Some Reminders Of My Approach To Being A Solopreneur

I listen to a lot of podcasts which is why I sleep with my tablet next to my head. I do actually sleep, despite what my mom thinks. Several hours later, I wake up and start checking my messages. A few hours after that, I'm getting more notifications I have to check and as my mom is going from the bathroom to her bedroom, she see's me with a tablet in my face and says: "put that thing down already!"

So now, wait a minute. I'm supposed to not check my messages? I'm supposed to not prepare for what I do, which is writing and communicating with people to keep my internet presence alive? I'm not supposed to prepare for shows I booked? Basically, I'm not supposed to do what I'm supposed to be doing?

One of the email messages I received is from a blog I subscribed to when I was first looking for a list of online writing sites. A few of his posts were marketing courses but a few of this guy's emails before, I find one that's on the same trajectory of why I'm having problems with my writing business.

I centered in on the part of organization. It's something I'm currently working on which is the same argument I've had to make to my mom who doesn't understand the committment to what I do. Fuck that it hardly makes me any money, which refers to another part of that article which talks about taking risks.

Plain and simple, Im going to be taking some risks today! But then I do that everyday and it's just the way it is and it's also a hard sell to someone who doesn't understand and keeps getting in my way of doing things, making my prospects that much riskier.

I've Stopped Looking For Traditional Jobs

When I got home this morning, I was yelled at and bitched out about where I had been. When I said that I was interviewing people for my podcast, my mom -- who was doing the yelling and the bitching -- told me to go get a job.

I'm almost forty years old and this shit is still happening to me. This is the kind of shit I have to deal with on a daily basis. Maybe I should have had my recorder on so you could hear it. Since then -- after some sleep -- I did nothing but mope around the apartment, So, I'm feeling some real lows right now.

One of the things I'm doing to get over this is looking for work. I checked craigslist and started looking at monster when I visualized myself working somewhere and the kinds of problems I would encounter such as, having to deal with co-workers.

Which is weird because I generally like people! I'm pretty aware of how things will eventually pan out. I'd lose the gig or lose my mind. One of the thoughts was how different types of people have their own issues and agendas, and would be hard to work with, which is unpleasant.

Before I knew it, one thing lead to another and I stopped looking. The only thing I can do at this point is to keep figuring out, how I'm going to approach my work-from-home prospects from here on.

Band Booking Horror Show

It's a combination of things that are going on here. Let me first remind you that, among the other things I'm doing, I also book bands for a place. When it's good, it's good. When it's bad, it's terrible. Last night was pretty fucking bad.

For one, it was St. Patty's day and most of Dallas had gotten its drink on since eleven in the morning. I explain a lot of this in a previous post. So, what I'm saying is that there's good reason for concern. For instance, I got a private message from a friend of mine who is part of a local band.

I told him some time back that I was going to recommend him to the bar management so they could be put on rotation as they seem to be a better fit with some of the other bands they generally book here.

The problem is that I can't get a response from management as to what dates are available. Well, I got one response saying that they would only be booking two dates but I haven't heard anything else.

Booking shows is a hard thing to pull off. There are all sorts of angles and executive decisions one has to do in order to stay afloat. I've had to learn this the hard way and then I'm still learning. I mean, right now, I'm learning that I might not be doing any more shows here if the shit doesn't pick up.

Marketing, Marketing, Marketing

I have to make posters. I have to make them all the time and that has to be budgeted as well. I've been cutting costs with sticking to digital marketing, so I've been making my own ads online, haunting twitter and pushing my Facebook page.

I can't leave the podcast out of course. That's another way I'm doing that and it's pretty stressful to try and manage all of that in a timely fashion. Just thinking about it makes me want to sleep and sleep deeply. Like, my eyeballs are getting heavy.

I mean lately, I've been sleeping like a dead man and I can only hope that I will before the next show as I'm taking one hell of a hit in my pocketbook. What the hell am I going to do?

I think I might have to make some more hardcore executive decisions, is what I'm thinking. While this is definitely scary, it's also exciting all the same.

@freelancer Employer @raj_ballu Uses #ArticleSpinning Accusation To Get Out Of Paying #Writers #Freelancing

Wow. I certainly didn't expect this, but it's part of my experience where shit gets thrown at me no matter what I do!

In a recent post I talked about how I took on another writing job via Freelancer. It was from a person who at the very least had been verified on the site to show that they did have money to pay but a profile that's practically empty.

I just sent them the articles he wanted me to write, only to come back with:

I need unique content not spun contents.. These all are spun things.

The thing that irks me here is that he's pretty sure my content is spun! I started writing these posts right when he assigned them and completed them within the deadline as agreed. Here's the conversation from the time he assigned me the project:

1. 
   

   12 March 2015 · 10:14 am

   Hi
2. hello.
3. What are the details of your project?
4. tell me something about your writing experience and your talanet
5. talent*
6. Well, I first started writing on freelancer with some projects back in late 2012. A lot of it was article content with SEO, where I've mostly been given free reign to research the information, create the content; which I do extensive research for, I try to edit and fix all issues with grammar and spelling.
7. Ok
8. I'm looking for something that isn't too overwhelming as far as long-term.
9. And do you have any team or working individually?
10. I'm solo. No team.
11. Ok
12. and what's your offer per 500 words long and quality content?
13. I'm looking at $2 but no less than 1.50.
14. Ok
15. Can i have some samples of yours?
16. Sure. What are you sample requirements?
17. ANything on fashion, health, tech niche
18. Okay. I'll send you something shortly.
19. Sure
20. Two Fashion Icons Make A Comeback The toxicity of the same news stories focused specifically in certain parts of the world, was put in check this week with the return of two icons of the fashion industry, starting with the V&A's "Savage Beauty" event which featured the mind-blowing designs of the late, Alexander mcQueen. Even five years after his death, the designs were still head-turners and have been one of the most talked about events in the industry. Nothing was held back and whether liked or not, the designs still generate a lot of discussion showing that they still leave an impact. Equally revered in fashion and Hollywood, another icon Zoolander, who came fully loaded with "Blue Steel,"  -- the look that made this famed character; favored by cult-film audiences everywhere is known for, when Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson strode the catwalk in character at Paris Fashion Week, to promote Zoolander 2. In both of these case, we have to admit that it's like a breath of fresh, though nostalgically fresh air!
21. I'm on a tablet so I just copied and pasted the text as you can see.
22. i see at least one grammatical error already, which I can fix but, I think you get the point?
23. Hey
24. Can we start with the order of 10 x 500 words?
25. How long will it take?
26. Do you accept the payment via paypal?
27. See, this is regular and long term jobs as you are looking for
28. replies
29. I'm not sure how long it would take. I imagine I would have them ready by this evening. What's your time line?
30. I want them within 24 hours
31. Do you rewrite from origial source? How do you write contents?
32. Also, I need to let you know that I also do graphic design, book bands and do stand up comedy.What is the daily minimum? Is that something you can work with?
33. I can do 24 hours, no problem.
34. Sending you 5 articles
35. do them first
36. Yes, all of the content is my original wording.
37. once i get 5, I will make the payment for the entire batch
38. ok
39. What's your email id?
40. And do you accept the money via paypal?
41. I can as long as it's prompt and there are no delays, of course within reason.
42. Ok
43. I am also hoping for the same things
44. Although, the last time i  entered an email address in here, I got "pinged" by the admins.
45. Understood.
46. 
    

    12 March 2015 · 11:09 am

    email me your id atwebmaster6699@gmail.com
47. What settlement do we have per word?
48. Hello
49. $2 per 500 words
50. 
    

    13 March 2015 · 10:19 am

    I've sent you the files, within the deadline as the confirmation email you sent was at 11:13 am yesterday, it is 10:18 am right now.
51. Just got you return email. Am adding titles to those posts.
52. Hello
53. Ok
54. I will check them tody
55. Going to offline for dinner
56. :)
57. Okay.
58. :)
59. Let me know what dinner is, I'm curious as to what they're serving in that part of the world.

It was during this time that I received his accusation to which I responded:

!!! They're not spun! I wrote those out myself.

Just to make sure he got the message immediately, I also hit him up through freelancer's chat messenger.

1. 
   

   13 March 2015 · 1:03 pm

   Received your email almost thirty minutes ago, that content is not spun. It's all original and I wrote it myself.

The user is offline. Messages you send will be delivered when they come online.

Theory

I think this dude is swindling me and trying to get out of paying. What better way than to take a stance that I'm spinning content to do so? 

Post by Raj Ballu.

I ran a check on his email which lead me to his Facebook profile. He's obviously young but he also comes across as cocky. Let's see what this dude does.

SOURCE:
1. https://www.freelancer.com/u/Nidhi4545.html?ref_project_id=7292926