Make yourself right, right now, and build from there — “You may not be perfect, but that doesn’t make you flawed.” — Nicole Kylie Let’s start there. You’re not perfect, you’re not flawed. Also, your freelance or solo business isn’t perfect, but it’s not necessarily flawed either. It’s a snapshot of where you are right now. …

Big wins with 80/20, 30–40, and 3-to-1 — Bring the power of numbers to your words. We’re writers and creators and make much of our living on the way we sling words around and use them to share ideas and stories. …

From fast to slow to just right in 15 messages — It’s a quick read, but maybe you’re still in the fast lane. If so, let me give you the gist of the tempo giusto, a musical term author and Slow movement advocate Carl Honoré adopts for the right speed. As in not too fast, not too slow, but juuuust right. …

What we learn from effective mediators can make a big difference for business and personal challenges — When it comes down to it, isn’t most advice simple if not always obvious? Or obvious with unexpected nuances? Doesn’t it often boil down to solid information that can be flexibly applied? For example: Our bodies work best and stay healthiest with activity, but there’s a mix-and-match smorgasbord of exercise…

You don’t have to love conflict, just don’t avoid it — We’ve all encountered the solo practitioners, fellow freelancers, or small business owners who run from conflict. They avoid. They don’t return calls. They let unpaid invoices go. They let previously solid partnerships wither away. Maybe we have met these people…and they are us. Conflict isn’t easy but with a few…

50 ways to love yourself and build your business — “Thrive talk instead of survive talk creates greater resilience,” says Bryan E. Robinson Ph.D. in his Psychology Today column devoted to The 5 Types of Self-Talk Your Brain Likes Best: “Negative, survive talk can lead to anxiety and depression. …

50 place-based ways to grow a freelance business — Do you like people, your corner of the world, ongoing learning, variety, flexibility, and being creative? Would having these elements in your freelance work make it more meaningful and fulfilling, fun and easy? …

12 entry points to ‘better’ from going within — I started my first business at 16 and started meditating at 17. There was no connection. My first business was low stress — math tutoring. I had a skill, there was a need. …