Happy Wednesday! I know that it has been ages since I have posted on here, and for that I apologize. Life has been so incredibly crazy and I PROMISE I will catch everyone up as soon as I can. Basically my design company has taken over my life, I'm now married (HOORAY!) and we have a miniature zoo going on in our house.
I know, all exciting things going on and it's annoying getting just the tip of the ice berg. I promise this weekend I will take some time to tell you all about everything!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Negative Side of Writing
A freelancer of any specialty understands just how difficult that it can be to find reliable clients. Many individuals spend hours, days, weeks, and even months searching for clients that they can trust. What do I mean by "clients they can trust"?
Simply put, being a freelancer means relying on people that you don't know (99.9% of the time) to pay for the work that you put so much time and effort in for. Unfortunately there are people in the world who are perfectly fine with cheating people out of hard-earned money. I've had a lot of trouble with this lately, even from people who were supposedly my "friends" in real life, and one of my main clients who is essentially my boss, and friend, told me some effective ways to protect yourself.
So, for all of the freelance writers, or even freelancers in general, follow these guidelines and you may save yourself a lot of time and heartache.
1. Request upfront! If you request 50% of what the total will cost will be for a particular project, you will be able to get some insurance for your work. Many potential clients will be perfectly fine with paying you for half of your work before beginning their projects, and those who disagree with it are generally an individual who was never planning on paying to begin with.
2. Do your research. If you are like me, you get some of your clients from writing forums, and there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, many people are using forums and Craigslist these days to advertise, but in order to protect yourself be sure to read up. Doing a simple Google search of the individual's name followed by the word "scam" can prove to be extremely effective.
3. Use Facebook to your advantage. It sounds a bit odd, but these days I have been adding all of my clients on Facebook. This helps me, personally, feel more at ease about who I am dealing with and reassures me that they are who they say they are. Remember though, not everyone has a Facebook.
Being a Freelancer can be a stressful job, and sometimes you'll just want to give up because of the discouraging individuals that most every self-employed person comes across. As long as you remember to protect yourself and take all of the necessary efforts to ensure your happiness and your salary.
Simply put, being a freelancer means relying on people that you don't know (99.9% of the time) to pay for the work that you put so much time and effort in for. Unfortunately there are people in the world who are perfectly fine with cheating people out of hard-earned money. I've had a lot of trouble with this lately, even from people who were supposedly my "friends" in real life, and one of my main clients who is essentially my boss, and friend, told me some effective ways to protect yourself.
So, for all of the freelance writers, or even freelancers in general, follow these guidelines and you may save yourself a lot of time and heartache.
1. Request upfront! If you request 50% of what the total will cost will be for a particular project, you will be able to get some insurance for your work. Many potential clients will be perfectly fine with paying you for half of your work before beginning their projects, and those who disagree with it are generally an individual who was never planning on paying to begin with.
2. Do your research. If you are like me, you get some of your clients from writing forums, and there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, many people are using forums and Craigslist these days to advertise, but in order to protect yourself be sure to read up. Doing a simple Google search of the individual's name followed by the word "scam" can prove to be extremely effective.
3. Use Facebook to your advantage. It sounds a bit odd, but these days I have been adding all of my clients on Facebook. This helps me, personally, feel more at ease about who I am dealing with and reassures me that they are who they say they are. Remember though, not everyone has a Facebook.
Being a Freelancer can be a stressful job, and sometimes you'll just want to give up because of the discouraging individuals that most every self-employed person comes across. As long as you remember to protect yourself and take all of the necessary efforts to ensure your happiness and your salary.
At the Mercy of a Lion
Josh and I along with four of our friends went camping up in the woods this weekend not too far from our house. We all know the risks that we take when going up there, as there are mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, etc. However, we have never once come in any sort of contact with them, until Friday night.
We left on Thursday evening and set up camp. As we were all sitting around the campfire we heard something moving in the brush behind us....a lot. So we all fired our guns once (totaled 6 guns) leaving whatever was lurking scared and it left.
The next night (Friday night) Josh and I turned in earlier than everyone else and were sound asleep by the time everyone else was in bed. I did hear Josh's buddy shoot off his AK47 once so I figured they were scaring off something again. I fell asleep again no problem.
Around 1am I woke up and my heart was beating out of my chest and I could barely breathe. As Josh and I were laying in our tent (Josh was sound asleep) I heard something outside creeping around. At first I thought it was a deer, but then as I listened...it most definitely wasn't. It was much heavier and trying to be much quieter.
Our gun was on the other side of the tent, and I couldn't move. Josh was still sound asleep and I didn't even want to wake him up. I layed there for about an hour hoping whatever was constantly walking around our tent would go away. Finally, the last straw. The animal was right by the head of our tent, and I heard a low growl. It was DEFINITELY a mountain lion. I shook Josh and whispered to him that there was a mountain lion stalking us and he needed to grab the gun and shoot.
I'm the person who loves animals, but I don't deal well with a 300 lb cat (and her cub) turning us into prey. Josh wouldn't fire the gun after he picked it up, though. I kept begging him to, but he said unless he was sure he was going to kill it, he wasn't shooting, and there was no way that we could tell for sure where the cat was.
We were sitting up on the air mattress for what seemed like for hours just shaking, holding each other, and praying. We were at the mercy of a hungry puma.....not a very comforting feeling. Josh finally got to the point where he had to go to the bathroom so bad he was willing to go outside. He held the gun against the zipper of the tent as he unzipped just in case. He lit the lantern and told me to get dressed quick. So I did. When he gave me the okay we slowly walked to the truck (they love it when you run). We got in, rolled up the windows, and locked the doors only for me to hear the cat had followed us and he was in the grass right next to us.
I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. I understand that we are in their territory, but I also learned yesterday that mountain lions, unlike bears, hunt to kill...not for territorial issues.
Josh and I both feel so blessed and are so happy that God was looking over us that night. We have now decided we're NOT camping in a tent anymore and will be sleeping in the truck with a canopy from now on.
We left on Thursday evening and set up camp. As we were all sitting around the campfire we heard something moving in the brush behind us....a lot. So we all fired our guns once (totaled 6 guns) leaving whatever was lurking scared and it left.
The next night (Friday night) Josh and I turned in earlier than everyone else and were sound asleep by the time everyone else was in bed. I did hear Josh's buddy shoot off his AK47 once so I figured they were scaring off something again. I fell asleep again no problem.
Around 1am I woke up and my heart was beating out of my chest and I could barely breathe. As Josh and I were laying in our tent (Josh was sound asleep) I heard something outside creeping around. At first I thought it was a deer, but then as I listened...it most definitely wasn't. It was much heavier and trying to be much quieter.
Our gun was on the other side of the tent, and I couldn't move. Josh was still sound asleep and I didn't even want to wake him up. I layed there for about an hour hoping whatever was constantly walking around our tent would go away. Finally, the last straw. The animal was right by the head of our tent, and I heard a low growl. It was DEFINITELY a mountain lion. I shook Josh and whispered to him that there was a mountain lion stalking us and he needed to grab the gun and shoot.
I'm the person who loves animals, but I don't deal well with a 300 lb cat (and her cub) turning us into prey. Josh wouldn't fire the gun after he picked it up, though. I kept begging him to, but he said unless he was sure he was going to kill it, he wasn't shooting, and there was no way that we could tell for sure where the cat was.
We were sitting up on the air mattress for what seemed like for hours just shaking, holding each other, and praying. We were at the mercy of a hungry puma.....not a very comforting feeling. Josh finally got to the point where he had to go to the bathroom so bad he was willing to go outside. He held the gun against the zipper of the tent as he unzipped just in case. He lit the lantern and told me to get dressed quick. So I did. When he gave me the okay we slowly walked to the truck (they love it when you run). We got in, rolled up the windows, and locked the doors only for me to hear the cat had followed us and he was in the grass right next to us.
I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. I understand that we are in their territory, but I also learned yesterday that mountain lions, unlike bears, hunt to kill...not for territorial issues.
Josh and I both feel so blessed and are so happy that God was looking over us that night. We have now decided we're NOT camping in a tent anymore and will be sleeping in the truck with a canopy from now on.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
A Day that Changed my Life
Today I sold my bike. I know, I know, to most people it seems like it should be nothing. But there's something a lot deeper than just "selling a bicycle" to it. I've been in BMX racing for 15 years, and having to give up something that has been such a huge part of your life for so long is harder than I can put into words.
Okay, enough with the sob story. I did have some pretty exciting things happen to me today! With the money from my bike I purchased a laptop, FINALLY! Sitting in an office chair all day for work takes quite a toll on you, and not for the better! I'm so excited that now I can go work outside and lay in the hammock with my work. That is if the rain decides to hold off for more than 24 hours, I do live in the Pacific Northwest after all.
I also got to meet with the web designer for Barlow Bikes, Kelly, and got everything squared away for that. I also got to speak with my new real estate client who I am incredibly excited to work with! Speaking with both him and his colleague has reinstated my trust that there are honest people in the world and that there is hope in the freelancing world.
This weekend Josh and I are going camping with some friends and unfortunately there's no internet connection in the high forest, haha. I'll be back on Sunday morning, so have no fear I will return to update you all with photos and incredibly entertaining stories that may include Josh's friend shooting a squirrel on accident, out of fear, with an AK-47 (yes, it did happen).
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Okay, enough with the sob story. I did have some pretty exciting things happen to me today! With the money from my bike I purchased a laptop, FINALLY! Sitting in an office chair all day for work takes quite a toll on you, and not for the better! I'm so excited that now I can go work outside and lay in the hammock with my work. That is if the rain decides to hold off for more than 24 hours, I do live in the Pacific Northwest after all.
I also got to meet with the web designer for Barlow Bikes, Kelly, and got everything squared away for that. I also got to speak with my new real estate client who I am incredibly excited to work with! Speaking with both him and his colleague has reinstated my trust that there are honest people in the world and that there is hope in the freelancing world.
This weekend Josh and I are going camping with some friends and unfortunately there's no internet connection in the high forest, haha. I'll be back on Sunday morning, so have no fear I will return to update you all with photos and incredibly entertaining stories that may include Josh's friend shooting a squirrel on accident, out of fear, with an AK-47 (yes, it did happen).
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
New Local Client/Friends
Since most of my followers do not know me well enough to know my history, let me give you a little bit about myself.
When I was 3 years old I started racing motocross, yes, dirt bikes. A family friend got me into it, and I just loved the power that I had. About 3 years later I started to race BMX which was almost the same, except I had to pedal around a track rather than twist the throttle. Either way, 15 concussions and 20 broken bones later I was 18 years old, and frankly I felt like I was at least 4 times my age. My body constantly aches and hurts in ways that you are not supposed to feel at such a young age. Any who, I decided to ease up a bit, but I never officially "quit", which by the way-I hate that word with a passion.
2 years later, I'm now 20 and I have officially had to sell both my dirt bike and BMX bike. It hurts, but the risks that I am taking now with the sports are selfish and I have more than just myself to worry about.
If you have read this far into my extremely dull post, congratulations! It does get better, I promise!
Since February, I have been helping the owners of the local bike shop, Paul and Phil Barlow with the re-opening of the local BMX track. It's been great fun and I love that I still get to be involved in the sport without risking breaking bones. I work in staging on race days, but I do a lot of the behind the scenes work such as graphic design and such. Now, I have been asked to write content for the website of both their bike shop and the BMX track! I am so excited!
I love having a variety of topics amongst my clients, but it will definitely pay off to be able to write about something that I have such a passion for. I am extremely excited to work on a whole new level with Paul and Phil of Barlow Bikes here in St Helens, and I would just like to say "thank you" to them for being such great people!
When I was 3 years old I started racing motocross, yes, dirt bikes. A family friend got me into it, and I just loved the power that I had. About 3 years later I started to race BMX which was almost the same, except I had to pedal around a track rather than twist the throttle. Either way, 15 concussions and 20 broken bones later I was 18 years old, and frankly I felt like I was at least 4 times my age. My body constantly aches and hurts in ways that you are not supposed to feel at such a young age. Any who, I decided to ease up a bit, but I never officially "quit", which by the way-I hate that word with a passion.
2 years later, I'm now 20 and I have officially had to sell both my dirt bike and BMX bike. It hurts, but the risks that I am taking now with the sports are selfish and I have more than just myself to worry about.
If you have read this far into my extremely dull post, congratulations! It does get better, I promise!
Since February, I have been helping the owners of the local bike shop, Paul and Phil Barlow with the re-opening of the local BMX track. It's been great fun and I love that I still get to be involved in the sport without risking breaking bones. I work in staging on race days, but I do a lot of the behind the scenes work such as graphic design and such. Now, I have been asked to write content for the website of both their bike shop and the BMX track! I am so excited!
I love having a variety of topics amongst my clients, but it will definitely pay off to be able to write about something that I have such a passion for. I am extremely excited to work on a whole new level with Paul and Phil of Barlow Bikes here in St Helens, and I would just like to say "thank you" to them for being such great people!
Day One
Hello all!
As you can probably quite clearly see, this is my introductory post. I'm quite excited to get my own personal blog running and cannot wait to share the things I love, and my life, with all of my followers.
First off, I am a freelance writer. I am incredibly blessed to have the ability to work from home and do something that I am so passionate about. I love having the ability to express myself through words and also share my talents with people to help them in whatever way that I can. Writing is and always has been my passion since I was a little girl and though being a freelance writer does have its ups and downs, I enjoy every minute of it and I honestly would not have it any other way.
I live in the Pacific Northwest (hence my blog title) and I absolutely love it. I truly believe that it is the most beautiful place on Earth and I can't imagine ever leaving here. The endless Evergreen trees that quite frankly out number the number of residents in our state are so breathtaking that it's surreal. Combine with the towering, snow-capped mountains, the mighty flow of the Columbia River, and the stunning coastline that can only be found in this part of the world; you'll be as close to Heaven as you can get on Earth.
I am engaged to the most wonderful man and I am so blessed to have him. We have two fur-kids, Chloe and Milo, whom are both cats. Milo is a bit out there, and Chloe is the queen of the house-don't tell her any different! I love being outdoors and doing just about anything I can, as long as I get to breath in the fresh mountain air.
The goal of this blog is to inform people of the freelancing world, my part in it, and essentially anything that I feel like typing out at that specific moment. Consider yourself warned, I do love to write so this is going to be one busy blog!
Welcome to my site, and enjoy!
As you can probably quite clearly see, this is my introductory post. I'm quite excited to get my own personal blog running and cannot wait to share the things I love, and my life, with all of my followers.
First off, I am a freelance writer. I am incredibly blessed to have the ability to work from home and do something that I am so passionate about. I love having the ability to express myself through words and also share my talents with people to help them in whatever way that I can. Writing is and always has been my passion since I was a little girl and though being a freelance writer does have its ups and downs, I enjoy every minute of it and I honestly would not have it any other way.
I live in the Pacific Northwest (hence my blog title) and I absolutely love it. I truly believe that it is the most beautiful place on Earth and I can't imagine ever leaving here. The endless Evergreen trees that quite frankly out number the number of residents in our state are so breathtaking that it's surreal. Combine with the towering, snow-capped mountains, the mighty flow of the Columbia River, and the stunning coastline that can only be found in this part of the world; you'll be as close to Heaven as you can get on Earth.
I am engaged to the most wonderful man and I am so blessed to have him. We have two fur-kids, Chloe and Milo, whom are both cats. Milo is a bit out there, and Chloe is the queen of the house-don't tell her any different! I love being outdoors and doing just about anything I can, as long as I get to breath in the fresh mountain air.
The goal of this blog is to inform people of the freelancing world, my part in it, and essentially anything that I feel like typing out at that specific moment. Consider yourself warned, I do love to write so this is going to be one busy blog!
Welcome to my site, and enjoy!
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