Skip to content
  • for freelancers
  • Work With Me
Horizontal-blue
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Contact
  • Home
  • for freelancers
  • Work With Me
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • ADA Compliance
COPY-CHATTER (1)

Ready to talk shop?

It’s time for some Copy Chatter

Copy Chatter is a weekly podcast delving into all things freelance writing. Each episode gives straight-shooting insight and advice regarding the real-life issues and opportunities that freelance writers face every day. 

listen on your favorite platform

Apple Podcasts
SPOTIFY
AMAZON
Pandora
iHeartRadio

Listen in...

AshleyG (13) (1)

read the show notes

Other services freelance writers can offer

Services to Offer With Freelance Writing

Where to find writing clients that pay better than UpWork

Where to Find Freelance Writing Clients that Pay Better than Upwork

Freelance writing gigs that aren't blog posts

What is There Beyond Blog Posts for a Freelance Writer?

It's OK to be a generalist

It’s Ok to be a Freelance Writing Generalist (She Said What?)

How to market yourself as a generalist

How to Market Yourself as a Generalist (as a Freelance Writer)

Inbound versus Outbound marketing for freelance writers

Marketing for Freelance Writers: Inbound vs. Outbound

How to get work done with kids underfoot

How to Work at Home With Kids Underfoot: A Megapost

what a disney princess teaches us about freelancing

what my favorite Disney princess teaches us about freelancing and imposter syndrome

3 things you must have to make it in freelancing

Three Things You Need To Be A Freelance Writer

  • « Previous
  • 1
  • …
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • Next »
Submark-blue
  • Home
  • for freelancers
  • Work With Me
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • ADA Compliance

© 2021 Ashley Gainer. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms. Disclaimer. Designed by Mackenzie.

Instead of yelling a frustrated "WHYYYY is this ha Instead of yelling a frustrated "WHYYYY is this happeninggggg???" at the sky, try to find humor in the absurd. 

You'll be a lot better off.

#theinkwellguild #copychatter #perspectiveshift
There’s a sensation of feeling too big for your There’s a sensation of feeling too big for your skin, of being contained by something that's too small.

When the simple act of existing feels uncomfortable. 😟

Cracked. Pinched. Crusty, even.

There's only one thing to do when you're stuck in this level of existential discomfort:

Shed the old, dead pieces that aren't working anymore, and let yourself rest as much as possible until your new skin is ready to face the world.

🔶 CHANGES YOU MIGHT NEED TO MAKE 🔶

SURFACE-LEVEL - such as acknowledging your body isn't the same size it used to be, and picking up some clothes that fit better.

BASIC - such as "I'm tired of being tired" so you change up your evening and mornings to allow for more sleep.

STRUCTURAL - such as when your infant becomes a toddler with a much higher demand on your time, so the way your business was structured before simply isn't working anymore. The solution might be changing the type of work you do, or bringing in a sitter, or changing up your offers to make them more conducive to your ideal schedule.

LIFE/BELIEFS - such as going through a crisis and picking up the pieces of what used to be your life / business / belief system / network / whatever… and examining them, one by one, to see what still fits and what needs to be left behind.

The thing to be aware of with this kind of challenging mental state is that you're growing. 🧘‍♀️
 
It won't last forever, and when you break free of the old stuff constricting your movements and making things uncomfortable...

You're going to be a BIGGER, STRONGER, BETTER version of yourself. 💪

It might just take a little while. 💎

#theinkwellguild #copychatter #selfcareforentrepreneurs #freelancewriters #freelancewriter #freelancecontentwriter #freelancecopywriter #writingmotivation #writingproblems #newwriters #writingadvice #writinggoals #writingblogpost #writingblog #writinggroups #writingmotivation #overwhelmed #overwhelm #overwhelming #overwhelmedbylife #perspectiveshift #burnoutprevention #burnoutrecovery #stressmanagement #stresshelp #stressreducer #freelancingfemales #workingonline #writingcommunityofig #femalecopywriters
I recently did a Core Values Assessment, which was I recently did a Core Values Assessment, which was pretty cool.

The process itself is a little challenging.

You're presented with a giant list of words, and you go through the list bit by bit picking out the words that jump out at you.
 
Those words are marked and then put in a new list. From there, you have to start sorting and categorizing your words.
 
Once everything is sorted, you’re supposed to trim down each group of words in half, dropping the ones that are repetitive or not as close to the overall sense of the group as some of the other words.
 
You keep doing this filtering and sifting until you get it down to 10 words. 

And then comes maybe the hardest part: ranking these 10 words from most to least important to you.
 
These were my top 3:
1. Hope
2. Courage
3. Whimsy
 
I really like this combination of words. When all 3 are in play, anything is possible. Remove any of them, and things feel incomplete and way harder.

What would YOUR 3 words be?

#theinkwellguild #copychatter #corevalues
“I don’t have to save this for someday… I ca “I don’t have to save this for someday… I can love myself.”

I said this to myself recently about a notepad. 

To be specific, a 7-inch, square notepad. With “FOR THE ONE I LOVE” typed across the top.
 
I remember buying this notepad and liking it a lot. I remember looking forward to all the little love notes that I might scribble in it. Cute couple-y stuff. I'm into that, I guess. 😍
 
I picked this notepad up around Christmas of 2019 but still hadn’t used it.
 
I wanted to get rid of it, but felt sad at that thought, but also silly about the idea of hanging onto something "just in case," for the future...
 
And then it occurred to me. 💡

I don't have to save this for someday.

I can use this right now. 🎯
 
So, now I’m doing some planning and projecting, making my notes and lists on this love-note paper.
 
It's the perfect size, it's cute to look at... and then there's the deeper message it sends.
 
I can love myself. 💖
 
I don't have to depend on someone else to take care of me, look out for me, do stupid little things to make me feel special... none of that.
 
Notes that begin with "For the one I love" and follow with tasks, ideas, plans, and dreams that are for me, about me...
 
IT'S SELF-CARE. 🦄🌈

It's ministering to myself when there's no one here to minister to me. It's pulling myself forward when there's no one else here to pull.

And if you want to see some of the fruits of my self-care, ones that can benefit YOU, just check out the link in my bio. 👈

#theinkwellguild #copychatter #selfcareforentrepreneurs #freelancewriters #freelancewriter #freelancecontentwriter #freelancecopywriter #writingmotivation #writingproblems #newwriters #writingskills #betterwriting #writingadvice #writinggoals #writingblogpost #writingblog #writinggroups #writingmotivation #overwhelmed #overwhelm #overwhelming #overwhelmedbylife #perspectiveshift #burnoutprevention #burnoutrecovery #stressmanagement #stresshelp #stressreducer #freelancingfemales #workingonline
There's a difference between "you're paying me to There's a difference between "you're paying me to be the expert and I'd suggest you not make these changes" and getting offended when you disagree with a client's decision. 

I suggest making ONE push-back statement pointing out why you did something a certain way, and if the client remains unmoved, you defer to them. 

It'll be smart to get it in writing that they overruled you, just in case someone tries to @ you when things don't go as well as expected.

#theinkwellguild #copychatter #getitinwriting
Woo-hoo! You’re finally planning a vacation! Eve Woo-hoo! You’re finally planning a vacation! Even freelancers need time off from work. 😉

Remember, PLAN is the operative word here. 

Here are 3 key steps you should take to ensure a great time off and a smooth transition back. 🔑🔑🔑

🔑 STEP 1. DECIDE JUST HOW UNPLUGGED YOU PLAN TO BE.
 
🌞 Is this a working vacation where you cut your hours to 3 or 4 a day and otherwise spend it with your family? 
🌞 Will you bring your laptop? 
🌞 Will you spend time checking in/keeping in touch? 
🌞 Or is this a complete digital sabbatical (don't take your phone, don't check your email)? 
🌞 Or is it somewhere in between? 
🌞 How much do you want or plan to get done?

🔑 STEP 2. ADVISE YOUR CLIENTS IN ADVANCE THAT YOU'LL BE OUT OF TOUCH FOR YOUR VACATION DATES. Or, if it's a working vacation, which days and times you'll be checking in.

⛱ I like to give at least a couple of weeks notice if I'm taking less than a week off. 
⛱ For a week or longer, I like to give them at least three or four weeks notice.
⛱ I try to conduct my business in a way that there are no bad surprises for my clients. 
⛱ One of the ways I do that is to give them plenty of notice if I'm going to be unavailable when they are otherwise used to me being pretty available.

STEP 3. SET DEADLINES AROUND YOUR VACATION DATES

📆 Take out your calendar. 
📆 Determine the dates you want to be away.
📆 Decide which dates to block off IN ADDITION to your vacation dates.
📆 You’ve now given yourself a buffer for your deadlines before leaving and after returning.
📆 You can turn down work if you need to for your vacation time.
 
For more details on planning a vacation as a freelancer, you can listen to my podcast episode “How To Take A Vacation As A Freelance Writer” at copychatter.com, or on your favorite podcast player. 🎧

#theinkwellguild #copychatter #indemandskills #podcastersofinstagram #podcastcommunity #podcastnetwork #podcastmarketing #womenwhopodcast #freelancewriters #freelancewriter #freelancingfemales #freelancecontentwriter #freelancecopywriter #makingmoneyonline #getpaidtowrite #copywriters #contentwriters #writerswrite #writersden #contentwriter #copywriter #creativepreneurs #stressmanagement

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT