freelance

Marketing Your Creative Freelance Business: How, Where, and To Whom

October 15, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

Marketing. Ugh.
It’s like going running on a cold rainy day. You know it’s good for you, but you don’t really want to.

You may be the most talented creative in your field but if no one’s heard of you, your business isn’t going to grow. SEO can help, sure, but it takes time. And unless you’re paying a premium to stay at the top of everyone’s searches, that could take forever.

So, what do you do instead? How can you make sure the people who want to hire you actually find you?

How, Where, and To Whom

Let’s start with how to advertise your creative freelance business : the methods, channels, and approaches you can take.

There are two big categories of marketing:

Broadcast marketing (to many people at once): social media, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, or even paid ads.
One-to-one marketing: cold outreach, networking, collaborations, and word-of-mouth.

Cold emails scare a lot of creatives. I get it. For the longest time, I told myself, “No way, I’m not sending emails to strangers!” But we’re not talking about spamming here. I started with just five emails a day — specific, personalized messages to people in companies that hire voiceover talent.

It was small, consistent effort that paid off months later. People I’d emailed got back to me with auditions and job offers, sometimes ten months later. That’s the power of showing up. And don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a reply. People are busy and often save those emails for a rainy day. Don’t assume you’re being ignored.

When it comes to how you market, choose methods that align with your strengths:

Love writing? Start a blog or newsletter.
Work with visuals? Post short videos or reels.
Work with sound? Record a podcast or audio samples.

Pick one medium you actually enjoy, and do it consistently.

Then comes where to market yourself. That’s the space your audience hangs out, online and in person.
LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or niche job platforms for voice actors like Voice123 or Bodalgo can all work. Figure out where your industry buyers live.

And don’t underestimate in-person connections: local networking events, conferences, or casual meetups. Just remember to read the room. Some spaces are for pitching. Others are for listening. (And yes, never corner someone in the bathroom — not cool.)

Finally, to whom should you market?
Not to “everyone.” Your ideal client is specific.
Who would you love to work for? Who values what you do? Who has a problem you can solve with your skillset?

Think about their industry, role, goals, and even company size. The way you pitch to a marketing director at a big agency isn’t the same as how you’d approach a small business owner who does everything themselves.

Why It Matters

Why be so specific? Because general messaging doesn’t resonate.

If your posts or outreach aren’t aimed at a clear audience, they’ll fall flat, or worse, get ignored. When your message has focus, your ideal clients self-select and think, “She’s talking to me.”

Being strategic with your “how,” “where,” and “to whom” helps you:

Stop wasting time shouting into the void.
Build visibility where decision-makers actually look.
Attract work that’s aligned with your goals and expertise.

And here’s a truth I’ve learned in both fitness and freelancing:
Consistency beats intensity.
You don’t need a massive marketing push once a year, just steady effort that compounds over time.

Take Action

Start with these three steps:

Pick your channel.
Choose one marketing platform or method that feels natural and doable for you.
Show up where it counts.
Find out where your ideal clients hang out — both online and offline — and focus your energy there.
Reach out to real people.
Make a list of two or three dream clients, and write them a short, thoughtful email explaining how you can help them. Then…and this is the hard part…hit send.

There are no guarantees in life, only risks worth taking.
You won’t always know how your marketing will turn out. But if you don’t try, you won’t grow.

So get out there, stay authentic, and make those future clients glad they found you.

——————————————————————————————–

Want more?
This article is based on my Freelance Fitness podcast episode, “Marketing Your Creative Freelance Business: How, Where, and To Whom.”
Each week, I coach you through a 10-minute workout and a creative business challenge — because building endurance matters in both.

Listen on your favourite platform, and let’s keep growing — in business and in strength.

Martyrdom: Clients Don’t Care if You Fell on Your Sword to Deliver

October 8, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

Let’s talk about martyrdom.
Sounds a little dramatic, right? But in freelancing (and in fitness) it shows up more often than we think. Especially when people broadcast all the sacrifices they’re making to hit deadlines.

Honestly? I don’t think anyone really cares.

Fine. Your loved ones care. But your clients? Not really. They’ve got their own worries and deliverables. Whether you give them a long speech about how you stayed up all night to finish their project, or whether you suffer silently in hopes of some karmic reward, it’s really unlikely that it moves the needle on how they perceive you.

The myth of the overworked freelancer

There’s a common belief that in order to succeed as freelancers we have to prove we work the longest hours, that we’re always available, that we’ll put clients above our own health and family. But let’s be honest: clients don’t hand out brownie points for sacrifice.

No one’s giving you a medal for averaging five hours of sleep. No bonus points for posting selfies of yourself hunched over a laptop at the beach or at the playground while your kids are playing. Some people might click “like,” but they’ll scroll on and forget it a second later.

What clients actually care about is that the file lands in their inbox on time, with quality that meets or exceeds expectations. That’s it.

The cost of falling on your sword

Occasional late nights? They happen. But if working until 4 a.m. becomes your brand, you’re only creating exhaustion.

For freelancers working across time zones (voiceover artists like me know this all too well), it’s tempting to believe you have to be “always on” because it’s always 9 a.m. somewhere. But running on little sleep, skipping meals, or sacrificing family time is not a sustainable long-term strategy. Burnout doesn’t just hurt your health—it hurts your business, your creativity, and your relationships.

Sleep is not optional. Sleep is critical: for recovery, for focus, and for showing up at your best. I tell my teenagers they’ll know they’re real adults when they actually look forward to going to bed. And you know what? They’ll find out I’m right.

Personally, I’ve learned that I need at least 6 hours of sleep to function, and ideally 7-8. If I try to push through with less, I’m not more productive. I’m grouchy, unfocused, and not doing my best work. Clients don’t hire me to be a zombie. They hire me to bring fresh energy and creativity to their projects.

Professionalism ≠ martyrdom

Performative overwork is a trap. If your most productive hours are at midnight, fine. But ask yourself: what message are you sending when you make a show of it?

Many freelancers think “going above and beyond” will wow the client. But often, the client just assumes that level of sacrifice is your baseline…which sets you up for unrealistic expectations.

Look, we’re creative freelancers, not brain surgeons. We don’t need to be available 24/7. What earns repeat business and referrals isn’t suffering, it’s systems. Reliable processes. Clear communication. Consistent delivery.

So go play with your kids. Have dinner with friends. Get some sleep. Post about that if you want to share something. Clients don’t want martyrs. They want partners who can deliver good work over the long haul.

Instead of proving how much you endured, prove how enduring you work.

For music, exercise and business tips, listen to my podcast Freelance Fitness.

Don’t Let the Numbers Run Your Business: Why Stats Matter—but Perspective Matters More

October 1, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

We talk a lot about numbers in freelance creative businesses.
Income. Leads. Followers. Website traffic.

Just like in fitness: weight, reps, or heart rate.

And yes, those numbers matter. They help us track progress and see if the plan is working. But here’s the thing: any one number never tells the whole story.

You can have a spike in social followers with no paying clients.
Or hit a new fitness goal and still feel sluggish.

Numbers are a tool, but they aren’t the whole truth.

The Role of Metrics

Numbers give us feedback. They show whether a strategy is moving us closer to our goals.

When I launched my podcast Freelance Fitness, I didn’t just hit record and hope for the best. I made a list of every step required to produce an episode: writing, recording, editing, mixing, publishing. I refined that plan as I went. That’s how consistency happens—through process.

But a process without metrics is blind. You need clear, measurable, and attainable goals to know if your efforts are paying off. Otherwise, you’re just guessing.

Has your monthly income increased since you made a change?
Are you closing more deals?
Has that new software saved you time?

Metrics help answer those questions.

The Danger of Obsession

The problem comes when we obsess over one number.

I’ve fallen into that trap myself. I got hooked on impressions and likes. A viral post gives you a rush, but in my world (voiceover), impressions almost never translate into clients.

It wasn’t until I shifted focus to writing posts directly for my target audience, the people actually in a position to hire me, that I saw real results. Fewer likes, but more clients.

Here’s why any one number is misleading:

Numbers don’t measure quality. 10,000 impressions aren’t worth much without real engagement.
Context matters. Ten demo listens from the right clients beat 100 random website views.
One metric can distort your focus. You risk ignoring the bigger picture.
Business health is multidimensional. Income, repeat clients, efficiency, reputation—it all counts.
Numbers fluctuate naturally. Algorithms change, seasons shift. Don’t tie your mood to a rollercoaster.

A Balanced Approach

So how do you balance the usefulness of numbers with not letting them control you?

Track the basics. Choose 2–3 meaningful metrics. Not everything needs measuring.
Check in regularly, not obsessively. Weekly or monthly reviews are enough.
Pair numbers with reflection. Does the data align with how you feel about your business?
Stay flexible. Running a business is like hitting a moving target: trial, error, adjustments.
Seek perspective. Ask peers how they measure their progress. Sometimes you need an outside view.

At the end of the day, numbers should act like a dashboard, not a single flashing warning light.

They guide you, but they don’t define you.

Freelancing is iterative, like creating a recipe: you try, adjust, and improve. Even if something doesn’t “work out,” you’ve learned, collected data, and moved further ahead than where you started.

So yes, keep track of your numbers. But don’t let them run the show.

What’s the one metric you find hardest not to obsess over in your freelance business?

Stats utiles, pas ultimes : garde le contrôle de ton entreprise

October 1, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

On parle beaucoup de chiffres dans le travail créatif en freelance.
Revenus. Pistes. Abonnés. Trafic web.

Un peu comme en mise en forme : poids, répétitions, fréquence cardiaque.

Et oui, ces chiffres-là ont leur importance. Ils nous aident à mesurer nos progrès et à voir si le plan fonctionne.
Mais voilà le hic : aucun chiffre, pris seul, ne raconte toute l’histoire.

Tu peux avoir une explosion d’abonnés sans aucun client payant.
Ou atteindre un nouveau record à l’entraînement et quand même te sentir fatigué·e.

Les chiffres sont un outil. Mais ils ne sont pas toute la vérité.

Le rôle des métriques

Les chiffres nous donnent du feedback. Ils montrent si une stratégie nous rapproche de nos objectifs.

Quand j’ai lancé mon podcast Pigiste pas Figiste, je n’ai pas juste appuyé sur « rec » en espérant que ça marche.
J’ai fait une liste de toutes les étapes nécessaires pour produire un épisode : écriture, enregistrement, montage, mixage, diffusion. Et j’ai ajusté au fur et à mesure.
C’est ça, la constance : un processus.

Mais un processus sans métriques, c’est avancer les yeux fermés.
Il faut des objectifs clairs, mesurables et atteignables pour savoir si nos efforts rapportent vraiment. Sinon, on ne fait que deviner.

Tes revenus mensuels ont-ils augmenté depuis ton dernier changement?
Tu conclus plus de mandats?
Ton nouveau logiciel te fait-il vraiment gagner du temps?

Les métriques aident à répondre à ces questions.

Le danger de l’obsession

Le problème, c’est quand on se met à obséder sur un seul chiffre.

Je suis déjà tombée dans ce piège.
Je regardais surtout les impressions et les « j’aime ».
Un post viral donne un petit boost d’ego, mais dans mon domaine (la voix hors champ), ça mène rarement à de vrais contrats.

C’est seulement quand j’ai commencé à écrire pour mon public cible, les gens qui ont réellement le pouvoir d’embaucher une voix, que j’ai vu de vrais résultats. Moins de likes, mais plus de clients.

Voici pourquoi un seul chiffre peut être trompeur :

Les chiffres ne mesurent pas la qualité. 10 000 impressions ne valent pas grand-chose sans engagement réel.
Le contexte compte. Dix écoutes de démo par les bons clients valent mieux que 100 visites aléatoires.
Un seul indicateur peut déformer ton focus. Tu risques d’ignorer la vue d’ensemble.
La santé d’une entreprise est multidimensionnelle. Revenus, clients réguliers, efficacité, réputation… tout compte.
Les chiffres fluctuent naturellement. Algorithmes, saisons… inutile d’attacher ton humeur à ces montagnes russes.

Une approche équilibrée

Alors, comment profiter des chiffres sans leur laisser le contrôle?

Suis l’essentiel. Choisis 2 ou 3 métriques qui comptent vraiment. Pas besoin de tout mesurer.
Vérifie régulièrement, pas obsessivement. Une fois par semaine ou par mois, c’est assez.
Combine données et ressenti. Est-ce que les chiffres reflètent vraiment comment tu sens ton entreprise?
Reste flexible. Être pigiste, c’est comme viser une cible en mouvement : essais, erreurs, ajustements.
Cherche de la perspective. Demande à tes pairs comment eux évaluent leur progrès. Parfois, ça aide à voir la forêt quand tu es coincé·e dans les arbres.

En fin de compte, les chiffres devraient fonctionner comme un tableau de bord, pas comme un voyant rouge qui clignote.
Ils te guident, mais ils ne te définissent pas.

Être pigiste, c’est itératif, un peu comme créer une recette : tu essaies, tu ajustes, tu améliores. Même si ça « ne marche pas », tu as appris, récolté des données, et avancé plus loin que le point de départ.

Alors oui, garde un œil sur tes chiffres. Mais ne les laisse pas mener le bal.

Et toi, quel est le chiffre le plus difficile à ne pas laisser t’obséder dans ton entreprise freelance?

From Workshop to Workflow: How to Actually Apply What You’ve Learned

September 24, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

Continual education is in our DNA as freelancers.

We sign up for workshops, upgrade software, hire coaches, and attend conferences because we know our industries evolve constantly. Nobody wants to be the dinosaur that goes extinct.

But there’s an overlooked challenge:

How do you integrate this great new knowledge into your workflow?

We’ve all been there. You spend time and money on an amazing class, grab shiny new software, or attend a weekend conference. You come home inspired, buzzing with ideas… and then Monday hits. Client emails are waiting. Projects need attention. Suddenly, “integration” gets shoved to the side of your desk—and forgotten.

Six months later, the guilt sets in.

I can tell you honestly: I attended VO Atlanta last year, and I still haven’t looked at the session recordings. Not one. And yes, I still tell myself I’ll get to them before next year’s conference. I’m equally guilty.

So why does this gap matter?

Learning without practice fades fast. That workshop glow disappears quickly if you don’t put it into action.
New skills only stick when applied. That’s how they become second nature.
Integration builds confidence. Once you’ve used a new tool in real work, you stop second-guessing.
Your investment pays off. Money and time spent only deliver ROI when skills become part of your workflow.

And yet, freelancers are busy. Balancing client work, admin, and growth is messy. Add anxiety into the mix, and the pressure feels even heavier. (Trust me, my brain has gone down the “what if my computer crashes mid-session?” spiral many times.)

The good news? Integration doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some practical steps to bridge the gap between knowing and doing:

Six Steps to Move from Workshop to Workflow

1. Shift the Mindset

Stop thinking of practice as “extra.” Treat it as part of your job. Use a live project as a testing ground, even if you don’t end up using the new tool in the final result.

2. Micro-Practice Beats Marathons

Forget the mythical “free afternoon.” Ten minutes of focused practice adds up. Try “skill sprints”: one feature, one shortcut, one vocal drill. Done.

3. Prioritize and Filter

After any class, pick three takeaways you’ll actually use. Not thirty. Ask: What’s immediately useful? What can wait?

4. Schedule Integration Time

Block 30 minutes a week for an “integration lab.” Protect it like you would a client deadline.

5. Build Accountability

Tell a peer what you’re working on. Track your reps in a journal or app. Visible progress motivates.

6. Extend Yourself Compassion

Struggling with new tools doesn’t mean failure—it means you’re learning. Even partial integration is progress.

The Payoff

When you consistently fold new knowledge into your workflow:

You reduce guilt.
You increase confidence.
You create a stronger, future-proof freelance business.

As I said on the Freelance Fitness podcast:

“Sounds like something you can handle, right? Of course you can. Once you’ve broken it down into little chunks, like this workout, that can fit anywhere in your day. Sky’s the limit.”

You don’t need a full overhaul—just one mini-experiment at a time.

One skill sprint.

One weekly integration block.

One step closer to your next level.

Take that, dinosaurs.

Dire non : la compétence essentielle que tout pigiste devrait développer

September 17, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

On peut jaser du fait de dire non? De refuser un contrat, ou même de ne pas auditionner pour un projet?

Comme pigistes, on passe une bonne partie de notre temps et de notre énergie à chercher la prochaine opportunité. C’est notre gagne-pain, et soyons honnêtes : on a toujours cette petite peur de manquer quelque chose. On se dit que si on ne se lance pas sur toutes les occasions, le pipeline risque de se vider.

Mais voici la vérité : être pigiste, ça ne veut pas dire être disponible 24/7.
Tu n’as pas à auditionner pour chaque rôle. Tu n’as pas à répondre à tes courriels pendant le souper. Tu n’as pas à dire oui à chaque demande qui tombe dans ta boîte de réception.

Dire non, ce n’est pas de la paresse. Ce n’est pas un manque de professionnalisme.
C’est mettre tes limites. Et ce sont ces limites qui rendent une carrière de pigiste durable.

Trop de “oui” mène à l’épuisement

Sans limites, le travail finit par envahir toute ta vie.
Quand tu en prends trop, l’épuisement arrive vite. Et une fois brûlé(e), ta créativité, ton énergie et la qualité de ton travail chutent. Ironiquement, le revenu que tu essayais de protéger peut même en souffrir, parce que tu n’arrives plus à livrer ton meilleur.

Et puis… est-ce qu’on est vraiment plus “réussi” si on répond à des courriels en cachette pendant le match de soccer de son enfant? Ou si on s’éclipse d’un souper de famille pour prendre un appel client? Plus souvent qu’autrement, on se retrouve juste distrait, coupable et un peu amer.

Exemple perso

De mon côté, je sais que j’ai besoin de déconnecter complètement quand je suis en vacances. Sinon, les pensées de travail me suivent comme un nuage et je ne profite jamais du moment présent. Résultat : je ne me repose pas, je ne recharge pas mes batteries et la “vacance” ne sert à rien.

Certain·es artistes de voix apportent un kit mobile en voyage pour continuer à travailler. Je comprends leur logique, mais moi, je ne relaxe pas tant que je n’ai pas vraiment décroché. Mes limites à moi, c’est : je jette un œil aux courriels une ou deux fois par jour, juste pour voir s’il y a quelque chose d’urgent. Et la plupart du temps, ma réponse est simplement : “Je ne peux pas avant mon retour.”

Pour être pleinement présente pour mes clients, je dois aussi être pleinement présente pour moi-même et mes proches.

Les bons clients respectent tes limites

Un client qui t’apprécie va s’adapter à tes “heures de bureau” ou à ton “je te reviens après la fin de semaine”. Ceux qui exigent une disponibilité 24/7? À moins qu’ils paient pour un service en permanence, tu ne leur dois pas ça. Et honnêtement, se détacher de ce type de client, c’est souvent ouvrir la porte à des collaborations plus saines et plus respectueuses.

La vérité, c’est que le monde ne s’arrête pas si tu prends une journée off. Ton entreprise ne s’écroulera pas. Et tu n’es pas “moins pigiste” si tu ne travailles pas 24 heures sur 24. Au contraire : être capable de décrocher, c’est une preuve de solidité.

Comment apprendre à dire non (sans culpabilité)

Clarifie tes limites. Tes heures de travail, ton délai de réponse, ce qui constitue une vraie urgence. Établis-les clairement, et respecte-les.
Reviens à tes valeurs. Demande-toi : est-ce que j’ai besoin en ce moment de plus de revenu, de repos, de temps en famille ou de croissance? Dis oui à ce qui colle, non à ce qui ne colle pas.
Pratique les mots. Dire non n’a pas besoin d’être brusque. Exemples :
- “Je n’ai pas de disponibilité présentement.”
- “Ça sort de mon champ d’expertise.”
- “J’aimerais, mais mon horaire est plein. On peut revisiter ça le mois prochain?”
Protège ton temps off. Vacances, fins de semaine, ou même un mercredi après-midi random… Déconnecte complètement.
Aie confiance en ce que tu as bâti. Ta réputation et ton travail tiennent la route. Ils survivront à une pause.

Je te lance un défi : prends une seule journée complète où tu éteins le mode “oui”. Pas de courriels, pas d’auditions, pas d’admin. Juste une journée pour respirer. Tu vas réaliser que tu n’es pas l’élément indispensable qui tient l’univers en place. Et ça, c’est pas une faiblesse… c’est une libération.

Parce qu’au fond, dire non n’est pas refuser du travail. C’est protéger ton énergie — celle qui fait que ton travail (et ta vie) a de la valeur.

✨ Cet article est inspiré d’un épisode de mon balado Pigiste pas Figiste, 10 minutes d’entraînement avec du vrai talk pigiste, viens écouter ici : https://media.rss.com/pigiste-pas-figiste/feed.xml

ALISON PENTECOST