 Lately, freelancing is being referred to like it is a fashion statement. Striking out on your own is the way to go, and without the worry of a boss breathing over your shoulder. Freelancing is a way to earn a decent living and excel in your chosen field, but only if you pursue it for all the right reasons. In these tough economic times, the thought of starting a business sounds like a good idea. We all have to pay the bills! But choosing to freelance out of desperation or because it is "the thing to do" can lead to a messy situation. There is a myth going around that freelancers wake up when they want, stay in their jammies, put out some work when the mood hits them and the money comes rolling in. This is far from the truth. For freelancing to work in your favor you have to be willing to work harder than you would at a traditional 9-5. A true freelancer is like being the pilot on a cessna jet. You wear all of the hats from departure to destination. During your waking hours your job is full with meeting deadlines, networking, looking for more projects, sales, marketing, accounting, admin...you name it. Whatever has to be done, you're the one to do it. Then there are the distractions. Since you work from home, you have all the time in the world to chat it up or take care of the needs of others. In order to stay productive, you have to get a little stern in this department. When you respect your work, others will too. Freelancing can be exciting and rewarding when approached with a productive, positive, and realistic attitude. You have to ask yourself, "Am I up for this challenge?" To help answer this question, and several others, check out "15 draw backs working as a full-time freelancer" from Guerrilla Freelancing. The author, along with some cool people on twitter, compiled this great list. How do you approach your freelancing? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.  Leadership: I Admit I Was Wrong 11/20/2009
 Recently, a good friend, who is an artist, called and asked for my opinion. He was getting mixed signals from a woman he met while networking. After seeing his work she invited him to a few gallery showings and expressed wanting to include his work in the near future. For nearly four weeks they continued to get together to discuss art. During this time he said the conversation topics became more personal, but he didn't mind. He liked her. She eventually told him she was beginning to have feelings for him. They seemed to hit it off, so I'm wondering where does my opinion fit in here. Well, after he told me that she only agreed to see him on certain days, during a specific window of time I was beginning to get the picture. Her response to phone calls even had a pattern along with some other things. Then came the big question..."Do you think she is up to something"? My response, "This chick is full of s&#t! I can't believe you are falling for this crap! I thought you had more on the ball. Wake up man...she's trying to play you!" Our conversation continued with him defending himself from my criticisms. Afterward I felt bad because that is not what he asked me to do. Though, I don't like shady people, especially when they are clearly trying to get over on someone, I should have just answered the question and left it at that. I called him back the next day and apologized for the things I directed at him. I was wrong. Leadership involves various responsibilities. Admitting being wrong ranks near the top of the list. Many times we are appointed to leadership roles that we didn't campaign for. It's not always the position we are aiming for in our career. Others look to us for guidance at times that may catch us off guard. That's okay. Being a leader doesn't mean being right all of the time. It's acknowledging when you are wrong that counts.  Sometimes it's a challenge to keep track of all of the ideas you have to write about that suddenly come to you. When combined with reading and research, it's just a matter of time before your mind is in overload mode. By setting aside time to mind-dump you can become better organized and can actually improve your writing. Mind dumping is purging and sorting the information that is bouncing around in your head. By doing this you are able to accomplish a few things:
 Just for a moment, recall the most memorable speech or presentation you have heard. You may remember the speaker to be a well-known personality, or a local individual that is active within your community. Do you remember how you became a part of the experience? The person was not speaking at you. There was no use of unfamiliar jargon or phrases that left you confused. You became engaged, which allowed you to become more knowledgeable from the experience. Writing works the same way. Communicating with readers in a basic conversational manner conveys an important part of what you represent. Realism. Reaching out to share valuable experiences and factual information gives readers the real-life examples that they are seeking to identify with. As a writer, not only are you filling a need, but building a foundation of loyalty. To communicate effectively, maintain simplicity by writing and responding in a basic conversational manner. When sharing experiences, encourage participation by asking readers to share their own experiences on a particular subject. This inspires others and will help you continue to grow in your freelance writing. How To Take The Ice Out Of Cold-Calling 11/13/2009
 Are you constantly making contacts, but not making any connections? Always professional and friendly in your presentation, but you just can't figure out why the majority of potential clients decline your services? Selling is not easy, but to be a successful freelancer selling plays a part in what you do at some point. The bottom line is whether you are offering tangible products, or services, your main objective is to get the potential client to say yes. There are many good methods, and some not so good. One thing the good ones have in common is that "selling" is not involved. Replacing the "salesy" approach with plain human interaction takes some tension away. We are guarded when it comes to selling. When you hear, "Hi I'm _____, and I want to tell you about_____...", you're ready to say "no" and shut down more often than not. The key is to build positive relationships. This is done online through social networking and offline, again through social networking. Genuinely getting to know people and finding out what their needs are will take the ice out of cold-calling. By doing this, you go beyond making a sale. You build a foundation to make a connection. How do you take the chill out of making cold-calls? Success Is A Made Up Mind 11/11/2009
 Trying to accomplish something worthwhile is never easy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 78% of the business force is comprised of entrepreneurs. Being among this majority, you started your freelancing journey knowing challenges would come your way. You stood firm to face the fight. Getting projects, building credibility, making enough money to sustain a desired lifestyle have become a part of your existence. But now you sometimes ask yourself, "is all of this worth it"? What is it that has taken the wind out of your sails? Even though it has been six months, or a year, you're still doing the things that got you off the ground but for some reason the efficacy isn't quite as strong. While striving towards your goals it is possible that you have reached a plateau. But reaching a ceiling does not mean that you have to remain there. Re-evaluating the full picture is a good way to see where are. If you have worked your plan and reached your goals up to a particular point you should be proud. You have proven that you are ready to grow and step up in your business, not give up. Technically, you should already have the next set of goals in place to take you to the next level. Along with it will come a new set of challenges. Don't let the illusion of fear become an issue. If you are having some doubts and fear that you won't make it, you might not if this is your thought process. Use those feelings as fuel for your creativity tank to attract the results that you want. Make this a part of your plan to reach success. You've gotten this far through repetition of your work and doing what you are passionate about. Maintaining the same tenacity into the next level will get you that much closer to the top. 10 Tips On Growing Your Readership 11/09/2009
 Starting a blog with the hopes of reaching tens of thousands of readers daily is the objective of many writers. Sharing knowledge and being the "go-to" source is sure to bring worldwide followers in no time...right? Gaining a large readership is attainable, but this will not happen quickly. Writers that are aspiring to be the next blogstar must realize that becoming a web-celeb is no different than becoming a successful surgeon, business owner, actor or singer. You have to pay your dues. And paying dues takes time. Bloggers with star status didn't set out for their blogs to have the most followers. One thing they all have in common is they offer value. They don't try to sell themselves. By presenting knowledge that readers can benefit from is one of the things that sets them apart. Staying in touch with readers by offering themselves is another element that is most genuine because it lays the foundation to building relationships of strength and credibility. Though at any given time there are a handful of blogs with star status, there are many more that are successful and provide stellar value. They are all stars in the blogosphere. Growing a blog, or website, takes patience and work that includes:
These are just a few of the elements of the many things you can do to build readership. What are some of the unique things you have done to grow your list of readers? 
My Weekend Taste Of Hot Journalism 11/02/2009
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