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Welcome to the 37th edition of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you grow your freelance business with confidence. Get tips, tools, and insights every other Friday to help you save time, make money, and work smarter based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

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Hi, Friend!

As I shared before, it’s been a rocky year or so in the Beach family. After 16+ months of waiting, surgery, radiation and injection therapy, I’m SO excited to share that my husband Kevin is officially cancer-free!

After his surgery last fall, we thought it was 100% successful. Turns out, a few stray cancer cells remained, so he needed seven weeks of radiation and months of injection therapy this past spring.

Then we waited all summer, holding our breath. (If you or someone you know has ever had cancer, you are acutely aware of the incredible anxiety that hangs over you and the entire family for months as you wait for the next test, next appointment, next treatment, next procedure, next results.)

But this week, we got to hear those life-affirming words: complete remission. 🎉

So, while it sometimes feels like the world around me is in total chaos (especially here in the U.S.), I’m breathing easier right now and counting my blessings. 🙏

I hope you’re feeling equally blessed as we head into fall.

Today’s newsletter highlights how to leverage September to flip the script on how you finish out the year.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ September = New January
✅ Consistency beats perfection
✅ Data drives success

Today’s issue is brought to you by Indy AI. 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 #36: 💵 The Money Basics for Freelancers—Keeping It Real in 2025

Know of a good resource? Tell me!

How To Fall Forward and End 2025 On A High Note

Remember back in January when you had all those grand plans? The vision boards, the ambitious goals, the promise that this would be your year?

Well, guess what? September just became your second chance at a do-over.

I recently watched Robin Arzon—former lawyer, bestselling author, and Peloton’s Vice President of Fitness Programming—drop some truth bombs on ABC’s Good Morning America about “Fresh Start September,” and honestly, it hit different. Because here's what January never tells you—sometimes the best beginnings happen when the leaves start falling.

The September Advantage

While everyone else is mourning the end of summer and lamenting shorter days, you're about to harness something powerful: the quiet energy of 🍂 autumn. There's something about September that whispers “fresh notebook, clean slate, let's try this again.”

Maybe it's the back-to-school conditioning or the crisp air clearing our heads, but this month carries a momentum that January—with all its pressure and crowded resolutions—simply can't match.

You've got something January dreamers don't: data. You know what worked in the first half of 2025, what flopped spectacularly, and what's been sitting in your “someday” pile gathering digital dust. That's not baggage—that's intelligence.

Your 90-Day Sprint to December Glory

Think of September as your freelance reset button that kicks off the next four months. I know I find renewed energy and momentum this time of year.

Ready to to flip the script on how you finish 2025? Here’s your four-month plan.

September: The Foundation Month 

This is your reconnaissance mission—should you choose to accept it. (Cue the Mission Impossible theme song.)

Pick one goal—just one—that would genuinely move your freelance needle. Not the sexiest goal or the most Instagram-worthy, but the one that keeps nudging you at 2:00 a.m.

Maybe it's finally launching 🚀 that service you've been perfecting since spring, or reaching out to five dream clients who've been living rent-free in your head.

Here's your September mantra: “Good enough ships; perfect never does.” That proposal you've been polishing for three weeks? Send it. That website copy you've rewritten 17 times? Publish it. The magic happens in the doing, not the deliberating.

October: The Momentum Month 

September planted the seeds, and October waters them religiously.

This is where habit stacking becomes your secret weapon. You probably already drink coffee ☕ (or tea or smoothie) every morning, right? Stack your daily client outreach right onto that morning ritual. Already scroll LinkedIn during lunch? Turn half that time into commenting meaningfully on potential clients' posts.

October is also your “yet” month. Reframe that negative self-talk. Now every self-defeating thought gets a suffix:

“I don't have enough testimonials... yet.”
“My portfolio doesnt include any big-name brands... yet.”
“I'm not charging premium rates... yet.”

Small word, massive mindset shift.

November: The Breakthrough Month 

Rethink your November. Though I love a calorie-bomb turkey 🦃 dinner as much as the next American, it’s not all about Thanksgiving prep and holiday hibernation.

Instead, think of November as your launching pad month. Those plateaus you've been experiencing? They're likely not dead ends. Insteady, think of them as compression chambers building pressure for your next leap. Ready to jump?

This is experimentation month. Try that new marketing approach you've been curious about. Pitch that publication you've been admiring from afar. Join that networking group you bookmarked six months ago. November rewards the curious and the courageous.

But we shouldn’t totally ignore this season of thanksgiving. Here's where gratitude sets you apart. 

Mid-November, send a thank-you note to at least three clients who made your year better—not asking for anything, just genuine appreciation. Something like:

“I've been reflecting on this year's highlights, and our project together keeps coming to mind. Thank you for trusting me with [specific project detail]. Working with you reminded me why I love what I do.”

At its core, gratitude helps nurture your relationships. But gratitude isn't just good karma. It's smart business that often leads to referrals, repeat work, and testimonials you didn't even ask for.

December: The Data Deep-Dive 

While everyone else is making excuses about the holidays being slow, you're becoming a detective with your own business. December is assessment season—time to pull back the curtain and see what your September sprint actually accomplished.

Create your “Fresh Start September Report Card”:

• What worked?

• What flopped?

• How much revenue did October's experiments generate?

• Which projects earned higher rates?

• How many new clients did you get?

• What marketing efforts paid off?

• Which November connections turned into real opportunities?

• What skills did you develop?

Track everything: new clients acquired, rates increased, skills developed, networks expanded.

This isn't just feel-good reflection—this is intelligence gathering for your 2026 strategy.

End December by creating two powerful lists:

1. 2025 Wins: Document every success, big and small

2. What's Next: Build on your wins to help create an action plan for Q1 2026.

December becomes your bridge between this year's wins and next year's possibilities.

The Framework That Changes Everything

Audit. Spot. Swap. Going back to Arzon’s GMA segment, she talked about how this trifecta of winning behavior will revolutionize how you find time for the things that actually matter.

• Audit. Spend one week—just seven days—tracking where your time really goes. Not where you think it goes, where it actually goes.

• Spot. Identify your “default zones”—those pockets of time when you automatically reach for your phone or refresh your email for the 18th time. Here's the gentle truth: you have more time than you think. You're just spending it unconsciously. Instead, use your time with intention.

• Swap. Take half—just half—of those mindless moments and redirect them toward your September goal. Swap those 15 minutes of morning social scrolling for 15 minutes of portfolio updates. Swap that 20-minute YouTube rabbit hole for a 20-minute pitch-writing session.

The Mindset That Makes It Stick

Trade “I can't” for "“I can."

Simple swap, seismic shift.

Your brain is listening to every story you tell it—so make them stories of possibility, not limitation.

Embrace plateau power. That feeling of being stuck isn't a punishment—it's preparation. 💡Sometimes you need to stop climbing to survey the landscape and plan your next route up the mountain.

Most importantly, remember that consistency beats intensity every single time. Small, intentional steps compound into extraordinary results. You don't need to reinvent yourself overnight. You just need to show up for yourself daily.

Your September Starts Now

You've got 120 days to rewrite your 2025 story. Not because the first eight months were a failure, but because the best chapters often come after the do-over.

So pour that coffee, open that laptop, and let's make September the month you stopped waiting and started winning.

You've got three months to make something amazing happen. Small, consistent moves (plus a big dose of confidence) set the stage for success.

👉 What’s one goal you’d love to make real before 2025 wraps up? Hit reply and share—your story might inspire the next newsletter!

• 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]. 

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

• 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. 😊