My previous article was about surviving for the long term as a freelancer. I shared several habits for consistency, but one stuck with me—so much so that I’ve been thinking about it ever since I hit publish.
Freelancers should run more experiments. Keep surprising yourself.
Maybe this sounds backward at first. I’ll be the first to tell anyone that focus and consistency are foundational to building a writing business. You must be willing to endure great tedium if you want to write for a living.
But the work itself doesn’t have to feel monotonous. Successful long-term freelancers find ways to break the routine. You learn to learn new skills and implement them. You get into the practice of strategically switching up your practice.
What do I mean?
Send the cold email. Attend the big conference. Pitch your article to the hot-shot editor at the glossy magazine. Master a new skill that might improve your business. Find a new way to work.
In a word: Experiment.
My favorite experiment that paid off last year took five minutes to execute—and three days to enjoy. It started when I read about a huge conference I wanted to attend in Las Vegas. Tickets were $5,000—far outside my budget.
Then I noticed a button on the home page: “Apply for press badge”.
I’ve written about events in the past and regularly contribute articles to major blogs.
I’m not a journalist, but I saw no harm in applying. I went for it.
I filled out the application (which mostly consisted of submitting my writing portfolio). Within a few hours, the organizers emailed me a free badge for the conference.
The next month, Sarabeth and I traveled to Vegas. She worked from the hotel while I immersed myself in the conference. The event itself was worthwhile. I networked and attended many interesting sessions. (For anyone wondering, I did my best to live up to the press badge. I unsuccessfully pitched multiple article ideas to relevant publications. No one bought.)
But the big win from this experience was a meta one: I left with an overwhelming sense that I don’t take enough experiments in my business.
This grand adventure was the result of randomly filling out a 5-minute application. Why don’t I do something like this every day?
I don’t consider this a one-off lucky break, either. It’s the expected result of putting yourself out there. Experiments are a numbers game. Some succeed and others flop and flounder.
But it’s safe to say: Some of the most storied moments in my business were the direct result of the spontaneous execution of a sudden idea.
Writing for Adweek, Built In, and Foundr was the result of last-minute ideas that I shaped into cohesive article pitches. Two of those pitches turned into paid contributor roles (Foundr and Built In).
I’ve used the same tactic to get on various podcasts and YouTube shows.
So, how do you challenge yourself to think in experiments? How do you stay consistent in the things that keep your business running (like client work, marketing, administration), while continuously putting yourself out there with mini experiments?
I don’t know what experiments you should run in your business. I’m still deciding which ones are relevant to mine. But there are easy wins: Attend interesting events. Maybe create a spreadsheet, like I’ve done, of experiments you’d like to test. Then make a habit of executing them.
The most obvious mini-experiment any writer can conduct is just keep writing.
It’s the essence of content marketing: Every time you click publish, you’re putting ideas into the world that can return to you as opportunities, paychecks, and friendly introductions.
I can honestly say that I’ve built my business by simply continuing to click publish. Nearly all of my leads from the past five years were the result of writing blogs, social content, and guest posts.
Writing is advantageous because it combines the self-improving power of consistency with the serendipity of experimentation. You won’t accomplish anything noteworthy by publishing a single article. But if you treat writing as a tedious habit, and publish your work consistently, the outcomes over the long haul are delightfully surprising.
Keep surprising yourself.
