What to Do When You Don’t
Know What to Do

· April 30th, 2025 ·

Hey friend 👋

As you’re reading this, I’m probably somewhere between Salt Lake City and northern California.

While I’m gone, my friend Steph Mickelson has offered to keep things going.

She has some awesome advice on what you can do when you, well, don’t know what to do.

We’ve all been there as freelancers, right?

I know I have.

So without further ado… take it away, Steph!

~ ~ ~

Hey everyone! First of all, I’m Steph! I’m a freelance writer, the face behind The Simple Freelancer, and founder of Placed. Nice to meet you!

🧛 Freelance Bites:

News and Resources in 2 Minutes

• Need a refresher on content marketing? I’m currently working through Hubspot Academy’s Content Marketing Course to get back to the basics.
• Find what you need with the Freelance Writer Toolkit: I put together the Freelance Writer Toolkit, so you can have amazing resources for getting started and growing your business all in one place.
• Podcasts 4 Life: I’ve been listening to more podcasts lately and really loved this one on why you need to be over on Substack as well as this one all about branding.

🧐 Your Questions, Answered

Have a question about freelance writing? Drop it in the form below and I’ll answer it in a future newsletter!

Last Week’s Question: “I’ve been doing the freelance thing for a bit now, and while it’s not going badly, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m just treading water. How do you figure out your next move when nothing feels super clear?”

🐦‍⬛ Answer:

Well, as the rest of this newsletter will show, I know exactly how you feel. When things don’t feel super clear, I do two opposing things.

First, I put my head down and work on what I have. As a freelancer, you don’t get paid unless you do the writing, so doing the work I have and serving my current clients is top priority.

But I also get some space to think about what I want to do next and spread some seeds to see what comes up. When I lost clients in December and ended up with a lot of free time, I doubled down on writing and promoting The Simple Freelancer, posting on LinkedIn, and creating Placed.

From these things, I’ve gotten a lot of new connections and more opportunities (like doing this newsletter takeover for Cody!). It’s easy to get bogged down and feel like you’re treading water, so I recommend putting yourself out there in a different way, looking into a new type of client or content, and maybe taking a few walks to get some clarity.

📬 Letters From (Steph’s) Desk

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

In Cody’s April 2nd newsletter, he talked about the fact that freelance writing can be anything you want it to be. For those of us that love freedom and are good at imposing strategies and boundaries, this is fantastic — but it also means that there are a lot of directions to choose from, which can lead to choice overload.

This is the stage I’m working my way out of.

I’ll give you some context, and then we’ll take a look at ways to get out of choice overload and onto the next thing!

I started freelancing in 2019 when I quit my job as a teacher to stay home with my two kids. They were one and three at the time, and we added a third in 2020. Because I was primarily a stay-at-home mom, I typically worked in the morning before they woke up (my alarm is still set for 4:30 am because I do my best work before the sun comes up). I also worked during naps and after bed time.

I started writing content for a countertop company and then moved into real estate and home design content which fit really well with my interests and skills. But because I didn’t have a ton of time, there wasn’t a lot of strategy behind what I was doing.

I got some great clients, among them Angi, Bob Vila, and HomeLight and have since written for Real Simple, Popular Mechanics, Best Products, and more.

Throughout this time period, I likened my business to a barge slowly moving through the water while I held onto the back, kicking my feet and trying to hold on. Now, with my kids all in school, I have a lot more time to work on my business and be more strategic.

Things were looking pretty good until last December. Google changed its algorithm, and I immediately lost three clients. While that gave me time to work on The Simple Freelancer and Placed, it also gave me a lot of options. Now I’m trying to answer these questions:

• What type of content do I want to write?
• Who do I want to work with?
• Do I want to stick to writing or branch out with more offerings?

If you’re in the same boat, either as a brand new freelancer or one who is looking for a new direction, I wanted to share some of the things I’m doing as I get closer to deciding on the new direction.

Start brainstorming from scratch

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have to do what you’re doing or something adjacent to it — you don’t! If you want to find your next move, you may need to start from scratch.

Literally start with a blank piece of paper and write down all of the topics, industries, hobbies, and general “stuff” that interests you. You might find a pattern that directs your next move.

Go back to the beginning

Freelancing can sometimes feel like a meandering path. I started writing about beekeeping (for $30 per 1,000 word post) and then moved into building materials and then real estate. From there I’ve written about home design and appliances and even mouth tape.

Taking a step back and looking at where you started can reignite an excitement for topics you sort of forgot about — for me, I’m refining my offerings to focus on home services companies (think: roofing companies or electricians).

Take breaks

Sometimes the best ideas come to us when we’re doing other things. I thought of the name of my Substack, The Simple Freelancer, while I was working out. And the concept behind Placed came to me while I was doing dishes.

Things like taking a walk, reading a book, going out with friends, or just singing in the shower can often give us clarity that staring at our computer just can’t.

Learn more

I realized that while I’ve been working as a freelancer for over six years, I haven’t been doing much continuing education or staying on top of best practices.

So, I’m resolved to learn more. Whether you’re learning about new niches, digging into a certain industry, or getting on the pulse of trends, getting more information can help you make an informed decision or open up paths you didn’t know existed.

Hire someone

As a deeply dedicated do-it-yourselfer and penny pincher, this one was hard. I’ve met with a few different freelance or business coaches over the years and never really connected with them.

But I recently got a referral for a brand design coach, and after our initial meeting, knew that she’d be able to help me refine my vision for my business and where I want to go.

Even if you don’t want to hire someone, you can have a brainstorming session with a friend or someone else in the industry (I’ll do it!) and see what comes up when you’re talking and digging into what you do and where you see yourself heading.

(Steph’s) Top Picks

This is the part where I share some of the content I’ve been enjoying lately. Hope you enjoy!

(This section may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I’ll earn a small percentage, which helps support this free newsletter at no extra cost to you.)

• 📖 I’m Reading… “Marketing Made Simple” by Donald Miller. I realized that while I’ve been a freelance writer for over six years, I’ve really neglected the continuing education piece. This entire newsletter was about what to do when you don’t know what to do next, and I’m taking my own advice to learn more! I also ordered “Building a Story Brand” and can’t wait to get into that as well for both my own business and for my clients.
• 🎧 I’m Listening to… Podcasts! There was a big supreme court race in Wisconsin at the beginning of the month. I started my research into the candidates online but quickly realized that I was just getting the usual “he said, she said,” so I turned to podcasts. This was actually super helpful, and I was able to find longer form interviews from both candidates. I’m really interested to see how podcasts and this style of campaigning changes elections moving forward!
• 🚶 I’m Doing… Steps, steps, steps. Since the weather is getting warmer here in Wisconsin, I’m taking the opportunity to do more walking throughout the day. Most of my days are spent at home either working or with the kids, and unless I make a conscious effort or we’re out and about for the day, I’m not doing much walking. I’ve been averaging between 6,000 and 8,000 steps — still not 10k, but I’m getting there! I don’t have a fancy watch, so I just use a basic pedometer to keep track.
• 🧠 You should remember:

More From The Blog…

How Part-Time Freelance Writers Can Build a Sustainable Income Part-time work as a freelance writer can bring financial stability and a low-stress way to build your career. Here’s how to do it. Read article

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