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🤐When your client assigns all tasks and projects (along with their due dates) via email.
Nothing activates my desperate need for meditation, breath work, and any sort of calming agent quite like a busy (disorganized) inbox.😅
As an introvert, an inbox 10382 is as bad as putting me in on stage in a crowded room filled with strangers.
🤯Not only does it trigger my email anxiety, but it taunts my type-A personality by forcing me to sit down and sift through every last piece of mail (including junk and coupons) just so I can restore peace by reaching inbox 0.
This is why assigning tasks via email, no matter how important, is a big no-no!
👉If your client is guilty of this, introduce them to a project management tool.
My favorites are @asana (more user-friendly) and @clickup (incredibly robust with a lot of fancy features).
🙌It’s a great way to get your client organized, rounding up their team so that every single person is on the same page.
Plus, if you’ve been looking for a window of opportunity to pitch your strategy, management, and systems Digital Business Manager skills, this is it!
🤷🏻♀️If your client says “but what if no one checks Asana/ClickUp? How will they know what is due and when?”
You can assure them that both ClickUp and Asana has reminder tools that pings all assignees of a task or project’s upcoming due date (yes, by email).
So not only will they get their email notifications sent, but you (and the rest of the team) won’t have to go foraging through your inbox for hours just to find project details (cue the Backyardigan’s hit single “Into the Thick of It”)
👇Do your clients use a project management tool? If so, which one?
It took me 6 months before I became a fully fledged freelancer.🙌
In 2016, I found myself miserable at my prestigious corporate internship.
I knew I wanted to escape the 8AM daily grind, and in the best case scenario, I wanted to freelance my way to freedom.
💻I wanted the ability to work from anywhere in the world, have ample time to pet all the cats, and work in my PJs and bird’s nest hair whenever I felt like it.
If that isn’t the spitting image of “work life balance,” I don’t know what is.🤷🏻♀️
So I took on a side gig as a $10/hr virtual assistant all while juggling my internship.
The late nights, boundary-less (at that time) freelancing schedule was worth it. Because 6 months later, I was a full-time freelancer.
📈From there, my freelancing career took off steadily.
When I started hitting consistent $2-$3k months as a virtual assistant, I knew I was ready for the next level.
🤩I wanted to grow my income so I could unlock a new type of freedom - the kind that allows me to book premium economy seats, travel anywhere in the world despite the cost of flights, and freed up my time all while simultaneously feeding my savings account.
After reading many books, listening to hours of podcasts, falling into Google rabbit holes (some deeper than others), and testing out what the online biz space calls The Strategy and Management work, I graduated from being a virtual assistant to becoming a Digital Business Manager.🎓
If you’ve been patiently walking down the online freelancer path and you’re thinking “what’s next?”
👉There might be a promotion into the role of Digital Business Manager with your name on it waiting for you.
✨And I have a FREE on-demand class that’s patiently waiting to guide you down this new, exciting, Digital Business Manager path whenever you’re ready to take that next step. ()
Busted sneaking around Asana after hours. (What can I say? I live life on the edge!) 🤷🏻♀️
🙊I know boundaries are important. But do I sneak around Asana after dark every now and then? Maybe.
I’m low-key anxious that my team will call me out if they catch me lurking around Asana when I’m supposed to be locked away in an escape room.
🙌While I’m all about overdelivering and working hard, I’m also pro-boundaries and taking weekends off to refuel and come back fresh for the work week ahead.
💆♀️ But trust me when I say it’s easier said than done, and upholding boundaries take a lot of practice (even if they encourage me to unplug and unwind).
Do you ever find yourself doing work-related things on the weekends (even if you said you wouldn’t)?
Ever turn down a perfect, if-only-we-met-sooner client because you just don’t have the time?👇
Great freelancers and virtual assistants are in-demand and flying off the online shelves these days.
That’s a great problem to have until you realize you don’t have enough time to work with every client you want to.😅
On the flip side, you are fighting the urge to say “hell yes” to every dream client that comes your way because who doesn’t want to make more dough?
👎The bad news - it’s impossible to work with every single client out there, no matter how dreamy they are or how many times they have you saying “are we the same person?”
👍The good news - you CAN scale and grow your income without the fuss and hassle of sacrificing your time.
How?
✨By shedding your role as an implementor, stepping out of the knees-deep in the trenches work and promoting yourself to the strategy, management, behind-the-scenes planning as a Digital Business Manager.
Offering team management, content & project planning, & systems & operations strategy work is a natural, low-risk, evolution for a virtual assistant and freelancer who is already familiar with the ins-and-outs of your client’s business.
🙊& promoting yourself to a Digital Business Manager will impress your clients (to the point where they’d say “it’s like you know my business better than I do!”).
If you want to dabble in some Digital Business Manager practice tasks, I have a $7 week long challenge where you’ll learn the tried and true Digital Business Manager skills (that my students use every day post promotion).
👉You’ll also get your hands (slightly) dirty as you work through tasks and projects for your portfolio, so you can approach your clients with your new Digital Business Manager title with confidence (and bragging rights).
Not a virtual assistant/freelancer?
If you’ve planned detailed itineraries for friends or color-coded your way through note taking in high school
Like every job, freelancing comes with a set of obstacles, but they’re nothing that you can’t handle.😎
These obstacles might seem too big and scary, making you think that freelancing isn’t worth the trouble.
Having several years of IRL freelancing know-how under my belt, here are some simple, effective ways to gracefully leap over these common hurdles like a gazelle.🦌
🙃Constantly applying for jobs/looking for clients
✨FIX: This will mostly affect you in the first few months (maybe your first year) of business. But as you keep growing, overdelivering, and making a good impression, your clients will start referring you to their friends and so on and so forth. If you’re still afraid of losing a client or two along the way, build a work-with-me waitlist so you have a database of potential clients to on-board whenever you need to.
🤯Paying your own taxes & Being responsible for your health insurance
✨FIX: Although this might require a little discipline on your part (to set aside the necessary funds), it’s also a reason to charge more 💰as a freelancer. Don’t be afraid to factor this in as you’re setting your rates or preparing your project proposal.
🥴Not having a solid 9-5
✨FIX: Not having a designated time to clock in or out of the office means you maaay end up working past 7PM on a few occasions. It also means that you could take a Wednesday off if you choose to (work and time permitting). But setting strong boundaries can restore some sense of sanity and help you avoid as many early mornings and late nights as possible. Putting all distractions away during your peak work hours and setting a time to step away from work each day are just a few simple rules you can enforce to help you avoid a one-way ticket on the late night struggle bus.
There is a solution for everything. And the perks of freelancing definitely outweigh the costs.
What are some other freelancing obstacles that scare you? Let’s figure them out!
🍔It’s ok to take a bite out of the freelancing sausage egg McMuffin (even if it wasn’t what you planned on ordering).
Every thing I did throughout my high school and college career pointed in one direction - to join the workforce and climb the stable 9-5, 40-hour work week corporate ladder.
It’s why I…
🤓Studied hard
😓Stressed over the SATs
🎓Went to a good college
🤩Landed a prestigious corporate internship
💼And finally, planned to plant my feet firmly at the base of a corporate job with a 40 year plan to make it to the summit.
But somewhere along the climb up… I decided to jump ship.
This pivot was a big deal for me. As someone who has a plan Z for their plan A, steering off course and slipping off the corporate climb (I spent years working toward) was anxiety inducing.
🥲I had NO idea what my new path into the world of full-time freelancing looked like.
But luckily - powered by a brief late-night stroke of courage🍷 - I took the first step regardless.
For 6 months, I kept one foot on the corporate ladder while trudging my way through the freelancing mist one baby step at a time… eventually I did it. I earned my badge as a full-time freelancer.
👉No matter what your situation is… whether you’ve realized that the corporate climb was not all you’ve chalked it up to be, or maybe you’ve always wanted a job that would allow you the freedom to work from your couch (or anywhere in the world) - your next step doesn’t have to be a gamble.
I’ve taken my years of trial and error, throwing spaghetti at the wall, and late night Google rabbit hole freelance business knowledge and wrapped up in a FREE on-demand masterclass on how you can jump ship from your current work situation without feeling like you’re walking the plank.
✨If you have a love organization, planning, color-coding (and other type-A activities), becoming a digital business manager might be your ticket to freelancing freedom.
And this free masterclass
My imposter syndrome is a bigger diva than Mariah Carey. 🙊
She loves to belt out hits like…
🎶“You’re a fraud”
🎤“You’re not good enough”
And 🎵“What do you know about anything?”
After being in the freelancing and entrepreneurship space for a few years, I’ve learned a thing or two about managing this attention seeking diva.
✨While her voice might be hard to ignore, you don’t have to sing along. Just sit back, listen, and thank her for the performance.
👉Every expert started out knowing absolutely nothing about what they’re an expert in.
🤸An olympic gymnast didn’t somersault out of the womb.
✍️A best-selling author started out with no knowledge of words and spelling.
🎄And Mariah Carey wanted many things for Christmas before she settled on “you”.
We all start somewhere and there’s always room for growth.
So let your imposter syndrome belt away, but know that you know more than you did before (and you’ll continue to know more and more each day).
👇Anyone else feel like their imposter syndrome has a voice that just can’t quit whenever you sit down to work or do something you’re passionate about?
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Every entrepreneur can do anything. They just can’t do everything. (That’s why they need YOU).🙌
The online entrepreneurship space is BOOMING, and every launch you see is an indicator for how in-demand digital business managers are.
Every entrepreneur would love to keep laser-focused on their zone of genius. This could be…
💻The content that goes into a course
🎨The design and functionality of a product
📝The material and events that make up a retreat
But launching a course, product, and retreat successfully involves so much more than just creating the material and announcing it.
It involves detailed systems and operations management for…
📈Marketing
🖥Product
👯♀️Team
💬Customer service
💰Sales
And so much more…
This type of high-level, strategy, and knowledge work is desperately needed in the digital business and online entrepreneurship space
(*ehem* meaning you can scale your income without sacrificing your time, working with 2-3 clients max and still getting that 🍞).
✨As a digital business manager, you play a powerful (and important) supporting role in an entrepreneur’s launch (even if you’re sitting on your couch in your PJs).
If you want to test out your digital business management skills, I have a $7 mini, week-long Digital Business Manager challenge that you can take on and see if this fabulous shoe fits.
👉This challenge comes with 5 days of video training, 3 mini projects to practice your skills (and add to your portfolio), a 20+ page challenge workbook, and a fun gift if you complete the challenge in full.
Want to take your *possible* new role as a digital business manager for a spin? DM me for the link!
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Is that post-vacation inbox 14827 giving you anxiety? 😅 Save this post!
Full disclosure: In case you need a reminder that I’m type-A, I’m pretty crazy when it comes to organizing my emails and messages.
✨With that being said, I’m also a pro at getting you down to inbox 0 ASAP.
👇Here are some of my favorite inbox and messaging organization tips:
📨Consolidate: You probably have at least two (one for those discounts and coupons, and the other for work). Whether you’re managing 2 inboxes or 20, keep them all in one place. I house all my inboxes in the Mail app on my MacBook.
💻Franz: This is my favorite tool for consolidating all my messages in one place (Yup! Dreams do come true! 🥲). Franz will consolidate your emails, Slack or Facebook messages, Telegrams (and so much more) in one place. You’re welcome.
🧠Create folders for resources: If you subscribe to an email list for tips and tools, you’ll want to create a folder so you don’t lose your favorite tips! For example, I love reading great emails. If the copy catches my attention, I store it into my “Good Copy” folder so I can reference it whenever I need to.
🗂Create client specific folders and labels: You’ll want to create client specific folders for every client you’re actively working with. You can also create labels attached to each client’s email address so it will automatically sort itself out.
🗓Finally, you’ll want to block that first day back from vacation as an admin day so you can do some house keeping.
Trust me, using the tips I’ve listed above will help you sift through your inbox in record time.
What are some of your favorite inbox management tips?
✨One MAJOR telltale sign that your client is in need of a digital business manager (and why YOU are the perfect fit for this promotion)
Raise your hand if you’ve receive one (or more) last minute tasks from your client with a due date of right now. 🙋🏻♀️
As frustrating and disruptive as these requests are, they are actually a huge opportunity for you in disguise.🥸
👉If your client throws last minute to-do’s on your plate frequently, they’re in desperate need of…
💻A system that houses every past, current, and upcoming projects and to-do’s
🗂Organization and some major business Marie Kondo-ing to sort through tasks and priorities in a timely manner
😎Someone who can manage the team so everyone can be 5 steps ahead instead in reactive, panic mode
The silver lining of this situation is that your client wouldn’t come to YOU with this last minute request if they can’t rely on you.
Look at the positives of this situation while nipping the negatives in the bud.
✨And the next time this happens, I invite you to step out of your role as a trusted and reliable virtual assistant and into your new role as a strategizing, hyper-organized digital business manager that your client desperately needs.
PS: Feeling a little wobbly with your digital business manager footing? I have a FREE on-demand class that will show you the ropes so you can propose this much need upgrade to your client with confidence. ()
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Anyone else feel super protective of their clients/friends on social media?🙊 Or is it just me…
The internet is a wild but essential place for digital business owners and freelancers.
And being on your best behavior on social media is important… even though I’m ready to throw up arms on the rare occasion my client/friend receives a mean comment. 🥊
😤So while you might be biting your tongue, holding yourself back from all the things you truuuuly want to say… there’s a MORE productive and meaningful way to support your client/friend when faced with internet bullies:
✨Remind them that they’re doing a great job and creating an impact.
Whether it’s your client, a friend, or yourself - putting yourself out on the internet takes courage and confidence.🖤
And for every one bitter internet troll out there🤡, there are (at least) 10 people who finds value in what you’re doing.
👉I don’t know who needed to hear this today but I’m proud of you.
I’m proud of you for…
🙌Taking a chance
👏Putting yourself out on the virtual stage
🎉Making an impact
🤩Facing your fears and chasing that Big, Scary Dream
And when you do receive that mean comment, take a deep breath😮💨 and know that it says more about them than it does you.
How do you deal with negative comments?
