Surprise, we’re back! Speaking of Translation comes out of retirement only for very special occasions; when our friends and colleagues Madalena and Veronika at Smart Habits for Translators asked us to record a joint episode about hybrid conferences, we couldn’t resist! In this fun conversation, we discuss a topic that many of us are faced with (yet again!) this fall as many of our favorite conferences are going virtual or hybrid. As much as we look forward to returning to fully in-person events, unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet because of the pandemic and travel restrictions. But hybri ..read more

After 13 (!!) years of regular podcasting, Speaking of Translation is going on hiatus while we pursue some new directions in our professional and personal lives. We’re planning to be back for some special episodes from time to time, and our recent archives will still be here if you miss us! Thanks to all of our listeners for your support over the years, and we’ve recorded a short “pressing pause” episode for you. Direct link to this episode: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/speakingoftranslation/GMT20210620-164524_Recording.mp4 ..read more

In this episode, Eve and Corinne discuss a favorite topic among translators: books, and what we’re reading: what genres we enjoy, how we make time for reading, how we choose new books, what formats we enjoy and don’t enjoy reading or listening to, how we track what we read, and book recommendations for our listeners! Websites mentioned in this episode: Eve’s Global Reads book club Real Simple magazine’s best books of 2020, and 2021 Letterfolk’s Book Passport (“another book in the books”) Boulder Book Store (our local, independent bookstore!) Librairie Gourmande, an all-cookbook bookstore in P ..read more

As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, self-care and mental health are increasingly important to us as freelancers, moms, partners, and friends. In this episode, Eve and Corinne discuss: -what self-care means, and why it’s not selfish -tools and strategies we’ve used to stay safe and stay sane during the pandemic -self-care and mental health maintenance techniques we’d recommend to our listeners -what to do if you or someone you care about needs professional mental health help Links mentioned in this episode: -Eve’s Global Reads book club -The fitness tracker apps Corinne uses: Fitbod and My Fi ..read more

Thanks to our friends Veronika Demichelis and Madalena Sanchez Zampaulo at Smart Habits for Translators, for asking us to record another joint episode! Our topic this time around is boundaries and sticky situations: How to handle non-paying clients, especially if you know them personally What to do when a dream client wants to work with you…but can only pay a fraction of your normal rate How to respond to rude/unprofessional feedback from an editor What to do when you pour your heart and soul into a translation test…and you fail it How to handle drama and misunderstandings when you volunteer ..read more

In this episode, Eve and Corinne wrap up 2020 (a truly unforgettable year by any measure!), and look ahead to 2021. We discuss topics such as: Highlight accomplishments of 2020, and what helped us get there Disappointments this year, and how our businesses have been affected by the pandemic How we’ve followed Eve’s motto, “Stay safe and stay sane” in this crazy year What our goals are for 2021 If you’d like to do this along with us, we’d recommend: Reviewing your accomplishments for the year, and identifying what helped you reach those goals Reviewing your disappointments, and identifying h ..read more

Thanks to our awesome friends and colleagues Veronika Demichelis and Madalena Sanchez Zampaulo over at Smart Habits for Translators for this very fun joint episode on handling the holidays as a freelancer! We discuss topics such as: -How we all handle vacations over the winter holidays; and how this very atypical year is the same or different -How to decide whether to work or not work over the holidays -How to take a real vacation without losing clients -How to use the holidays to your advantage, especially if you’re actively looking for work -How to use post-holiday marketing techniques to re ..read more

Eve and Corinne discuss how to make the most of LinkedIn as a freelance translator or interpreter, including: Tips for optimizing your profile (specifically for our industry) How we use LinkedIn in our own businesses Eve’s ongoing use of LinkedIn Premium Corinne’s recent experiment with the LinkedIn Premium free trial Links mentioned in this episode: Eve’s Global Reads book club Eve interviewed by Isabella Massardo for her blog and #SmartReads newsletter See your LI profile as others see it and modify what they see (if you are logged in) Customize your LinkedIn profile URL Miriam Hurley’s a ..read more

Eve, Corinne, freelance translator Karen Tkaczyk, and freelance conference interpreter Alex Gansmeier discuss life as a freelancer during the COVID pandemic, including: -How the pandemic initially affected their businesses in March through May of 2020 -How things are looking now -Is anything going better during the pandemic? Any silver linings? -How to maintain your sanity and your work volume as the pandemic continues over the long term Links mentioned in this episode: -Karen’s professional website -Karen on Twitter -Alex’s professional website -Alex on Twitter –Troublesome Terps, the excelle ..read more

Love it or hate it, online networking is the only networking we’ve got (in the US at least) for the foreseeable future. To help you embrace the opportunities that online networking offers, Eve and Corinne discuss topics such as: -Online training, and how to make the most of the increased opportunities we’re seeing during the pandemic -New takes on “legacy” platforms such as LinkedIn -How to follow up with people you meet in online networking or training sessions -How to use video for remote networking purposes -“Moon shot” ideas that just might work during the pandemic Links mentioned in this ..read more