Tag Archives: how to be a freelancer

4 Ways Going Freelance Helps Your Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a goal that can feel more and more unrealistic in the era of push notifications and economic crises. Ironically, it might be that same digitally-enhanced, post-crisis world we find ourselves living in that ends up bringing all of us closer to the kind of balance we’ve until now only dreamed of.

This month, the Freelancers Union and Upwork published their annual Freelancing in America report, reaffirming what most of us already see in our professional lives: All around us, our friends and colleagues are swapping contracts and salaries for gigs and flexibility.

About a third of the American workforce is already doing some kind of freelance work, and it’s estimated to reach 40% by 2020. The big question in these times of economic uncertainty is why?

One common answer is the never-ending quest for balance in our lives. Our society and our employers are becoming more affirming of our need to spend more time nurturing our partners, passion projects, and ourselves.

Whether you quit your job or make a new arrangement with your current employer, you’ll find making the transition to freelancing brings a refreshing dose of balance to your life in more ways than one.

how to freelance

Work-Life Balance

Being a professional certainly entails a busy schedule, but that doesn’t mean you have to sign away the rest of your life in your employment contract. When there’s no time clock inflexibly demanding your attention at 9:00 sharp, you’re free to balance work, family, and everything else important in your life as you see fit and as each day’s unique challenges demand.

Work-life balance isn’t just a touchy-feely buzzword: It’s key to health and happiness. The independence of freelancing allows you to dictate not only your own working hours, but also where you work and how. Some of us are bursting with motivation before the sun ever comes up; and for others, the sweet spot is 2 a.m. in sweatpants on the kitchen floor—as a freelancer, that’s for you to decide.

work life balance

Creative Balance

Gone are the days of committing your entire adult life to one employer and one professional field; and here to replace them is the era of the multi-passionate careerist.

Do you ever feel like you’re forced to choose between the marketing job that pays the bills and the inner-writer who’s constantly relegated to side-hustle? Well, you don’t.

As a freelancer, you’re free to become a professional Photographer-Fashionista-B2B Sales Guru who moonlights as an Android developer and teaches biweekly yoga classes at the local community center. In the new global economy, having multiple jobs is a good thing, and going freelance is the perfect way to reap the benefits and blossom into the modern-day renaissance woman you always knew you could be.

Cultural Balance

While you’re busy expanding your creative portfolio, go ahead and add badass nomad to your long list of titles: Going location-independent will blow the world wide open, and suddenly the globe is your playground.

balancing work and life

Few things are as personally enriching or practically valuable as learning about the world and the people you share it with. Incredible job opportunities all around the world are waiting for you to mix and match them like the resumé accessories they are. Even when your assignment calendar is bursting and you can’t make it to the nearest island paradise, you’ll still have time to take a rejuvenating half-day to play tourist in your own city.

Personal Balance

work-life balance

In addition to being a professional, you’re also a body, a mind, a soul, and a human being. Escaping the rigid bounds of the traditional nine-to-five will finally give you a chance to holistically nurture your being and strive for balance between the many facets of your being that make you you.

Your current colleagues might find it more than quirky if you were to plop down on the floor for a meditation break in the middle of the work day, but in your home or coworking space you can recenter yourself whenever you need. The time you save on the daily commute can go towards a morning run, learning a new language, preparing wholesome food, or just sitting by the fireplace with a good book. However you spend the time, the you’s that you’ve been neglecting at the office will thank you for it.

Convinced you’re ready to make the change and bring more balance to your life? Get started designing the perfect home office, plan for a successful transition out of the office, and carpe diem.

5 Dinner Recipes that Make Great Lunches

Embrace the notion of leftovers. They’re one of the secrets to surviving hectic work week mornings, because let’s face it, it’s hard enough to remember all the things you need heading out the door. Forget preparing, cooking, and packing a lunch. Turning last night’s dinner into lunch makes busy weekday mornings a whole lot easier. Succeeding at it, takes some practice and planning. You have to be creative,  think about whether your dinner will reheat well in a microwave or can be eaten cold or at room temperature, if the dish will pack well, and if it can be consumed without making a mess. From corn chowder to chicken chimichangas, these chef-created recipes will step up your brown-bag game.

 

Cod and Corn Chowder

There is nothing like a chowder to warm your bones on a chilly fall or winter evening. This cod and corn chowder recipe from Rima Kleiner, owner of Dish on Fish, is easy to prepare and chock-full of vegetables that add depth to the chowder. And as a bonus it’s as satisfying reheated the next day for lunch.

cod-and-corn-chowder-by-dish-on-fish
Photo: Rima Kleiner, MS, RD of Dish on Fish

Makes 4-6 servings

What you’ll need

1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2medium yellow onion, chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups potatoes, washed well and diced (keep peel on)

1 1/2 lb. cod, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed

1/2 cup half-and-half

½ cup skim milk

Dash of turmeric

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

 

How it’s done

In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and scallion whites. Sautée until softened, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, and cod. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add corn, half-and-half, milk, and turmeric. Cover and bring to a light simmer. Add salt and pepper, as desired. Garnish with scallion greens.

 

Uptown Tavern Mediterranean Salad

Dropping temperatures and shorter days always make me crave comfort food but those heavy meals put me to sleep at my desk. Enter this colorful salad from Lety Gonzalez of Uptown Tavern. Made with peppery arugula, cashews, and sundried tomatoes it’s filling enough for a weekday dinner with chicken or salmon on top, and the next day I have a mason jar full of pickled veggies and dressing.

mediteranean-salad-by-uptown-tavern

Makes  2 servings

What you’ll need

Arugula

1 cans white beans

1 cups marinated olives

Pickled onions

Goat cheese

Sundried tomato vinaigrette

 

Pickled Onions

1 cup vinegar

3 cups water

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp pickling spices

2 large onions

1 large red peeled beet

 

Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

1 large shallot

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1/2  cup sun dried tomatoes

 

Spiced Nuts

1 cup raw cashews

2 tbs curry powder

 

How it’s done

Pickled Onions

Julienne the onions. Cut the beet into quarters. Place onions and beets into a 4-quart container. In a pot heat up the pickling spices, sugar, water, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and pour into the quart container with the onions and beets.

 

Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Place the tomatoes, shallot, garlic, red wine into a food processor. Slowly blend the oil in until emulsified.

 

Spiced Nuts

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Toss the cashews and curry powder until roasted to your liking.

 

Salad Assembly

Toss arugula, white beans, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Place on a serving dish and top with olives, goat cheese, spiced nuts, and pickled onions.

 

Sweet & Sour Ribs

Days you know will stretch on, need ribs. Chef and author Jorj Morgan suggests prepping the dish the night before and then all you need to do is turn the slow cooker on in the morning. When you come home you’ll be greeted to a mouthwatering smell and a hearty dinner.  The next day you can turn the leftover sweet and sour ribs into an easy to pack and eat at your desk grilled panini.

sweet-and-sour-ribs-by-jorj-morgan

Makes 8 servings

What you’ll need

Sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup Ponzu sauce

1/4 cup Asian chili sauce

1/4 cup ketchup ¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Zest of 1 orange, about 1 tablespoon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

 

Ribs

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 country style ribs, about 4 pounds

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

 

How it’s done

Sauce

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

 

Ribs

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the ribs with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powders. Brown the ribs in the skillet until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Place the ribs into the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over top. Cook on low until the ribs are quite tender and the meat is falling away from the bone.

 

Baked Chimichangas

There are so many ways to make these baked chimichangas from Jessica Braider of The Balanced Kitchen, it will become your new go-to recipe. Go vegetarian, switch up the protein, add an egg, or change up the vegetables depending on the season. No matter your preference you’ll have a savory, balanced dinner that works as an easy to pack, filling lunch that can be reheated or simply eaten at room temperature.

baked-chimichangaby-the-balanced-kitchen

What you’ll need

8 whole wheat tortillas

2 medium zucchini, chopped

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained or 2 cups homemade beans

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken, shredded or finely chopped

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, Mexican blend, etc.)

8 whole wheat tortillas

Cooking spray (optional)

 

How it’s done

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop the zucchini into small pieces. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes, or until some pieces are just starting to brown.

 

While the zucchini is roasting, rinse and drain the black beans and put them into the large bowl along with the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well. When the zucchini is roasted, mix it into the black bean and spice mixture.

 

Lay out the tortillas. Put about 1/4 cup of the bean mixture in the center of each tortilla. Evenly distribute the chicken and cheese on top. Fold each tortilla as you would a burrito and place, seam-side down on the baking sheet. Spray each with cooking spray (if using); this will give them a nice crust and a golden color. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden on top.

 

Yellow Squash Fettuccine Bowls

Squash is the ultimate busy-weeknight go-to. Healthy, quick, and easy to cook, and with so many ways to do it up it’s impossible to get bored. Sarah Adler, founder of Simply Real Health and author of the Simply Real Health Cookbook uses a spiralizer to turn yellow squash into noodles for an alternative to traditional fettuccine. The result is a savory dinner that turns into a leftover lunch without being so heavy you’ll be nodding off in that 3 p.m. meeting.

yellow-squash-fettuccine-bowls-by-simply-real-health

Makes 2 large servings of fettuccine

What you’ll need

 

4 yellow squash

1 cup tomato sauce

1 zucchini

1 bell pepper

1 eggplant (or other assorted veggies) sliced into bite sized pieces

sea salt and pepper to taste

Greek Chicken Meatballs*

 

*Greek Chicken Meatballs

Makes approximately 30, ½ inch meatballs

1 pound organic ground chicken (or turkey or beef)

1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons fresh chopped fresh dill or 3 teaspoons dried dill or Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well to combine. Roll into small ½ -1 inch balls.

Heat coconut oil or butter in a large skillet and add a few meatballs to the pan at a time, turning so each side browns for approximately 5- 7 minutes each.

 

How it’s done

Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add veggies, toss to coat with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until done to your liking.

To prep the noodles: spiralize 4 yellow squashes. When veggies and meatballs are done, heat noodles in a pan with sauce, and add veggies, meatballs, and a generous sprinkle of pecorino cheese to serve.