063: End of the year wrap up!

Tune into the final episode of 2023, which continues last year tradition of doing an end of the year wrap up. Today I talk about: 

• High points (and sticky points) in my business 
• Goals for 2024
• A change to the podcast schedule for the future 
• Upcoming opportunities to work together

Here is the instagram account for Jamie Brindle (a helpful content creator who shares freelance tips) 

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Transcript

0:01

Hey, and welcome to the freelance dietician podcast. I'm your host, Julia. I used to be a clinical dietician and now I'm a freelance writer. I do cooking demonstrations and I'm also an editor. This is the final episode of the year, and it's going to be a wrap-up of how the second year of my business went as a freelance dietician. Let's get started. Listen to the show if you really want to know how to freelance as an R. T. There's a new guest every week that will teach you some techniques to use your nutrition degree. Feel inspired, get hired, have a blast. Listen to the Freelance Dietitian Podcast.​Hey everyone, this is the annual wrap up episode for the Freelance Dietitian Podcast. First, I did want to say thank you so much to listeners for tuning in. I know this week, sorry, this year, excuse me, I haven't been as consistent as I have in the past, but I still appreciate you hanging around. Thank you for your patience. To celebrate the listeners a little bit, I wanted to give a shout out to some listeners who submitted their biggest achievements for 2023. I'm pretty big on reflection, and I think it's really nice to think about everything that you accomplished in the past year, because I think too often we just forget to celebrate those moments. So I had three people write in, and I'm going to read them now. Cristiana wrote in and said that she's proud of herself for releasing a course for dietitians who want to learn how to use LinkedIn. That's pretty epic, I think creating a course and publishing it is a huge endeavor, so congrats, that's a huge win. Lisa wrote in that she left a toxic work environment and is now working from home. That's amazing, Lisa. It's not as a freelancer capacity, but she's enjoying the new leaf that she turned over. Wow, that sounds like literally it could be very life changing and I'm so happy that you had the opportunity to do that. Thank you so much for sharing that epic win. And we also had a submission from Liana. And she said that she's collaborating with new businesses. That's epic. And being consistent with self care. That's so inspiring. I think it's so cool that you're putting yourself out there. Securing gigs with new partners, like new business partners. And I love that element of self care. I've noticed that that's something I could be a lot better at next year moving forward, so I'm going to think of you the next time I'm passing my self care when I shouldn't be. I love hearing from you guys, because I think although we all share similar credentials being dieticians, everybody really is on their own unique path and unique journey, and I love being able to celebrate all of that on the podcast. I think it's really cool. So way to go. If you didn't write in, I hope that you're still taking some time to reflect on some of your achievements for the past year. I will talk about some of my High points, and then some of my sticky points in 2023, and then I did loosely create some goals for 2024, although I'm still figuring it out. I absolutely want to start with the positive stuff, though. Let's start with the highs. I think, generally, the biggest achievement for me this year was taking some writing courses to improve my craft of being a writer. I've invested a lot of time educating myself on proper grammar and sentence structure and One of the best ways to become a better writer is to read higher level literature, um, so that you can see what a well formulated paragraph looks like. So I really indulged my word nerd aside this year, and I can see that it's been producing really great, um, results for my clients because the blog roasts are, blog, sorry, blog posts are ranking higher. I think I said blog roasts, which is just like such a weird visual in my brain. Um, sorry, I feel silly today. The blog posts are ranking higher. And then also in terms of feedback from my clients, I do touch base with them quarterly to see if there's anything I could do to improve. And. consistently since I've been taking the writing courses, I've gotten more and more happy feedback saying they're, wow, I love that piece. I love that tone. What a great angle. And it's just so reassuring that all the hard work is worth it. So number one, that is my thing that I am most proud of. I really do feel competent in my nutrition knowledge and my writing skills. The second high point for me was hiring help for my business. I think I had a preconceived idea that you needed a bursting business that was just exploding with cash to validate hiring someone and I can see now that that might be kind of a reactive approach instead of being proactive. I think a good business plan probably allocates funding in your expense folder so that you can hire someone at the start. and I think that model makes a lot of sense because ideally. You and that other person will develop an infrastructure that helps you handle the influx of work that you're anticipating once things really take off. So, you know, with that in mind, hindsight's 20 20. I'm very happy that I hired Kelsey when I did. She makes my life so much easier, so much better. Um, and I probably could have benefited from hiring her six months ago, really, truly. I think it would have been a really good, high priority item. So. That's my experiences. I'm just letting you know in case you get to a spot where you're feeling a little bit drowning in some tasks and you're like, wow, it would be great to have a second version of myself. Like ding, ding, ding. I think that's a signal to you to consider outsourcing or hiring some extra help and the third win this year for my business was creating a more consistent income schedule. There's a, like, rhetoric in the freelance world where it's either feast or famine. And that means that you're either feasting on the abundance of work, it's just filling your plate, almost pleasantly drowning in it, and then there's low, really low periods where people take a break, or people haven't renewed their budget yet, and then that's a period of quote unquote business famine. And, there are ways to protect your business and you can do that by creating retainer models with your clients. Or basically getting some kind of agreed upon basic amount of work that they can promise you every single month. And if there's more work, then you can say you're available for it, but at the bare minimum, at least you're getting that basic amount. Um, someone who speaks to this topic very well is a freelancer from the States, and his name is Jamie Brindle. And he's. He's a freelancer by trade and his background is actually in music production. I'm 85 percent sure of that. I'm not in the music industry, so that's why my lingo might be off, but I'm pretty sure he has a studio and he helps people produce their music. And it's a freelance business he started with his wife. And so now He's sharing all of his freelance tips that are transferable to any kind of freelancer, including how to protect your business from low income periods, how to negotiate with a client so that even if they don't take 100 percent of what you offer, maybe you can still talk with them and then take 40 percent of what you offer. Like that is still better than nothing. And he teaches you just great mindset tips as well. So he's. I can't remember his handle, but I think it's the Jamie Brindle. I'll link it in the show notes. And he produces free reels on his Instagram that I find very helpful. He also has courses and stuff, but I've never taken them. So I can't speak to their quality, but you know, based on what I see from him, I'd imagine that it's pretty helpful. Um, so for me. That really was a huge achievement because it's also only my second year of business. So to be able to have that Infrastructure ingrained already is feeling good. It's not perfect by any means and it could certainly be better But I just learned a lot of things from my first year as a freelancer and I've corrected them for my second year to make it as stable as possible because it is extremely stressful when your income isn't reliable. Speaking of money, I will say that that kind of was a sticky point for me this year as a business owner. So, for some context, let's time travel back to 2022. It was last year, the annual wrap up podcast episode, and I said I wanted to make about 130, 000 or 140, 000 in my business for 2023. And when I started this year, I was on track to hit that target, but I noticed at the end of each month, I was feeling Very exhausted, because I was working crazy hours, as one does when you want to earn crazy income. And I was feeling very unsatisfied, and eventually it clicked in my brain that I value time more than anything, and I think I made that big goal because I wanted to push myself to see if I could do it. I wanted the financial freedom that comes when you earn that kind of cash, but also I think it was a bit of my ego that was pushing me forward, to reach for those kinds of goals. And this is very personal. I am not anti money. I think if you want to earn that cash, you totally should. Uh, but I think for me, the compromise here that made it less enjoyable is that I had to give up so much of my time that I worked so hard to carve out by leaving my full time job. Um, and it was really, like, zapping the joy both in my work life and then Outside of my work life too, because I was just so tired and stressed all the time. It was a lot of pressure that I put on myself and then coming to terms and trying to accept the fact that maybe I wasn't going to be that kind of business owner. When it's just yourself and you're in your brain and you're comparing yourself to other business owners, it's really hard to let go of that image of what you think you should be doing to be successful. And that was really, that was a tough pill for me to swallow too, because On the podcast, I've always been promoting life work balance, but even myself, like I just got swept up into that, keeping up with the Joneses mentality. Turns out I'm not immune to it. Had a real hard look at myself in the mirror. And I was like, this isn't you, this isn't what you wanted. You don't have to force yourself to do this. So, yeah. So now I'm at a more comfortable work, working hour, working level. Um, I basically. Want to work 40 to 45 hours a month and then I use that my other time to You know, take care of my family, take care of my parents and it's just nice to spend time with them. Uh, you know, be present for my family in a way that I couldn't be when I was working full time because I was just so burnt out talking to patients all the time. Because it turns out I'm also not as extroverted as I thought I was. Um, so yeah, so for me, like, that's really important. I'm very happy to say that even while working an average of 45 hours a month for 2023, it looks like I'm going to be approaching about 89k before taxes. Which, I don't know if that number is incredulous to you or not, but for me, That's insane. Like, I worked twice as many hours in my full time job and I made 75k when I left my role in primary care. So to be working 50 percent less and earning more, I just always remind myself, that is enough. I've also been reminding myself that this is my second year. Ever of being a full-time freelance dietician. And to just give myself more pats on the back instead of, you know, criticism. Most importantly, I feel proud of what I've accomplished, what I'm contributing online and that I get to help other people write really awesome stuff. So That was a main sticking point just like the whole money topic I guess and then it kind of segues also into the second sticky point for me, which is that I felt myself comparing myself a lot to others in business. I think during my first year of entrepreneurship, I had blinders on and I was so focused, like I was not getting distracted by anything. But in my second year, I was feeling a little bit more comfortable. And so I start to watch other people and then I feel like, oh my gosh, am I doing enough? You know, should I be starting a membership? Everybody's starting a membership. Should I be having a course? I don't even really like courses. Um, that's a personal preference. Should I do this? Should I do that? You know, like, it was just non stop. And I just got on that rollercoaster ride and I just could not get off. It was like, so ridiculous. And I think that's one of those things where I had to go through it and and realize that, I am doing enough. I don't need to be doing what other business folk are doing. My business is my journey and it's fine. So the one thing that did help me kind of get over that hump is disconnecting from social media. If you're a long time listener to the show, that's probably not new messaging for you. Uh, because I have a history of backing off social media to go and live my life. I really believe in that. And the more I see AI taking over and producing more content rapidly, the less I feel inclined to participate in social media. Like, it's just too much. It's too much content and, you know, I think a lot of people can relate to that. So I'll stop there before I keep rambling. I would say, in summary, that my second year of business was more mentally challenging for me than my first year. I think I had a lot of growth and a lot of maturing that I did, um, but I would still absolutely call this an extremely positive year. I had so many experiences, um, and I networked with so many cool people through online means, and it was just like, So awesome. And I always remind myself of that whenever I have a doubt. Cause I still get imposter syndrome too. And moments of panic, like, Oh, what the hell am I doing? I just always focus on that feeling where I'm like, yes, like this is worth it. So, yeah. So, so that's the, that's the high level summary, I guess. I do want to say also just with the income, like. I do recognize that, uh, just because I feel bad and I do want to own the fact that like I am very privileged because I have a partner who works full time, so I have flexibility in choosing to take my pedal off of the gas a little bit when it comes to working in my business. Our family has a number, an income goal that we're both working towards, so yeah, I just feel very lucky for that flexibility. Some general observations that I wanted to share with you, not about myself anymore, but just about the freelance landscape in 2023. Because things have really changed since I entered the scene in 2021. The pitching process is so different. Cold pitching, nobody likes cold pitching. I did a lot of cold pitching and I had huge success with it. But now I am getting crickets. Like, I am not getting a word back, So it's very weird, and that seems to be a consistent theme from all the dietitians that I'm talking to. Uh, so you're not alone. I don't have an answer in terms of how do we make pitching more effective. I'm trying some new things with my business next year and when I have more data I'll feel more comfortable sharing those tips or maybe What not to do next year? Um, because I don't want to give you information until I know that it's uh I'm gonna be legitimately helpful, so stay tuned for that. I want to also address the topic of AI in terms of writing. I do think that AI will, it's already eliminating middle of the range quality writers. You need to get your skills up higher if you still want to be sought after and charging top dollar. A happy news that I can tell you is that my clients have told me that they don't want any AI in their writing and they run everything through a screening program to make sure there's no AI in the articles. So people still want human writers, but you need to make sure that your skills are sharp and you can do that by taking writing courses and by practicing. It's not unattainable. There's many dietitians who learn those skills, so you can absolutely do it too. Yeah, so, for 2024, let's look forward a little bit. Okay. I am very interested in learning what else is trending in the freelance world. Um, and I'm actually going to make an episode about that in the new year, 2024 freelance trends. I think it's always smart to keep your finger on the pulse and just see if there's something else you like. It's very, very good practice to stay open minded for those things. After this year I don't really want to set a financial goal for 2023. I mean, I have a baseline amount that I need to hit for my family's sake, so that's always in the back of my brain. But I'm really prioritizing life work balance for real for real because I think I only did that 50 percent of this year and I'm craving it for next year. I am also really wanting to organize Like live workshops with group of dietitians who want to improve their freelance skills. I've talked to some people and it seems that there's interest in developing their writing skills, which I think is essential if you want to find work in the future in this field. There's also talks just about learning the basics of freelancing. Like I would love to teach you guys that and I think that I will have some time and capacity to do that next year. So I'm really excited. I, I think I mentioned it already. I'm not anti course, but I I have had a lot of success because of the coaches I hired, and that's just my personality and how I click with people and as an educator, so I think if that sounds like you, then these, webinars are going to be really, really helpful because you're engaged, it's for the hour or for the 90 minutes, and then you go and you do this stuff instead of buying a course and letting it sit maybe half finished for six months, you know, like, I don't want that to happen. And so. My goal is to keep them very affordable, because I'm like worried, I'm like, I don't know. I don't want to like price dieticians out of these services that are trying to help dieticians. Like, that's just not what I want. So, yeah, I think that's gonna be coming down the pipes. For the podcast, I will be decreasing the frequency of the show to every other week. Obviously this year I really struggled doing it every week and I think it was very eye opening that maybe it's too much and maybe I just need to decrease my frequency. So I'll be doing that in the new year. If you have someone that you want me to bring on the show, please send them my way to julia at freelance dietitian. com. If you have a topic you want me to address, you can absolutely send me an email with some suggestions as well. I really try to cater the show to you guys because this is supposed to be an educational, enjoyable place. Um, and so yeah, I'm all ears for you. The last thing that I will say is that in 2024 I'm just going to be a little bit stricter with boundaries in my Instagram inbox. Everyone's super respectful, but I just don't have capacity to be answering freelance questions for free anymore. And I think I also deserve to be compensated. So, I, I don't advertise it very much, but I do offer one on one intensive sessions with people. These dieticians who have Very specific freelance problems that are preventing them from taking the next step in their business. So in the past We've gone over portfolios. We've gone over pitches. I asked them a lot of questions to explain their service so I can hear how they're selling themselves to a client. Um, we really want to make sure that you're using language that shows your client, you know, your stuff and that you're going to be adding a lot of value to their business. So all in all, if you reach out to me, I might. You know, forward you a free podcast episode to listen to and if that doesn't help I'd say hey, let's book a 30 minute chat and, uh, a paid chat and go from there. So, that's it. I am very sorry this episode wasn't uploaded last week. For some reason it was deleted while I was trying to upload it. Um, and I appreciate you waiting. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season, I hope you stay healthy, I hope you have fun, I hope the food is excellent. I hope that you start daydreaming about all the ways that you could freelance or just all the ways that you can cultivate your dream life in whatever way that looks like for you in 2024. I'll be back in your ears in January. Have a great winter break. Bye!