And how to shift this mindset if you want to succeed in business. Photo by Elijah O’Donnell “Maybe I should start writing like you.” My best friend Laura told me this phrase one day while we were complaining about many things happening in our lives. She had seen how, after four years of writing, I finally left my full-time job and am living slightly freer, and she wanted a change. I was happy for her to make that step. I always like to coach people who want to start creating content. Writing has been my life for the last few years, and I have achieved many things thanks to it. So, fo ..read more

After years as a website designer, these design errors continue to plague us — and me. The failing website | Image created on Canva After running my website design business for five years, I saw everything — the good, the bad and the very ugly. In many ways, I acted as a website design doctor. People would come to me with their DIY designs and ask me to fix the website's look, feel and functionality. I never once criticised their attempts to create a website. Figuring out the basics, let alone the nuances of selling and structure, is hard enough. There’s no point kicking someone ..read more

99% of People Use AI Wrong — Here’s How to Use AI Tools to Work Smarter I’m going to show you 6 mind-blowing AI hacks that’ll make you smarter overnight. Source: Leonardo AI I’m honestly shocked that, even now, most people have no clue how to fully use the power of AI tools. They’re still stuck asking how to write blog posts, emails, or poems. That’s child’s play. AI isn’t just a tool for basic tasks — it’s a game-changer for anyone ready to dominate. Today, I’m going to blow your mind with some of the most insane ways you can leverage AI to work smarter. I’m talking a ..read more

Here’s What No One Tells You About Pitching to Investors ChatGPT Picutre prompted by the author “We pitched. They didn’t invest. End of story,” he said after I asked how the pitching session went. “And what did you do next?” I probed, curious about their follow-up strategy. “I wrote them an email telling them they should f*** off and stop wasting founders’ time. Money is already scarce, and if only investors wouldn’t waste our time, everything would be better.” My mouth dropped open. Unfortunately, this isn’t a rare case. Founders often walk into investor meetings or pitchi ..read more

How I Finished My MA Thesis a Week Early (And You Can Too!) By learning to submit early, you give yourself more than just extra time — you gain confidence and freedom as a writer. Photo: Author Something happened to me that I’ve never experienced in my 10 years of academia and 20 years of writing: I submitted my MA thesis a whole week early! I had planned out my ‘submission’ week with no meetings, minimal family obligations, and no business tasks because I was working toward my deadline. In the past, I would spend that final week stressed out: frantically making changes, proofre ..read more

Know your worth and hold the line Pikaso, Freepik’s AI take on “lazy scammer is surprised at the audacity” I recently went back to scouring the gig sites for editing work to help bolster my workload. A lot has changed in 15 years but I didn’t expect to get hit right out of the gate with someone looking to take advantage of me. The scams that involve being asked for money upfront or moving off of the site where the work is posted are pretty well known, and the sites I have re-established myself on have notices warning about these types of practices. (Note: never pay the client for the ..read more

Does your website seem to be falling short despite your efforts? If you’re noticing low traffic, poor visibility, insufficient leads, or low conversion rates, your site may not be performing optimally. These issues can hurt your business growth, but the good news is that you can address them with a few strategic adjustments. Let’s explore why your website may be underperforming and how to tackle these problems head-on. Why Website Performance Matters Your website should be a lead-generating, traffic-driving machine. When it isn’t performing well, you’re missing out on potential customers ..read more

What you need to know for your business finances. Image created via Midjourney For part of my career, I was on the executive team at a small startup. Every month, we’d review the company’s financial performance, compare the results to the budget, and make adjustments if necessary. We also had to make decisions about hiring, larger business investments, and the overall direction of the company. Today, I’m a solopreneur. I run a freelance writing business and create online resources for other freelancers/solopreneurs. Even when my business was very new and very small, I paid close attention ..read more

Goodbye ChatGPT: Here Are 8 (New) AI Tools That Will Blow Your Mind — and They’re Free! These AI tools are incredibly valuable, yet most people don’t even know they exist. Source: Leonardo AI Let’s be honest, AI is growing at an insane speed. Every day, new AI tools are being launched that can help us become more productive, and efficient, and make more money. But most of us are just focusing on ChatGPT and Claude. No doubt, they’re great, but there are other powerful AI tools as well that you need to try. That’s the reason I try tons of AI tools daily and bu ..read more

It’s all about the small details that make life worthwhile Photo by George Milton My definition of being smarter is doing small things correctly. If you don’t resolve small issues, they can lead to bigger problems. Take the example of a leaky faucet — if you don’t repair it in time, that tiny problem will drip into bigger problems. Addressing such issues early will save you from a flood of troubles later. When you take care of small stuff, life becomes easier. The internet’s definition of being smart is about being perfect, always having the answers, and solving complex problems ..read more