I’ve been reposting a lot of older posts from my old newsletter on Tuesdays, but there’s a lot of random stuff that I want to share! I’ll test this “grab bag” type post this week and see what you guys think and if there’s anything else you want to see!
My kids have been wanting to help out with some of my work stuff, so I’ve been giving them some assignments, and it’s been working out really well! They’re working on some skills, and I’m getting some things off of my plate. My son is helping with graphic design (we’re working on aligning our visions as you’ll see in the graphic below), and my daughter is doing some photography (you’ll see that later in the post). My youngest also wanted to help out, so she’s on organization duty and recently cleaned my desk and organized our bulletin board.
Alright, here are all of the random tidbits I’ve been wanting to share!
If I can’t come through the door or the window, I’m going to come down the fucking chimney
Lauryn Bosstick
I’ve been living by this quote lately. Bottom line: Find a way and make it work.
Amazing Resources:
Some of these are in the Freelance Writing Toolkit (it’s free!), but I’ve come across some more resources that I think are absolutely amazing!
JamNet: Rachel Cavanaugh runs JamNet, a service designed to help us connect with brands and PR professionals to make our jobs easier. While the website is still under construction, you don’t have to wait to start using the tool. You can use JamNet now to generate story ideas, request product samples, arrange hosted media stays, gather quotes for articles, or connect with brands and PR reps for anything else that would support your work. To learn more, head to her website, or fill out the JamNet Journalist Query Form!
How I Cold DM Clients: Sam Lauron writes the Rough Draft newsletter, and last week she wrote about cold DMing clients. She gave real examples of messages that she’s sent that have gotten good responses! I think we all feel a bit awkward reaching out to editors, but her messages sounded super casual and not spammy at all. I actually had her post on one screen while I DMed editors on the other screen!
Notion: Holy cow. I avoided Notion for a long time, but as I recently posted on LinkedIn, I think I’m a Notion convert. After hearing a few people talk about it, I decided to watch a few YouTube videos since I couldn’t even place a block, let alone set up an entire dashboard for my business. Three videos later, I put together an amazing dashboard that’s helping me organize the three parts of my business (it also helped me identify the three distinct parts). I’ll do a breakdown post soon, because I genuinely can’t get over it!
What I’m Testing:
One of the very unexpected perks of freelance writing, particularly commerce writing, is the ability to test out different products for consideration in future articles. Because this can be a bit of a long-game before there’s a good fit for coverage, I want to start sharing some of the things that I’ve received here! *None of these are affiliate links, though I’m not opposed to adding that in the future! *Photos by my daughter :)
Adventurist Backpack Co.
Adventurist Backpack Co. was cofounded by the husband and wife team Matilda and Kelly. While on an international trip in 2017, they realized they had a difficult time finding backpacks that were just right and noticed the gap between affordable bags and expensive brands. They also came face-to-face with a lot of people struggling with hunger, so they filled their backpacks with food every morning and shared it with people they met on their travels.
When they returned to the U.S. and learned that millions of families struggle with food insecurity, everything started to come together. Today, they design minimalist Scandinavian bags and backpacks made from high quality materials. The bags feel incredibly sturdy and cost between $39 and $125. The best part is that for every bag purchased, they donate 25 meals to families in need across the U.S.
Ostrichpillow
Ostrichpillow makes sleep products like eye masks that totally block out the light and memory foam pillow that allows for proper head positioning throughout the night. I’ve been on a mission to enhance my sleep and even got to write about mouth tape recently, and adding the eye mask and memory foam pillow has definitely made my sleep better.
Olay & Secret
This super serum body wash smells really good and lathers up beautifully! My daughter said I smelled like a vanilla cupcake.
I also got some Secret goodies, and I’ve tested the deodorant so far. I really like it, and it’s aluminum free, which I think is important (that’s what social media told me, at least!). The water bottle and notebook were really sweet touches!
Nakery Beauty
Nakery Beauty offers multi-benefit beauty for all. And it doesn’t stop at the face, they have body care products as well. I’ve been using the Relax + Repair Body Balm at night and the Double Retinol + Collagen Peptide Treatment in the morning. I’m also using the Lift-Tox Multi-Power Firming Rich Cream in the morning and the Lift-Tox Night Lift Repair Cream. I’m excited to see the results after I’ve been using them for awhile!
That’s it for Tuesday Tidbits! If you liked this post, I’d love to hear about it. I’ll be back on Thursday with some ideas for how to switch your niche!
your son's graphic design is everything. please keep his work in the rotation 😂❤️