16 Comments
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Veronica Llorca-Smith's avatar

I relate to everything here but especially putting boundaries and specifically in regards to the "coffee chats."

I'm not a freelancer but I have many people very keen to jump on a call to "brainstorm." Most of the time it ended up becoming a free consultation session where I shared a lot and got very little in return.

I have moved aways from those: calls for friends, partners and potential clients (corporates).

It's been a learning curve but now I redirect those requests to my newsletter, coaching services or sponsorship offer.

Cheers!

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Alexis Mera Damen's avatar

Yes! Those boundaries are so important. I think it's crazy how some people think it's OK to abuse our time, but that's life. I'm glad you found my guest post relatable! :)

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Piotr Wieczorek's avatar

Niching down and upskilling are two of my favorite out of all.

Every newbie and even intermediate-level writer needs to hear this advice.

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Alexis Mera Damen's avatar

Thanks, Piotr! Glad you found this helpful/relatable!

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Charlie Dice's avatar

Really enjoyed this short, actionable article. I love the idea of having an intake form even for hopping on initial strategy calls because you're right - 98% of them are a waste of time. Will definitely work on adding this to my onboarding process!

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Alexis Mera Damen's avatar

Yeah those calls are generally a pain in the ass and not worth it. Glad you found some helpful tips in the article! ;)

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Alberto Cabas Vidani's avatar

A LinkedIn consultant I heard of had a 25 minute intake form. People who completed were very committed to hire her !

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Joelle's avatar

Thanks for writing this, I’m at the beginning of my writing journey so this was really helpful.

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Alexis Mera Damen's avatar

I'm glad!!

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Cheryl.wtf's avatar

So many great, actionable tips!

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Alexis Mera Damen's avatar

Thanks! Glad you found the post helpful!

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Alexis Mera Damen's avatar

Thanks for having me on your show, David! ✌️

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Eva Lydon 🌺's avatar

Loved this.. Thank you Alexis 👍😊

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Alberto Cabas Vidani's avatar

Congrats for your anniversary!

How would you suggest someone without connections starts looking for writing clients?

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TOMEK's avatar

In a saturated market, continual learning and adaptation are what set successful freelancers apart from the rest.

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Deer Forest's avatar

I have a small plot of land, but work can save me from three great evils: boredom, debauchery, and want.

——Candide(written by Voltaire)

لدي قطعة أرض صغيرة، لكن العمل يمكن أن ينقذني من ثلاثة شرور عظيمة: الملل، والفجور، والحاجة.

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