Ellen Donnelly

Career advise from July Evans: Write a “brag” document. It’s useful in negotiation, in annual review & promo conversations, and when you least expect it. Why: you can’t expect your manager to know everything you’ve done. Plus you need to combat your own human cognitive issues (memory, recency bias, self depreciation, etc). What to do: maintain ... See more

We can't build a sustainable business by chasing every opportunity.

A sustainable business is strategically constrained. Its leaders know what the business is and, more importantly, what it's not.

“If your stuff’s not performing well ... you might be aware that the algorithm is doing some shenanigans to tank your views or likes,” explained Kate, but that awareness doesn’t always translate into frustration with the platform. “There’s this doubt that creeps in about your own work, what you should be doing,” she shared.

Platforms don't stand by and let peer-to-peer exchange happen. They're not absent from these relations.

The point of making content is to get an outcome,” he added.

The success of mega-influencers or thought leaders who have, in effect, transcended algorithmic management can make it difficult to see that. The Seth Godins, Mel Robbinses, and Brene Browns of the internet don’t appear to be trying to “get an outcome.” They don’t have to. Their influence... See more

This is why, once you reach some stability with consistently generating clients and revenue, many indie consultants begin to think about “scaling themselves” - either in the form of hiring staff or in building “passive income” products.

This reflex isn’t bad per se but it’s important to recognize that they are avoiding the real problem. They are avo... See more

But at some point you can end up stuck - feeling like every client is simply another spin of the hamster wheel. Trapped in your own constraints of client work you’re feeling like there’s a never-ending series of client projects on the treadmill. A feeling that every client is starting from zero again.

Your business exists in the context of a marketplace, but also in the context of your lived experience.

Defaulting to the norms of your industry will shape your business to be similar to the rest, where the best entrepreneurs zero-in on their self expression. Do you have an eye for good design? Inject design into a tasteless industry. Do you have a ... See more