 Image: Unsplash Many freelancers love social media, others don’t and then there’s the camp that hates it and won’t have anything to do with it ever. It’s your personal preference to be in social media for your professional branding or if you simply want a personal account where you sometimes share professional information. Do what is comfortable for you and never feel pressured to join something you cannot fully commit to. No matter what manner you choose to participate on social media, ensure you are happy with your decision as to how you will use the platform. Here are ways that social media has worked for me and what I’ve shared online on different channels…
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 Image: Unsplash Learning to say no in general is a difficult thing to do for many, but more so in a freelance setting where it’s usually a feast or famine situation for most folks unless they’ve strategically planned how they are going to grow their business. Many freelancers jump into that lifestyle on a whim and end up feeling overwhelmed, having to say yes to every opportunity, not knowing when the next good thing will come by. Learning to say no will help you change that. Here’s how and when…
 Image: Unsplash Starting in the freelance writing world is usually the stumbling block for many and that’s a common issue. Here is some feedback from my experience starting out in the freelancing world that I hope will be useful for you either as a newbie or as someone that just needs a reminder!
 Image: Unsplash As a freelance editor and writer, I’m sharing some insights here that will be useful for you. Whether you’ve taken on a new editorial role or have been editing for a while, these three tips are golden! Read on …
 Image: Unsplash There are some basic professional courtesies to follow when working with an editor as a freelance writer. Here are some from my experience on both sides. I hope these three tips will help you if you are starting out and serve as a reminder if you are already a freelancer...
 Free image courtesy Hubspot A meeting with a girlfriend today resulted in this topic of conversation. Oh, also, Happy March! So, financial freedom...what does that mean to you?
To me, financial freedom means the freedom to choose how I earn my finances, who I work for or with, what I do with my finances, when I want to work or not, and why, and where. Does that mean I always have the finances to practice that freedom? Not necessarily. The last few months have been financially restricting. For one, I moved coast to coast so that involved a whole new landscape in terms of type of market, work available, clients, networking, gigs, etc. For another, the time taken to adjust, relocate, apartment hunt, get settled in means a halt in my regular scheduling and dipping into savings for the time being. So while I had the freedom to not work for a while, and choose how I used my finances, to say that I always had the finances to support that situation would be a lie. A regular paycheck would have helped. No doubt. But then it would not give me the freedom to choose to move where I want, when I want and take a break for the 'time being' so I can settle into my new place. To say that financial freedom is all about the money would be wrong. Its more about the freedoms you enjoy because of the money, how much ever that may be to support the lifestyle you maintain. To assume that the amount of money we are talking here is the same for any two individuals would be naive. To assume that the amount of money at which financial freedom is a possibility for me in my last city and now in the new one I call home is also the same would be wrong too. So I guess, to answer my girlfriend, to me, financial freedom is the freedom to support my lifestyle in a given geographic area, dependent on my financial stability at that time. And the degree to which I enjoy (or don't) that financial freedom will vary widely dependent on many related factors at that time and place in my life. What does financial freedom mean for you? Comment below, if you'd like to have that conversation... Most of my colleagues talk about how it is difficult to get started with a story sometimes. Or even build an introduction that ties together the rest of your copy perfectly. Here are some tactics I've used that I hope are useful to you as well: 1. Throw out an element of shock that immediately gets the reader hooked. 2. Use an analogy to help readers understand the similarity and relate to the story. 3. A play on words is always great, also a sign of a true crafty wordsmith. 4. Repetition. This one should be used carefully, or it will reek redundancy. 5. Include one truly memorable word that piques interest. 6. Introduce an element of mystery to encourage reading on. 7. This one's simple - a question or a declaration leading into your piece. 8. Address something that is a universal concern like love, money, sex, food, work. 9. Another often observed trick - a pithy quote. 10. Keeping it simple and memorable. Don't unload a barrage of technical terms or hifalutin phrases all at once at the very beginning - readers will turn away! What are your tips and tricks to grab your readers' attention?  Photo Credit - Hubspot free images  My coffee mug (a gift from a dear friend) is one of my fave work inspirations. The end of the year is a great time to get rid of the clutter. I usually use the last few days of the year to clear out any mess and clean up my home, desk, laptop, purse of unnecessary things that simply don't belong. Most of it is waste, some of it has to be organized and quite a bit of it finds a home at a donation center. I enjoy starting the new year on a somewhat clean slate. It is difficult to say there is nothing carried over as there is continuity to what I will do in 2016 from where I was in 2015, but giving myself the gift of a clean space to work in, a neat desk to arrange my thoughts and a laptop free of all sorts of downloads and lists means starting out without any obstacles in my path. Paving the way for your success is in your hands. Making sure everything around me is just what I need, and anything I do not need is put away, is my way of ensuring I reach that path to success a little faster. Having moved to Los Angeles recently, I now find myself in an apartment that doe into afford me a designated desk area - then one end of my dining table will suffice for now. But having just my laptop, phone, notepad, diary and coffee cup around me gives me a sense of openness and organization to work unencumbered by too many things. This is my little routine every new year and it always works like magic. A fresh start for a new journey. Do you have any clutter tricks you'd like to share?
 Free image courtesy Hubspot Its a brand new year and I am excited to start on a high. More about that and other new announcements in the coming week. Meanwhile, I am taking this first day of the year to enjoy some rest and relaxation from a fun yet hectic holiday season. While I vegetate in my cozy apartment, I am leisurely filling in some of my goals for the year onto my 2016 American Express Appointment Book which I so love - its my NYE gift to myself every year. It is going to be a fantastic year and I can already feel it. I wish you, wherever you are and whatever you do, purpose in your direction personally and professionally, good health, prosperity, happiness and the warmth of near and dear at all times. To also keep me somewhat on track, I have embarked on this 31 Day challenge and hope you will join in too. Here's to an amazing journey ahead and may this year be the best one yet! Onward bound!
 I wouldn't be writing professionally today if not for parents that encouraged me writing and reading as a child. Nurture the writing talents in your kids with these fun tips courtesy BIC in Shelton, CT.
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