profile

Health First Freelancer

Build a business that puts your health and wellbeing FIRST, even if you have a chronic illness. If I did it, so can you! Weekly freelancing, health and lifestyle tips, straight to your inbox.

Starry night sky over majestic mountains

What if it's not about doing *more*

Hey there Reader, I don't know about you, but lately I'm feeling like I'm in a state of limbo. Feels a bit like this It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the most stable feeling in the world. And my brain is the type to be like, "ok, what are we not doing. What do we need to do. What's the next thing." Which, sometimes, is helpful. And sometimes, it's really, really not. Sometimes it's just your brain trying to grasp for control when what you actually need to do is let go. Let the...

What if your limitations were actually your business advantage?

Hey Reader, I did something recently that felt a little vulnerable: I talked openly about how chronic Lyme disease shaped every single decision I made in building my freelance business. Not the "I overcame it and now I'm fine" narrative. The real oneβ€”where I talk about still needing afternoon naps, working 20-25 hours per week, and building systems that work whether I'm having a good week or a rough one. I sat down with Nikita Williams on the Business with Chronic Illness podcast, and we got...
Snow-capped mountains rise above a forested valley.

Oops I took a week off πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ

Hey Reader, You hear a lot about *consistency* in the business world. But for the freelancer with chronic illness, consistency usually = dread. I think it's actually the key idea that stops most people from freelancing -- they idea that they have to always be on, always be working for new leads and new business. "Show up every single day or you're not doing it right." πŸ™„ What if you just need an hour, a day, a week off -- like how I skipped writing this newsletter last week after getting back...
Close-up of a wet brown alpaca with fluffy fur

How to make decisions for your health

Hey Reader, For today's newsletter, I want to circle back to something I had to learn earlier in my health journey. How to actually make decisions about what to do for your health. A process where you might take in certain information and research about your condition or your symptoms, the treatment options available to you, and what seems logically right for you to do. But also a process where you can tap into your intuition, and some might say, a "higher knowing" of the next best decision....
Close-up of a historic clock tower against a blue sky.

Trusting the timing πŸ™

Hey Reader, How's this fall reset treating you now that we're a week into September? 🍎 I hope you've been able to take some time to focus on yourself, your health, and whatever's important to you. And if not, there's still plenty of time to pick a healthy habit you want to implement and start taking small action steps on it. But maybe some of you are just feeling a need for more rest right now. (We just had a full moon eclipse in Pisces and another new moon eclipse in Virgo on the way--I...
Woman using laptop while sitting under a tree

Ready for a reset? 🍁

Hope September is treating you well so far, Reader, I'm all moved in and settled at my mom's house temporarily (a story for another day), feeling a little tired but much better than the last time I wrote to you. 😊 So let's circle back to resetting those healthy habits and routines shall we? September, and Virgo season, brings that back-to-school fresh start energy and the transition from the hot, humid temperatures of summer to the cool breeze of fall. πŸ‚ Your weather results may vary...
The milky way galaxy seen from space

It is simply not happening today 🫠

Hey there Reader, I tried to start writing you an email about healthy habits, getting back on the horse, refocusing on your health after falling off the wagon, etc. And after about 10 minutes of staring at my screen, I realized that today is not the day for that newsletter. I've got about 30% in the tank today. Maybe. πŸͺ« I didn't get much sleep last night and I'm stressed about moving next weekend. There's a lot to do this week. Quite frankly, I feel like a mess. My whole body is like, "rest...
River flowing through autumn forest with colorful trees

Your next season πŸ‚ 🌾

Hey Reader, We're nearing the end of August already, and before you know it, the crisp air of fall will be upon us. 🍁 It might take a while for the actual weather to catch up, but September always feels like a fresh start to me. It probably comes from an old pattern of starting a new school year each fall, but there's something about the air getting cooler and the trees turning red and gold that feels magical. ✨ I think there's a new beginning to be had at the start of each season, even if...
A wooden door is framed by lush greenery.

Not the move I was expecting, but...

Hey there, Reader, If you watched my last YouTube video, you know I'm planning to move at the end of this month. I'm excited to say I finally know where I'm going -- but it's not the move I expected to make. After weeks of searching for the next right place and coming up empty-handed, I've decided to move back to my mom's house for a while. 🏑 To save money, bide my time, and wait for the right place to find me. And maybe travel a bit? Honestly, the sky's the limit when you don't have a whole...
Statue depicts joan of arc on horseback.

Treating "freelancer" as a dirty word πŸ™„

Hey Reader, I don't know if you've encountered this in the business space, but some people treat being a "freelancer" as something inherently bad. You shouldn't call yourself a "freelancer," you have to call yourself a "business owner" or an "entrepreneur." Or so they say. "Freelancer" connotes being an order taker, a contractor, someone who just does a job and doesn't own their autonomy as a business owner, apparently. Obviously, I have a problem with this. πŸ™„ First of all ☝️ there are good...

Build a business that puts your health and wellbeing FIRST, even if you have a chronic illness. If I did it, so can you! Weekly freelancing, health and lifestyle tips, straight to your inbox.