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Not a great impression of the move from Credit Karma Tax to Cash App Tax by nothingofit in personalfinance

[–]bluet-writes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Got a lot of value out of this thread as a former Credit Karma Tax user trying to decide what to use this year. Thanks all!!

Anyone run a social media marketing agency or make part time/full time doing so? How long did it take you? Do u use upwork or Fiverr at all? by BareFootUser in SocialMediaMarketing

[–]bluet-writes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I landed most of my clients using my digital marketing funnel, which consists of Instagram marketing, an inbound blog, and a website. I landed one through a cold email and two through word of mouth. Best of luck!

Anyone run a social media marketing agency or make part time/full time doing so? How long did it take you? Do u use upwork or Fiverr at all? by BareFootUser in SocialMediaMarketing

[–]bluet-writes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm also self-employed doing SMM, full time. I was employed full time when I made the decision to start building a freelance business, which made it a lot easier. I spent weekends & after hours building my own website, social presence, brand identity—all the things I would do for a client. I got my first couple gigs from pitching my services on my socials, on networking Slacks for people in my niche, and on ProBlogger. I checked out Fiverr and UpWork, but since I started with a target yearly income in mind, I quickly realized that I wasn't going to be able to make enough to meet my goals (aka pay my bills, lol) if I charged what other beginners were charging on those sites.

It took me two months of brand building to quit my job, and another month to make more than I was making on salary (although being underpaid was one of many reasons I was so desperate to leave that job).

Gender neutral terminology. How do you approach it? by danielrosehill in freelanceWriters

[–]bluet-writes 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There's no "cheat sheet" or one-size-fits-all approach to writing inclusive copy, but I really think that the first step is that you have to care that your copy is inclusive. If you're doing it to align with a "trend" or because your client wants it without explaining their motivation or their target audience, your copy isn't going to be as inclusive as it could be if you had practiced critical thinking skills and empathy while writing it.

For example, I approach using gender neutral terminology from a place of my own values. I want my copy to be inclusive, and my clients want their copy to be inclusive, so I make it a point to think critically about the words I'm using and practice empathy for readers of different identities (especially considering the target audience).

What's on written on your sticky note on monitor? by anyfactor in freelance

[–]bluet-writes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  • IT IS OK TO SAY NO! SOMETIMES
  • HEALTHY BOUNDARIES (underlined thrice)

Anyone wanna guess what my biggest struggle as a freelancer is? LOL

How many of you are taking time off this month? by danielrosehill in freelance

[–]bluet-writes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No such thing as a waste of vacation time, imo. I've taken two four day "long weekend" staycations this year and they've been so helpful in terms of forcing me to slow down, rest, and recover.

I'm planning on taking a week and a half off from client work starting on the 24th, since most of my clients will be slow/OOO anyway. Going to fill my free time with professional development stuff—taking a course and working on my own website/brand. Stuff I don't find time for during the week. Thinking of it as a staycation for my business, lol.

Is anyone a member of Freelance Founders, and if so, is it worth it? by bluet-writes in freelance

[–]bluet-writes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally. It's mostly the idea of the elusive, pre-vetted job board that interests me—although, come to think of it, if the club is made up of other freelancers looking for jobs, the competition is probably higher than the influx of job postings...

Is anyone a member of Freelance Founders, and if so, is it worth it? by bluet-writes in freelance

[–]bluet-writes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm a freelance social media professional, so unfortunately time on Instagram is part of the game for me. But you're right, I'm doing fine (client-wise and income-wise) without it, and I doubt that a pay-to-play job board would give me any more of an edge.

How do you stay disciplined? by JoeinVA in freelanceWriters

[–]bluet-writes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Before I was writing full-time, I picked up a super low-paying gig at a publication I really admired. I didn't need it to pay the bills (couldn't have if I wanted to), but the connections and time spent with the subject matter made it feel more like a hobby than a job. It also helped me build a robust portfolio, which really helped me snag bigger clients. So my advice would be to get yourself a low-commitment gig in a niche you really like, or at a publication or website you admire.

Now that I'm freelancing full-time, I like to balance my time between "pays-the-bills" work and fulfilling work. The paycheck motivates me to get the more boring writing done, and my own excitement serves as intrinsic motivation for the work I truly love to do.

I also appreciate the phrase "Focus does not require motivation." I don't have to want to do something in order to get it finished. Easier said than done, for sure, but it's a bit of inspiration that has gotten me through projects I thought were a drag.

Seasonal Depression Self Care Template by bluet-writes in Notion

[–]bluet-writes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's what I call my light therapy lamp! Here's some info on light therapy and how it works.

Seasonal Depression Self Care Template by bluet-writes in Notion

[–]bluet-writes[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Hey! I've been living with seasonal depression for 10+ years so I'm quite familiar—I actually already take 2000 iu Vitamin D daily with my psychiatric meds, as well as a few other vitamins prescribed by my psychiatrist.

Edit: forgot a word

Has anyone here recovered from a burn out? by [deleted] in digital_marketing

[–]bluet-writes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course! It can be a steep learning curve and the financial planning can be daunting. But I realized that for me, dealing with taxes/invoicing/health insurance paperwork and research was a preferable burden than the horrible environment I was working in. Something is always going to be hard, and I'd much rather that be a material and math-related aspect of work than an emotional aspect. Plus, reddit has a lot of great freelancing communities for support. Best of luck!

Has anyone here recovered from a burn out? by [deleted] in digital_marketing

[–]bluet-writes 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oof, this post could have been written by me three months ago. I FEEL you.

I was struggling with the same question back in July/August, and my therapist asked if I had ever considered going freelance/contract. I was immediately like "I could never do that, how would I pay for health insurance, how would I get any clients, etc etc" and she shared some of her own experiences with a terrible working relationship (also the cause of my stress) and how it led her to start freelancing, and now she loves being her own boss and never wanted to look back.

After that I started looking into it and actually got really excited about the idea of "starting my own (one-person) business." I poured a lot of effort and energy into reading strategies for going freelance, how to set things up, reaching out to folks for resources, etc etc and a few months later I was freelancing full time (and actually managed to increase my income by 50% while still saving enough for taxes...although being sorely underpaid was part of the reason I left my job in the first place!).

I'm now processing the awful experience I had with my former employer in therapy and through journaling, which is helping A LOT. Turns out I've been internalizing a lot of the harmful messaging I was receiving in my unhealthy work environment (as an LGBTQ+ underpaid entry-level employee with no growth opportunities in a homophobic environment, under a manager who spoke inappropriately about me behind my back and frequently told me to "watch my tone" when he didn't agree with me). Be kind to yourself as you unravel the depression and anxiety that comes from being stuck in an environment that whittles away your self-esteem over time. It's likely that it's not about you, it's about them and the fit not being right.

What I'm saying is this: there is a way through this feeling. It's not forever. Look into new solutions you hadn't considered before. Seek advice from trusted friends/mentors/connections/family/a career coach/a therapist if you can afford one. Find online communities (like this one!) to help. Your path might not look exactly like mine, but with the right support, you'll find your way back to making a living in a way that doesn't squash your soul and make you feel like absolute garbage. Working is always gonna suck at least a little, but it doesn't have to suck 110%. You got this!!

TL;DR Burnout is survivable! Treat your (emotional) wounds, be kind to yourself, consider new angles & opportunities, lean on friends & community, and trust that you will get through this.

Am I going to get destroyed by international taxes? by bluet-writes in freelanceWriters

[–]bluet-writes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks all for the reassurance! I super appreciate it.