Swim Lessons for Stubborn Clients

I’ve spent the last week cajoling a five year-old to put her face in the water at swim lessons.

She thinks I’m absolutely, 100% insane crazy.

It will hurt her eyes. She’ll get water in her ears. How will she breathe? What if the other kids laugh at her? It’s scary!

I can tell her a bazillion times that it will be OK, but … Read More

Finance Tips for Freelancers

Earlier this summer I wrote a guest post for Jean Chatzky’s blog giving a few negotiation pointers for those that are self-employed. Jean is the finance editor for the Today Show and runs a great blog chock full of financial advice.

Because financial security can impact how you negotiate–what you ask for, the compromises you’re willing to make–I asked Jean if she could share some … Read More

You Can Hear Yourself

I was talking to a friend last week about her freelance career. She’d accomplished a lot recently, but kept poo-pooing the value of the work she’d done: it wasn’t exciting or lucrative, it was “just” work. I reminded her that all work was important when building a business and warned her against indulging in negative talk about her accomplishments.

Later that night my wife asked … Read More

My First 100 Days in Office

Early last week I hit a milestone in my full-time freelance career: 100 days of 100% self-employment.

I was a bit surprised. I didn’t think it’d been quite that long. I decided to step back and take a look at what I’ve done and how well I’ve been sticking to my goals.… Read More

Good Advice #12: Should I use their contract or mine?

When does it make sense to use the other side’s contract and when should you push for using your own? Why does it matter and how do you figure out what to do?… Read More

What’s Your Policy?

As a lawyer who makes a living reading, writing and revising contracts it’s in my best interest to tell you that contracts are incredibly important and if you don’t have a contract your clients will get away with murder.

And that’s true.

But also not.… Read More

Less Stressful Negotiations

If just hearing the word “negotiation” makes your stomach hurt, if the idea of conflict makes you tense, if your first reaction to the idea of negotiating anything is to break out in a cold sweat of anxiety, friend, modern science has the cure for you!

This curative has been proven to boost your confidence and dissolve your fears. Tasks that seemed impossible prior to … Read More

Negotiating With Sharks

Looking for an easy, low-stress, low-commitment, low-effort way to improve your negotiation skills that you can do while eating popcorn?

Come over to my house and watch me yell at the screen the next time Shark Tank is on.… Read More