Your personal sounding board for freelance and midlife work decisions.
Explore your career dreams . . . or find a happy way to bring in foldable cash.
For your best work, listen to your head and your heart. And let me help you tune in to the career path that is right for you, especially in midlife and after.
I’ve learned lots in the school of hard knocks—and through decades as a professional writer, marketer, and business coach.
Let’s bounce ideas off each other as we ask: Where do we start? What’s next?
Career paths in midlife (and after)
The internet world is full of rich ideas to make it really big . . . perhaps. But if the idea doesn’t fit you, you may stall out while trying to implement it. Worse yet, you may commit far more money than you will make back.
The result: Analysis paralysis. In other words, no forward movement and restless sleep besides. This can hold you back for months or even years.
It just may be that a job—whether part-time or full-time—will work better for you, giving you regular income with less risk.
Decide what makes you happy, not what merely sounds impressive to others.
About Diana Schneidman
I’ve always had a taste for change, tempered by a reasonable respect for financial security and health insurance. I started as a librarian and proceeded to marketing research and marketing communications at a major insurance company and two asset management / mutual fund firms. Most recently I was a computer aide at my local public library (until the coronavirus quashed that).
I’ve also been a freelance writer and researcher for decades and have coached others on marketing their freelance services.
Plus I have had my heart broken several times by harsh corporate politics . . . And I’ve recovered.
Why Diana as your sounding board?
I’ve worked in large companies and small; state and local government agencies; Fortune 50 and micro companies; companies owned by my own family and companies owned by other families.
I’ve had career challenges that are similar to yours. Corporate life isn’t fair. Sometimes we have to deal with the residue of corporate politics or the impact of personal and family issues. Share your real story with me. I don’t make you suffer on the hot seat.
While I find Law of Attraction anecdotes appealing, I don’t believe LOA is central to our success. I’m more about taking action than positive thinking.
I am not a mental health expert or personal coach. I make no recommendations on therapy or meds. And I don’t pretend to be Freud.
Free and low-cost resources
Real Skills, Real Income: A Proven Marketing System to Land Well-Paid Freelance and Consulting Work in 30 Days or Less
I self-published this book in 2014. The advice still works today (if we overlook how phoning has been trashed by spammy telemarketers). Follow the directions to make low-pressure, helpful calls to people you can help. The book is available as a Kindle ebook and paperback from Amazon.
StandUp8Times.com. That’s one of my previous websites. Check out the blog for over 400 entries about how to do freelancing and consulting. I selected the entries that are most evergreen—scroll down to the bottom of each post to see the original date.
Blog
American Freelancers Are Madder than Hell...
A Great Opportunity for Competitors Worldwide
U.S. and Canadian freelancers have a chip on their shoulders that’s bigger than a 2x4.
The rest of us don’t recognize their value. We are trying to take advantage of them by impinging on their freedom and underpaying them to boot.
Boo-hoo.
For the rest of us, this is a massive competitive opportunity to grow our practices with the very best clients. . .
Contact
I call myself a sounding board. A sounding board is someone who helps you explore ideas. This means we typically work together for one (or two or three) sessions to help clarify your thinking and planning. We can meet via Zoom, phone or in person at a Bolingbrook / Naperville location.
The result? Less pressure to move ahead hastily thanks to lower coaching costs. A single session (and my preparation) costs $97.
Let’s get right to work … or begin with a free get-acquainted conversation.
Please fill out this form and suggest some times and your time zone. I’ll call you back real soon.