Shows
Deliberate Freelancer#207: Let’s Give You Some Clarity!On today’s show I share two timely new resources: Introducing Deliberate Freelancer Clarity Calls! These are 45-minute Zoom video chats to talk through 1-2 challenges with podcast host Melanie Padgett Powers. Are you feeling stuck in your business and need help reigniting your momentum? Do you have a million ideas but need help zeroing in on the best one for you? Are you overwhelmed with your to-do list and need help cutting through the noise? Are you feeling insecure or uncertain about a proposal, project rate or pricing structure? Schedule a Clarity Call...2025-05-0513 minDeliberate Freelancer#196: Wrap Up the Year on a High NoteI’m excited about Bluesky! Are you on the platform too? Let’s create a Deliberate Freelancer starter pack — more on that in this episode — but follow me at @MelEdits. On today’s show, I share five questions to help you wrap up your year to create a “fresh start” in January. I explain the difference between these five questions and larger questions to ask yourself later in a solo business retreat to set up your year for success. The five questions are: What do I need to do now to line up work in January? Wha...2024-11-2125 minDeliberate Freelancer#194: October By the NumbersOn today’s new regular monthly episode I recap what my business looked like in October. This includes: How much I worked in October. The types of work I did and how I charged. Why a lower-paying passion project can be worth it. My total monthly earnings. How I landed a new anchor client. Why I sometimes break the “freelancing rules” and charge hourly and per word. What I Learned This Week: I am not as young as I used to be. The Bookshelf: “The Flatshare” by Beth O’Leary Resources: Deliberate Free...2024-11-0725 minDeliberate Freelancer#191: It’s Summer Hiatus Time! I will be on summer hiatus from June to September. This episode gives you a quick update about my summer plans and provides a sneak peek into what I’m looking forward to talking about in September. Resources: Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn Melanie’s other podcast, Association Station 2024-06-0608 minDeliberate Freelancer#190: Unpack and Improve Your Money Beliefs with Austin L. Church’s Book “Free Money”Today’s guest is Austin L. Church, who returns to the show to talk about his book “Free Money.” Austin lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. He helps e-commerce founders stand out online with their brand strategy. Lately, he’s been working as a fractional chief marketing officer, consulting for creator economy companies. He also coaches freelance creatives. Austin returned to the podcast to talk about his new book, “Free Money,” which I have read and highly recommend for all freelancers. In this episode, we talk about: Who this book is for and why he wrote it. ...2024-05-3054 minDeliberate Freelancer#189: Evicting Freelance Scarcity Mindset and Jealousy, with Rachel MeltzerToday’s guest is Rachel Meltzer. Rachel lives in Massachusetts after doing the “van life” thing for a few years. She is a freelance writer for software as a service companies or SaaS. She’s written for Lenovo, Grammarly, Loom, FarOut, Six Moon Designs and more in the tech and outdoor recreation industries. She’s also a coach. She’s coached over 100 freelance writers on launching their businesses and getting clients and then scaling their businesses. She loves the freedom that freelancing gives her to thru-hike, live in a van, move whenever she wants, and spend time with her loy...2024-05-2355 minDeliberate Freelancer#188: What You Need to Know Before Getting Headshots and Branding Photos, with photographer Louis TinsleyToday’s guest is Louis Tinsley, a DC-based commercial photographer. Louis has been working in the industry professionally for more than 10 years and sits on the board of the DC chapter of American Photographic Artists, where he runs the annual Photo Assistant Workshop. He also recently joined the Northern Virginia Community College Photography & Media Curriculum Advisory Board. His clients have included General Dynamics Corporation, the TED organization, local news station WTOP, and DASH Alexandria Transit Company in Virginia. In this episode, we talk about: How Louis got into photography. What he loves about being a free...2024-05-1037 minDeliberate Freelancer#187: Offering Video Script Writing and Webinar Moderating, with Kelly McSweeneyToday’s guest is Kelly McSweeney, a content marketing writer. Kelly works from her home office in Massachusetts with a small dog by her side. She has been a self-employed writer for nearly eight years, with clients that include research institutions, big tech companies and marketing agencies. Kelly explains cutting-edge science and emerging technology to intelligent, curious audiences. In recent years, she has added writing video scripts and moderating webinars to her services, which is today’s topic. In this episode, we talk about: The micro services freelancers can provide as a part of the video creat...2024-04-2553 minDeliberate Freelancer#186: Creating a Netflix-like Membership Program for Your Clients, with photographer Annemie TonkenToday’s guest is Annemie Tonken. Annemie lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has been a professional photographer since 2010 and is the owner of Megapixie Photography. She also teaches creative entrepreneurs how to run profitable, sustainable businesses they love, by focusing on how they can develop helpful business systems and strategies. And, she’s the host of a business podcast for photographers called This Can’t Be That Hard and the creator of the Simple Sales System, which is used by thousands of photographers worldwide to create in-person sales-level income and service in an automated way. ...2024-04-1146 minDeliberate Freelancer#185: My First Year of Freelancing after Corporate Burnout, with Abby Nieten Today’s guest is Abby Nieten. Abby lives in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area, with her husband and three sons. A year ago she launched her freelance business, Shining Waters Editorial, where she is a copy editor and proofreader specializing in business content and nonfiction manuscripts. Abby also recently launched a monthly newsletter called Stream of Confidence, which is for authors, writers and other business professionals who want to create and publish content that impacts other humans. It offers a steady stream of encouragement, inspiration, connection and quality assurance tips to help you publish your...2024-04-0431 minDeliberate Freelancer#184: Becoming Comfortable and Knowledgeable with Contracts and Other Legalese, with Lawyer Brionna NedToday’s guest is Brionna Ned, a former big-law lawyer and in-house counsel for tech companies. She is now a legal educator and a writer. Her company, The Lawless Lawyer, is a legal education and consulting service for small business owners that provides you with the legal knowledge you need to create solid foundations in your business. She has a free workshop, “Legal Risk and Why it Matters,” that teaches you what legal risk is, how to identify it, and why its foundational to managing the legal of your business. In this episode, we talk about: How Bri...2024-03-2854 minDeliberate Freelancer#183: The Weird State of Freelancing Right NowOn today’s show, I discuss the current state of freelancing, which includes massive layoffs and shuttered clients in the media and tech world. But even if that isn’t affecting you — maybe you’re even having your best year yet — you need to be prepared for the lean times and to set up your business to lessen the risk of feast-or-famine. That includes setting yourself apart, diversifying, always marketing, and more. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: The number of layoffs in the media industry in the past year. The hits in the tech ind...2024-03-2239 min
Freelance Business Unlocked#21: How to "Fire" Clients and Find the Right Anchor Clients – Melanie Padgett PowersI'm sooo excited about this one!Melanie Padgett Powers, a freelance writer, editor, and podcaster based in Washington, D.C., talks about work-life clarity, structuring work days, firing clients, anchor clients, marketing, time tracking, pricing strategies, and solo business retreats.As you can see, we covered a lot of topics and I hope you'll find our conversation helpful!Takeaways: Consider your clients' preferences and needs when determining your content strategy. Avoid working for free as much as possible, but consider pro bono work for causes you believe in. Contentment...2024-03-0552 minDeliberate Freelancer#181: Successful Marketing Tactics from Deliberate Freelancer ListenersIn today’s episode, I am turning the microphone over to some of you, the listeners. Last fall I asked listeners to share their successful marketing tactics that landed them new clients. Today, eight listeners share their marketing wins with you. While each unique to the freelancer, there are a few themes. Often, the win originated from something simple, something that might not even have felt like marketing … and yet it paid off. Building relationships — which I talk about all the time — is also a theme here, as are staying curious and always looking for the opport...2024-02-2923 minDeliberate Freelancer#180: How to Crush Your Fear of Self-Promotion and Get Clients Now, with C.J. HaydenToday’s guest is business coach and author C.J. Hayden, who lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. C.J. Hayden is the author of seven books and hundreds of blog posts, articles, and courses on marketing, self-employment, and productivity. Her bestselling book “Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants and Coaches” has become the marketing bible for thousands of self-employed professionals and freelancers. C.J. has been a business coach for several decades now, helping self-employed professionals and creatives thrive. Her newest book is “Overcoming the Fear of Self-Promotion.” Other books include “The One-Person Mar...2024-02-2239 minDeliberate Freelancer#178: My 2023 Recap and 2024 GoalsIt’s the end of the year! On today’s show, I give a recap of my fourth quarter (hint: things are looking up!) and then a recap of my entire 2023. What goals are you setting for yourself? Do you set an annual income goal or a word of the year? What are you most excited about for 2024 in your business? And what do you need to work on? Join me and fellow listeners in the Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group to share your plans and ideas with each other! This is the last business-focused episode of 202...2023-12-2125 minDeliberate Freelancer#177: Your Burning Freelancing Questions AnsweredOn today’s show I share my thoughts and answers to commonly asked questions I hear from freelancers of all levels and in all industries. These are questions that seem to come up time and time again. There is no one right answer, and each question may have different answers depending on the service, the client and so many other variables. That said, I hope my answers to the following questions help you and allow you to make a decision that is supportive of you as a freelance business owner. In this episode, I address thes...2023-12-1446 minDeliberate Freelancer#176: How to Use Conscious Language in Content Creation, with Crystal Shelley Listeners, I need your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to be considered for a future episode that will include tips from other listeners. Thank you! Today’s episode is from my other podcast, Association Station, where I interview people who work at an...2023-12-0749 min
Boss Responses#10: How Melanie Padgett Powers Controls the ChaosSend us a textJuggling multiple clients, deadlines, and projects always feels a little chaotic. We talk to freelancers every week who ask, "How can you possibly keep everything organized and still deliver top-notch work?" On this episode, our guest co-host, Melanie Padgett Powers, shares some of her strategies to manage the chaos and build a thriving freelance business. Melanie's journey as a freelance business owner is truly inspiring. You’ll hear how she mastered the art of handling multiple clients, and how she's tailored her systems and processes to fit her business' unique needs. She...2023-12-0143 minBoss Responses#9: How to Manage Late Payments and Cash Flow with Melanie Padgett PowersSend us a textA client who pays late is something we all want to avoid. When that late payment causes your cash flow to nosedive, you have a whole different problem. Tune in as our guest co-host Melanie Padgett Powers and host Treasa Edmond discuss both issues. Melanie shares her strategies to tactfully tackle late-paying clients and the successful measures she's taken to rectify the situation. She also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a financial buffer to withstand the blow of late payments. Be sure to join us in episode 9 as we turn the f...2023-11-3013 minDeliberate Freelancer#175: How to improve your article pitches and land your dream publications, with Ericka AndersenListeners, I need your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to be considered for a future episode that will include tips from other listeners. Thank you! Today’s guest is Ericka Andersen, a freelance writer living in Indianapolis. She is the author of two books and has w...2023-11-3037 minBoss Responses#8: How to Stop Scope Creep in its Tracks with Melanie Padgett PowersSend us a textEver find yourself with clients who increase their work demands without upping your fee? Well, you're not alone. In this episode, Melanie Padgett Powers and Treasa Edmond take a look at scope creep—a common predicament that freelancers and business owners often find themselves in. After you've listened, you'll understand why standing your ground, with poise and professionalism, is paramount, and why an apology should never part of the compensation discussion.About the HostsTreasa Edmond is a content strategist and consultant, best-selling ghostwriter, and pod...2023-11-2911 minBoss Responses#7: How to Stop Unnecessary Changes and Revisions with Melanie Padgett PowersSend us a textEver been blindsided by sudden, unnecessary changes from a client? Join host Treasa Edmond and guest co-host Melanie Padgett Powers as they discuss managing expectations, enforcing boundaries, and maintaining project quality. They also discuss how to tackle scope changes and charge for additional work.Navigating unreasonable requests and scope creep can make or break your relationship with your clients. Let's look at how you can provide excellent service while setting boundaries that protect your sanity and your business.About the Hosts Treasa Edmond...2023-11-2810 minBoss Responses#6: How to Respond to Difficult Clients with Melanie Padgett PowersSend us a textThis week, we're thrilled to welcome our guest co-host Melanie Padgett Powers, a seasoned freelancer and podcast host, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.Building a successful freelance career requires assertiveness and clear boundaries. Our conversation with Melanie dives into practical strategies for dealing with difficult clients, especially when they start crossing into employer/employee land. Join us for insights and actionable tips that will help you foster positive working relationships and build a profitable business.About the Hosts2023-11-2708 minDeliberate Freelancer#174: Wrap Up Your Year with These 5 QuestionsListeners, I would love your help! Please contribute to an upcoming episode: Email me a voice memo of you describing a specific marketing tactic you did that landed you a client. Provide your name and helpful details of what you did that might have been unique or persistent that worked in securing new work. Email it to me at melanie@meledits.com to be considered for a future episode that will include tips from other listeners. On today’s show, I share five questions to help you wrap up your year to create a “fresh start” in January...2023-11-2220 minDeliberate Freelancer#173: How to Rethink — and Land More — Anchor Clients, with Wudan YanToday’s guest is Wudan Yan, a narrative writer and independent journalist from Seattle. Wudan is also host of The Writers’ Co-op, a podcast, online community and learning academy for freelance creatives. In this episode, we talk about: The different ways to define an “anchor client.” Why and how Wudan is rethinking the concept of an “anchor client.” How the current economy is affecting freelance creatives. The importance of “offboarding” clients. How to turn current clients into anchor clients. The importance of building and maintaining business relationships. Why Wudan and I charge mostly project rates. How Wudan pushes for proj...2023-11-1634 minDeliberate Freelancer#172: My Q3 Audit: Better, But Still Room for ImprovementIt’s time for my analysis and reflection on how my third quarter of the year went. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: The many ways tracking my time helps my business. How I use Freshbooks and Toggl to help me analyze my progress. The steps I use to analyze my quarter: Calculated how much I invoiced for that quarter. Counted how many clients I worked for. Used time tracking data to see how many hours I worked on average each week. Did the math to see how much I earned per hour on ce...2023-11-0232 minDeliberate Freelancer#171: Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Freelance “Dealbreakers”On today’s show I discuss how I think about freelance “dealbreakers,” which aren’t only the red flags I’ve noticed over time but also may simply be quirks of my personality or assumptions I’ve made. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: Rethinking “strategy” and whether saying “I don’t do strategy” is holding me back. What I learned from Ed Gandia’s thoughts on strategy. Why I like to create “bridge” projects. How I’m rethinking some of my more stubborn dealbreakers. How some dealbreakers are in my head and only cause me to beat myself u...2023-10-2631 minDeliberate Freelancer#170: Happy 10 Years of Freelance Freedom!This month, I am celebrating 10 years of full-time freelancing! I can’t quite believe it’s been that long, but I’ve loved nearly everything about it. 10 years of freedom! Here’s what I share with you in this episode: What the freedom of freelancing has meant to me and what it has allowed me to do. How I now realize I was never cut out for a desk job. How I adapt my work schedule around my life schedule. The freedom of not having to deal with the drama of a workplace! At least three lessons I l...2023-10-1945 minDeliberate Freelancer#169: Quick Website Fixes to Attract More Clients, with Brian HallToday’s guest is Brian David Hall. Brian is a fellow freelancer who lives in Alabama. He focuses on website strategy for B2B clients. Specifically, he works on conversion optimization, which basically means trying to improve the experience of potential clients going to your website. Brian is the author “Your Website Sucks, Here’s How To Fix It,” and he has run hundreds of experiments across dozens of websites, which has generated millions of dollars in incremental revenue for his clients. In this episode, we talk about: How having a website can bring in clients...2023-10-1226 minDeliberate Freelancer#168: My Q2 Audit: It Can Only Go Uphill from Here, Right?On today’s show, I analyze how the second quarter of the year went for me. It’s delayed because of my summer hiatus, but the “delay” doesn’t really mean anything to listeners — just think of it as “how these three months in a row went.” Learn how many clients I had, how much I earned, and how many hours I worked. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: A quick update on a project I talked about in Q1. A sneak peek into something I figured out for my health in Q3. What was a huge...2023-10-0535 minDeliberate Freelancer#167: How to Use a “Cornerstone” Piece to Build a Content Marketing Plan, with Cassandra LeToday’s guest is Cassandra Le, owner of The Quirky Pineapple Studio, a brand strategy and content marketing studio that works with Black, Indigenous and people of color, queer folks and intersectional feminists. Cassandra is originally from Virginia in the United States, but she now lives in Spain. For more than 13 years, she has been creating content across all mediums (written, graphics, audio, video, photography), and through her business. She works with mission-driven brands and thought leaders around the world in English and Spanish — helping them share their story, connect with their community, and drive brand awareness with...2023-09-2837 minDeliberate Freelancer#166: Smart Advice from the Content Byte SummitOn today’s show I provide a recap of The Content Byte Summit, which was held in Sydney, Australia, September 15-16. I attended virtually and was super impressed with the content, particularly all the discussion around artificial intelligence. There was also a lot of great tactical advice about running your freelance business, so even if you’re not a writer, I think you can learn from some of the advice I’m sharing today. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: A panel about humans versus AI discussed how a writer can stand out nowada...2023-09-2132 minDeliberate Freelancer#165: I’m Back! Time to Get My Act TogetherThe podcast is back after my summer hiatus! Thanks for continuing to listen and support the show. Here’s what I share with you in today’s episode: The importance of taking breaks for your mental fitness and for better client work. The types of breaks you should be thinking about and planning for. Why planned and unplanned mental health breaks are important. What happens when you neglect your networking and marketing and slow down too much. Why you have to work at getting referrals. How I’m ready to embrace this new “back to school” season — and w...2023-09-1433 min
Association Station#16: In Conversation with Mark Sterne, about Finding the Balance between Print and DigitalMark Sterne, who is based in Chicago, is the founder and president of the Print & Marketing Solutions Group. He works with associations and other organizations to improve their marketing ROI and constituent engagement with effective print, fulfillment, digital publications and web-to-print solutions. His focus is to help associations with printing, marketing and fulfillment for their books, magazines, meetings, membership recruitment, renewal and retention programs. In this episode, we talk about: How to find the right balance between print and digital. The importance of knowing your specific audience and their wants. Why some students and youn...2023-08-0231 minAssociation Station#15: In Conversation with In Conversation with Beth Rosenberg about Taking a Newsroom Approach to Covering ContentToday’s guest is Beth Rosenberg. Beth is the director of communications at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), which is based in downtown DC. She primarily oversees the digital editorial content and social media channels. Beth has worked at NBAA for 11 years and was previously a newspaper reporter, working at newspapers throughout the Northeast and with the Associated Press and trade publications. Beth walks us through how she takes a newsroom approach to planning and developing content for her association and also how she has this newsroom approach on-site at their annual events. She des...2023-07-2627 minAssociation Station#14: In Conversation with Chris Durso, about Modernizing a Flagship Print Magazine to Lead the Content PlanToday’s guest is Chris Durso. Chris lives in Arlington, Virginia, right outside Washington, DC. He is the editor-in-chief of Construction Executive magazine, which is published by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). He has more than 30 years of experience as an editor, writer, publications leader and content strategist across a variety of industries. In January/February 2023, Chris and his team at ABC debuted a redesigned and reimagined Construction Executive magazine, along with the new look of its accompanying newsletter. The magazine is published nine times a year and has a circulation of 50,000 — about half are members, the rest su...2023-07-0437 minAssociation Station#12: In Conversation with Christina Lewellen, about Reimagining Your Magazine into the Association’s No. 1 Marketing ToolToday’s guest is Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE, who has been the executive director of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) since 2019. Christina, who lives in Virginia, is a seasoned association executive who brings a data-driven framework to business planning and strategy. She received an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives. ATLIS’ magazine, Access Points, won awards from AM&P Network and ASAE after Christina and her team reimagined the magazine. It went from what was, frankly, more of a stuff...2023-06-2739 minAssociation Station#11: In Conversation with Jemilah Senter, about Opportunities and Risks of AI Tools Like ChatGPTToday’s guest is Jemilah Senter, of MCI USA. Throughout her career, Jemilah, who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has focused singularly on marketing and communications, including marketing strategy, brand developing, marketing technology assessment and implementation, and more. For the past two years, Jemilah was vice president of marketing and communications at MCI USA, where she oversaw the creative team for the associations division. Recently, she moved into a new role to lead marketing for MCI USA. Jemilah and I are both interested in generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. As members of SIIA’s AM&P Netwo...2023-06-1346 minAssociation Station#10: In Conversation with Nabil El-Ghoroury, PhD, CAE, about Stress, Burnout and Other Mental Health IssuesNabil El-Ghoroury, PhD, CAE, is a psychologist and principal at Executive Therapy & Consulting. He has 13 years experience as a nonprofit executive, including four years as CEO of a $6 million association. Nabil is a licensed psychologist who can see patients in over 30 states via telehealth and is available for individual counseling. As a global speaker, Nabil speaks to businesses and associations on mental health topics such as stress and wellness, burnout, impostor experience, and creating a culture of employee well-being. In this episode, we talk about: How the pandemic lockdown led to social isolation and a...2023-06-0634 minDeliberate Freelancer2023 Summer Hiatus Time (June-September)Deliberate Freelancer is on a summer hiatus and will return toward the end of August or early September. Take this time to listen to some previous episodes or relisten to favorite guests! Or make a playlist of specific topics, like finding clients or pricing projects. The Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group will be active during this time, so please join us over there for great conversations with other listeners. You can ask for advice and share your experiences. If you have benefited from this podcast, please help support the show financially at Buy Me a Coffee. 2023-06-0104 minDeliberate Freelancer#162: My Solo Business Retreat Reminded Me to Always Be MarketingOn today’s show I share my structure, agenda and my action plan developed during my most recent solo business retreat. Here’s what I share with you in this episode: Please leave a rating and review for Deliberate Freelancer on Apple Podcasts or any other podcast platform. Why I chose Thomasville, Georgia, for my latest solo business retreat. How I structured my retreat and my theme for the two days. What happened when I stopped consistently following my Always Be Marketing rule. How Austin Church’s podcast Freelance Cake helped me. The two big questions I asked...2023-05-0428 minDeliberate Freelancer#157: Pain from Sitting All Day? Here’s How to Get Moving, with Pilates teacher Eva StabenowToday’s guest is Eva Stabenow, a Pilates teacher and movement coach who helps freelance writers, translators and other desk workers heal their bodies through movement while continuing to pursue the work they love. In the early 2010s, after a successful career as a German medical translator, Eva began to suffer from severe shoulder and wrist pain caused by long hours at her desk. After years of searching, Eva finally found lasting relief through corrective Pilates. This inspired her to seek comprehensive training and help other writers find the same lasting relief and enjoy the lifelong health ben...2023-03-2337 minDeliberate Freelancer#150: What to Consider Before You Start a PodcastPodcast news: After much deliberation, I’m changing the schedule of Deliberate Freelancer slightly. We will stick to weekly Thursday episodes, and the episode format will remain the same. However, I will now publish in two big seasons, with breaks in between. So, after December 22, 2022, the podcast will go on hiatus until February. Then, the schedule will resume through May. I will take a summer hiatus, likely June through August, then return for the fall season. I will take another break next year likely similar to this year’s: Christmas through January. The Deliberate Freelancer Faceb...2022-12-1528 minDeliberate Freelancer#149: Evaluate—and Expand or Fire—Your Clients for a Strong 2023 Podcast news: After much deliberation, I’m changing the schedule of Deliberate Freelancer slightly. We will stick to weekly Thursday episodes, and the episode format will remain the same. However, I will now publish in two big seasons, with breaks in between. So, after December 22, 2022, the podcast will go on hiatus until February. Then, the schedule will resume through May. I will take a summer hiatus, likely June through August, then return for the fall season. I will take another break next year likely similar to this year’s: Christmas through January. 2022-12-0837 minDeliberate Freelancer#148: How to Line Up January Work Now If you’re like me, you’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t plan for January right now, you might have a very slow start to the new year. A lot of places shut down between Christmas and New Year’s Day, which can make that a great time of year to take off from your freelance business — but it can also be a great time to catch up on work or work on your business, But those last two weeks of the year are not usually a go...2022-12-0121 min
The Freelance PodclassThe Freelance Writing Niche Class with Melanie Padgett PowersIn this episode, we’re diving into the wonderful world of freelance writing! It’s one of the longest running freelance trades and is still popular today. But how do you discover your ideal freelance writing niche when there are so many things you can do? Today we’re joined by Melanie Padgett Powers, a freelance writer and editor who is the owner of MelEdits. She shares a simple three-step process that includes strategies you can use to figure out the what, who, and where of your ideal niche and clients! Podcast Outline: [0:00] Introdu...2022-11-1724 minDeliberate Freelancer#145: Scared (Uncomfortable, Intimidated) and Doing It Anyway, with Lauree OstrofskyToday’s guest is Lauree Ostrofsky, who is a coach and speaker living in the Hudson Valley of New York state. Her business is called Simply Leap. Lauree’s clients are A-students and introverts wanting to feel more confident putting themselves out there in a bigger way, including in their own businesses. Lauree has written two books: a happy how-to called “Simply Leap: Seven Lessons on Facing Fear and Enjoying the Crap out of Your Life,” and “I’m scared & doing it anyway,” about reinventing her own life after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at 28. When Lauree wa...2022-10-2049 minDeliberate Freelancer#144: How I Succeed and Fail at Self-DisciplineIn the Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group I asked listeners: What questions do you want to know about how I run my six-figure freelance business? One listener replied: I know you achieve an incredible amount in a relatively short period of time. What’s the secret to this? Do you use a timer? Do you have to shut down distractions? So, in today’s episode, I talk about self-discipline—how I achieve it, how I strive to achieve it and how I often fail at it. I think self-discipline is critical to making it as a free...2022-10-1335 minDeliberate Freelancer#143: 7 Ways to Make a Fresh Start with Your BusinessA recent “escape” or vacation, and big family news are both helping me get through this summer’s grief, languishing and brain fog. So, in today’s episode, I am thinking about ways we can learn to love our business again when we need a fresh start in business or in life. I want to embrace this “fresh start” concept starting in October and for this final quarter of the year. You might not be ready for a fresh start right now. Maybe you’re doing fine or you’re in the middle of some struggle and don't, frankly, h...2022-10-0631 minDeliberate Freelancer#141: Real Talk on Managing Your Money and Paying Taxes, with Bookkeeper Sabrina St. PeterToday’s guest is Sabrina St. Peter, founder of SmartSpark Business Solutions, a bookkeeping firm that supports brand builders and storytellers, such as professionals in public relations, marketing and advertising. Sabrina, who is based in Chicago, is passionate about small businesses in every form—from the freelancer to agencies with multiple employees. Understanding that most people did not start their business to pour over their bookkeeping, SmartSpark Business Solutions launched in February 2020 to make bookkeeping simple. Sabrina and Melanie start off by talking about mindset and how we should think about our bookkeeping and finances. Being intimately famil...2022-09-221h 02Deliberate Freelancer#140: Melanie’s Six-Figure Low-Stress Freelancing, from the Hustle & Grace Podcast with Hilary Sutton This week’s episode is unique in that it’s a cross-post episode. What that means is that I, Melanie, was invited on Hilary Sutton’s Hustle & Grace podcast recently. Not only does that episode debut on Hilary’s podcast this week, but I agreed to share it here on Deliberate Freelancer. Hilary is a writer, speaker and consultant. And she has become a real-life friend who lives here in the DC area near me. I encourage you to check out her podcast for great interviews from entrepreneurs and other freelancers and consultants. 2022-09-1526 minAssociation Station#9: In Conversation with Joy Burwell, on How a Small Staff Successfully Rebranded and RefocusedJoy Burwell is the director of communications and membership at the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA). She manages the communications and marketing for the organization and oversees the membership department. Before joining AOPA three years ago, Joy was assistant vice president of communications at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She also spent six years at Amplify Public Affairs and has worked at the American Academy of Nursing. She is a graduate of James Madison University and received her master’s degree in public policy from Johns Hopkins University. Joy recently oversaw the launch of...2022-08-0940 minAssociation Station#8: In Conversation with Carrie Hartin, on developing industry partnerships and mapping out content engagement experiencesCarrie Hartin is president of sales solutions and services at MCI USA. Carrie lives in Baltimore, Maryland. At MCI USA, she leads a team that generates revenue for more than 40 associations across the U.S. They provide a wide range of customized sales solutions—in media, sponsorships, training programs, and more. Topics covered: Dealing with current revenue challenges. The changes over the years in what marketers are looking for—from ad sales to multi-channel approaches. The speed of content and the ability to update and change content very quickly. The challenge of mapping out a member experienc...2022-08-0235 minAssociation Station#7: In Conversation with Samantha Whitehorne, of ASAE, on Switching from a Print Magazine to Digital-FirstToday’s guest is Samantha Whitehorne, senior director, and editor-in-chief, of Associations Now at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. Sam leads content development and management of ASAE’s Associations Now media channel. Throughout her 17 years at ASAE, Sam has managed both print and digital channels and developed content that positions Associations Now as the definitive source of news and thought leadership for association professionals. Since Associations Now initially launched in 2005, it has won more than 60 awards from FOLIO, Association Media & Publishing, Association Trends, and others. Prior to joining ASAE, Samantha worked at Prevention magazine. She...2022-07-2628 minAssociation Station#1: In Conversation with Stacy Brooks Whatley, MarCom Director and Work-Life Boundary SetterStacy Brooks Whatley is director of marketing and communications at the American Physiological Society (APS). As a director since 2019, she oversees media relations, social media, website content strategy, the award-winning I Spy Physiology blog, and overall communications outreach for APS. She is also editor-in-chief of the award-winning The Physiologist Magazine, APS’ member-focused publication that relaunched in 2019. Stacy devotes much of her time at work helping APS members—primarily biomedical researchers with PhDs—learn how to better communicate their research to the media, the general public and other researchers. This podcast host, Melanie Padgett Powers, works with St...2022-06-1745 minDeliberate Freelancer#133: My Big Failure of 2022 (So Far)On today’s episode, I want to be open and candid about a failure I had this year. Here are three main thoughts or lessons around failure that I’m trying to always keep in mind: #1. Failure is not necessarily a bad word. There can be times when you completely mess something up, but there can be times when something just didn’t work out or the client failed, but you feel like a failure anyway. It sounds cliché, but I think it’s important to learn from our failures. Do a candid...2022-03-2429 minDeliberate FreelancerSend Me Your Best Organizational Tips!Please email me your favorite organizational tips, tools, systems and processes for an upcoming episode! What are the processes and systems that you have implemented that have improved your business? What tactic or app or software program can you not get enough of? Let’s share with each other and help each other out! Here’s all you need to do: Use the voice memo app on your smartphone to record a short message, maybe 1–7 minutes, explaining your favorite system or process or app or software and how it has help...2022-03-1002 min
Smart Habits for TranslatorsSmart Habits for Drumming Up New Business with Melanie Padgett PowersEpisode 61: Smart Habits for Drumming Up New Business with Melanie Padgett PowersSo many of us have experienced the ups and downs of freelancing, which have felt magnified over the last two years as a result of the pandemic. We’ve heard from many of you that you’d like more ideas for ways to grow your business and get more recurring work from clients. Well, our guest today happens to have some excellent advice on this topic, and we’re thrilled she agreed to join us.In today’s episode, we get to talk to a fel...2022-03-0800 minDeliberate Freelancer#129: A Script for Tough Client Conversations, with Treasa EdmondIn today’s episode, writer Treasa Edmond walks us through several client scenarios many of us struggle with—scope creep, treating us like an employee, not paying us on time—and gives us the script for what to say and how to say it. This episode is like Treasa is handing us all templates on great client management. Treasa is the owner of Edmond Editing and Writing. She is a ghostwriter and content creator in Missouri. She gets straight A’s for knowing how to communicate with clients—as Melanie witnessed in a writers’ Facebook group. So, sh...2022-02-1743 minDeliberate Freelancer#127: Embrace LinkedIn to Improve Your Business, with Atlas KatariAtlas Katari is the owner of Katari Creative, a B2B organic content marketing agency focused primarily on LinkedIn marketing with some SEO and content creation. Atlas is a self-described “LinkedIn nerd” and walks us through the latest LinkedIn offerings and how to best use LinkedIn for our businesses. They say that LinkedIn has an incredible organic reach you can use to promote your content. So many people have only posted their profile on LinkedIn (ages ago) and haven’t looked at it much since. LinkedIn has changed a lot in recent y...2022-02-0343 minDeliberate Freelancer#116: How to Create Case Studies to Land New Clients, with Emma SiemaskoToday’s guest is Emma Siemasko, the founder of Stories By Us, a content marketing business. Emma, who lives in San Jose, California, also offers freelance writing coach and is co-host of the Freelance Writing Coach podcast. Emma has been a solopreneur for six years. She is an expert on writing case studies to promote our businesses. She created the DIY Case Study Kit and has created dozens of case studies and customer stories for tech companies and solopreneurs. Emma’s clients include Figma, Grammarly and Salesforce. A case study is “the story of a custome...2021-10-1434 minDeliberate Freelancer#114: Building a Successful Business with ADHD, with Courtney ChaalToday’s guest is Courtney Chaal. Courtney is an American now living in Vancouver in Canada. Courtney helps creatives, coaches and consultants stop being broke and start getting more clients by creating an irresistible service that they can eventually turn into a scalable offer. End goal? Freedom! Courtney is a copywriter turned business coach obsessed with making complex concepts (like business models and sales copy) simple and tangible to help regular people get big results. Over the past 10 years, her business has evolved from her writing custom proposals to now launching digital products an...2021-09-3043 minDeliberate Freelancer#113: How to Build Relationships, Not a Network, with Anna HetzelToday’s guest is Anna Hetzel, from Columbus, Ohio. Anna is the owner and founder of Strange Birds, a business they started five years ago in which they convert copywriting and strategy for websites and community design and strategy. Anna works with service providers and entrepreneurs who are trying to expand their reach and figure out how to talk to their ideal clients and build more scalable offers through paid online communities. Hear the fun story about how Anna named their business Strange Birds. A lot of freel...2021-09-2339 minDeliberate Freelancer#108: Should I Keep It Simple or Scale Up?For the past several years, I’ve chosen a word (or words) of the year in January, a theme to keep me focused on a particular goal or area. In 2021, my word was simplicity. I think I needed that after 2020. Plus, in January 2021, things were still looking a bit bleak. COVID numbers were high, I hate winter, a bunch of traitors tried to destroy our U.S. Capitol and harm lawmakers. Whew. “Simplicity” was quite different from my planned 2020 words of “Explore + Act” (that changed once the pandemic hit) and my 2019 word, “leap.” But in 202...2021-08-1223 min
The Content ByteMelanie Padgett Powers, US-based healthcare writer and podcaster, shares the secrets of her successBecoming disillusioned with a staff job has been the springboard for many a freelance journey, including that of US-based healthcare writer Melanie Padgett Powers. In this week's episode, Mel chats to us about what prompted her to start her own writing and editing business, and how her fab podcast, Deliberate Freelancer, soon followed. Tune in to find out: - How Melanie lost an anchor client during the pandemic and what she tried to picked up thousands of dollars in new business - What she learned from a podcast series she did on Six Figure Freelancers...2021-07-2547 minDeliberate Freelancer#102: Freelancer Survival Skills + a Pep Talk about Boundaries, with Sarah TownsendToday’s guest is Sarah Townsend from the city of Gloucester in the UK. Sarah has been a freelance marketing copywriter for more than 20 years and is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller “Survival Skills for Freelancers: Tried and Tested Tips to Help You Ace Self-Employment Without Burnout.” Sarah uses clever copy to help businesses become more successful, and she’s on a mission to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing for freelancers and the small business community. She does this through talks, webinars and interviews. When Sarah stru...2021-07-0142 minDeliberate Freelancer#99: Six-Figure Freelancing: Be Persistent and Don’t Dwell, with Amy PosnerAmy Posner lives in Olympia, Washington. She calls herself a serial entrepreneur and has been a business owner for three decades — she had a computer start-up, a New York City agency and then built a very successful (and lucrative) sales team in the telecom industry. But for the past decade, Amy has been an in-demand conversion and direct response copywriter, coach and copy chief. She now mostly focuses on coaching and training. Amy currently runs the Magnetic North Mastermind, where she helps each member decide — and then create — their ideal business life. She...2021-05-1342 min
Public Health Epidemiology ConversationsPublic Health Freelancer, Interview With Melanie Padgett PowersMelanie Padgett Powers is a freelance writer, magazine managing editor, copy editor and proofreader in the Washington, D.C., area. She has a background in small town journalism and has brought those skills and education into public health where she serves associations and organizations in a very creative way. On this episode, Melanie shares insights into her fascinating professional path and how she marries the different elements of her diverse skill set. She sheds light on why she is currently interested in racism as a public health crisis and talks about how her work has allowed her...2021-04-1334 minDeliberate Freelancer#95: How to Dream Bigger and Transform Your Freelance Business, with Cathy WilkesToday’s guest is Cathy Wilkes, who coaches people through a transformation, helping them figure out what their true dreams and goals are and how to jump-start that transformation. Previously, Cathy built and led high-performing sales teams in the financial services industry. She used her philosophy of building people up, and helping them find their greatness, to create a better sales team. Even if you love your freelance business and where you are today, there are still so many good lessons in this episode about mindset, whether our thoughts are holding us b...2021-04-0842 minDeliberate Freelancer#94: My Time Tracking Audit for Q1—I Need a Better ScheduleOn today’s show, I’m doing an audit of my time tracking for the first quarter of the year. I used to do time tracking using pen and paper, mostly to keep me on task. That worked, but it didn’t allow me to easily track and analyze my data to improve areas of my freelance business. I now use the Toggl app to track all of my work time. Today, I will talk about what I learned from time tracking the first quarter of 2021. Time tracking and analyzing that data can...2021-04-0225 minDeliberate Freelancer#90: Coping with One Year of COVID-19 Lockdown, with Therapist Emily DerouinToday’s guest is Emily Derouin, a licensed psychologist in Denver, Colorado. She works as a clinician and supervisor at a community mental health center, where she is a generalist, helping people with a wide variety of issues. She also works one day a week in private practice, where she specializes in eating disorders. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the pandemic lockdown, Emily helps us figure out how to deal with our emotions around that. Milestones and anniversaries are difficult, partly because they remind us that time is passing. In the case of the p...2021-02-2549 minDeliberate FreelancerA Short Message This WeekThere is no new episode of Deliberate Freelancer this week. However, I have several upcoming guest episodes that I’m excited about, so please listen to this week’s short message for a few teasers and announcements. I also encourage you to listen to last week’s episode—#88, Positioning Yourself as an Agency and Partnering with Other Freelancers, with Reggie Holmes—which has received a lot of great buzz. Please feel free to send me your freelance business topics and questions you’d like covered on the show and/or your guest recommendations (diversity is a plus). Email me at melanie@m...2021-02-1105 minDeliberate FreelancerA Short Holiday MessageDeliberate Freelancer will be on a holiday hiatus until Thursday, January 7. Please feel free to send me your freelance business topics and questions you’d like covered on the show and/or your guest recommendations: melanie@meledits.com or DM me on Twitter @MelEdits. 2020-12-1703 minDeliberate Freelancer#83: A Conversation about Practicing Anti-Racism in Freelancing, with Eva JannottaToday’s guest is Eva Jannotta. Eva lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and helps bold women leaders defy the status quo, amplify their influence and expand their wealth and power. She does this through providing thought leadership strategy and advisory services as well as communications support. Her Big Hairy Audacious Goal is to end gender and racial discrimination. Many white people in the U.S. grew up believing racism was overt, discriminatory behavior. In reality, it’s a power structure that was created that we all participate in, without our consent. In her bu...2020-12-1048 minDeliberate Freelancer#78: Building Your Community as a Newish Freelancer, with Alicia ChantalToday’s guest is Alicia Chantal, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is an editing and writing consultant and the owner of Fresh Look Editing. Alicia is passionate about helping individuals and small businesses create messages that resonate with an audience. She specializes in non-fiction copy editing and proofreading and has a background in public relations. A couple of cool projects Alicia has worked on lately include two articles that she wrote for the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s summer issue of Leap magazine. And she recently proofread the first book from Laberinto Press, which promotes diverse liter...2020-10-2938 minDeliberate Freelancer#71: 3 Failures and the Lessons They Taught MeOn today’s episode, I am sharing three experiences in which I failed and the lessons I learned from those situations. Hopefully, you’ll find a few takeaway lessons here and it will also lead you to analyzing your own failures to see what you can change or learn from moving forward. The idea is not to beat yourself up; we are not perfect, but to learn from our failures and to know that all freelancers make mistakes. Failure No. 1: I had written two articles for a newsstand magazine that went really well. They didn’t pay as muc...2020-09-1028 minDeliberate Freelancer#70: Techniques to Deal with Anxiety from My New TherapistI am not a therapist or a doctor, but on today’s show I want to share with you several techniques that I learned from my new therapist that have been very helpful to me, and I hope they will help some of you as well. I also want to help dispel the stigma that comes with mental health issues. Yes, I needed therapy. Yes, I’ve been experiencing more anxiety than usual. So, I sought out help. And that is OK for all of us. A few months ago, I started to realize that all of the...2020-09-0325 minDeliberate Freelancer#69: 9 Nonfiction Books that Improved My Freelance BusinessOn today’s show I am recommending nine nonfiction and business books that have helped me create and grow my freelance business: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear For the past two years I have read this book at the beginning of the new year, which might become an annual tradition because it sets me on a good habit course for the year. One quote from the book I really like is “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” That means if you don’t put a system...2020-08-2725 minDeliberate Freelancer#68: Yes, You Need to Build a Personal Brand, with Hilary SuttonToday’s guest is Hilary Sutton. Hilary is the CEO of HSL Digital, a content marketing consultancy. She is a keynote speaker and writer who has contributed to HuffPost, the Washington Post and USA Today. The author of several eBooks and courses, Hilary also hosts the popular Hustle & Grace Podcast where she explores cultivating a flourishing career and life. Hilary began her career as an actress performing in theaters up and down the East Coast, then transitioned to academics, serving as professor of communications, social media and journalism at Southern New Hampshire University. She has also held dig...2020-08-2040 minDeliberate Freelancer#67: How to Fight Imposter Syndrome, with Kristen HicksToday’s guest is Kristen Hicks. Kristen is a freelance content marketing writer in Austin, Texas. She specializes in helping B2B businesses connect with their audience through content. Her work has been featured on the Content Marketing Institute, MarketingProfs and Fast Company. She has five furry co-workers, an ever-growing book collection and a (usually) well-stocked wine rack. Kristen is here to talk about imposter syndrome. Kristen defines imposter syndrome as “worry that you’re not good enough, even when there’s not actual evidence that that’s the case and often in the face of evidence to the cont...2020-08-1327 minDeliberate Freelancer#66: How to Price Your ProjectsOn today’s show I am going to talk about why you should aim for providing only project rates and how to go about setting those rates. A lot of us struggle with pricing, even those of us who have been doing this for a while. But here’s a secret: We’re all just making this up. The best pricing is often project based, and that is a made-up number when it comes down to it. You need to reframe your mindset and get your head around the fact that you are a freelance busine...2020-08-0630 minDeliberate FreelancerREPLAY #12: This Is a Smartphone & Social Media Intervention This is a “tough love” episode. Many of us are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, distracted and too busy. I think a lot of that can be alleviated by decreasing your smartphone usage and fighting against social media and digital addictions. It’s time to take back our lives. It’s time to take control of our schedules. In this episode, I lead you through several steps to cut back on digital distraction, partly inspired by Cal Newport’s new book, “Digital Minimalism.” Let me take you back in time when baby boomers, Gen Xers and the Oregon...2020-07-3026 minDeliberate Freelancer#65: The No. 1 Way I Find New ClientsAs the pandemic changed so many things both personally and professionally, I had to rethink of new ways to market and network in order to find new clients. And in doing so these past four months, I realized what my No. 1 marketing tool is for getting new clients. It’s not sexy or groundbreaking, but it’s solid: My No. 1 way to find new clients is through referrals. You may not like the words “networking” or “marketing” or “personal branding.” So, why not reframe it and call all those things “relationship building” instead. That’s what I’ve done, and I enjoy bui...2020-07-2326 minDeliberate Freelancer#64: How to Increase Your Visibility and Get More Clients, with Amelia RobertsToday’s guest is Amelia Roberts. Amelia is a digital native who officially became a practitioner of online marketing 12 years ago as a virtual assistant. Now, Amelia helps under-recognized professionals—freelancers, consultants, solopreneurs—stand out, articulate their unique value and get “first dates” in business. She calls these “visibility opportunities” and she helps manage “visibility projects” for clients, such as getting them guest spots on podcasts and speaking gigs for virtual summits/conferences. Amelia’s own marketing has changed slightly during the pandemic. She can’t build relationships in person right now, which is how she used to get a lot...2020-07-1632 min