News and updates

SHOWING 10 LATEST NEWS OUT OF 777

WEEKLY DIGEST #26 OF 2025

• Growth as Gospel: Why We're All Addicted to "More", by Sarah Duran — Is endless growth really the goal? This thought-provoking piece questions our obsession with economic expansion and asks: What if true success meant enough—time, meaning, sustainability—instead of always more?
• Matthew Fenton shares 26 lessons from 28 years of solo consulting, drawn from both experience and observation.
• My "Lazy" Path to Learning Spanish, by our member Jan Onesork — Looking to expand your horizons, boost your focus, or prep for Spanish-speaking clients—without burning out? Here’s how Jan used a ‘lazy’ yet powerful method to learn Spanish while running a busy life.
• Why I Quit Being a Digital Nomad, by Amy Suto — After 5 years of travelling and working from anywhere, Amy decided to pause and settle down—prompted by a personal reckoning with the lifestyle of a digital nomad.
• Remote Work Routine That Actually Works, by Jack Nolan — A good remote routine protects your time, focus, and peace of mind. Jack shares practical strategies—like time-blocking, habit anchors, and smart tools—to help you work more effectively from home or anywhere.
• How Freelancers Can Negotiate to Double Their Rates Without Losing Clients, from The Freelance Informer — Most freelancers undercharge out of fear or habit. Backed by research from Stanford and Harvard, this guide shows how to negotiate with confidence, ask the right questions, and double your rates without losing great clients.

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AI AND WORK

Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and Digital Minimalism, offers a grounded look at how AI is truly impacting our work lives. While much attention has gone to AI writing tools, Newport argues the real game-changer is smart search. Tools like ChatGPT are already replacing Google for many users by providing faster, more focused answers. For developers, AI is becoming an essential assistant—speeding up coding but not replacing real expertise.

He also notes that the scaling laws that once drove rapid AI progress are now losing steam. Instead of building genius-level models, companies are tuning existing ones for narrow tasks. We may not be on the brink of AGI—but the changes already underway are significant.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #25 OF 2025

• This is What 80 Looks Like, by Viv Chen — Meet Raymond Holbert, an 80-year-old artist and fashion icon who has documented his life daily for 57 years—proving that consistent journaling can reveal authentic style, a creative voice, and a legacy far richer than outward appearances alone.
• Your Dream Writing Life Is Possible — But It’ll Cost You These 3 Things, by Amy Suto — What will freelancing cost you? You don’t need to quit your job right away or have six months of client work lined up. But as Amy Suto writes, “What you do need is the willingness to trade in some comfortable habits for the kind of growth that actually leads to creative freedom.”
• How to Ask for Referrals & Get Repeat Business, by Austin L. Church — Consistent follow-ups, clear referral requests, and simple tools like CRMs can turn past clients into ongoing income. This guide by Austion breaks down how to ask for more business—without sounding awkward—and build growth that lasts.
• Quarterly Check-In: Are You Charging Enough? by Sara Gibson — Your rates should grow with you. This quarterly check-in from Freelancing Females could help you assess your pricing, spot signs it’s time to raise rates, and confidently update your structure.
• Study: Self-employment Could be Good for Your Heart, by Katherine Steiner-Dicks — Is freelancing making people healthier or are healthier people drawn to freelancing? A US study of 20,000+ adults found that self-employed women have significantly lower cardiovascular disease risks than traditionally employed women. While causality isn't certain, the findings suggest flexible work may offer real health benefits.
• Designing The Perfect Home Office as a Freelancer, by Jack Nolan — Your home office doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should support your focus. If your back hurts, cables are a mess, or your desk is facing a blank wall, it might be time for a quick upgrade. Here’s a simple checklist to help you rethink your space.

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FREELANCE BUSINESS PRICING FORUM

Elina Jutelyte, our member and the founder of the Freelance Business Community, is organizing the Freelance Business Pricing Forum, an online event fully dedicated to pricing your solo business.

Here are a couple of sessions that caught our attention:

• Filip Fucic: How to Know when it’s Time to Raise your Rates
• Melina Palmer: The Truth About Pricing
• Jonathan Stark: Why Hourly Billing Fails Freelancers. And What to Do Instead

The forum takes place on 26–27 June, and you can register online.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #24 OF 2025

• How Much are Your Contacts and Recommendations Worth? Probably more than you think, argues Robert Vlach in his op-ed for the latest Freelancing.eu newsletter, now re-published as an article on his LInkedIn profile.
• How to Manage Being Fully Booked Without Burning Out, by Sara Gibson — Being fully booked doesn’t have to mean being constantly overwhelmed. Sara shares how she restructured her business using smart systems, clear calendar boundaries, and tools like Notion and Flodesk to stay productive without burning out.
• Freelance Business Pricing Forum, Elina Jutelyte, founder of the Freelance Business Community, presents the first event fully focused on one topic: pricing your solo business. Join online on 26–27 June and hear from experts like Melina Palmer and Sarah Duran. Registration is open now.
• How to Build a Truly Sustainable Business, by our member Magdalena Cevelova — Sustainable business isn’t just about the planet—it’s about your energy. Magdalena explores how to avoid burnout by setting boundaries, calming your nervous system, pricing smartly, and building a business you can enjoy long-term, not just survive.
• Laurie Smale on Reinvention, Mentorship, and Technology — At 79, Laurie Smale proves it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. In this Wisepreneurs Podcast episode, he shares how he overcame fear, returned to school at 37, and launched a YouTube series at 78—thanks to mentorship, resilience, and lifelong learning.
• Years of Evidence, by Jason Fried — Looking for coworkers? “Years of experience” means little without proof. What truly matters, as Jason puts it, is years of evidence—real work, visible output, and projects people are proud to share. Don’t hire for time served. Hire for the work. It tells the real story.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #23 OF 2025

• I Took a Nap at 2PM and Didn’t Hate Myself for It, by Sara Gibson — In this reflection on freelance life, Sara redefines rest not as something to be earned, but as essential for sustaining creative work. She replaces the guilt-ridden “Did I do enough to rest?” with the more compassionate “Have I rested enough to keep going?”—and shares small, tangible rituals like finishing early on Fridays, taking "fake commutes," or simply leaving the house, all aimed at preserving joy, energy, and mental health.
• The Workload Fairy Tale, by Cal Newport — Does working fewer days mean getting less done? Cal looks at 4-day workweek trials and argues that the real issue isn’t time, but how much unnecessary activity fills our schedules.
• How Personal Branding Helped Me Build a Six-Figure Freelance Business, a podcast by Lizzie Davey in which she describes how, step by step and little by little, she gradually built a personal brand that significantly increased her income and helped her attract interesting clients.
• Just the Right Length — Seth Godin reminds us that the “perfect length” of content—songs, books, videos—was often shaped by old tech limits, not creativity. For freelancers, the lesson is to adapt your work to today’s platforms and habits. Formats change; your content should too.
• 6 Tools for Moving Forward with Confidence Even If You Don’t Know What You Want, by Austin L. Church — Not sure what to do with your life? That’s okay, says Austin, who shares six tools such as experiments, semesters, and a “career portfolio” to help creative, multipassionate people move forward with confidence, even without a clear long-term plan.

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WORKING LESS, PRODUCING MORE?

Does working fewer days mean getting less done? In The Workload Fairy Tale, Cal Newport looks at 4-day workweek trials and argues the real issue isn’t time, but how much unnecessary activity fills our schedules. “Much of our weekly work might be, from a strict value production perspective, optional,” he writes.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #22 OF 2025

• Curating for the Curious: How Tomáš Baránek Picks Books That Matter, Wisepreneurs podcast by Nigel Rawlins — In this episode, Czech publisher Tomáš Baránek talks about why print books still matter in an AI world, how he chooses titles with lasting value, and why curiosity is key to staying sharp in business and life.
• The Freelance Business Reboot — An 8-week online program by Sarah Duran designed for experienced freelancers who feel stuck in a reactive, chaotic workflow. It helps you clarify your services, attract better clients, manage your time and money more effectively, and build a more intentional, sustainable business. The course costs $297, with more info on Sarah’s website.
• What I Wish I Knew Before… Pivoting, Hiring Help, or Launching Something New — What would Sara Gibson tell her past self about freelancing? “You’re not failing if it takes a few tries.” In this honest reflection, she shares five key lessons on pivoting your niche, asking for help, launching imperfectly, embracing non-linear growth, and redefining success on your own terms.
• Essentials: Maximize Productivity, Physical & Mental Health With Daily Tools — A short episode from Andrew Huberman’s Essentials series on how strategic timing of workspace, workflow, and routines can boost productivity.
• AI and Work (Some Predictions), by Cal Newport — The author of Deep Work and Digital Minimalism explores where AI is useful now, where it’s headed, and why the real disruption is subtler than expected. He sees the near future of AI in natural language interfaces for everyday software and in specialized LLMs for specific fields—long before we reach AGI.
• Securing Your Digital Workspace While Working from Public Places, by Stephen Rogers — As freelancers and digital nomads, we often work from public spaces like cafés—but that can be risky for your data. By following these 10 tips, like using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, you can prevent data breaches and cyberattacks.

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THE FREELANCE BUSINESS REBOOT

If you're an experienced freelancer constantly chasing deadlines, juggling too many clients, and wondering where your business is actually going, the Freelance Business Reboot might be exactly what you need. Sarah Duran has created an 8-week online program designed to help freelancers move from a reactive workflow toward a more intentional, sustainable business model.

The course covers topics like refining your services, attracting the right clients, managing your time and finances more effectively, and setting a clear direction for your work. It costs $297 and more details are available on Sarah’s website.

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WEEKLY DIGEST #21 OF 2025

• How We Built and Tested a Business in 3 Days with No Budget — You don’t need a budget or a perfect product to test a business idea. An article by IMMA Collective shows how you can quickly test a business idea, using a real-life example of a freelance carpenter who wanted to create a platform connecting solo craftspeople with construction companies.
• Preparing the Next Generation of Freelancers, by Sarah Duran — Recent insights from The Future is Freelance forum explored what success really means for freelancers and how to achieve it. The key takeaway? Communities and strong support networks are the most critical infrastructure for long-term freelance success.
• Is Your Business Growth Stalled? You Might Be Prioritizing The Wrong Relationships, by Elaine Potfeld — Having hundreds of friends on social media isn’t the same as having a few rich, real-life relationships, writes Selena Soo in her new book, reviewed by Elaine Pofeldt. She shows how intentional networking and nurturing the right connections can directly support your business goals—without burning you out.
• UK Households with Female Freelancers Should Be Earning Up To 43% More Finds Study, by Katherine Steiner-Dicks — Even in freelancing, where rates are self-set, women often earn less than men due to systemic bias and undervaluing their work. But as Katherine encourages, by recognizing their worth, charging fairly, and negotiating with confidence, women can reclaim financial stability and help break the cycle of inequality.
• Why I’m Done With Scope Creep (For Good This Time), by Sara Gibson — Knowing your boundaries and not saying yes to extra gigs (without extra pay) can actually help you earn more money, reduce stress, and provide better service to your clients.
• Stand Out By Saying What You Stand For, by Austin Church — “If you’re a solopreneur, then your personal values ARE your brand values,” says Austin. He recommends digging deep into your core beliefs and weaving them into your messaging and marketing—for authenticity, clarity, and a powerful way to stand out from others with similar skills.

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