Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Ayana Campbell Smith the founder of Millennial Money Guide and full-time Creative Director / UI Designer.   We chatted everything from her new found hobby, long boarding and how she has used Millennial Money Guide as a creative outlet to explore new opportunities and passions and then of course we talked about 💸 GUAP 💸.    Here are the highlights 👇🏽

I obviously asked what Ayana thinks are the top ~ mistakes ~ that millennials are making with their money.  You’ll be glad to hear that she actually didn’t say eating out too much 😉.  She actually said that most of us are missing out on habitual saving habits.  And she’s right - if you’re anything like me you’re probably throwing a lil’ bit of money away once you’ve paid for everything else and bought that Lisa Says Gah! set that you’ve been wanting forever.  But Ayana says pay yourself first send some money to your debt or savings - whatever you’re working on.  PRIORITIES BABY.

She also says that we don’t need to be afraid of budgeting (hands up if you needed to hear that).  And actually having a budget is about empowering yourself when it comes to your money - NOT restricting yourself.  It’s more about deciding where you want your money to go and keeping yourself accountable to that.

And finally we talked about pricing (which yes we could do an entire episode on)  but we chatted about starting at the beginning - breaking things down to the basics and determining what you need to cover your basis.  And think about how much time you’re spending on things even if you aren’t communicating that with your client - just so you know what you’re actually making per hour.

Sooooo if you want to work with Ayana on getting your mind on your money and your money on your mind… check her out here https://www.instagram.com/millennialmoney.guide/.

On today's episode, we meet Kennedy's 'BFF' (best freelance friend), Jordan Drankoski.  We chat everything from career evolution to building your own creative consulting business to balancing professional and personal projects to the best snacks to eat while your procrastinating. 

Follow Jordan: https://www.instagram.com/dancing.for.donuts/ , https://dancingfordonuts.com/ , https://www.dfdcreative.com/ 

Follow Freelance Therapy:  https://www.instagram.com/freelancetherapy, https://www.freelance-therapy.com/ 

What's that you hear?  New musiccccc? What, what?!  That's right and today we're talking to the man behind it all, Aaron Lund.  We chat everything from finding work-life balance to finding inspiration and throwing your hat over the fence! 

Follow Aaron:  https://www.instagram.com/lundn_/, https://www.instagram.com/creaturecanyon/  

Follow Freelance Therapy: https://www.instagram.com/freelancetherapy/, https://www.freelance-therapy.com/

I can still feel the tightening of my throat from the first time that I lost a client because they just didn't really like my work.  I remember crying myself to sleep and checking job listings for project management roles and assuming that because someone didn't like my work meant my work wasn't good.   Since then I've learned a lot about impostor syndrome - what it is and how to deal with it.  and I've created a business that I believe in enough to walk away amicably...most of the time.  But when I look back at the first two years of my career every time I lost a role or didn't get hired for one I assumed it was because I just wasn't a good enough creative.  So today we're talking about how to remember that you're still the baddest of badasses even if someone doesn't want to work with you.  

don't forget to connect with us at @freelancetherapy on instagram and www.freelance-therapy.com. 

I woke up this morning one year older and one year more confused about who I am or what I'm supposed to be doing...just joking...kind of.  When I thought about turning 25 - I expected that this would be some kind of monumental inflection point in my life, like suddenly overnight I would be brand new; have the perfect job, and the perfect boyfriend (and probably a ring on my finger) and be on the way to my 'perfect life'.   Surprise, life doesn't work like that - nor would I want it to.  But what I did wake up with today was a clear understanding that this was an opportunity to look back and look forward - to take stock of the relationships and lessons I gathered this year and decide what is going to come with me moving forward.  So join me today as I wish myself a very happy quarantine birthday, by raising a glass of mimosa over the podcast mic and reflecting on all of the messy lessons I learned over the last year.  and then when your sufficiently brunch drunk - don't forget to connect with us over at @freelancetherapy on Instagram. 

today we're chatting with my former work wife, Kylie Maraj.  Kylie has over 8 years of brand marketing experience including work as the marketing director of a growing cbd brand.  after being laid off due to COVID-19 Kylie (quicker than most) pivoted to take on more freelance and personal projects including building a climbing wall in her house and starting a homestead.  listen as Kylie and I shoot the shit about everything from the chickens in her chicken coup to what she plans to do next.   Connect with Kylie on Instagram at @kylieventures, @livebotanik and @oceansidehomestead. 

Today we tackle my most frequently asked question (by my peers and honestly by me in the year leading up to putting in my notice) :  'how do I know if I'm ready to leave my full-time gig?'    And while I don't believe in being 'ready' necessarily, there are definitely steps you can take to set yourself up for success including:  how to think about your finances, how to set up your work days, and how to prepare for the emotional and social changes of working for yourself.    Check us out at: www.instagram.com/freelancetherapy, freelance-therapy.com and on Patreon. 

On Wednesday, a listener DM'd me and asked me for tips on working 'well' from home.   It's a good question, actually - one that I have asked myself a million times over the last two years of running my business from home - and one that I'd like to think I have all of the answers to.   But as I sat down to reflect on this issue in the context of what's happening right now I realized that there are already a million Buzzfeed articles that could answer the questions about setting up your workspace or creating an ideal schedule for working from home - and that if, over a month into this we're still asking questions about how to work best from home the question goes a lot deeper than just how to decorate your workspace.   It's more about reframing our mindset and ideals when it comes to working at home during a global pandemic.   In this episode we will explore how to decide what 'working well' from home during this even means and how we can begin to work better with NEW rules tailored to who we are as humans and workers.  

Damn, these are wild and uncertain times - especially when it comes to freelance and small business finances.  In today's episode I'll walk you through all of the ways you can receive support for your business through government programs and private grants, how to make informed decisions about what to take advantage of. And how to use this time to set yourself and your business up for financial success or at least find ways to have a little bit more confidence in how your managing your finances.   (disclaimer: I'm not a CPA or finance professional!  this all comes from articles i've read, advice I've received and a couple of workshops I've taken). 

A few helpful links: 

Use this tool to compare PPP and ERC Benefits : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cAWKvPU5ml53X76eHIpLywblZiM_bKUQ/view  

Check here to find daily updates on benefits state by state : https://gusto.com/blog/people-management/covid19-employer-sites-by-state

When I wrote my original first episode it was focused on building credibility - making myself sound like someone that someone like you might want to listen to.   So I spent thirty minutes waxing poetic about all of the things I 'did' on a daily basis that made me a successful freelancer.  And then, like the rest of you, COVID-19 forced me back inside, where from my bed I got laid off from my part-time job as a yoga teacher and lost all of my major freelance projects.   It is from that very inside, in my bed, that I recorded this episode to introduce to you the new way that I'm defining myself and my business in the age of doing nothing. 

Connect with us on Instagram at @freelancetherapy.  We'll see you next week for another episode of freelance therapy.