Harlow

You know what feels good? Being able to turn down a client that's a bad fit. Realizing that your time and talent are too valuable to spend working on projects or for people who don't align with your values. It's a sign you've reached a significant milestone in your freelance journey—AND one that's more achievable than many realize. Many freelancers cycle between feast and famine because they're focused on immediate survival, but you can break this pattern by strategically planning for tomorrow. It doesn't happen overnight, and I'm not saying it's easy, but you have to be forward-thinking. And you have to take intentional steps toward building the future you want. So I turn this over to you, freelance crew: What's the one intentional action you can take this week to up level your business? Can you: Apply to 3 jobs that are true fits for your skills & seniority level Send 5 DMs to people in your network to ask for intros Update your rates to reflect the actual value you're providing Create a system to manage your pitching and current clients Drop a comment below with ONE thing you're doing this week to build a better freelance future! ????? Your freelance journey shouldn't feel like a constant uphill battle. If you need help building forward momentum, we're here for you. Here are some ways we can support you: Bookmark our freelance job board — it's updated daily and has thousands of open gigs. https://lnkd.in/ghcd6cFR Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for inspiration across the board, top job opps, upcoming events, new tools to make your life easier + more! https://lnkd.in/gZmHNiqD Try our all-in-one tool that helps you manage your freelance business (invoicing, proposals, project management & more). https://lnkd.in/g7PNKe48 Get our money-saving tax workshop to save thousands and get connected to a top-notch financial planner and accountant to help guide your tax & financial strategy. https://lnkd.in/gvuveRw7 Sign up for our growth accelerator, where we'll help tackle your biggest freelance challenges head-on in a one-on-one strategy session. https://lnkd.in/gmta-rBY Check out our resource center — chock full of actionable advice to help you build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/g-N3pprx Here to help. ??

I've made costly mistakes as a freelancer, and I don't want you to repeat them. That's why I created Harlow (and our newsletter) in the first place — to help other freelancers alleviate their biggest pain points and knock down those blockers to real, sustainable growth. In this week's newsletter, we're dropping: A *timely* offer to help you this tax season This week's list of hot jobs 3 ADDITIONAL places for you to find gigs + more If you're not on the list yet, you should be. https://lnkd.in/gZmHNiqD

"Wait. Social media is??… your job?” It’s 2025 and I still hear this…. a lot. But I get it. I’m old enough to remember when reels, rants, and memes were a brand's low-hanging fruit. My first job? Writing Facebook post copy on static imagery because the senior creatives brainstorming T.V. ads couldn’t be bothered. It’s been delicious seeing social blossom into the cool kid I always knew it would become. But here’s a PSA: creating the content you scroll past daily, is not as easy as it looks. ? Messaging that feel authentic without a whiff of a sales pitch? That’s a skill. ? Visuals that are on trend, but just quirky enough to hold attention? Not a happy accident. ? Ditto for the perfect music and timing. Do this consistently, and you’re not just checking a box—you’re building a community. Sure, some of it's taste and instinct. Why pay for that? Because that “taste and instinct” comes from years of trial and embarrassment, deep dives into rabbit holes you’d never want to be and plenty of comment scrolling and troll battling, all in the name of “research.” In other words: doing the social media Lord’s work, so you don’t have to. ------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I’m Melissa ?? and I help small to mid-sized brands and solopreneurs elevate their social media with sharp, engaging content and copywriting. Shoot me a DM and let’s get to work.

Freelance crew, Stop scrolling and start bookmarking or subscribing. 7 top-notch places for you to find high-quality freelance gigs this week: 1. Sign up for the Harlow newsletter to get a shortlist of the hottest jobs for writers, designers, marketers, developers & more delivered to your inbox every week + inspiration as you grow and build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/gZmHNiqD 2. Get daily freelance writing gigs delivered straight to your inbox from Freelance Framework a newsletter by freelance advocate and content marketer Chris Bibey. https://lnkd.in/gs6-iXhY 3. Kaitlyn Arford's Freelance Opportunities newsletter is chock-full of opportunities for journalists, copywriters, social media managers, and more. https://lnkd.in/gmY_cdak 4. Yentalist by Olivia Dreizen Howell and the Fresh Starts Registry crew features a curated list of great remote marketing jobs. https://yentalist.com/ 5. Taylor Crane at Fractional Jobs delivers top-notch roles for fractional execs looking to work with early-stage start-ups. It’s a regular for me, for the jobs and advice. https://lnkd.in/gXj8bzmq 6. Ashley Cummings’s just launched her Content Connect job board, and there are some pretty good roles for my content peeps on there. About half are freelance, while the others are remote gigs for those looking for full-time work.? https://lnkd.in/gJvq5kc5 7. The Writer's Job Newsletter is a newsletter that delivers some of the best paid writing jobs directly to your inbox every week. https://lnkd.in/gryYMfD4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? At Harlow, we're building a home for freelancers. We're here to help you at every stage of your journey, from getting your business off the ground to landing new clients, from managing and getting paid by those clients to keeping you organized. We're here to help you build a sustainable business that works for you. Here are some additional ways we can support: Bookmark our freelance job board — it's updated daily and has tons of open gigs. https://lnkd.in/ghcd6cFR Try our all-in-one tool that helps you manage your freelance business (invoicing, proposals, project management & more). https://lnkd.in/gKh6SD3M Get our money-saving tax workshop to save thousands and get connected to a top-notch financial planner and accountant to help guide your tax & financial strategy. https://lnkd.in/gvuveRw7 Sign up for our growth accelerator, where we'll help tackle your biggest freelance challenges head-on in a one-on-one strategy session. https://lnkd.in/gmta-rBY Check out our resource center — chock full of actionable advice to help you build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/g-N3pprx Here to help. ??

Freelance crew, Stop scrolling and start bookmarking or subscribing. 7 top-notch places for you to find high-quality freelance gigs this week: 1. Sign up for the Harlow newsletter to get a shortlist of the hottest jobs for writers, designers, marketers, developers & more delivered to your inbox every week + inspiration as you grow and build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/gZmHNiqD 2. Get daily freelance writing gigs delivered straight to your inbox from Freelance Framework a newsletter by freelance advocate and content marketer Chris Bibey. https://lnkd.in/gs6-iXhY 3. Kaitlyn Arford's Freelance Opportunities newsletter is chock-full of opportunities for journalists, copywriters, social media managers, and more. https://lnkd.in/gmY_cdak 4. Yentalist by Olivia Dreizen Howell and the Fresh Starts Registry crew features a curated list of great remote marketing jobs. https://yentalist.com/ 5. Taylor Crane at Fractional Jobs delivers top-notch roles for fractional execs looking to work with early-stage start-ups. It’s a regular for me, for the jobs and advice. https://lnkd.in/gXj8bzmq 6. Ashley Cummings’s just launched her Content Connect job board, and there are some pretty good roles for my content peeps on there. About half are freelance, while the others are remote gigs for those looking for full-time work.? https://lnkd.in/gJvq5kc5 7. The Writer's Job Newsletter is a newsletter that delivers some of the best paid writing jobs directly to your inbox every week. https://lnkd.in/gryYMfD4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? At Harlow, we're building a home for freelancers. We're here to help you at every stage of your journey, from getting your business off the ground to landing new clients, from managing and getting paid by those clients to keeping you organized. We're here to help you build a sustainable business that works for you. Here are some additional ways we can support: Bookmark our freelance job board — it's updated daily and has tons of open gigs. https://lnkd.in/ghcd6cFR Try our all-in-one tool that helps you manage your freelance business (invoicing, proposals, project management & more). https://lnkd.in/gKh6SD3M Get our money-saving tax workshop to save thousands and get connected to a top-notch financial planner and accountant to help guide your tax & financial strategy. https://lnkd.in/gvuveRw7 Sign up for our growth accelerator, where we'll help tackle your biggest freelance challenges head-on in a one-on-one strategy session. https://lnkd.in/gmta-rBY Check out our resource center — chock full of actionable advice to help you build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/g-N3pprx Here to help. ??

I spent years zig-zagging through the freelance maze. Around one corner: Bad clients who didn't value my work.? Another: Anxiety about where the next project would come from.? Around the next: Lack of clarity on who my ideal client was.? Getting turned around by: Pricing that undervalued my skills. You know the emotional labyrinth that comes with building something from scratch and attempting something you've never done before. Every misstep and blind corner taught me something valuable, though. And eventually, those lessons added up. At the height of things, my business partner and I scaled our consulting business beyond $1M in annual revenue – a milestone that once seemed impossible. *And* we were happy, confident, and not overworked. Here's the good news: you don't have to take the same long winding path I did. I've mapped the territory. I know where the quicksand is. I've found the better path. And I'm passionate about helping other freelancers like you get to your destination faster. Want to forge a more direct path to success, confidence, and a full client roster? I have the deep experience and unbiased perspective to help you gain clarity, identify your blind spots, boost your revenue, and accelerate your results. Let's do this. Join me for a growth accelerator session. https://lnkd.in/gmta-rBY

Freelance crew, Stop scrolling and start bookmarking or subscribing. 7 top-notch places for you to find high-quality freelance gigs this week: 1. Sign up for the Harlow newsletter to get a shortlist of the hottest jobs for writers, designers, marketers, developers & more delivered to your inbox every week + inspiration as you grow and build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/gZmHNiqD 2. Get daily freelance writing gigs delivered straight to your inbox from Freelance Framework a newsletter by freelance advocate and content marketer Chris Bibey. https://lnkd.in/gs6-iXhY 3. Kaitlyn Arford's Freelance Opportunities newsletter is chock-full of opportunities for journalists, copywriters, social media managers, and more. https://lnkd.in/gmY_cdak 4. Yentalist by Olivia Dreizen Howell and the Fresh Starts Registry crew features a curated list of great remote marketing jobs. https://yentalist.com/ 5. Taylor Crane at Fractional Jobs delivers top-notch roles for fractional execs looking to work with early-stage start-ups. It’s a regular for me, for the jobs and advice. https://lnkd.in/gXj8bzmq 6. Ashley Cummings’s just launched her Content Connect job board, and there are some pretty good roles for my content peeps on there. About half are freelance, while the others are remote gigs for those looking for full-time work.? https://lnkd.in/gJvq5kc5 7. The Writer's Job Newsletter is a newsletter that delivers some of the best paid writing jobs directly to your inbox every week. https://lnkd.in/gryYMfD4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? At Harlow, we're building a home for freelancers. We're here to help you at every stage of your journey, from getting your business off the ground to landing new clients, from managing and getting paid by those clients to keeping you organized. We're here to help you build a sustainable business that works for you. Here are some additional ways we can support: Bookmark our freelance job board — it's updated daily and has tons of open gigs. https://lnkd.in/ghcd6cFR Try our all-in-one tool that helps you manage your freelance business (invoicing, proposals, project management & more). https://lnkd.in/gKh6SD3M Get our money-saving tax workshop to save thousands and get connected to a top-notch financial planner and accountant to help guide your tax & financial strategy. https://lnkd.in/gvuveRw7 Sign up for our growth accelerator, where we'll help tackle your biggest freelance challenges head-on in a one-on-one strategy session. https://lnkd.in/gmta-rBY Check out our resource center — chock full of actionable advice to help you build a sustainable business. https://lnkd.in/g-N3pprx Here to help. ??

Hey freelancers with clients in multiple countries ?? Quick tip: Harlow lets you bill in multiple currencies from one dashboard! While other platforms limit you to one currency, Harlow allows you to run your international biz from one spot, no matter where your clients call home and what currency they want to pay you in. Want more details? ?? https://lnkd.in/gXHth7iK OR AMA. I'm an open book.

I wanted to share something that hit me hard this past week—a lesson about celebrating our wins that I think many of us need to hear. Last month was filled with what should have been *very* exciting milestones for me: - Our first billboard went up (it still feels surreal to see Harlow in Times Square) - Launched two new powerful programs for freelancers (money-saving tax workshop and our growth accelerator) - Participated in a virtual panel to over 250 people? - Booked our biggest sponsor *ever* - I locked in a new consulting client that I genuinely am excited to help And yet... I felt meh. Why? Because none of it had translated to game-changing revenue growth. I was caught in this roller coaster—feeling the high of accomplishment one day, then disappointment the next. Then, as if the universe knew exactly what I needed, I received two messages that helped shift my attitude. The first came from my coach Robyn MacNeill, who reminded me about the importance of staying in a growth mindset and celebrating *every* win and milestone. We chatted intensely about how I personally should celebrate those wins to give myself validation. The second was from Amanda Goetz, who posted her own story and journey about the same concept the same week. Their message was clear: Not every win needs to be a revenue-breaking milestone to be worthy of celebration. Here's what I've realized since re-embracing this mindset: Those "small" wins were creating ripples I couldn't immediately see. - The billboard led people who recognized Harlow to reach out to and reconnect. - Our new programs are gradually building interest, and every week, the amount of people we're helping is increasing.? - The speaking engagement opened doors to conversations in my DMs and emails that are now turning into partnerships and clients.? - Having the use case of the first sponsor gave me the confidence and evidence to pitch to the next big sponsor.? - In the first week of working with my new consulting client, we broke through barriers for them, making working with me super valuable in the long term. By allowing myself to celebrate these moments—regardless of their immediate financial impact—I've created space to notice the momentum that's building. I share this because I know many of you are in the same boat. You're working hard, launching new programs, locking in new clients, but sometimes feel like it's not enough because the "big payoff" hasn't arrived yet. So here's my invitation: What small win can you celebrate? The client who said "yes,"? The positive feedback on your work? The newsletter that hit 200 or 500 subscribers? That initial social post you finally got the courage to share. These moments matter. They're not just pit stops on the way to success but success itself. Let's celebrate our journeys, not just our destinations. Because when we acknowledge how far we've come, we create the energy needed to go even further. What small win can you celebrate today?

This weekend, I was asked the same question by two members of my Freelance Framework premium group : Who should I follow on LinkedIn for freelance writing and general job-related insights? These people are mainly interested in three things: - Finding more work - Connecting with other writers - Learning how to navigate the freelance/job market I don't like sharing lists like this because I always feel like I leave someone out :( Butttttttt, I'm going to do it anyway :) Here are the first names that come to mind... Samantha Anderl Carlos Silva Gary Parkinson Sharon Wu Liz Heflin Sam Hindman Diana Kelly Levey Allison Ditmer Read their posts. Engage with their content. Introduce yourself. You'll be glad that you did. PS: if I missed you, I'll add your name the next time around. Please forgive me!