I’ve got a huge problem. I’m stuck on being self-employed, just like a fly is stuck in a spider’s web.
See, I was a mere kid last time I worked for someone else, and now I’m pretty convinced I’m just not cut out to start a job that I have to report to, ever again.
Unlike the web spun overnight in the picture above, my self-employment web began more than 25 years ago, and I’m totally tied up in it!
What’s a girl to do?
I’ve never been like anyone else. That’s good, right?
My brother says, “You know how everyone marches to their own drum, Suz? Well, you’re playing the cymbals!”
My other brother says, “Everyone’s heard of bipolar, well, you’re tripolar.” Humph. Brothers.
I can’t dance with my husband either.
We both know it’s because I just can’t let anyone else lead me! Know what I mean? It just isn’t in me to NOT do my own thing. No matter what anyone else thinks.
Who put men in charge when it comes to dancing partners anyway? Why can’t I lead? It just doesn’t work that way, is what everybody tells me.
I’ve tried to conform. Even in just this one instance, but, well, it just doesn’t seem to work too well, and someone is likely to get stepped on or knocked into, or worse.
When my figure skating teacher tried to get me to take “dance” and work with a partner doing set steps, (okay she wanted to tame my hockey player swinging arms a little too) like a waltz, for example, I failed at that, too.
I just happen to be made for freestyle.
I had no problem flying higher than most on jumps and spinning closer to the ground than anyone else. I loved doing my semi-famous (at least in my mind, my pro too) “flying sit spins,” and I guess it took a little moxie to challenge (even) hockey players to races on the ice…me skating backward against their forwards! I won too. But I loved the freedom of flying.
When you love the feeling of flying, you never lose it, even if you can’t ice skate anymore.
Freedom to work for yourself is a little like that too. You can’t go back. At least not if you can help it. And by gum, I’m going to do everything I can to stay free. I like to fly. I need to.
It’s who I am.
Except.
Except. Well, except that it all sounds so fancy-free, and that’s not the truth about working for yourself at all. Not even close.
Working for yourself means working longer and harder than you would ever work for someone else. Ever.
Working for yourself means doing every single little nasty rotten yucky job that no one could EVER pay you enough to do for them. Never, never ever.
Working for yourself means no one will hand you a paycheck on a certain day, or a certain week, or any time, for that matter. Sometimes you won’t get one at all.
Working for yourself means, well, all kinds of things. I’m working on a piece that talks a lot more about what it means to own your own business but, that’s not my point here.
Right now, I’m talking about something more along the lines of internal peace I’ve found, to some extent, by working for me.
I’m also talking about how nerve-wracking it is and how much pressure I’m starting to feel in finding my way to freelance writing as a new way to earn a living, using my brain more than my bod. Which, okay I’m saying it, isn’t getting any younger.
And I’m confessing. I’m confessing that writing is something I’ve always wanted to do, somewhere deep down, but I don’t mean to sound cliché by telling that.
But I have leaps further to go. Any freelancer will tell you, the same as any business owner, that it’s not all a bed of roses.
I’m not one to give up. It’s just not who I am. But in truth, I’m just not as adept at reinventing myself, as say, Madonna for one, or Snoop Dogg.
Making matters worse is that I’m exploring this writing thing and business from somewhere I’ve never been before. It might as well be the “Wild, Wild West” or whatever you want to call a new frontier, as in, exploring a place I’ve never been.
I’m referring to the World Wide Web, of course, which is the web that I’m trying to use effectively to catch (not like a spider or anything) my writing clients.
Challenging technology? Yes.
Interesting, exciting and new isn’t a bad thing, though. I’m learning as I go and more each day, which benefits my clients and me too.
Scary? Maybe, but no deal breaker to creating a variety of epic content or producing quality writing. Making customers happy, while establishing a new work path, is the icing on the cake.
All of it entails the same commitment as working for myself always has. Growing and changing bring the same worries, too, but I love shifting my expertise and experience, doing something new, and most of all, learning and improving as I go.
Maybe a quarter century of time in business gives me some insight, information, experience, and knowledge I can share to help other businesses.
If you have a business challenge, or want to share the story of your business, or create a message from you to an audience, or need direction for an overall content marketing strategy and plan, just let me know.
I’ll work hard to help your business communicate its message, in whatever format you need, in an effective, engaging way that connects with your ideal customers.
No hype, no pushy, nor aggressive used car lot sales feel writing offered. If that’s you, I’m not your type. Or maybe it’s style.
But I know we won’t be a good fit. I don’t want to waste your time, either. In fact, I want to save you time.
I want you to know that you have one less thing to worry about and can run your business, instead of producing content by the buckets.
I mean quality content and not just content, by the way!
Just take a look at the Internet and you’ll see, people need quality writing, no doubt. Maybe you?
Strong copy serves a purpose, so writing with a reason (an intention) produces value, and a valuable asset, for your business.
So, if you want to engage with your audience/tribes/peeps/customers/whatever, talk to them, share with them, offer value via entertainment, information, education, helpful resources, guides, newsletters, etc.
Or maybe, it’s more like you need more than want the above, I can help.
And thanks for reading about the web I weave working for me and writing for you.
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