Out of the four gigs she juggled, freelance writing became the clear financial winner for today’s guest. It’s what now pays for Ruksana Hussain’s desired lifestyle.

She’s a pro at making connections, landing writing jobs, and learning from her mistakes.

You’ll hear unique and easy ways to connect with potential clients at conferences and networking events, what social media platforms are the most productive for freelancers, and how to grow your subscriber list - her Traveler and Tourist online magazine boasts just under 30,000 subscribers. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a travel writer as a side hustle, you’ll definitely want to listen to her response when I ask her to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like doing that gig!

 

What You’ll Hear

02:35 Acquiring multiple hustles to bring in income, out of necessity

05:43 Burnout hits

09:03 Lessons (costly ones!) learned for the next business

10:24 Leveraging volunteering contacts

12:08 The need for being more selective in choosing clients to work with

12:30 Ask for advice!

13:49 Being more strategic to ensure payment

15:25 Freedom to travel is not available for everyone in all countries

17:30 Proof of concept for travel and lifestyle online magazine

19:54 Chooses to self-fund to market research the magazine

21:03 A grant may be available to you!

22:19 Choosing something other than the typical business model for an online magazine

26:25 How to make networking events work for you

27:16 Offer to help at the event! Here’s why.

28:36 Ask to be connected to a longer-term member

30:15 Best platforms to help grow your freelance business

34:00 Reach out to others in your industry, rather than recreate the wheel

34:27 The need and benefit of connecting with others

35:37 The reality of being a travel writer

39:00 Who pays for all the travel expenses

41:00 Way out of Ruksana’s comfort zone - Onsens, Japanese public baths

44:00 One of the greatest benefits of travel

Takeaways:

45:05 Reach out to someone who is getting the results you want to achieve

46:02 Include these questions when you’re talking to an expert

Connect with Ruksana:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruksanahussain/

https://twitter.com/ruksanawrites

https://www.instagram.com/ruksanah/

http://www.ruksanawrites.com/

http://www.travelerandtourist.com/

 

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