Tag / writing

by caitlyncallahan14

finding and welcoming new clients

Over the past couple of months, my clients have kept me on my toes with quite a bit of end-of-summer work coming my way. I’ve spent dozens of hours between June and now cranking out content on a variety of topics including personal finance, healthcare, Medicare, job search and career information, travel and more.

While I’ve been busier than ever, it’s been the most exciting and fun time of my freelancing career so far. Plus, not only have I been writing, but I’ve been forced to perfect an even better organization and time management system for myself.

That said, the time has come once again to expand my business. I’m ready to bring more work to Callahan Communication.

If you or someone you know owns a business or works for a company who is in need of content production, freelancers, or contractors for marketing purposes, my Contact Me form is a great place to start! Or, they can send me a private message on Facebook or Instagram @callahancommunication.

I’ve also been working diligently on putting together a services & pricing guide and client welcome packet for prospective and new clients to help ensure we have the best working relationship possible and they get all deliverables they’re expecting.

Read on to learn what you’ll get if you contact me and if you hire me!

what I include in my services & pricing guide

When you contact me to learn more about how we can best work together and what I can bring to your business, I will email or review in person a services & pricing guide. This guide is meant to be a high-level overview of my business and what I offer so that you can make the most informed and best decision for your brand.

my story

I love what I do, and I’ve been doing it for a long time. Here, learn more about me as I introduce myself and my business, including what I value, why I do what I do, and what I hope to do for you. It’s essential that prospective clients know they are working with a person, so I’ll also give you a peek at who I am and what I’m all about.

service packages overview

If you have a general idea of the types of services you’ll need, great! I’ll send you package overviews specific to your needs. If you aren’t sure yet, that’s ok too! You’ll receive summaries of my most encompassing service packages and we can narrow down your options from there.

deliverables

I want to make sure it’s clear what you’ll receive, gain and achieve after working together, so here I’ll outline specific deliverables to each service package. However, I recognize flexibility is key, so once hired, we can work together to clearly outline deliverables tailored to your needs.

portfolio

I want you to feel confident that I’ll bring exceptional work to the table, so here you’ll find information about past clients, as well as links to previous work so you can see for yourself.

client testimonials

And, you don’t have to take just my word for it. Read some testimonials from previous happy and satisfied clients.

processes

When you hire a freelancer or agency, you need to know what to expect. Here, find a general outline of my processes so you know what to expect and when, and to better understand if we’re a good fit to work together.

FAQs

This list of frequently asked questions from clients, and my answers, can help ensure a positive, successful working relationship.

call to action

Ready to learn more? This section outlines all of the ways you can contact me to take the next steps, including scheduling a free consultation, contract and SOW process, and more.

what I include in a client welcome packet

Once you’ve let me know you’re interested in working together, I want to make sure you feel confident and comfortable with your choice. You’ll receive either in the mail, through email, or in person, a client welcome packet guiding your through the most important pieces of working together.

welcome message

You made the right choice by hiring me for your content or digital marketing needs. I’ve spent almost my entire life immersed in the world of content and communication, and want to help business owners be successful through the power of the written word.

services overview

This page summarizes the services/package you’ve hired me for, so it’s clear what is (and isn’t) included. Our formal contract and statement of work will be built off of this information so we are always on the same page and expectations are clear.

communication

I take pride in being available for my clients. I’ll hare with you the best ways to contact me, and how and when I’ll plan to communicate with you.

processes

Here, I’ll be very clear about my process so you’ll know what to expect, including what I need from you, what I’ll deliver, deadlines, and more. This includes the contract, SOW, deliverables, editing processes and more.

I’ll also take time to briefly explain my process for investigating and understanding your brand and business, how I create content that works for you, and what the editing and finalization process entails so you can rest assured you’re receiving exceptional work every time.

guidelines

I want to make sure we both are maximizing our time working together, so I’ll share some guidelines and best practices that may be helpful.

tools & resources

If applicable, I’ll share tools you need to be familiar with, plus links to information, ebooks or other educational or informational tools that may be helpful during our time working together.

FAQs

This list of frequently asked questions from clients, and my answers, can help ensure a positive, successful working relationship.

next steps

I’ll clearly state for you what next steps are, either from you or myself, as well as timelines. I want to make sure you feel confident in moving forward together.

If you’re a freelancer and looking to grow your business, feel free to use my services & pricing guide and client welcome packet outlined here for inspiration for your own brand!

by caitlyncallahan14

one year ago

One year ago today, I was sitting at home, scared, anxious, depressed, and unemployed.

At the beginning of April 2020 I, along with hundreds at my organization and thousands across America, was furloughed.

A year ago, I was probably sitting on my patio on a lawn chair (because I hadn’t bought patio furniture yet), wondering how I was going to pay my bills, still in shock about the furlough situation and unsure about the state of the world. They had told us it could be three months before we got called back. I had just bought a house – how were we going to make ends meet?

I spent the first month crying and worrying, busying myself with unpacking and getting the new house together, and obsessively searching for freelance contracts to help tide us over in the meantime.

I accepted a couple of small contracts in April, and then landed a large contract that made me cry tears of joy. Things started looking up.

By the time May came around, I was getting used to being home. I started to embrace the time I’d been given (for the first time ever) to just enjoy life. I spent hours reading and writing, sitting on my patio and bird watching, and giving myself time to breathe.

By June, I’d thrown myself into the freelance-at-home lifestyle. I’d gotten a true taste of the life I’ve always dreamed about, creating my own schedule each day on my own time, completing work for clients, writing… I had a lifestyle I designed. I could so easily picture how my life would be if I was a full-time freelancer because I’d been living it for two months. I wasn’t balancing a full-time job or other responsibilities (since everything was shut down and we couldn’t leave the house). I was just doing my thing. It was magical.

Honestly, it was hard to go back.

Obviously I was so thankful to return to work, and knew and appreciated how lucky I was considering the thousands that didn’t get to. But I’d had a real taste of my dreams becoming a reality. And I wanted more.

It’s crazy to think about what life was like last year at this time. Businesses shut down, exponential unemployment, the inability to see friends and family, people sick and dying.

But for me, it was also a blessing in disguise. And it gave me the inspiration and motivation to keep building my business. To work hard, crack down, build my book, and write like there was no tomorrow. Because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and now that I had that taste, I wanted it more than ever.

Last week I wrote about balancing building a business and life, and asked if it was possible to keep living and also build a successful business. I still don’t know the answer. But today, as I sit on my patio, watching the birds, reminiscing on and writing about the past year, I’ve found a newly renewed motivation to keep going.

And I encourage everyone else reading this, whether you’re in the same place as me or you’re miles down the road, to keep going. This year has been hard, but I hope you’ve had time to find yourself, find a new love or passion, grow personally or professionally, read, learn, and do something you enjoy.

Keep doing it. Keep going. Build your lifestyle. Find your passion. And once that happens, don’t let it go.

by caitlyncallahan14

a cup of coffee and a pen

If you’ve poked around on my website or read any of my blogs, you’ve probably come to the understanding that I’ve always loved to write. Ever since I was a kid, I’d be making up poems and short stories, family newsletters, articles, journal entries, and anything else I could click out on the typewriter or scribble in my notebook.

Throughout my life, I’ve never lost that love or passion for writing, which is why I am where I am today – working in the marketing field, freelancing and owning my own digital consulting business. And while the consistency ebbs and flows, I still write as much as I can.

I believe practice makes perfect. The more you practice a new skill, the better you become at it. If you believe Malcolm Gladwell, after 10,000 hours you will be an expert at that skill. That’s 416 days of constant practice. I’d say over my lifetime, I’ve accomplished 416 days of practice writing. I’d say that makes me an expert.

However, just because I’m an expert doesn’t mean I get to stop practicing. I have a few pretty consistent writing gigs for clients, generating blog posts on various topics for their websites. I also write for my full-time job. While I do consider this practice, because I’m still writing, it’s not what helps me retain my expert status.

Instead, it’s the writing I do for fun. The journal I try to update every day. The poetry that sometimes just flows out of my brain. This blog. “Short stories” or scenes I see while I’m laying in bed or day dreaming watching the birds in my backyard. When I have to grab a pen and scribble as fast as my hand can write, or type it out on my laptop or phone because it’s faster and I don’t want to forget. Most of the time it’s whatever comes however it comes, without editing or thinking. This is the practice that will help me to rise above and continue to improve – for myself and my clients.

Here’s a challenge for you.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Or tea, if that’s what you prefer. Pick up a pen and notebook, or scrap piece of paper, or grab your laptop or phone or tablet – whatever “writing” instrument you prefer. Sit and place the cup of coffee within your eyesight, or you can hold it. And write. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? How does the coffee smell? How does it taste? Describe the cup. Write about your surroundings. Detail the coffee, the way the creamer swirls around or the steam rising off the top. Spend about 5-10 minutes just writing. Don’t think, don’t edit, just write.

Did you complete the challenge? That’s practice.

For as long as I can, I will continue to practice. Continue to improve myself and my ranking as an expert. I’ll do it for my clients and my career, but also for myself. Because I love it, and it can be as simple as writing about my cup of coffee.

by caitlyncallahan14

i don’t edit my blogs

I don’t edit my blog posts.

It’s quite the opposite when I work on pieces for my clients.

Once I’m finished with a piece for a client, I put it to the side and don’t look at it again for a day or two. Then, I print it out and edit the old fashioned way – with a pen. Reading the piece out loud, I mark up as I go. Once I’m finished, I make all the corrections on the electronic copy. If the piece is long or a complicated topic, I’ll print it out and hard-copy edit again. Or, I’ll read through the electronic copy, making additional edits as I go.

Depending on how extensive the piece is, I can spend up to an hour editing. I don’t rush. Sometimes I’ll put it to the side and sit on it for another day or two. I find that giving myself space from the piece clears my head and gives me additional clarity. Most of the time I’m able to go back and catch things I missed, make additional edits improving the flow, or realize something that made sense when I wrote it no longer does.

Giving my clients exceptional work isn’t just so I can continue to have a business, but it’s also what I expect from myself. Spending extra time editing and making sure what I submit to them is perfect is simply part of the job. It helps ensure I’m adding quality pieces to my portfolio, and it keeps the client happy.

However, when I write my own blog posts, I feel differently.

On my own blog, it’s important to me to be authentic. To be real, and honest. I write like I’m having a conversation with you because that’s how I want you to feel. And by editing and re-writing, I feel I lose some of that authenticity and spur-of-the-moment conversation feel.

This isn’t something I’ve always done. When I first started my blog, I felt like everything I wrote had to be perfect because I wanted people to trust that what I’d create for them is perfect. But over time I’ve found that there is a separation between my work for my clients and writing for my blog, and there are different expectations.

Building a relationship with my clients is critical to both of our success. If you want to see my portfolio of my professional work, and learn what you’d expect if you hired me to write for you, go to callahancommunication.com/portfolio. But if you want to understand me as a person, what I represent, why I do what I do, and why you should trust me to help you with your digital marketing, read my blog.