My latest column post over at FreelanceSwitch.com…

Social media is an excellent way to market yourself as a freelancer. It can also be, in my opinion, entirely overrated and often misused. Every day I see professionals tweeting and updating Facebook with spammy posts and self-important chatter that makes my skin crawl. I also see inspiring social champions who inform, empower and serve their audience.

Here’s a quick rundown of mistakes you want to avoid at all costs when using social media channels for finding work (whether in your marketing/branding or in your personal life), along with a few pointers to kick start your social marketing strategy.

>> Click Here to Read More

Photo by Compound Eye

It’s those very things that fracture us that become like glue to deliver us whole and newly made. Let what breaks you reveal the blessing that puts you back together.

Have you ever had a secret you thought you couldn’t tell anyone?

I have such a secret.

Four years ago it was thrust upon me. I have since struggled through a wounded journey toward living scarred and healing whole and sometimes I feel like this terrible secret has taken over my life. Saving others from its clutches in their own life… is now my mission.

I will not tell you this secret today. I’m not ready yet. But I’ve told a few people close to me (and I was outed to a few thousand people at a Tony Robbins seminar by the big man himself!), and today I made a pivotal decision that I struggled through, wide-eyed and tear-stained, all last night and this morning:

I’m finally going to go public.

After more than 10 solid months on the road I’ve recited the following diatribe more often than Chicken Little thought the sky was falling. I’m not at all complaining here – I get a real kick out of the look on a person’s face as they realize that 1) I’m not crazy, 2) Nope, not lying either, and 3) I really DO travel for a living. What people love best is the fact that I’m doing it because I want to… but I can work along the way when I choose to.

Pretty much sounds like freedom doesn’t it? In many ways it is. And I want to help you achieve this kind of freedom because it’s easier than you think. Especially for freelancers.

The Ultra-Condensed Guide to Perpetual Travel via Freelancing

Now don’t expect me to unearth the Holy Grail here because I can’t. There’s a lot that goes into crafting this lifestyle and traveling perpetually pretty much plants you squarely in the unknown on a daily basis. However, in my case, that’s exactly why I do it! And whether you want to just get up and go one day for however long you decide… or you just want the freedom to take little trips whenever you choose… don’t wait until you have it all figured out. Just get up and go and trust that the universe will fill in the gaps with exactly what you need along the way. Ain’t that a trip!

Books to Read

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So fellas… want to know what a woman really wants?

Well it’s not what you typically hear. Women do NOT really want you to be more like them and less like you.

However, sometimes what comes of thinking that’s what we ladies want gets pretty comical. Like this post I came across at my friend Vishen Lakhiani’s FinerMinds Blog.

I really enjoyed the photo spread. You’ll enjoy it too… male or female. And come back here to let me know what you think. I’d be curious to hear. I’m preparing a post on what women REALLY want based on my research into feminine energy, the female psyche, psychoanalysis and life experience. And you ladies out there will appreciate that post too. Because I found (and all men already know this…) WE don’t know that these are the things we want!

So enjoy! More on this topic coming soon.

Photo by Lawrence Lew

Take it from a recovering workaholic: when passion strikes, my butt gets really good at staying firmly planted in my seat. {READ: I don’t remember to cook, exercise, sometimes even eat}

So here’s some easy and great tasting foods and recipes (as well as some great organic whole food supplements) I keep in my kitchen to maintain my health, amp my energy and boost productivity for the long haul – and without any nasty side effects!

If you believe it isn’t possible, consider this: I used to need coffee and caffeine supplements to survive launch time when I had to pull all-nighters and 72-hour writing stints at the computer. Now I can endure those grueling launch-time hours without caffeine and its jittery side-effects.

Anything that can survive THAT test wins my vote.

Photo by Beatriz AG

This playful and informative blog article I just stumbled upon would say so…

It’s got some good tips and it’s fun to read. Of course it says staying up and working late isn’t a good idea. Ummmm… it’s 4:30am and I’m still chugging along.

I’m working on it! You should too. Enjoy this article over at 1stWebDesigner.com:

Click Here to Read “10 Most Common Health Hazards of Freelancing”