Last week I packed up my notebook and pen and flew to West Virginia for a reporting assignment. I was there to cover the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman. I loved being somewhere new and getting to have lunch with the chairman. I walked away with a story, a few additional story ideas and plenty of photos. Plus, I totally want an official NTSB jacket.

Heading out of my home office is always a fun way to get my creative juices flowing. A few years ago I wrote this blog post for The Editorial Advantage titled Bring Back the Field Trip. I talked about how my stories grow richer when I get out from behind my desk. As a write-at-home freelancer (and mom), most of my research is done via telephone interviews and e-mail correspondence, but there is a lot to be said for going on assignment. 

It is probably better that there was no one there snapping pictures, as the flash may have made me forget all that I had planned to say. Now that my nerves have settled, I can truly say it was a wonderful event. I haven’t had any public speaking events in quite some time and it was great to stretch my muscles. In case you’re going to be speaking to a group anytime soon, here are my top five tips:

Use bulleted notes. For me, having a list of the highlights I want to cover works far better than drafting up my full speech. With a full speech, it is easy to lose your place, then you’re palms start sweating and you’re left stumbling over your own words. Or, even worse, you end up reading the full speech word for word without looking up from your script. I tend to stick to bullet points that will jog my memory. If there are specific numbers I need to remember, I make notes beneath the bullets so I can find them quickly. 

Know your subject matter. Yes, it is obvious, but it is true. If you’re unsure of what you’re speaking about, you won’t be confident or comfortable up on stage and it will show. At this event I was speaking on government regulations that are creating opportunities in shop repair and other areas for highway-based businesses. I’ve researched and written about the topic enough to know that I had good information to share. I think that is key.

Practice in front of the mirror. You’ll feel ridiculous, but it helps. Believe me. The night before the presentation, I used my bulleted list and gave my full speech in front of the mirror a few times. I stumbled and stammered, but better to do it there than in front of the group. 

Find a friendly face in the audience, or better yet, find the people who are taking notes. It will help put you at ease. I knew several of the people in the audience, so I turned to them when I started feeling nervous. I especially loved the note takers and those who nodded in agreement at the event. Thank you to all those kind souls.

Relax. Smile. Take a deep breath. Remember that people are people and even if you mess us, your audience will probably be forgiving. If worse comes to worst, crack a joke, laugh at yourself and invite your audience to laugh with you. Luckily, this didn’t happen to me.  

This corner desk for my little guy is one of the best features in my home office. As much as I try to avoid working with my kids in the room, there are times when it is unavoidable. This desk and the Fisher Price Cool School Computer were gifts from my in laws, and now Evan has his own place to work. We spruced up his "office" with his original artwork that we can rotate out as new creations come home from preschool. Now he gets right to work when "we" have important projects we’re trying to wrap up.

Madelyn’s workstation is her Jumperoo, which is positioned between my desk and Evan’s. Now I can get a solid 30 minutes of screen time in when necessary. Phone calls, however, are out. Between the music from the computer and the Jumperoo, it sounds like you’re in the middle of a Chuck E Cheese. But for sending e-mails or proofreading a final draft of a story, it’s perfect! 

Blog posting likely will be light (i.e. non existent) as I focus my efforts on coming through for my client and prepping my family for the week ahead. Now that someone else will be reaching into the pantry to fix my kids’ lunch, I suddenly realize how disorganized it is. But there is no time to worry about that now! I’m too busy focusing on the task at hand. Luckily those who will be taking care of my kiddos for the next little while love me as much as they love my kids and will overlook my household imperfections.

I hope the rest of your week is as exciting as I think mine will be! Happy weekending, if I don’t touch base before then. If you’re free on Saturday night, check out America’s Most Wanted. The best man from our wedding, who is also an FBI agent, will be working the phones as AMW tries to help him track down a criminal from one of his cases. I’ll be watching, which means I’ll be looking over my shoulder and sleeping with the lights on for the next two weeks. 

1. Meet your deadlines: Yes, I know this is obvious, but it is a biggie. I put each of my deadlines on my calendar and then jot down the milestones I need to accomplish to finish the projects on time. I also like to work ahead when I can. You never know when a client will call with a last-minute project and staying current on my to-do list gives me the flexibility to lend a hand when needed.

2. See yourself as part of your client’s team: As a freelancer, my job is to help my clients meet their goals. That applies to the project at hand, of course, but it is also much broader. I like to be flexible with them and step up to the plate when they have last-minute needs. I read articles with specific clients in mind and try to develop ideas that can help them overall. Moreover, I know that I am often an extension of my clients’ brand. For example, I typically reach out to ten or more sources for one feature article. With each phone call I make, I am representing the client, even if it is indirectly.

3. Make financial goals: Freelancing is a business and as such you need to create a business plan with income projections. If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know how to get there. More importantly, if you aren’t profitable, you won’t be in business very long. I know the minimum amount I’d like to make each month and having that figure in mind keeps me working toward it. I pitch more stories on months that look like they might fall short and feel great about my work on months that exceed my projections. Either way, my financial goals keep me on track.

4. Meet new people: When you work at home, it is important to keep up your network. Attend alumni events, go to writing conferences and connect online with other freelancers. One of my top clients last year came from a chance meeting at an alumni event. You never know where your next assignment or your next great idea will come from.

5. Know your strengths: While it can be tempting to be a jack-of-all-trades, you’ll do better if you play to your strengths. There are reasons journalists cover beats. Getting knee-deep into an industry gives you insight you don’t get from just covering it now and then. Since I’ve been writing, I’ve covered criminal court, Capitol Hill and commerce. Right now in my career I write primarily about the transportation industry, which means I stay up on trends, monitor news stories and have extensive industry contacts. Covering this niche market has served me well as a freelancer. I have six transportation publications I write for regularly, and the editors know they can trust me to provide in-depth copy on deadline.

6. Don’t be afraid to turn down projects: This relates to #5. Yes, there are financial goals to meet (per #3), but it isn’t always about the money. Taking on a project that isn’t the right fit will hurt you in the long run. You’ll likely produce a less-than-stellar product, which can ding your reputation, and you might get down from doing work you don’t love. 

I spent quite a bit of time coming up with the LLC’s name and settled on something unique. Are you ready? Wait for it…wait for it… Mindy Long Freelance LLC. Creative, isn’t it? Okay, maybe not, but it was intentional. Here is why.

Brand Recognition: I am my brand. I have name recognition among the editors I write for, and when they refer me to their colleagues, it is by name. My byline appears on my articles, which further supports my name recognition among my readers, sources and employers. I bring years of experience and institutional knowledge to the table, so I want to be sure my clients know I am the person they are entrusting with their project.

Ease of Transition: For years my clients have been writing checks to Mindy Long. I’ve contacted my clients’ accounting departments and provided my LLC name, EIN and updated W-9s, but there is a chance payments could be made out to Mindy Long and not Mindy Long Freelance LLC. If this happens, it should be fairly easy to deposit it into my business account despite the name variations.

Web Presence: I already own my domain and I don’t want to redirect clients to a new site, so I knew I wanted my name somewhere in the business name.

Minimal Cheesy-ness: Every time I came up with a company name that was creative, it bordered on cheesy. I needed to stick with something that was professional and self-explanatory.

In the end, I am happy with my choice. As I was drafting letters to clients and filling out a stack of W-9s, I was glad I wasn’t writing something that could be seen as silly or that meant something only to me. It felt good to be filling out those W-9s with a business name that includes my name and reflecting on the business I’ve built. I’m excited to have the paperwork done and have an official reminder that freelancing was the right path for me.  

Hello 2011. Welcome. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me and mine over the next 365 days. Life is always an adventure, isn’t it?

I’ve been mulling over New Year’s resolutions in my mind. I had a long list going, but then I read one of my friend’s Facebook posts that said, “Instead of trying to change myself in 2011, I am going to be myself.” I took it to heart and abandoned my burgeoning list with a renewed promise to accentuate the positive and do the best I can in all things—personal and professional.

One area, however, that I do plan to work on this year with renewed interest is this blog of mine. I’m in the midst of sprucing up my home office, and my little corner of the Internet could use some structure, too.  To help me stay on task, I’ve come up with some weekly posts I plan to do. In life find that sticking to a regular schedule keeps me on track, and I think that will hold true to the blog. So here is my plan:

Monday: Share a favorite children’s book pulled straight from my little ones’ bookshelves. This means they will be the books we read over and over (per Evan’s request) at bedtime and during the day. The tried and true books friends and relatives have turned us onto tend to be our favorites, so maybe you’ll like them, too.

Wednesday: Share a favorite book pulled from my bookshelves. Whether it is a cookbook from my kitchen cupboard, a writing book from my office bookcase or the latest novel I managed to read, I’ll let you know a little more about some of the books I love. 

Friday: Friday will also be known as Freelance Friday, and I will share some freelancing tips, info on the business side of being a sole proprietor and offer updates on my latest projects. I may also sneak in a few suggestions on how to keep little ones occupied at home when you have a deadline looming (or a sudden urge to hop on Facebook) and need to spend some time at the laptop.

That leaves Tuesdays and Thursdays up for grabs. I’d love your input. What kinds of things would you like to read about on the blog? Favorite quotes, life stories and kitchen creations are all things I’ve written about in the past. What should I continue and what should I cut? Writers always need editors and I’d love your direction as I create an editorial calendar for my blog. 

I am heading back to the virtual classroom for the next three months via an online writing workshop through Writer’s Digest. The first class meets this week and the readings have already reminded me why I love workshops and seminars—-no matter where you are in your field, there is always more to learn.

I know it can be hard to find the time (or money) to invest in educational opportunities, but it is worth it. Believe me, with a freelance writing business and two small kids, I have to make learning a priority in order to make it happen. I make time for it because I always walk away energized and excited about my career. I also end up with page after page of ideas on how I can better serve my clients, streamline my business or improve my writing. I love that.

While online learning often works best for me right now (there is a lot to be said for cutting down on commutes), I’ve also enjoyed in-person workshops through American Independent Writers here in the D.C. area. Their speakers are always a wealth of information and I love meeting fellow writers and freelancers in person. Conversation over lunch is so much more fun than via the Internet. I can’t wait for their annual conference in June. 

All of that being said, registration fees can add up. I have volunteered at some events in order to get in free or at least at a reduced cost. If you really want to attend an event but can’t afford it, shoot an e-mail to one of the organizers and see if there is anything you can do in exchange for entrance. 

No matter what field you’re in, do a quick Google search and find the associations and workshops best suited for you. Take a chance and attend an event or take a class. Tell yourself that you’ll walk away with just one tip that can help you either professionally or personally. I am certain you’ll find far more.