"If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it." – _{Olin Miller, Humorist}

Happy Monday!

Hope the coffee is strong and you're feeling something of a rest as we hit mid-July.

Over here at Casa Bartlett we are coming off a BIG week of fun.

Eagle Lake - a Christian summer day camp - was in town, and we had the honor of hosting a crew of their counselors at our home for the week.

We’ve always tried to keep our home open for people - inviting them into our day-to-day lives and showing them that even with littles and full-time jobs, it’s possible to still have fun.

Homecooked dinners and late-night chats with the guys reminded me why I love the freelance life so much.

Not only does a flexible schedule allow for margin to have moments like these, but these fun experiences fill my tank and give me tons of creative energy and new ideas.

Remember - your joy meter goes up when you give to others. It’s especially true in our “fear around every corner” world.

Open up your doors - both of your home and your heart - and don’t be surprised when you recapture that spark of joy.

In Today’s Edition

• Going Viral: I’ve been in the social media and communications game for a LONG time - and it’s finally, sorta, kinda paid off. (Not really.)

• Tweets Of The Week: A few tweets (did Threads die overnight?) that caught my eye, made me laugh, or made me think!

• Just Do It: Have a pitch you want to send? A dream client you want to work with? Just do it.

It’s Not About You

For the parents of the US, this week marked an important moment - the release of new Bluey episodes on Disney+.

That’s right - after months of watching, rewatching, and watching the same Bluey episodes over and over, The Land Down Under finally graced us with new episodes.

And to say the writers decided to gut-punch us all is an understatement.

One episode in particular - “Onesies” - sees Bluey Heeler’s mom Chilli welcome her sister Brandy to their home. The two haven’t seen each other in years, and you soon discover that issues related to having children have kept the two estranged.

As the episode rolls, kids have a blast watching Bluey run around in an ill-fitting onesie outfit while the parents reckon with Chilli and Brandy’s attempts to fix their difficult relationship.

Cue the tears.

I caught KB (my wife) shedding a few tears and decided to take a quick video with the caption “You know you’re a mom when…” I threw the short 10-second clip on TikTok without a second thought.

Less than a week later, that little video has blown up 275,600 views on TikTok and over 100,000 views on Instagram.

Now, if you’ve followed me online, you know that I’ve tried to curate content for my personal brand - looking to help freelancers build their careers. Each little #30secondfreelance video gets 200 views… maybe 150 here… 300 if I’m lucky.

So 275,000 is quite a jump. A frustrating jump for those who feel like their intentional content should be what succeeds - not those silly little side videos.

But here’s the reality: we often try to make our personal branding all about US.

• What we think others should care about.

• What we want to be known for.

• What we bring to the table.

But people want to engage with content that they care about.

And this week, it’s moms who find a deep connection with a silly kid’s show that says “Hey, we see you. We know your pain.”

Do you want to grow as a freelancer or business owner? Find what your ideal clients care about, and get involved in that conversation. Learn their struggles, their interests, and what makes them tick.

It’s there that you’ll start to see some real traction - and ultimately help your voice rise up above the rest of the online noise.

Freelance Gems From The Bird App

A weekly roundup of my favorite tweets from friends (and maybe some foes.)

Me every day, but with journals. Why do we buy journals with no intention of actually writing?

Soren coming in with another killer (horrifying) concept. What would your average response time be? I’d be pushing 72 hours probably.

Good Lord, yes. I’m not even a developer - I just manage blogs for clients on WordPress. And how many times have I accidentally blown something up? Yeah.

every. single. time.

There’s QUITE the story to this one, so click in and see for yourself if you want to see just how much fun you can have in freelance communities like Contra.

Tuesday’s Coming…

Here’s to a successful week - you deserve it!

Do you know what else you deserve? To finally send that dream pitch to your favorite client. 

What’s stopping you?

The only thing you have to fear is a “No” - and most of the time it’s a “Woah! Thanks for reaching out, I’ll keep you in mind.”

The best opportunities come to those who take the first step!

Until next Monday, may your coffee be strong - and your deadlines be few.