Jaclyn Schiff

I Moved to Austin, Texas, 1 Year Ago. Here's What I Think.

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 08:54:45 -0800

In 2022, I settled.

I spent the year building a life in Austin, Texas. I put nomadic life on pause. No more Airbnbs. Instead, I lived in the same apartment, in the same neighborhood, in the same zip code. For the first time in years, all my possessions were in the same physical place. It felt grounding, it felt good.

When you move somewhere new after the age of 25, finding a social community doesn’t just happen. And the older you get, the tougher it can be. People have more obligations and less time for new friends. I’m not a novice when it comes to moving, and I knew that packing up was the easy part.

But making new friends in a city full of strangers turned out to be one of those rare life experiences: Not as challenging as I thought.

Saying yes to almost every invitation helped. Asking people to introduce me to friends and colleagues was a good move. Following up (in some cases, many times) helped. Connecting with “old” friends who happened to move here also helped.

By the time my one-year Austin-versary hit, I had met enough people to invite to a party that I co-hosted with a new friend. I was surrounded by wonderful people that night, including a...Read More

9 Favorite Things From 2021

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 15:00:00 -0800

Well, it's been (another) interesting year, and here we are at the tail end of it.

That is as good an excuse as any to create a "best of" list!

And in this case, I've put together the services and tools I gained the most value from in 2021. Below I've described my experience and why I liked it (and in some cases, I've noted shortcomings as well). The list is divided into two categories: Work and business and Personal and lifestyle. Other than that, it's in no particular order!

At worst, maybe you can file these under "good to know." And at best, maybe you'll find something that makes your life a little easier.

Please note: I only recommend products I actually use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post does contain affiliate links. When you buy through these links, I may earn a commission.

Work and business

1. Bench for bookkeeping

Earlier this year, I had to part ways with my bookkeeper after he decided to almost double his rates with little warning (read: two weeks). I won't fault someone for raising rates when warranted, but the communication about this change left me with a bad taste in my mouth. So I made the switch to the accounting service Bench. I'd heard good things from others who have businesses of a similar size.

It's early days, but I've been super impressed with the quality of the service, the prompt communication and the overall efficiency. Bench has a nice dashboard that keeps track of income statements, balance sheets and all messages with the team. It's clean and easy to navigate. Since I use an accountant for tax services, I pay a reasonable $299/month.

Long story short: Definitely wish I would have started with Bench earlier. If you need bookkeeping...Read More

What I Learned on Fiverr After Delivering 40+ Orders

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 15:23:31 -0700

Many freelancers are quick to dismiss Fiverr because of its reputation as a low-cost marketplace.

Not so fast, I say.

I wouldn't advise anyone focus on it to generate substantial money (even though apparently some people make six figures on Fiverr). I think of it more like a test environment -- offering a great way to hone your freelance services and experiment with different service packages. It can also help you develop business efficiencies.

Here's how:

Doing something at low cost helps you identify what is easiest to ship

I first used Fiverr to purchase transcription services about five years ago -- before I started working independently. I liked the website interface and was kind of amused at the assortment of services people offered for five bucks. It got me thinking: what would I provide for $5?

Friends and colleagues often ask me to read cover letters or emails to reporters and lots of things in between. I hadn't connected the dots before, but most of the stuff people ask my help on tends to be some sort of pitch when you boil it down. I've worked in PR and in journalism, so I get the view of pitching from both sides. I've also made and seen a lot of mistakes along the way.

So without overthinking it, my first Fiverr gig was born in 2013.

My gigs and the platform have changed over time, and I've been able to raise my rates and create custom invoices (some for $100 for less than an hour of work). Even though I can earn a decent rate on Fiverr now, I've found it valuable to think through the $5 lens.

If you're smart about offering a service at that cost, you're going to find a way to provide something that takes up little time and...Read More

Two Great Tools for Recording Phone Interviews

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 13:27:41 -0700

Whether I'm reporting a story or doing an important client call, I often find it helpful to have an audio recording of a phone conversation that I can access later or send off for transcription. After trying various approaches, the two tools I have come to use most and find reliable are:

Zoom and FreeConferenceCall.com. I use Zoom more often (probably about once a week on average), but I have always received good recording quality and service from both.

Here's a brief overview of each service and what I like about them:

Zoom offers paid plans, but I have found the free plan more than suitable for my purposes. It provides unlimited time for 1-on-1 meetings, and it's easy to record from your computer as this helpful video with screenshots shows:

Typically when I'm recording a call, I schedule it ahead of time, and Zoom has a free Chrome extension which integrates easily with Google Calendar. Once installed, you get a button in your Google calendar, which will automatically add the meeting information when you click it. This is super convenient!

The other thing I really like about Zoom is that it gives you the option to dial in from a phone (and the number is included in the calendar invite it provides) OR to connect from the computer. Since I usually just do audio (no video) for calls, the flexibility is great -- the people I speak with don't have to be in front of the computer while chatting. Also if you use the phone option, you don't need to download anything to connect.

Another excellent feature is the "iPhone one-tap" -- this is basically a hyperlink that you click once from the calendar invite on your smartphone. It dials in to the call and adds the meeting ID at the...Read More

I Used HARO and Then Emailed All The (50+) Sources I Didn't Quote

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:48:05 -0700

For a story I wrote for The Muse, I used HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to identify digital nomads with a certain kind of career experience. I got tons of responses and did not have the time to acknowledge all 60+ of them as they came in. So once the story was published, I emailed all the people who sent me pitches, but got no initial response from me. As I explained in the email, I've been on both sides of the pitching game. When you put some energy and thought into a pitch, no response can be pretty demoralizing. So I wrote this email as a little way of paying it forward:

Here's the full text of my email:

Hey, so have you ever pitched a reporter on HARO only to hear...

absolutely nothing?

That makes two of us.

I've been on both sides (used HARO for pitching and sourcing), and it can kind of suck to hear *crickets* -- especially when you send a great pitch.

I don't want to be that reporter, so I'm getting in touch today because I got a pitch from you a little over a month ago in response to a HARO request for digital nomad career stories.

First of all, I am sorry I could not respond to all of you. I got well over 60 pitches and most of them were great. The story was finally published on The Muse today :)

I wanted to thank you for taking the time to reach out. I followed up with 12 people whose stories really matched my angle (how being a digital nomad is a great career pivot strategy) and ultimately only used three stories (two came from HARO, one was a blogger I've followed for a few years).

Since I've been on the pitching side, I thought it might be interesting to share that info. Your pitch didn't go into a black hole. I just had space for 900 words and 3...Read More

Writers, Thinking About Ghostwriting? 3 Reasons To Consider Writing Someone Else's Stuff

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 14:02:47 -0700

When I jumped back in to freelancing at the beginning of the year, I didn't have much of a blueprint. I decided to part ways with my employer, but hadn't planned very much beyond my exit. If there was a strategy in place, it was to put my head down, hustle and get clients and projects. I reached out to my network to source work, combed through online job sites like Upwork and Guru, and even scoured Craigslist (which turned out to be my most successful channel after referrals -- more on than another time).
In those early days, I couldn't help but notice the abundance of ghostwriting opportunities. It makes sense -- content is a key part of any marketing strategy, and thought leadership has never been hotter. So there's a huge need for content and lots of different places to publish. In short, demand is hot! I'd dabbled a little with ghostwriting several years earlier, so I accepted a few fresh assignments as I was building up my freelance portfolio this time around. I've had a good run with it over the last six months, and even got mentioned for my work the Marie Claire article, "Your Favorite Influencers Aren't Writing Their Own Content—These Women Are."
There's still a great deal of mystery surrounding ghostwriting, including among writers who seem curious about dipping a toe into the ghostwriting waters. One attraction is that the pay for ghostwriting can be quite good. Here are three other thoughts on why ghostwriting might be a good option:
1) You want to write, but aren't clear on the kind of writing you want to do
At its core, when you publish something, you share an idea with the world. What ideas do you want associated with your name? If you even have a moment...Read More

How To Write a Narrative for Your Atypical Career

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 16:31:10 -0700

A lot of people don't have linear careers anymore, which can be a challenge when you find yourself talking about what you do or what you've done.
Interests change, paths meander, unanticipated opportunities come up, and of course, life happens. Couple all that with the popularity of self-employment and the growth of the gig economy -- which includes approximately 162 million people in Europe and the United States, according to an estimate from McKinsey & Company -- and you get a lot of unique, individualized career paths.
It's good to have options because one size never fits all -- at least not perfectly. Options provide the opportunity to choose or create something that accommodate lifestyle preferences and needs -- whether that means more travel, time with family, a combination of the two, or something else entirely.
The non-traditional is becoming less unusual. But it's still not the norm, which means you have to connect the dots for your next employer. Whether it is for a full-time job, a consulting opportunity, or a freelance assignment -- people will want you on their team if you can make meaning of your professional story.
When a prospective employer asks you about what you've done, looks at your resume or portfolio of work, they should not be left wondering how one thing connects to the other. If they get too bogged down in those details, you've probably lost them.

While you're having a conversation with someone you'd like to work with, the only thing they should be thinking is: wow! This person has done some pretty awesome stuff.

To accomplish that, you have to clearly weave together the different strands of your professional story in a compelling and interesting way.
Enter the Professional Narrative
When I...Read More