I'm here to __ and __ , but I'm all out of __.

There's all sorts of reasons why you can't do things. But you only need one why you should to get started.

You might feel a prisoner of your circumstance, but with simple steps every day you can change that.

Every day I hear the reasons why people can't improve their situation. Why they can't help make their community a better place. Why they can't spend more time with their family. It's all bullshit. Right to the last drop.

How to fix it? I don't know what's going to work for others. All I know is that I used to think these problems were insurmountable too, and then I learned that you have to start somewhere. That one small small step that gets you started. Getting that one thing under your belt provides the momentum to get the rest of the way to your destination, wherever it is. That first step always seems the scariest. That's where most people stop; before they ever start.

Most people think that, when they're selling, they need to communicate how they'll offer value, how the cost is an investment, how it will make the client happier...

BLAH BLAH BLAH.

Have you taken the time to really listen to what people around you, most importantly your potential clients, need?

Take a moment. Deep breath. There. Do it again. Reset yourself. Now go take someone you'd like to work with out for a meal. Don't pitch them. Ask them questions about how they're doing. What they're doing? Where are they running into trouble. Listen. Don't ask for a damn thing. Soak up every single sentence. If you hear anything where you can give them a tip to take some pain away, do it. Right there and then. Asking nothing in return.

Thank them for their time, and be genuinely grateful for what they've really given you. Walk away. Don't ask for a thing.

If you do that for a bunch of people, and listen to what they tell you, you'll find out what your clients need, what problems they want solved, and how you're equipped to do it.

If I could go back in time to my early freelancer self and tell him one thing, it would be to have the courage to say no.

Say no to ideas that won’t work, but tell them how they could.

Say no to projects that have no chance of success, but make sure to tell them how it could succeed.

Say no to taking shortcuts. Tell them instead how paying a bit now avoids paying ten-fold later.

While I studied journalism in college, I've only participated as a consumer for the majority of my career. As an entrepreneur, I think there's opportunity in the local space if an outlet focused on three particular areas.

Better analysis. There are all manner of issues in our daily lives that need more detail, more context. Helping the members of a community understand the issues they're collectively facing is far more valuable than merely reporting that they happened.

Use data. Becoming more data-literate, Niagara journalists would be better able to convert information knowledge. That's a transformation of value that can't be easily replaced.

Cross media. Diversity of media increases the variety of breadth and depth of coverage.

It’s the little choices that matter. Do you set up your own home office or join a co-working community? Shop at a chain grocery store or a local food co-op? Bank or credit union?   We all face these decisions every day. The choice is deceptively simple -- go it alone or build something together. Building together always ends up better. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned from freelancers -- your network is everything. The most successful independent workers are the ones who know you need people to turn to when you’re in a dry spell, or you’re overloaded with ...

Love that there's an actual term for this.