In partnership with

Welcome to the 30th edition of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you grow your freelance business. Every other Friday, get tips, tools, and insights to help you save time, make money, gain confidence, and work smarter—based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

New here? Welcome! 😊 Subscribe for free.

Hi, Friend!

Summer is almost here, and there's something about longer days that makes big dreams feel more achievable. Maybe it's the extra sunlight ☀️ or vacation energy in the air, but this season always reminds me that growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones.

Summer can also offer a different kind of growth opportunity. While some freelancers experience slower months, others (like me, with travel content) stay busy.

Whether you're swamped or have breathing room, summer's energy is perfect for the business moves you've been postponing—upskilling, rethinking services, trying new marketing tactics 🎯, or finally pursuing that dream client.

This week, I'm challenging you (and myself) to embrace that summer boldness. What opportunity have you been putting off until you feel 'ready'?

Also, because we all need more laughs in this wild freelance world, I teamed up with my son Trevor (a graphic designer) to create Freelance Giggles—a comic about the absurd realities of our work-from-home lives. Check out the first comic at the end of this issue and let me know if it hits a little too close to home! 😉

Today’s newsletter highlights the powerful mindset shift that drives freelance success.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ Ask “What if I can?”
✅ Action creates readiness.
✅ Mindset drives income.

Today’s issue is brought to you by Besolo. Sponsors help keep the newsletter free, so please click on their link to check out their offer! ⬇️ 

Looking for the last newsletter? Find it here: EF #29: 🛠️ How To Build An Easy-to-Use Marketing Outreach System.

The Powerful Mindset Shift at the Heart of Successful Freelancers

The difference between freelancers who thrive and those who merely survive often comes down to a single question: "What if I can?" 🚀 versus "What if I can't?" 🤔

This seemingly simple shift in perspective can transform not just individual projects, but entire freelance businesses.

After more than three decades in the freelancing world, I've witnessed countless talented professionals sabotage their own success with self-limiting beliefs.

They possess the skills, the experience, and the drive, yet they remain trapped by the voice in their head that whispers, “You're not ready for that” or “That's beyond your capabilities.”

Meanwhile, other freelancers with similar backgrounds push forward, embrace uncertainty, and discover capabilities they never knew they had.

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Freelance Success

Your mindset doesn't just influence your actions—it determines them.

When you approach an opportunity believing you can't handle it, you're already programming yourself for failure. You'll either avoid the opportunity entirely or approach it with such hesitation that you undermine your own performance.

Conversely, when you think you might be able to tackle something new, you open the door to possibility. You'll at least try, and that attempt is often half the battle.

This principle has played out repeatedly throughout my freelancing journey. Some of my biggest breakthroughs came from moments when I felt completely unprepared but chose to move forward anyway.

The key 🔑 wasn't having all the answers upfront—it was maintaining the belief that I could figure things out along the way.

Real-World Examples of Mindset Over Fear

Below are a few scenarios where your doubts might hold you back. To inspire you, I’m including a few personal examples of how I pushed through my fear in similar situations and found success on the other side.

Consider the scenario of pitching a top-tier publication. The initial reaction for many freelancers is intimidation: “They'll never want to work with someone like me.”

But what if you reframed that thought? What if instead of focusing on rejection, you concentrated on the value you could provide? That simple mental shift transforms a paralyzing thought into an actionable opportunity.

👉My I-can-do-this wins: I tamped down imposter syndrome to pitch—and land bylines in—The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Good Housekeeping, USA Today, and AARP.

Writing about unfamiliar topics presents another common mental hurdle. The instinct is to stick within your comfort zone, writing only about subjects where you already have expertise or creating deliverables you’ve already done before.

However, some of the most rewarding and well-paying projects come from stepping into uncharted territory. When you approach these challenges with curiosity 🧐 rather than fear 😱, you not only complete the project successfully but also expand your knowledge base and service offerings.

👉My I-can-do-this wins: I’ve written about a range of topics that I’ve had zero experience with, including healthcare compliance, robotics, commercial real estate, employee benefits, big data, and QR codes.

The same principle applies to financial negotiations. Many freelancers undervalue their services not because they lack skills, but because they lack confidence. Setting higher fees feels uncomfortable, even when those rates are justified by experience and market standards.

Yet those who push past this discomfort often discover that clients are willing to pay premium rates 💰 for quality work. The fear of rejection prevents more freelancers from earning what they're worth than any actual market limitation.

👉My I-can-do-this wins: I’ve slowly increased my rates over the years as I feel more confident in my value, going from $25/hour to $100+/hour, from $0.010/word to $2/word. I’ve also asked for—and received—rush fees (50% of the total project fee) when clients need something ASAP.

Building Relationships Through Bold Action

Professional relationships—the lifeblood of any freelance business—also require overcoming self-doubt. Asking for referrals feels presumptuous to many freelancers. Requesting testimonials 📢 seems like imposing on busy clients.

Yet these actions are not just acceptable in professional relationships; they're expected. Clients who are satisfied with your work want to help you succeed, but they can't do so if you never ask.

👉My I-can-do-this wins: Much of my business comes from referrals from clients. And I’ve assembled a solid collection of testimonials along the way from past and current editors and clients. (Talk about great social proof!)

The same courage that drives relationship-building extends to pursuing high-profile opportunities. Reaching out to industry titans might seem daunting, but these individuals are often more accessible than you might expect. They became successful partly by sharing their knowledge and expertise. Your role as a freelancer is to facilitate that sharing, not to feel intimidated by their accomplishments.

👉My I-can-do-this wins: As a journalist, I’ve interviewed company founders, celebrities, CEOs, physicians, government officials, and top industry leaders. Many of them are now part of my LinkedIn network.

Expanding Your Service Portfolio

One of the most significant growth opportunities for freelancers comes from accepting projects that stretch their capabilities. 

Writing a case study when you've only done blog posts, creating video scripts when you're accustomed to print materials, or developing content for industries you've never served—these challenges feel risky because they are risky. But calculated risks are the price of professional growth.

The secret isn't eliminating the uncertainty—it's becoming comfortable with learning on the job. Every new deliverable type you master adds another service to your portfolio. Every industry you enter expands your market reach.

The freelancers who continually push their boundaries are the ones who avoid commoditization and command premium rates.

👉My I-can-do-this wins: I’ve created deliverables despite never having done them before, including video scripts, case studies, branded content, training manuals, email campaigns, landing pages, travel guides, slide decks, and content calendars. My attitude is…bring it!

Strategic Pivots and Marketing Innovation

Business evolution requires the same mindset that drives project-level success. Pivoting your services, trying new marketing strategies, or launching new business initiatives all involve uncertainty.

The freelancers who succeed long-term view these changes as experiments rather than all-or-nothing gambles.

For instance, many freelancers have launched podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube channels, not knowing if anyone would listen, read, or watch. But they know that consistent, valuable content builds authority and attracts the ideal audience over time. The mindset shift from “What if this fails?” to “What will I learn from this?” makes all the difference in their willingness to take action.

👉My I-can-do-this win: You’re reading Expert•ish Freelancer right now, despite my fears and doubts about overcoming challenges with technology, marketing, and a crowded marketplace. I’ve been publishing this for over a year now, slowly growing my subscriber base. And I’ve already learned so much along the way—experience I can now offer to clients.

The Compound Effect of Confident Action

Positive mindset isn't just feel-good psychology—it's a practical business strategy. Each time you push past self-doubt and succeed, you build evidence of your capabilities.

👉This evidence strengthens your confidence for the next challenge, creating an upward spiral of growth and achievement. ✨

The freelancers who understand this principle don't wait until they feel ready to take on bigger challenges. They recognize that readiness comes through action, not preparation. They embrace the discomfort of uncertainty because they've learned that growth lives on the other side of their comfort zone.

Bottom Line: Your initial skill level or your current client roster doesn't determine your growth. Your success is determined by your willingness to ask, “What if I can?” and then take action based on that possibility. That mindset shift alone has the power to transform not just individual projects, but your entire freelance trajectory.

• Follow me on LinkedIn. I share more freelance tips/insights most weekdays.

• Share Your Success Story. I would LOVE to hear how you’ve implemented any of the ideas in Expert•ish Freelancer and found success. I might even include your win in a future newsletter. You can always reach me at [email protected]. 

• Turn to Expert•ish Freelancer’s Tools & Resources page, highlighting valuable resources to help you successfully run your freelance business. You’ll find recommendations for apps, tools, training, services, websites, blogs, podcasts, books, videos, and more! If you’ve got a resource you love, let me know about it.

Thanks for allowing me into your inbox!

I look forward to sharing my freelance journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours. I’m just here as your guide. Take what works for you, and tweak it to your needs. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ll be back in two Fridays with another edition of Expert•ish Freelancer.

In the meantime….

Be kind. Do good. Give thanks. 😊

With gratitude,
Lisa Beach

FYI: In yoga, the instructor often closes the session by saying “namaste” as a way of acknowledging and honoring the light, spirit, or goodness within each person in the class. 🧘‍♀️ It’s often used as a closing to convey unity (we’re all interconnected), gratitude (thank you for this shared experience), respect (I respect you and your journey), and peace (may you find peace within yourself). Essentially, it's a way to acknowledge the shared experience and to leave with a sense of peace and connection. 😊