(Embrace the in between)

Hello and happy Tuesday! I was supposed to send this newsletter last Tuesday, but Labor Day weekend here in the US totally threw off my schedule. So here I am now…just a girl, standing in front of her newsletter audience, humbly asking you to please accept this week-late issue 🤝 

Boring > Extreme

Earlier this summer, I wrote about losing clients and how I was entering a slower season.

Fortunately, work has picked up again (as it does) and it made me think about the highs and lows of being a freelancer. But more specifically, I started thinking about the in between.

People often describe freelancing as a “roller coaster” of ups and downs. One day you’re on top of the world, and the next, you’ve lost all of your clients and are contemplating a career change (been there 🙋🏻‍♀️). These extreme highs and lows make freelancing sound pretty chaotic and unpredictable.

But those moments are just a fraction of the story.

No one talks about the quiet times. The days when you’re heads down, creating, writing, joining meetings, sending emails, and occasionally scrolling LinkedIn. If I had to guess, I’d say that’s what 80% of my days look like: boring, routine, steady.

And that’s not a bad thing! “Boring” for me means:

• Working with easy, stress-free clients

• Writing about topics I’m comfortable with

• Having a balanced day 

• Enjoying life outside of work

Boring also means that I’m not overwhelmed with too many deadlines, working with stressful clients, or desperately looking for work (I’ve dealt with all of this more than a few times, too).

Extreme highs and lows happen in freelancing. But in reality, they probably only make up about 20% of your time.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but don’t let the ups and downs distract you. Chasing the highs — like landing new clients, earning more, or getting big bylines — can leave you just as burned out as dwelling on the lows.

Embrace the quiet, routine days. This is when most of the work happens, anyways. And consistency helps create the foundation for all of the thrilling moments to come.

Enjoying this issue? Share it with a friend or subscribe below if you aren’t already subscribed.

• Recent piece I’m proud of: I interviewed the VP of Marketing for Salons by JC as part of a blog series for ActiveCampaign. It was so fun to get back to my journalism roots — plus, I learned a lot about the salon franchising business (it’s essentially like WeWork for beauty professionals).

• Newsletter I love: I’ve shared this before, but For Starters is one of those rare newsletters that I’m excited for each week. It highlights cool businesses all around the world and profiles the people behind them. I always feel energized and inspired after reading!

• Book I’m reading: Recently picked up Isola for a book club. It’s historical fiction, which is a departure from my usual murder mystery or contemporary fiction reads. (Although, historical fiction was my go-to genre in elementary school 🫣 I was a fun kid, I swear…).

• Life stuff: We’re rearranging nearly every room in our house, which means I’m temporarily sharing an office with my husband who also works from home…and is in meetings all day… 🙃 please send your recommendations for noise cancelling headphones my way!

I’ll be back in your inboxes on September 23rd 💌 In the meantime, let me know what you’re working on and how I can help!

Rough Draft is a bi-weekly newsletter where I share tips and musings on creating a freelance career from scratch. Subscribe here. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Threads, or my website. 👋 Have a question about freelancing? Submit it here!