You Are Not Meant for Everyone

A friend texted me the other day, worried about money. She functions essentially like an independent contractor and because her company hired a bunch of new people, she expressed concern that fewer clients would want to work with her because now there’s more competition.

I get that. Sometimes I feel the same way. With so many people working as a ghostwriter for therapists and a content writer for small businesses, that means there’s less work to go around, right? Maybe. But also, the reality is not just anybody wants to work with my friend and my friend doesn’t want to work with just anyone. (Obviously that also applies to me.) It’s related to a post I wrote a year ago about how you can say “no” to clients. Business is like matchmaking — it truly has to be a good fit.

writer for therapists
Are we suitable for one another like a specific lock and key? Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

So yes, there may be a million people working as a ghostwriter for therapists or a  small business content writer, but that doesn’t mean we should be working together. For instance, I would HATE working for Big Tobacco or a company that’s clearcutting the Amazon rainforest. And they would likely hate working with me because our values are not in alignment. I care about contributing to the world in a positive way. Not only that, climate change matters a LOT to me so no, I couldn’t work with just anybody.

Like I told my friend, a better mindset than the competition = scarcity one, is that she could affirm for herself, “May all who need me, find me.” It’s certainly what I do in my business and what’s interesting is I find my clients are similar to me — they’re sensitive, empathic, caring individuals. Their primary concern is being of service to others, not making a quick buck. We’re a match because we understand one another. I grok what they’re trying to convey and am able to convey it. That’s huge! First and foremost, a ghostwriter must be able to emulate their client’s voice. If they can’t do that, it’s not ghostwriting.

writer for therapists
Do I sound like you? That’s good ghostwriting. Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

Content writing is different because my name usually is on the blog or article, but even there being a good match is important. Let’s be real — content writing can be boring and devoid of personality because the writer is just trying to insert specific keywords to boost search engine optimization. That’s fine, but the reason I’m able to make content writing fun is my clients allow me to have fun. They want me to be creative and that changes everything.

The bottom line is you, I, we, are not meant for everyone. We won’t work well with just anybody. That’s OK, fantastic even! We are meant to work with people who will get the most benefit from the relationship. You can’t please everyone and there’s that marketing saying that if you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll appeal to no one. Niches are important. It’s why I promote myself as a ghostwriter for therapists and not a ghostwriter for science-fiction novelists. Therapy and mental health I understand. Sci-Fi? Not so much.

writer for therapists
Yeah, this? I don’t really understand. Photo by Aideal Hwa on Unsplash

Supporting small businesses? Sign me up! Every single one of my immediate family members has their own business so heck yeah I want to support small businesses with my writing skills. Again, it has to be the right small business but you never know if you don’t ask. So go ahead and ask! Reach out to me and let’s see if we’re a good match for one another. I look forward to hearing from you.

You Can Say No

In December, someone I went to high school with sent an email with lessons she learned in 2020. One of them was, “You can say no to work.” She explained that if a business proposal doesn’t excite her, if the project doesn’t grab her right away, she learned the entire project will be a drag. That she won’t want to do the work and it will be like pulling teeth to complete the project.

OK, she didn’t say it would be like pulling teeth, but I’ve noticed that for myself. As a freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter, there’s a part of me that feels obligated to say yes to everything. I don’t have the luxury of a steady paycheck from someone else and if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. That means there’s a bit of scarcity where I want to make as much money as I can just in case it all disappears next week. If we’re using metaphors, I’m worried the well will run dry.

freelance ghostwriter for therapists
It’s a *wishing* well! I love this picture. Photo by Abigail Low on Unsplash.

What my classmate reminded me is how saying yes to everything doesn’t serve anyone. I won’t produce my best work and the client won’t be as happy as they could because I didn’t go above and beyond. In fact, me saying yes to everything is how everyone loses. Just because a freelance content writing project comes my way doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right fit for me. The subject matter might be boring, or the turnaround time too tight. If I don’t like the initial proposal, I won’t like the concluding project.

Somebody out there would be thrilled to write about widgets so it’s better for me to turn down the projects that don’t light me on fire. Saying “no” to a project means someone else can say “yes” to it. Similarly, saying “no” to a ghostwriting project means I can say “yes” to another one that comes my way. I love writing about psychology topics. I could talk your ear off discussing internal family systems or the ingredients necessary to maintain desire in long-term relationships. Writing blogs and articles on topics such as those are fun for me. The migration patterns of hunter/gatherers in ancient Mesopotamia? Not so much.

freelance writer for therapists
Owls are great hunters! And they also lived in ancient Mesopotamia. =) Photo by Keith Lazarus on Unsplash

There’s something freeing about hearing another small business owner say she turns down work if it doesn’t excite her. I mean, at least it felt that way to me and that’s why I’m writing a blog about it. I truly believe work doesn’t have to be drudgery — yes, every business has aspects that are unpleasant, but fundamentally I struck out on my own because I wanted to enjoy my work. I wanted to pick and choose which content writing and ghostwriting gigs I said yes to. If I feel desperate and say yes to projects that sounds boring, I’m not staying true to my original purpose in starting my own business. I know sometimes people don’t have the luxury of saying “no” to work, but then again I think it comes back to having faith, like I wrote about last month.

It means having faith the universe will deliver the right clients at the right time. But it’s also having faith that I can market and hustle to find the sort of clients that I want to work with. The sorts of projects that are fun to work on. Those are the people to say yes to because otherwise I’m trying to be all things to all people, which is a recipe for failure. In order to succeed, I must be willing to say no.

I just wrote a post about saying “no” but I’m also saying “yes,” perhaps to you. Are you looking for a freelance content writer or freelance ghostwriter? If you’re a therapist or an alternative health practitioner, I’d love to talk to you. (But I’m also open to other professions.) Reach out today

Having a Business Requires Faith

When I first started my business as a freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter, I had no idea it would be such an exercise in faith on pretty much every level.

I’ve worked as a freelance journalist since 2013 but didn’t want to commit to it full time because it seemed so scary. “What? My income will fluctuate? I won’t necessarily have a steady paycheck? Pass!” But then I found myself walking down this path anyway. I felt guided to becoming a freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter so I took the plunge.

therapist ghostwriter

I didn’t anticipate it would go so well. I’m not going to lie, the first few months were difficult, but I’ve been more successful than I imagined. I’m thrilled about that, but what pleases me even more is that my clients are so appreciative of our work together. It feels wonderful knowing my clients are seeing results in terms of page views, new patients, and comments on their websites. As you can read on my testimonials page, a client even said one of the best things about 2020 has been working with me! What a compliment!

However, despite the praise, I still feel nervous at any moment one of my clients will say, “It’s been fun but. . .” and decide to end our working relationship. I think that’s a reasonable fear. That happens all the time in the business world. My first reaction is to say, “Oh no! Now I’ll be starving in the street!” (For the record, that won’t happen because even if all my clients became incommunicado right this moment, I have savings.) It’s important for me to soothe the scared part and practice faith. Faith that another a client will come. Faith that the people I’m meant to work with will appear. It’s hard because as you likely know, the definition of faith is belief without proof.

ghostwriter for therapists

The only evidence I have that the people I’m meant to work with will appear is that it’s happened already. I’ve had clients show up magically from the internet, but also from referrals or within my wider social circles. It’s happened before and thus I’m choosing to believe it can and while happen again. Faith is a choice, and to quote American author D. Elton Trueblood, “Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.”

I love that definition because I think it speaks to the essence of faith. The confidence a person has either in something greater than themselves, or in their own abilities. Because key to a successful business is believing you can do what you set out to do. For me, that means believing I’m a good writer. Believing other people benefit from working with me. Believing I offer a valuable service that people want to pay for. Having your own business requires so much self-confidence!

ghostwriter for psychologists

Truly, what put me over the edge in terms of starting my own business was finally believing I could have one. When I first started out, I tested the waters  by asking chiropractors and therapists if they’d even want what I was offering. There’s no use starting a business if the demand for it doesn’t exist. When they said, “Yes, I’d pay for that,” suddenly everything seemed more possible. I already knew I could write — being employed as a professional journalist since I graduated from college assured me of that. But hearing that people wanted a freelance content writer or a freelance ghostwriter flipped a switch in my brain. Still, there are days I’m plagued with doubts, which is again why I have to keep practicing faith. Who knew that would be a key ingredient to having a business?!?

If you’d like writing assistance — whether that’s content writing or ghostwriting — reach out to me. I’m here. 

The Importance of Patience

In my last post, I talked about how business can be like the moon in that it ebbs and flows. Related to that concept is patience because patience is required during the ebb periods, at least for me. And as much as I’d like to say patience comes easily for me, it does not. I forever want things on my timeline. And usually I want that thing yesterday. “You want me to wait? For an unknown length of time for something I really, really want?” That’s my version of hell.

However, waiting is also a fact of life. That’s what it means to live in this 3D physical world. Seeds take time to sprout. Babies take time to grow. And less tangible things like a business also have their own timeline.

freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter

As an Oakland freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter, I spend a lot of my day waiting. Waiting for a blog topic. Waiting for revisions. Waiting for an email or a phone call. And yet, even though it doesn’t move at the speed I prefer, everything gets done.

As Lao Tzu says, “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” That’s true in business as well. If something isn’t happening yet, maybe it’s not supposed to happen yet. I can’t tell you how many times the universe just seems to know when I’m available for a new client and when I’m not. For instance, just this week an editor reached out to me and asked if I was available for a journalism writing assignment and I was. If he’d asked last week, the answer would have been no. That may seem like nothing to other people, but for me, I view that as something magical and mysterious.

freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter

It may seem strange for me to quote from Richard Tarnas‘ book Cosmos and Psyche here but I think it’s relevant. He posits two ways of grappling with the universe and uses the analogy of two suitors to explain them. In the first approach, the suitor treats the universe as if it has no intelligence and is something to be exploited for his own gain. In the second, the suitor seeks to know you (the universe):

“[N]ot that he might better exploit you, but rather to unite with you and thereby bring forth something new, a creative synthesis emerging from both of your depths. He desires to liberate that which has been hidden by the separation between knower and known. His ultimate goal of knowledge is not increased mastery, prediction, and control, but rather a more richly responsive and empowered participation in a co-creative unfolding of new realities. He seeks an intellectual fulfillment that is intimately linked with imaginative vision, moral transformation, empathic understanding, aesthetic delight. His act of knowledge is essentially an act of love and intelligence combined, of wonder as well as discernment, of opening to a process of mutual discovery.”

freelance content writer and freelance ghostwriter

Because I hold the second view and not the first, that means I do believe the universe has my back, is conspiring for me so that we can create something new together. It means, yeah, there is a cosmic air traffic controller of sorts that  knows when I’m busy and when I’m not. So that also means things happen — like signing a new client or getting a book published — when I’m most ready for them.

I think about something Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, said regarding the runaway success of that book. She said she’s grateful it happened on her fourth and not her first book.

“And that I was nearly 40 not 22,” she said in an interview with the Guardian. “That I had a solid relationship. I’m really happy that it happened after my nervous breakdown, not before it.”

Meaning perhaps things would have been much harder for her had she achieved name and fame at an earlier age. That she would have endured more scrutiny or developed an eating disorder or something like that. Patience means we allow things to unfold naturally with the understanding that everything we need will automatically come our way at the perfect moment, to paraphrase Indian spiritual master Shirdi Sai Baba. And that includes things in the business world.

Go Your Own Way

I have to admit, when I hear “Go your own way” I immediately start singing the Fleetwood Mac song. Not that this post is about being in love with someone who wants to avoid emotional intimacy. No, this post is quite literally about going your own way, or marching to the beat of your own drum, or taking the road less traveled, or any of the other often-quoted idioms we use when describing someone doing their own thing.

freelance content writer oakland ca

What’s interesting about me is even though I LOVE to follow rules (structure! order! routine!), I’m an outlier in many respects. I’ve never intentionally eaten meat in my entire life, I’m highly sensitive to stimuli, and whenever a medication says 3% of people will experience XYZ symptoms, I’m usually in that 3%. However, I’m also a goody two shoes. If a cashier gives me too much change, I will return it. If quiet hours start at 10 p.m., I have my headphones plugged in at 9:59. If there are rules to follow, I’m likely following them.

Both of these dynamics — following rules and being my own person — also play out in business.  I want to follow in the footsteps of someone else, to do what they do. If someone tells me I have to do X to be successful, by golly, I’ll do X. I follow their instructions to a T and then much to my dismay, I’ve noticed I fall flat on my face over and over again because what works for other people doesn’t work for me. Don’t get me wrong — some things like hard work and consistency are universal and are required for the success of anything, not only business. However, copying the more variable, subjective things, like someone else’s program, or their marketing strategy, do not work for me. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve spent on various courses telling me the best way to do whatever, only to have those courses accomplish exactly zip for me.

I keep thinking about the company behind the game Cards Against Humanity. In 2013, instead of lowering their prices for Black Friday, they raised them by $5 and sales improved!

Oakland ca freelance content writer

“Anyone can do a sale for Black Friday, but nobody but us could get away with raising their prices and risking a ton of sales just to make a joke,” Cards Against Humanity co-founder Max Temkin wrote on his blog.

That story has stuck with me for the ensuing seven years because it’s so counter-intuitive. Who would have thought completely going against norms (i.e., having lower prices on Black Friday) would actually generate even more sales?

I realize I’m still a newbie at having my own freelance content writing and ghostwriting business, but there’s something comforting about knowing a person can flout conventional wisdom and still be successful. There’s something comforting about knowing I don’t have to run my business (or my life, for that matter) just like everyone else in order to have the things I crave: financial stability, ease, peace of mind, and purpose. And in fact, the more I go my own way, the more I’m true to myself and what works best for me, the more successful I am. How about that?

Maybe You’re Blue Because. . .

What’s funny about life right now is I’m bored despite having have plenty to do. My days are filled with content writing, ghostwriting, interviewing, researching. I also have free time to watch Netflix, read books, and talk on the phone. In the evenings I’m on Zoom calls, taking yoga classes, and meditating with friends. But somehow I still feel listless. How can that be?

I’ve discovered it’s because I have to ensure my weeks contain certain activities, otherwise I become sulky and bluesy. I’ve learned I have to do the things that make me come alive. In this instance, my days are lacking storytelling.

Oakland freelance writer

It’s likely obvious by now that I love to write. I’m an Oakland freelance writer with clients all over the country (and I’m open to international clients as well!). I write for therapists, for homeopaths, chiropractors, and busy professionals. I write about linking somatic techniques with talk therapy. I write about using MRI to detect breast cancer. I write about the role of feelings at the office. All of that writing is fulfilling in various ways but what I’m not writing enough of are feature articles.

Feature articles are profiles, interviews, and stories. If you’ve ever read an interview with a celebrity, that’s a feature article. I love feature articles (both reading and writing them) because they’re fun. They involve interviewing someone else (or multiple someones) and crafting a story from that information.

I’m at the point now where I recognize I have to write feature articles even if I’m not getting paid for them just because I love doing it. I notice my basic needs can be met and the days will still stretch endlessly because something important is missing. I’m doing some of the things that bring me joy, but not all of them. In this instance, it’s storytelling. I have one client I’m doing that for, but it’s not enough. (Are you a homeopath, chiropractor, or some other professional looking to drum up business? Contact me about writing features for you.) It’s not only about offering that service to someone else, it’s also because it brings me joy. However, the other writing brings me joy as well! I couldn’t drop any of the kinds of writing I’m doing because they all meet different needs.

Oakland, CA content writer

People often say to have a niche when it comes to business. To focus on one thing and do it well. It’s good advice but I’m unhappy if I only do one sort of writing. I’m more a “variety is the spice of life” gal. No variety equals boredom for me and that boredom can turn into depression. I’d like to avoid that if I can. So what do I do? All the writing! I know I’ve only been in business as an Oakland freelance content writer and ghostwriter for a short time, but so far writing about a lot of different things in various ways is working for me. Time will tell if it continues to work, but so far so good!

What about you? Do you focus on one niche or do you cast a wider net? Tell me in the comments below. And again, if you’re looking for a freelance content writer or ghostwriter, let’s chat to see if we’re a good fit.

How to Sell During COVID-19

I have an Instagram page where I post quotes from the novel I wrote, books I’m reading, funny memes, that sort of thing. Because I list myself as an author, I receive solicitations from people who want to sell me consulting services or offer me tools that I could use to promote my book (if I had one). I’ve noticed a trend in the way people are pitching to me lately that feels disingenuous.

They start off with a compliment (“Wow! You have great content!”) and then follow it up with a question (“How long have you been doing this?”). When I reply, they come back with another compliment (“That’s incredible!). And then they hit me with the sales pitch, which feels like the real reason they reached out in the first place. Do they actually think my content is great or are they only saying that to butter me up? I don’t have a problem with appreciation, as long as it’s real. But saying the same general thing to me as 50 other authors make me feel devalued.

freelance writer oakland ca

I’m not interested in the services being pitched to me for a variety of reasons, but the sales people keep pressing, asking why not and if they can work around my hesitation. I have no doubt this strategy is an avenue for selling, and it likely works for some people, but for me it’s a huge turn off. My philosophy in business is to establish a relationship. I strive to be friendly with my clients because we’re both giving and receiving. I don’t want to take someone’s money and run – I want to provide a service that my client can actually use.

I’m reminded of a story from Tosha Silver’s book Change Me Prayers. She said for her first book, she shopped it around to several bookstores and in one store, the manager said, “You can leave a copy for our ‘pile’ in the back room. Then you could call a ton and plead with us. If you get lucky, maybe one day we’ll stock it. Just keep hoping.”

Tosha’s response was, “Oh, my God, no! Why would I keep twisting your arm? It’ll go easily to the places that are right. You never have to convince someone. The people who are right will just know.” And sure enough, that happened with other store clerks. They were thrilled at the idea of stocking her book and one even threw her a party. That’s what I want for me too (maybe not the party, unless it’s over Zoom!).

Freelance content writer oakland ca

I want selling to be easy and smooth. That’s not to say no effort is required because of course action is always necessary, but the energy is different. Instead of twisting someone’s arm, pressuring them to work with me, I understand the right clients, customers, partners, etc. have already been selected and we’ll be guided to each other easily (and gratefully). I want to work with people who want to work with me. If I have to convince someone, are we a good match? Likely not.

I feel like especially now when most people are stressed, sliding in and out of depression, and struggling in some form or fashion, the best thing I can do is offer my services as a freelance ghostwriter, content writer, and editor. Emphasis on the “offer.” I’m opening my hands, saying “here you go,” and letting people take me or leave me. I’m not waving my hands in front of their face and saying “take this, take this, take this.” For me that makes all the difference.

If you’re a busy professional like a therapist in need of a ghostwriter, connect with me. If you’re looking for a unique way to promote your business through storytelling, I’d love to help with that too. If you just want someone to make sure your resume doesn’t have any typos, I can also handle that! Just reach out and I’d be glad to help.

Why Consistency is Crucial

The way people often work is they get super excited about a new idea and then spring into action. They churn out podcasts or blogposts. They start doing a million things because they’re fired up. And then they burn out. They get tired. Writing a blogpost sounds boring. Mustering up motivation is hard. Maybe they could let it slide just this once … ?

“Just this once” becomes twice and then thrice. Before they know it, it’s been months since they produced any new content and then perhaps the weight of inertia is, well, weighing them down. I get it! Consistency is hard. As a freelance content writer in Oakland, CA, I’m here to help with that because consistency is a key factor to a successful business. Why is that?

Freelance content writer oakland ca

Consistency builds momentum

Let’s face it, nothing happens overnight. Even those “overnight” success stories we hear about don’t account for the many years of hard work and effort an individual or group of individuals put in. We like to think success, wealth, and acclaim drop out of the sky, that they’re a matter of luck, but more often than not, success is a continuous process. It’s compounded growth. Consistency is what gets you were you want to go. Entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn said: “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

Consistency makes you relevant

As I wrote about before, having a blog helps with search engine optimization (SEO) because it keeps your site dynamic. It shows you’re alive and kicking and search engines like that. Not only search engines, but people too. If you post every week, readers/customers/clients start to trust you. They know you’ll have a predictable flow of information and come to rely on it. They start to believe you’re someone they can count on and trust in the world of business. (By the way, if you need help writing your blog, contact me. I’m a freelance writer in Oakland, CA, but I can write for anyone, anywhere.)

freelance writer oakland ca

Consistency creates perspective

When I say consistency creates perspective, I don’t mean in the usual sense that you can see things from another angle. What I mean is consistency allows you to look back and measure your success. If you’ve tried something new for a period of time in a steady way, then you’re able to measure your performance. If you do something haphazardly, then how can you possibly know if it’s working? That’s like exercising once every eight weeks and deeming it’s not helping you lose weight. It’s repetition that allows a person to track their success and repetition helps you understand what works and what doesn’t work.

Consistency focuses on the long term

In the U.S. at least, predominantly the culture focuses on the short term. We want instant gratification. We want immediate results. How many people are playing the long game and thinking years into the future? Consistency isn’t sexy because it’s about incremental progress and improvements over an extended period of time. Most people want the improvements without the incremental progress. Me too. I want to play like Mozart without practicing the piano. I want to have a killer body without working out regularly. However, real life isn’t like that. Consistency, especially if you’ve taken the time to evaluate what you’re doing, is what works. Consistency asks that you focus down the road where you’re going, about where you’d like to be. Consistency also recognizes it’s the baby steps along the way that matter.

freelance writer oakland ca

It can be hard to focus on the long term, but the way to do that is to hold your vision. What is important to you? Why does it matter? That clarity acts as a touchstone for why you’re doing what you’re doing. When consistent actions become boring, go back to the touchstone. Also consider what’s one thing you can do to move closer to your dream? Not 10, just one. Instead of striving to write an entire book in an afternoon, shoot for a page, or maybe a chapter. If you write a page a day, in a year or less, you’ll have a book. And a finished book is better than an unfinished one.

Why is consistency crucial for you? What are some examples of consistency working in your life? Lastly, did you like this post? If so, share it! And as always, reach out to me for help with writing content because it’s my jam.

Everything Has Its Own Timing

One of the most frustrating parts for me about running my own business, and really if I’m honest, life in general, is how long things take. I’m the type of person who zooms off like a rocket after the word “go.” Coming from my journalism background, I’m used to ceaseless deadlines and a swift pace. When I contact someone for an interview, we speak soon and the story moves ahead. Or if the person doesn’t respond to my interview request, I write the article anyway without comments from them. Regardless, the story is going live at a certain day and time.

Freelance writer Oakland

Now that I’m mostly out of the journalism world and writing for small businesses, everything moves much slower. If someone indicates interest in working together, we could spend weeks going back and forth about the details. When I turn in a blog to a client, unlike with a news article, there’s no rush. The blog may not go live for weeks or perhaps months. People take their time because they can. This is a complete reversal from how I used to operate and it’s a huge adjustment. That’s a polite way of saying it bugs the heck out of me. I’m probably not supposed to admit that, but it’s the truth. I realize I can’t control or change other people, I can only manage myself. I’m the one who’s impatient and has certain expectations. And that means I’m the one who has to adjust.

Thus far, I think about advice I heard ages ago: However long you think something will take, double it. For me, I think I need to triple it. That way when a project takes significantly longer than it “should,” I won’t get as bent out of shape because I modulated my expectations. Problem solved! Sort of.

The reality behind impatience for me is I’m a compulsive doer. It feels better/safer/more gratifying to act all the time. It’s hard to slow down. And where I live, hustling is prized. We admire people who work hard, who do a lot. I haven’t seen an award for sitting around all day listening to the birds. I haven’t read any newspaper articles about a person who went for a walk and made a cup of tea later. No. We want achievement. We want people who are doing extraordinary things. Given that atmosphere, it can be hard to sit back and twiddle your thumbs, but inevitably there comes a time when everyone just has to wait. A time when things are not moving. Even in the news room there were days we really didn’t have anything to write about. Or at the very least, we couldn’t write an article because we were waiting on more information.

freelance blogger Oakland, CA

What’s helping me adjust to a new sort of timing is thinking about surrender. Surrender means to stop fighting. How can I stop fighting the reality of slow business sometimes? How can I work with it? How can I embrace that there will be days I won’t have anything to do? That sometimes my hands are tied? Instead of rushing into action, or creating work for myself, I can relax, let go, and trust that everything has its own timing. Everything has its own flow. Including business. And while I’m waiting, I can listen to the birds chirp, go for a walk, and make myself a cup of tea.

What about you? How do you cope with waiting? Let me know in the comments below.

The Secret to a Successful Business

The reality is I haven’t been in business long enough to have any clout to reveal the secret to a successful business, BUT there are some things I’m noticing right out of the gate. AND I’ve been talking to other people who have been in business way longer than me. The following is what I/we found.

The secret is. . .

I thought people would want to use my freelance content marketing services because I convinced them of its value. After all, research shows the importance of having a blog so surely everyone wants what I’m offering, right? Because they understand it will help their business thrive and boost visibility on search engines? Well, no. It surprised me to learn my rational explanations mean diddly if there’s not an emotional component as well.

freelance content marketer oakland

We like to think of ourselves as logical, reasonable creatures, but actually the majority of our decisions are made by the subconscious part of our brains, sometimes referred to as our reptilian brain. That includes purchasing decisions as well and why storytelling in business is so important. Research on advertising shows the emotional response to an ad influences a person’s intention to buy much greater than the ad’s content itself. Why is that? Because emotionally charged storytelling creates a rush of dopamine in the brain, particularly in the amygdala, which is responsible for memory, according to the Ted talk “Storytelling, Psychology, and Neuroscience” by Amanda D’Annucci.

For instance, if you think about the toxic masculinity ad from Gillette, it got people talking and also created brand loyalty because people vibed with the ad. We want to support businesses that are in alignment with our values and one of the best ways to show a value is through storytelling and emotion. However, I’m not selling razors, so how does this apply to me? The emotional component comes down to this: People are more likely to hire their friends.

Oakland content writer

“[E]mployers really want people who they will bond with, who they will feel good around, who will be their friend,” according to Dr. Lauren Rivera at Northwestern University who examined 120 interviews and published her results in the American Sociological Review. We all want to work with people we like, and yes, I’m an Oakland freelance writer and not an employee, but the premise still applies. “Employers” in my case are clients and clients want to work with friends. Thus far that’s proving to be true. My current clients and potential clients are friends or we have a friend in common. This makes sense, right? It’s essentially a form of word-of-mouth advertising, which is the most trusted form with 86% of consumers trusting word-of-mouth.

We trust our friends and we care about what they think. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg said: “People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.”

Oakland blogger

I am asking my friends and family to refer me out of course (hey, can you refer me out?), but I’m also approaching potential clients as if they were friends. I’m doing my best to establish a friendly rapport because the reality is business comes down to relationships. We are in relationship with one another trading a good or service. In my case, I’m trading blogposts for money but it could also be trading water bottles or razors or widgets. We want to do business with people we like and what I’m finding is that starts from the very first point of contact.

Do you want to connect with me and be my new business friend? Get in touch.