Welcome to the 44th 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 40 years as a freelance writer.

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Happy New Year, Friend!

I hope you took time off to enjoy the holiday season!

If you devoted some time at the end of the year to reflect on how your business fared in 2025 and plan for 2026, I applaud you! 👏 If you didn’t, then January is also a great time to chart your path for the coming year. It might help to know you’re not alone—I didn’t reflect or plan either. (More on that below.)

January is typically a bit slower for many freelancers, anyway, so take advantage of this quieter month to map out what you want to unfold this year. For a kickstart to your planning, get inspired by EF #19: ✨ How To Turn 2024's Lessons Into 2025's Success.

P.S. I literally just realized today that 2026 marks a milestone for my freelance business. Check out my LinkedIn post about it. ☺️

Today’s newsletter highlights why building a business with flexibility matters more than hitting goals—a personal story about priorities.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ Build businesses that can bend.
✅ Presence matters more than plans.
✅ Flexibility isn't just for fun.

Looking for the last newsletter? Find it here: EF #43: 🎯 What's Really Worth Keeping From Your 2025 Freelance Business?

Know of a good resource? Tell me!

When Unexpected Crisis Rewrites Your Plans

If you're like most people, you probably started January with some version of a fresh start—goals taped to your bathroom mirror, a new planner, maybe a carefully curated vision board.

I had plans to do all that too. This was supposed to be the newsletter issue where I shared my big 2026 strategy, reflected on what worked and what didn't in 2025, and talked through how I'm thinking about AI's impact on our industry.

Instead, I'm writing to tell you why none of that happened.

Right after Christmas, I took my 88-year-old mom to the ER. She'd been sick throughout November and December, and we knew something wasn't right. After a battery of tests and procedures, we got the diagnosis: cancer. Ugh. This is her fourth cancer battle. 🥲 (I’m a two-time cancer survivor myself.)

My mom’s diagnosis comes on the heels of my husband's cancer battle throughout 2024-2025. The good news—and I'm holding onto this hard—is that he's finished with treatment and is hopefully cancer-free. 💙 

But watching two people you love face cancer, even with hope on one side of the equation, is heavy in ways I'm still processing. I feel like I’ve barely had time to catch my breath between the two diagnoses.

👉 So here's what my January has actually looked like: I've cancelled three press trips so far. I’ve turned down some projects already. I'm lightening my workload a bit for the foreseeable future. My mom is now my #1 priority, as I help her navigate medical appointments, treatment options, and all the overwhelming decisions that come with a diagnosis like this.

What This Means for Expert•ish Freelancer

I want to be transparent with you because this community has always been built on honesty. For the next few months, you might notice changes in the Expert•ish Freelancer schedule. I may pause the newsletter temporarily or skip an issue here and there instead of our regular twice-monthly rhythm. I'm not disappearing, but I also can't promise perfect consistency right now.

And all those things I mentioned at the beginning? 📋 The year-end review, the goal-setting, the deep strategic thinking about where my freelance business is headed—none of it happened. My December was supposed to include quiet reflection time. Instead, it included hospital waiting rooms and difficult conversations.

I didn't do a single thing on my “wrap up the year” checklist. I didn't analyze my revenue. I didn’t assess my client relationships. I didn't review which marketing efforts worked best. I didn't plan my Q1 newsletter content calendar or determine how I’m going to pivot my business in light of AI. I just... didn't.

And you know what? That has to be okay.

The Unexpected Gift

Here's what I keep coming back to: I can actually show up for my mom right now. I have a flexible schedule. I can turn down work if I need to. I can drive her to appointments, sit with her during procedures, clean and cook for her at home, run her errands, and be present for the moments that matter.

👉 This is why I built my business this way, even though I didn't know it at the time. When I was hustling to create a sustainable freelance career, I thought the goal was freedom to earn as much as I want, travel on press trips throughout the year, and work from anywhere. And sure, that's part of it.

But the real freedom? It's this. It's being able to pivot from “growth mode” to “life mode” when someone you love needs you. It's not having to ask permission or explain yourself to a boss. It's knowing your business can bend without breaking.

What Flexibility Really Means

I've spent years writing about building a sustainable freelance business, and I've talked a lot about flexibility as a perk. But I think we often frame flexibility around the fun stuff—working from a beach, taking a random Tuesday off, sleeping in when we feel like it.

We talk less about this kind of flexibility: the kind you need when life throws you a curveball. The kind that lets you be human in the middle of building a business.

💭 So here's my question for you: If life demanded that you shift from “achieving mode” to “supporting mode” tomorrow, could your business handle it? Have you built in enough flexibility (and have a financial cushion through savings or a partner’s income) that you could step back without everything crashing down?

I'm not suggesting we all need to be constantly braced for disaster. But maybe there's wisdom in building businesses that have a little slack in them—businesses that can breathe when we need to catch our breath.

Moving Forward

I don't know exactly what the next few months will look like. I don't have a neat plan or a perfectly articulated strategy for 2026. What I do have is clarity about what matters most right now, and the immense privilege of being able to act on that clarity.

The goals will come. The strategy sessions will happen. The deep thinking about AI and industry changes and content pivots—all of that will get its moment. Just not right this second.

Sometimes the best business plan is giving yourself permission to not have one.

Thank you 🙏 for being the kind of community where I can share this. Here's to embracing the plans we didn't make and finding grace in the detours.

👉 If you've been through something similar—if you've had to set aside your carefully laid plans because life had other ideas—I'd genuinely love to hear about how you handled it, bounced back afterwards, lessons learned, etc. Hit reply and tell me. We're all figuring this out together.

• 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. 😊