Hey!

A couple days ago I ran across a book that I think has a lot of relevance to the future of freelancing and how it’s going to become a standard for many (if not most) of us.

Career Creativity is a look at various intersections of how we build our work lives and where creativity plays a role. 

This is a big deal for anyone interested in lifestyle-first freelancing—not only because a lot of freelancers are creatives, but also because our work requires creativity in our strategic thinking, and demands that we understand how others respond to creativity in our marketing and sales. 

But I see a lot of us getting tripped up. 

The thing about freelancing is there are no guardrails. That’s beautiful when we get to build our own schedule and work from wherever we want, but it can cause all sorts of issues when shaping our businesses. 

So this month, I want to touch on three areas of guardrails (boundaries) that we can use to build structure and support into our freelance journey. 

• Markets
• Employment 
• Sales

Markets are our framework

You know how I’m always pushing freelancers to pick a niche? That’s 90% for your own piece of mind. 

Step out into freelancing and you have sooo many options to be creative with…too many options. The nice thing about choosing a niche (and sticking to it), is that it answers a ton of questions before you even ask them…

…Who can I work with? What kind of services are needed? What kind of pay can I expect? Is there enough work for me to build a business?

Without the boundaries of a niche, those questions are impossible to answer…and easy to fill in with our own fears and fantasies

 So pick a niche as early as possible so you can start learning in the most controlled and constructive way available to you. 

Want to get the most out of your employment experience? Grab your free Employment Value Extraction worksheet here.

Megan

P.S. A couple reminders…

• Don’t forget to keep your strategy workbook going! Need any help? Come talk it out.

• If you’re ready to take the next step in your freelance journey and want to “self-coach” your way to a healthier freelance business—come check out the Black Freelance Academy to improve your skills as CEO of your freelance world. 

• It’s our job as Black freelancers to spread the word on the potential out there, so if this message was helpful, pass it on!