Make sure freelancing fits your life - An interview with Robyn Roste
Hi friend,
Now that we’re into the new year and back to work (and hopefully are out of that “holiday food coma”), we’re all looking excitedly to the year ahead. At least, I hope we are. I know I am.
I’m so happy to share this interview with Robyn Roste, who I have known personally for many years. Robyn is a freelancer who helps other freelancers scale their marketing. She is also about to publish a book about marketing (see below for details).
As I went through her responses to this interview, two of her pieces of advice stand out for me, “keep your why in focus at all times” and make sure freelancing fits your life (and not the other way around). Often, the two go hand-in-hand.
What frequently happens is we say we get into freelancing for a specific reason, and then realize years later that reason has been thrown out the window, not because we don’t want it but because we haven’t run our business with that reason in mind. For example, we get into freelancing because of the flexible hours, and then find ourselves working 14-hour days, 7 days a week, with virtually no time off.
The flexibility of freelancing is only a benefit if we make it work for us not if we let our business run our lives. That means being intentional with our decisions. It means keeping our why in mind when we make our decisions.
For freelancing to be sustainable, it has to meet our needs and fit our life. Not the life other people envision for you and not the life they’ve set up for themselves. There are many paths to successful freelancing; what’s important is to find that path that works for you and make sure it is serving you, not the other way around.
Here’s more from Robyn:
Job title(s) if applicable:
Marketing strategist, copywriter, and Certified Funnel Pro
What first attracted you to a writing/editing career?
Since I was young, I’ve had the goal of becoming a writer. It has always been easy to express myself through writing and at some point, I recognized this was not an easy skill for everyone! This helped me decide to pursue journalism in university and continue down the writing path.
How did you get started in writing/editing?
Graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism helped me view my writing as a professional skill, and that’s when I felt like I started writing seriously. Before this, I mostly wrote in journals or would do the odd piece for a friend. Having a degree gave me the confidence to put myself out there as a “real” writer. I know I didn’t need it, but it was good for my self-esteem!
Describe how your career has unfolded, how you identified your specialties, and how you wound up where you are.
My career has been a long, winding road! Once I finished my Bachelor of Journalism I didn’t immediately get a job in the industry. Instead, I lived abroad for a couple of years and started blogging about my adventures.
The blog was for fun, but it turned into a modest income stream and taught me about freelance writing. When I returned to Canada, I decided to continue blogging and after a stretch of unemployment and odd jobs, I secured a corporate job as an in-house blogger at a non-profit. I worked there for more than a decade, eventually becoming the communications director, and overseeing a variety of writing projects.
Throughout my time at the non-profit, I continued freelance writing. I took a casual approach at first but decided to become more serious about it around 2017. By 2019, I was committed enough to register my business and start moving towards freelance writing full-time.
My specializations have changed over the years, from blogging to journalism to non-profit writing to content writing, to copywriting, and now to email marketing and funnel strategies.
In 2024, I look forward to adding a new offer to help other freelance writers develop streamlined marketing systems for their business. Can’t wait! I’m also excited to release my first book sometime in 2024 called Marketing for Freelance Writers with Pandamoon Publishing.
What do you love about writing/editing?
I love how writing can explore ideas, present new information, and make people think about topics in a new way.
What do you love about freelancing?
Freelancing has been the ultimate path to exploring my curiosity, passions, and interests. Through this work I’ve had the chance to work on a wide variety of projects with clients I wouldn’t have ever met if not for freelancing. It’s the perfect outlet for a multi-passionate generalist like me. 😊
What is a piece of advice you would share with other freelancers?
There is no one right way to do this freelancing thing. Carve your own path and keep your “why” in focus at all times!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
To find the confidence to grow your business to where you want it to go, treat freelance writing like a business!
Is there anything else you want to share with the readers of Happy Freelancing that we didn’t go into?
Freelancing is versatile and flexible, so make sure it fits your life (not the other way around).
About Robyn Roste
My mission is to help maxed-out freelancers set up smart marketing systems that give them back time, resources, and much-needed brain space so they can live the life they started their business for.
With more than a decade of experience in marketing, communications, and strategic planning (in both corporate and freelance settings), I value authenticity, problem-solving, and building scalable systems!
I’m a marketing strategist, copywriter, and Certified Funnel Pro with a passion for helping freelance creatives leverage their talents in more impactful ways, get paid their worth, and step with confidence into their space as thought leaders.
Contact info for anyone who wants to find you elsewhere.
The best way to stay in touch is to visit my website, robynroste.com or to email me at robyn@robynroste.com.
Here’s to your ongoing freelance success,
Heidi