuff reviewed and be accepted. But once you are, you'll find the work is for high-quality clients from companies whose names you recognize. 

​8) ServiceScape started in 2000 so it's weathered the feasts and famines in gig economy work. It focuses on editors, writers, translators, and graphic designers, and it boasts almost 300,000 completed projects, many for universities and university-related entities. 

​9) Contena. was built for writers and those looking for writers for projects. They have small projects and bigger projects that pay well. You have to apply to the site and you go through an interview process and have a Contena. coach. But some writers have reported that it is well worth the process because of the quality work and the pay. 

10) 99Designs is for all things designs. Logo designers, graphic designers, website designers, etc. can register and show off their creativity on this site, and any business who needs branding, a new website, an app, or anything design-related can get their needs taken care of by the professionals on this site. 

Websites to find freelancers literally number in the hundreds so these ten are only meant to be a sample. But if you're looking for more work or better work, you may want to check out one of these sites. After all, you never know where your next big client will come from and what kinds of relationships you will build. 
#gigeconomy #freelance #creatingthefreelancecareer #findwork

Today, May 4, Real Talks with Jakub aired an episode where I was a guest. Jakub and I discussed how to get started in a freelance or self-employed business and the biggest lessons I've learned over my 30+ year career. . Click on the Real Talks with Jakub words above for the hyperlink to the show. 

A Guest Post by Marjory Kaptanoglu

The Shawshank Redemption is currently on Netflix and since it’s one of my all-time favorite stories, I spent last evening re-watching it. Because I already knew the plot, I was able to better analyze what story-telling aspects made this such a powerful short novel by Stephen King, and an equally powerful film by Frank Darabont. I made a note of these aspects to remind myself what I ought to be doing every time I write a book. When I finished, I decided to share these notes on my blog in case they’re helpful to anyone. (Possible spoilers below.)

1. Find the most dramatic situations to illustrate the plot. When Andy overhears the head prison guard talking about his financial woes, and he gets the idea to offer help in order to get on the guard’s good side, he and his fellow inmates are working on a roof. Misunderstanding Andy, the guard becomes furious at first and threatens to push Andy off the roof. This creates an incredibly tense scene where we’re frightened for Andy’s life. Instead, if this scene had taken place on the ground, the guard might’ve threatened to beat him up, but it would not have grabbed our attention in such a powerful way as the threat of instant death falling from a rooftop.

2. Create a powerful theme that is reflected by every aspect of the story. Shawshank’s theme is that no one can truly live without hope. We see this over and over, as hope is the only thing sustaining Andy through all of his travails. Not only this, but also Andy brings hope to others, by playing the opera, by building up the library, by teaching the new young inmate. Andy exemplifies the power of hope. Ideally, you want to have a character who is transformed by the theme, and here it is Red, who like most of the other lifers, has no hope in the beginning of the story but (unlike the others) has gained it by the end. He is effectively contrasted against Brooks, whose inability to gain hope leads to tragedy.

3. Use emotional resonance to deepen the story and characters. One of the most powerful moments in the film is when Andy commandeers the warden’s office and broadcasts Mozart’s gorgeous opera, The Marriage of Figaro, to all the inmates. Andy does this for no other reason than his desire to give them a moment of hope, an experience of beauty, music, and joy. Andy receives a terrible punishment for his unselfish act, and we sympathize with him all the more for it. This incident is recalled not long after when Andy literally gives Red the gift of music, in the form of a harmonica. These are only two examples; the story is filled with deep moments of friendship, hope, despair, tragedy, and joy.

​4. Write quotable lines that resonate with readers long after the story is over. “Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.” -Andy “I tell you those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream.” -Red
“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” -Andy “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” -Red “I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone.” -Red Yes, I know, much easier said than done. Stephen King is a master storyteller and it’s damn near impossible to write something as good as The Shawshank Redemption. But I’ll keep its lessons in mind as I write my next novel. I'll be hoping for the best.


#theshawshankredemption #writingadvice #indienovels

We at Creatingthefreelancecareer.com had the honor last year of working with Crystal Lindsey to help her realize her dream of becoming a published author. Every year we work with dozens of clients who want to tell their stories, show their expertise, further their businesses, and grow as persons. Crystal's story and book is part memoir, part self-help, part lifestyle manual. She used her own childhood and early years--what many would consider a series of tragedies--to illustrate that she knows how to use biohacks and learning what works for oneself to create a successful, happy and fulfilling life. 

Grit & Gratitude combines research that supports the data within with practical and easy-to-implement tips that can be started TODAY, and all of this is packaged in an easy to read and understand format of why grit and gratitude are two necessary pieces to jumpstart your growth and life--whether you're a current or former foster youth or just a fellow human being who is looking for some direction. 

Congratulations, Crystal Lindsey. 

​The book is available from Amazon and other booksellers. Snag your copy today. 

Last Friday, I attended a dance party that kicked off an online workshop on relationship marketing that was being run by my friend Danielle Brooks, of FinallyFreeWorkshops.com. It was supposed to be a fun time and a way to blow off steam since we are all sheltered in place, before learning useful tools about how  to create connections to grow your business. 

The workshop took place over Zoom and shortly after we were all assembled and the event began, we were hacked by some bored barely-older than kids who started racial slurs on a repetitive soundtrack and hijacked the whole thing since they overrode the moderator so she couldn't shut them off, silence them, or evict them from our meeting. 

We are not alone in our experience. The NY Post reports that the FBI stated that hijacking and hacking of courses, lectures, meetings, etc. is becoming a frequent occurrence as people have been forced to meet online rather than in person. The feds "issued tips for how to avoid getting hacked, including making meetings or classrooms on Zoom private, not sharing conference links on social media and managing screen-sharing options so only the host can display theirs," according to the NY Post. I think those are great ideas and they will work as long as the hackers aren't too clever and know how to disable the host-controls. 

Flexjobs.com published an article in 2017 regarding 10 Best Practices For Video Meetings that included these reminders (and let's be honest many of these apply to Best Practices in ANY meetings):
1) Prepare your location and yourself.
​2) Make sure you know how to use all necessary hardware and software.
3) Use a headset.
4) Call in early.
5) Find a way to "raise your hand."
6) Speak clearly and without pausing.
​7) Ask for clarification if you miss something. 
8) Handle unexpected distractions quickly. 
9) Restate any assignments
10) Announce your departure (meaning don't just leave making people wonder if you had a technical issue, needed a quick bathroom break, or actually left the meeting intentionally).

I would also add that when appropriate, send a follow-up e-mail thanking the host or client you've been meeting with for their time and reiterate any main points or action items on which you would like agreement. Gratitude is never out of fashion, and is always the best business practice. .  

This morning I walked to an appointment in very winter-in-Seattle-like rain, which is rare here in Southern California. A man sauntered towards me while holding the leash of a three-month old German Shepherd. The puppy was bounding back and forth and up and down at the sidewalk like a caffeinated Tigger. At one point the puppy spied a big puddle where the sidewalk and street met. I could see his glee as he bounced from the sidewalk and landed with a big splash, a smile spreading across his adorable puppy face. Seeing his enthusiasm brought me joy, but it also made me realize how great our lives would be if we approached our circumstances and our work with that same unbridled passion and happiness. 

When was the last time you feel completely jazzed and alive in your work? We often approach work like its drudgery. We created countless to-do lists and zero-sum calendars. We feel stressed seeing hundreds of e-mails in our inboxes or when we receive too many marketing messages through LinkedIn. We hold ourselves accountable, which is a good thing, unless we are overburdening ourselves to the point we are stressing ourselves out. 

Think for a moment about your biggest projects and to-dos. Maybe it is finding a way to get more clients and to do more marketing, maybe it is finishing a big recording or a manuscript or something to fulfill a client's needs. Then ask yourself how much of your anxiety, the pressure you feel, and the sense of urgency is actually self-created. In sales and in entrepreneurship, some people believe that creating a manufactured sense of urgency helps them reach their goals and to perform better (at a higher level). 

But the fact is, creating stress creates many negative health and psychological effects, such as raised blood pressure, confusion, depression, and sleeplessness, to name a few. Stress has even been linked to impaired strategic thinking. If we let go of the self-created stress, the mindset of urgency and go-go-go and approach our work like we would play, we feel more joy and help those around us feel happier or more joyful too. 

Last week, I was required to interview 12 people for a single article. I could have approached the assignment with a "crap, this is a lot" attitude and plowed my way through it., devoid of  joy. Instead, I thought it an honor to get to meet a dozen new people and find out about their lives. (After all, I believe that almost every interaction in life can be an opportunity.) I had a blast talking on the phone to some of them, bantering and joking over e-mail for those who preferred that means of communication, and the whole process reminded me of why I love the work that I do. It is engaging and it is my intention to remain fully present and engaged. 

Many people seek self-employment because they want to follow their passions, work from anywhere or everywhere, be their own bosses, set their own hours, and maybe do a variety of things to make not just a living but a life. They go into the work full of enthusiasm and drive, but somewhere along the way, they may get derailed and work may start to feel like have-tos and a bunch of check-the-boxes.

That's a difference between dogs and humans. My cattle dog knows innately that his job is herding. It's his favorite thing to do and he does it with zeal (even when we'd rather him not nip at houseguests' ankles). The job is never horrible to him; he treats it as a game with the same zest he had as a pup even though he's almost 12. 

He and the puddle-splashing puppy are great reminders to maintain my enthusiasm, to treat even what some people could perceive as obstacles as opportunities, and to embrace everything life has to offer, with no fear, no manufactured stress or urgency, and with a lot of love. 

Marilyn Monroe said, "We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets." It's time to tap into your puppy-self and find a puddle to pounce. 

Every day I get dozens of  messages from LinkedIn Influencers and other marketers who offer to help me make $20-30K per month by bringing in new clients; to guide me through the book writing process to help me “be seen as an expert”; and to help me set up courses, webinars, YouTube channels, and other video-rich formats to further my brand. Oh, and that reminds me, I also get e-mails and LinkedIn messages from marketers telling me they can help me create my brand. 
Some of these messages make me laugh. Others make me cringe. And occasionally, a message will cause me to say, “Did you even look at my profile before you spammed me?” 
The mass market marketing and influencer approach used by so many so-called marketing experts consists of 1) State the problems, 2) Give the solution(s), and 3) Try to provide a unique solution (though let’s be honest, many of these solutions are the same or are mishmashes of other people’s solutions). In this three-step process lies inherent problems. First are the assumptions: I’m not making enough money on my own; I need more clients; I want to, need to, or haven’t yet written a book; I am not an expert; I have no courses, webinars, etc.; I have no brand or brands. All of these assumptions are based on a lack mindset or are trying to create feelings of lack within the recipient of the message. Second, the underlying message in marketing blasts is two-fold: what you are doing on your own isn’t enough (lack again) nor what you are doing isn’t correct (negativity). All of it screams, “I am the expert” even though these kinds of experts seem as abundant as mosquitos near a swamp. (And some of them are just as pesky, messaging their lists daily trying to increase the feelings of lack and negativity with the hopes you’ll think they and only they can provide solutions.)  
Another problem with modern marketing that messages masses of people, hoping for just a small percentage return on that spamming, is that it is a generic, nonpersonal approach that is easy to ignore. It wastes a few seconds of my day to delete the messages or to see and disregard the message without reading it, but it is still easy to do so. And this makes the marketing ineffective. 
Effective marketing, just like effective business partnerships and effective coaching programs, cannot be a one-size fits all system. It seems to me that marketing could stand a disruption, and that a higher yield would result if marketing focused more on positives and abundance, and getting to know what a specific person or company wanted and them helping them reach that goal. 
Back when I was in higher education, I expressed dismay to my institution’s president after we attended an annual conference run by our accreditors. The keynote speaker spent his allotted 40-minute speech extolling the problems of higher ed. I suggested the problems the speaker highlighted might go away if professors and administrators focused instead of what people were doing great and replicating that greatness across departments, schools, and institutions. Years later, this became the approach and was known as the “Best Practices” model. 
 Danielle Brooks, Founder and CEO of Gooddecisions.com and FinallyFreeWorkshops.com, and founder of Lake Washington Wellness Center (though no longer its owner) explains how she ignored the “mass marketing” approach and encouraged her massage therapists and nutritional therapists to practice relationship marketing instead, since in her experience, this was a better practice. “It takes longer to build strong relationships and the results are slower than the fast-push, mass marketing approach, but the results are much longer lasting,” she said. For Brooks, that meant establishing relationships with her clients’ doctors and keeping them updated on what she was doing with their patients. Then when the clients and their doctors saw results, that’s when the referrals started pouring in. 
 I do the same with my coaching clients and my writing clients. The action I do most often is listen and ask clarifying questions. My goal is to really understand the client, the needs and desires, and to establish a relationship. This takes time. It takes much more energy than creating a campaign and pushing a button. But it is so much more rewarding because my clients are happy. They feel heard. They feel respected. And at some point, during our journeys together, they feel like the rock stars that they are (but in many cases needed someone to show them the mirror or provide them the right language). 
These clients then pay the gratitude forward by writing stellar reviews, telling their friends and colleagues, and returning to work with me again and again. And that, keeps the coffers full, makes mass marketing unnecessary, creates fabulous partnerships, and allows for soul-fulfilling work.  #relationalmarketing #marketing #happyclients #customerservice #networking #referrals #growyourbusiness

On February 7, 2020, the long-awaited sequel to the best-selling  A Salary Cinderella Story (Or How to Make More Money Without a Fairy Godmother)  was published by In Your Face Ink. A Singles Cinderella Story (Or How to Find Love Without Losing Yourself), written by Laura C. Browne and Creating the Freelance Career's founder Jill L. Ferguson, is written in the same parable format as the first book and follows El, Leticia and Teresa and their friends through dating adventures and misadventures, as well as Teresa's engagement and wedding. El, on a quest to understand relationships and love better, embarks on a personalized Master's Degree in Relationships, where she studies the work of Byron Katie,  Jen Sincero, Deborah Tannen, and others. 

The book covers modern-dating realities as well as ancient wisdom (such as Socrates admonition to "Know Thyself", for without understanding who we are and what we value and want, we will not be able to truly love ourselves or others.) 

A Singles Cinderella Story (Or How to Find Love Without Losing Yourself) is available from Amazon.com and other booksellers.  

Fairygodboss hosted a one-hour webinar lead by Creating the Freelance Career founder and best-selling author and business coach Jill L. Ferguson and Danielle Brooks, founder of Good Decisions and Finally Free Workshops. Approximately 250 people registered for the event, and we had such a good time.

If you missed the January 8, 2020 live webinar, you can still revisit the presentation and the Q&As at the end by accessing the on-demand recording by clicking this link.