strotebook.bsky.social
Talking business with freelancers and agency owners. I’ve been a freelancer, 2X agency founder (first agency was acquired, retired from second), author.
Books and blog with practical, profitable business tips. Here 👇
https://www.creativeagencybook.com
7,192 posts
689 followers
645 following
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How did she like Istanbul? It’s been on our list forever.
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We’re lucky that neither of us get too affected by jet lag coming or going. But being on vacation mode, we have issues keeping track of days, like when we rented a car.
Oops! Looks like we owe you for another day. 🤷♂️
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That’s funny!
The other birds we saw lots of were swallows. Hundreds of them zipping around, catching protein on the wing, so acrobatic. Man they are fast! #FreelanceFriends
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Weather was spectacular. Sunny and warm every day. Got up one morning at 5 a.m. to take pictures pre-sunrise without people and cars. Remember thinking how soft and perfect the air was. Just the right temp, very still, felt gently held.
Also, birds. Coo-cooing of mourning doves. #FreelanceFriends
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For me, summers used to be a mixed bag. If it’s traditionally slow, try to find clients where September and back-to-school rule the schedule. Have had them before. #FreelanceFriends
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Most shots are on my Nikon, not yet processed. Here are some quickie phone shots, from Ortigia, Sicily.
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Trip was great. 3 weeks in Sicily. Was on Mt Etna 6 days before it started to rumble. It always smokes a bit. Saw lots of ancient Greek temples. Drank lots of wine. Stayed on a great olive farm/hotel. Got crazy driving stories. Don’t have many pix (took on my Nikon) but here’s one.
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You’re doing it right. Get out those dancing shoes. Be careful with those Mexican dance partners. They got all the moves! 😉
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You lucky kids! One of those videos I sent you ages ago of the big band playing Uptown Funk was in Puerto Morales. It’s a fun town with some great little restaurants on the side streets. It was the start and end for our month-long Yucatan road trip 9 years ago.
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Also, all roads lead from copywriting…
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Hello from Ortigia, where June is definitely summer…
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Well, basically everyone, because what else? The buffoon in the White House was imagining that retailers would absorb this. Yeah right.
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Jest peaking in. You need to live in our “left of center” neighborhood in Toronto, where up until a few years ago, we had elections where you could choose a Communist candidate.
That tracks because this was a very Greek neighborhood, and Greece has had Communist parties forever.
#FreelanceFriends
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Yuck! Similar on our street, lined with maples that were planted just after the houses were built around 1912.
Maples live about 100 years so I guess we should be happy about the ones left standing, but they’re coming down.
I used to walk blocks in the rain and not get wet.
#FreelanceFriends
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Muses don’t show up unbidden.
When they see you working, they join you. Work is like an invitation to muses. 🤔
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Yeah… the travel sector is overflowing with people talking and writing about it, much like food.
For sure, it IS fun, and if you’re doing it for fun, it can stay fun.
But what no one wants to hear is that there’s no money in it. Same with most of the glam industries.
Not a great niche for 💰
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Thank you. 🙏
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Wow, nice trip.
If you’re interested, go to Instagram and find Earthtrippers. My pic from previous trips. Also stories on my site which has been dormant but is about to re-awaken.
www.earthtrippers.com
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DO IT!
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DM me your address…
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Expensive upsells?
Now they tell me 😂 #FreelanceFriends
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Hi Matt, as part of community building, do you include networking?
I think one thing freelancers could learn is how to effectively network with clients. I see many networking with peers, which is great, but what about clients?
#FreelanceFriends
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The check is in the mail 😂 Thanks for the kind words #FreelanceFriends
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If it was easy, everyone would be doing it…
(but given what’s going on with business these days, soon everyone WILL be freelancing)
#FreelanceFriends
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Ok, you made me do it 😉
Every sentient thought I’ve had about the business of freelancing or running an agency is here. #FreelanceFriends
www.creativeagencybook.com/blog
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Hmmm, ok, sometime maybe.
I wrote books about this. 😉
But right now, I’m planning 3 weeks in Sicily. ☀️ #FreelanceFriends
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A2: For some, it’s not actively looking for the clients you want. Too many freelancers think marketing themselves is like fishing: put out the shiny lures and clients will find you.
Think hunting. Who do you want as clients? Go find them. Be in charge of your business. #FreelanceFriends
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Yeah, avoid the BS. Also getting back to the client is another opportunity to grow the relationship. It feels like you’ve done them a favour. #FreelanceFriends
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Also, in regards to “not knowing”, if a client asks a question and you don’t know, get comfortable saying, “I don’t know but I’ll find out for you.”, and then follow through.
You’re not Google, you don’t need to know everything. #FreelanceFriends
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Yup. I think it helps if you can look at your work as a thing.
This thing costs $X.
It’s not about you, it’s about the thing. Like when you go into a store. Everything has a price tag.
The storekeeper isn’t embarrassed about the price. #FreelanceFriends
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#MoneyTalk. #FreelanceFriends
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A1: Learning how to be comfortable talking about money.
Too many are embarrassed, get emotional about it etc
Learn from money guys who talk about it all day.
Not wanting to talk about money costs you. #FreelanceFriends
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Hey Matt, good to see you here #FreelanceFriends
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C’mon. She’s with her handsome, virile boyfriend in NYC.
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Well, there was that… So much easier to keep people happy than constantly looking for new staff. 🤷♂️
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Like the early days of browsers… #FreelanceFriends
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I’m always amazed when I see comments like this, but maybe we were too soft.
At my agencies, if you had to be home for something, we asked for notification, but it wasn’t asking for permission.
Seemed to work fine.
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Here he is…
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White smoke huh? More like Jesus, or less?
Francis was very contentious in the church. Should be interesting.