building the business | family | life you want, with words
Ashley Gainer 
When you’re trying to get your name out as an expert — whether you’re building your email list, establishing your credibility, or simply taking your work to the next level — you need to become known in your target market. Start popping up everywhere, especially in places your market already knows and respects, and your audience, client list, and bottom line will grow. While reading through a Reddit AMA with Neville … Read the rest…
Plenty of factors play into improving your content. One of the most significant — the very foundation of all your content — is your ability to write well. Every blog post, every social media update, every infographic… it all comes down to pulling together your words, effectively. There are countless ways to improve your writing, whether you’re a blogger, a self-published author, a copywriter, an email marketer….you get the idea. … Read the rest…
Here’s the thing about motivation: It’s a delusion. It’s not a strategy. If you’re relying on “motivation” — or on her even more flighty little sister “inspiration” — to propel you through the work of writing, you’re going to have a hard time reaching your goals. Motivation is a feeling, and one defining characteristic of feelings is that they come and go. But what doesn’t come and go? Some answers: Mortgage or … Read the rest…
Editing is hard, am I right? Especially if it’s a self-edit. If you sent up a resounding yes to that, you aren’t alone. A lot of writers struggle with editing their own work. And while to an extent editing is a skill that has to be learned, there is something you can start doing today that will make editing your own work not only easier, but much more effective, and … Read the rest…
Ever thought about being a writer but not sure you want to get into “blogging” for a career? You aren’t alone! Whether you think freelance writing is tied to running your own blog, you aren’t impressed by the rates you think you’d command starting out, or you just want to do something that feels like it has a bit more substance, you’ve got a sea of writing opportunities that go beyond … Read the rest…
Advice commonly given to freelance writers is to find your writing niche, or “niche down.” This is great advice, especially for writers who have specialized knowledge or who have been in the game long enough to know what their niche is, no sweat. And ideally you’ll niche at some point — specialized knowledge gets higher rates and it takes less time to generate ideas and write, because you’re already familiar … Read the rest…
This post is an adaptation of a recent newsletter I sent to my subscribers. If you’d like to join the conversation, use the sign-up form below! Have you ever met Cyril Northcote Parkinson? Probably not — he’s a Brit and he’s been dead now for more than 20 years. But you’re probably familiar with something he brought to light (and named after himself) back in 1955: the idea that “work … Read the rest…
Let’s talk about the air around us. If you share my not-so-secret Enneagram inclination, you may know that when I say I’m a 5 with a 4 wing, I’m (in part) saying that I need beauty in my environment because I spend a lot of time in it. I’d venture that we’re pretty much all this way – affected by our immediate environments, I mean. Maybe you thrive in chaos, with … Read the rest…
Today, let’s talk about one solution to a common workday struggle: energy management. I crash pretty hard at 2pm, which is unfortunate because that’s also when my workday typically begins. It took approximately 1.5 seconds of looking into the problem to see that nutrition is a huge factor in my energy cycles. I have to do some proactive snacking if I want any hope of sustained productivity, and odds are good you have the … Read the rest…
When I was in 9th grade, I was a timid 14-year-old lacking confidence in myself. I had been in the small school run by my church for most of my academic life, and I had just made the switch to the large (2000-student) public high school down the street, so I could participate in their new International Baccalaureate program. I was scared, I was supremely insecure, and I was extremely … Read the rest…
Our personal narratives are the stories we tell about ourselves. Many of them are drawn from our own histories — the way we grew up, the decisions we’ve made, the trajectories our lives have taken — and many are also pieces of our self-perception and presentation. The personal narrative is a critical element of your inner thought life. The things you tell yourself about yourself, both silently and out loud, … Read the rest…
You’re an entrepreneur. You’ve got hustle — and probably some (cash) flow — and you’re working your way into the life you want. Rarely do concerns for your own health make it onto your radar, let alone your daily agenda. After all, you want this dream more than anything else, and we can all sleep when we’re dead. The trouble is, if you aren’t taking care of yourself, you may … Read the rest…
Depression is something that affects millions of Americans every year — how many more millions worldwide is something we may never know. And while much of the freedom, autonomy, and self-satisfaction that come from freelancing can be a mental health boost, freelancers are also strategically located in the nexus of factors that can contribute to depression. As you plot out your work-from-home (or from anywhere!) career, take into considerations ways … Read the rest…
As a freelancer, I can personally attest to the high levels of awesomeness that freelancing offers. I can set my own rates, make my own schedule, do work that I enjoy, and still spend as much time as I want with my son. Working for myself is definitely the right choice for me at the moment. That said, this type of work has some potential drawbacks. Each freelancer’s situation is … Read the rest…
The Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, have set the U.S. abuzz with all kinds of chatter about the sport, the location, and that breath-taking opening ceremony. Perhaps the greatest dark horse of these Games, though, is a certain NBC broadcaster and his pink eyes. Bob Costas is one of the key figures of modern-day Olympics coverage. He surprised everyone last Thursday with his opening broadcast as he donned glasses and … Read the rest…
Depression is something that affects millions of people to varying degrees. If you are suffering from mild depression, you don’t necessarily need expensive medications or hourly visits with a therapist. There are ways to kick yourself back into gear, with hardly any effort and minimal, if any, expense. Go outside. You don’t have to run or exercise. You don’t have to stand in the sun. You don’t even have to … Read the rest…
Post-run foot care is oddly overlooked. One quirky thing about runners is that many place a huge emphasis on taking care of every part of their bodies except their feet. This habit of overlooking doesn’t make a ton of sense when you really think about it, because the feet are the star of the running show (and the frequent site of running injuries). It doesn’t require a lot of effort to learn … Read the rest…
Whether you’re having trouble sleeping or you just want to know what will make a post-dinner snack that works FOR you, not against you, cherries may be what you need to add to your shopping list. Got Melatonin? Cherries are one of the few foods that naturally contains high levels of melatonin. Perhaps you’ve heard of that stuff — it’s a hormone with a pretty wide reputation that spurs lots … Read the rest…
I’m addicted to sugar. What’s more, you are probably addicted to sugar. Just ask any nutritionist. I once heard a podcast conversation between two moms, one of whom is a health and wellness expert. The first mom asked why it was that she craves things that are bad for her — namely, refined wheat and sugar — instead of the things that are good for her, like salad. The wellness … Read the rest…