Self Employed Archives - Audrey JoAnn | Content and Copy Writer

How to Plan Financially for an Extended Leave in Your Business

December 18, 2020

The first thing I did as soon as I found out I was pregnant was… create a savings plan. Like, before even telling my husband a little peanut was on the way.

(But that’s mostly because I wanted to tell him in a special way and be realllllly sure I was actually pregnant since I had found out SUPER early, so I waited about a week to tell him. More on that whole story here!)

I know. A savings plan doesn’t exactly scream, “YAY, we’re expecting!”

But it was a way for me to start logically wrapping my head around this BIG, big change. And as a freelance writer, I knew I wanted to be prepared financially to actually be able to take some time off work and be present with our baby.

… We’d also JUST bought a house two months before getting pregnant, and unexpectedly had to pay several thousand dollars for knee surgery for our dog a week before. The timing was super chill.

Our savings accounts were hurting, to put it lightly.

To put it realistically: They were all but drained.

My Approach to Maternity Leave as a Freelance Writer (& My Interview on the Goal Digger Podcast!)

October 6, 2020

When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things that crossed my mind was: How in the world am I going to figure out maternity leave as a freelance writer? I know, it should’ve been more baby blankets and bottles than worrying about work—or taking time off of work—but I love what I do SO much, and I work with several clients on a weekly basis who I didn’t want to leave hanging just because I’m experiencing a huge life change.

So, I began looking around and researching what my options were. Obviously, I create my own schedule, so that works out in my favor. But I knew immediately I wanted to give myself at least two to three months of complete flexibility and freedom to be fully present with the baby after he or she gets here.

Even though I work from home and have a ton of leniency with my schedule, I still have people to report to, deadlines, and last-minute requests from clients. So I was torn between trying to figure out a way to still be there for my clients, while also completely unplugging from work so I can soak up first-time motherhood…

No biggie.

I TURNED DOWN 3 AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES IN 1 DAY + IT WAS THE BEST MOVE EVER

December 9, 2019

Last week I had a bit of a moment. I always send out my client invoices the first Monday of every month for the previous month’s work, and last week I sent all of them out in a bit of a rush because I had a lot on deck for work that I needed to jump in to.

Actually, I’ve had a lot on deck for the last couple months. It’s definitely a good problem to have and a far cry from my regularly short to-do list that I maintained at the beginning of this year. But as I’ve grown and taken on more opportunities and long-term clients, I’ve started to realize more doesn’t always equal better.

So last week, I shot off invoices and then just kept chugging along. I barely had time to register that November was my highest performing month of all time, like since I started to freelance full-time a year-and-a-half ago.

HOW I STAY MOTIVATED WORKING FROM HOME

September 24, 2019

I am probably the world’s most inconsistent person. Does it freak you out for me to admit that? It is a little strange… Some days I love having a morning routine, other days I ditch it to just make my coffee and sit down at my desk first thing (ahem, that was today). Sometimes I live and die by my to-do list, and other times I just start hammering away at what I know needs to be done first, and then next, and next, no plan in mind.

It’s the beauty and blessing and also the curse of working for yourself. I’ve read all the things about time blocking, creating structure for your day, and managing time strategically. Heck, I’ve even written some content surrounding time management tools and how to stay motivated for my clients.

And don’t get me wrong — I absolutely think structure and having a plan is important, especially a big-picture plan. But it’s not more important than feeling fulfillment and progress in the work I’m doing every day. So I just want to share some of what works for me, and also how differently I approach staying “motivated” than I used to even a year ago.

audskelton