The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2021 - 21

Challenge #3: From a
Jack-of-All-Trades to a
Balanced Freelancer
No crisis or transition lasts
forever. The challenges you
experience as a freelancing
parent right now may be less
or more intense, but at some
point your life will be balanced
again. When the dust settles,
take some time to reflect
and equip yourself for other
potential turbulences.

to earn money without the

money. The point is to create

constant exchange of your

something that will continue

time and skills, which can

to generate revenue.

help you stay afloat.
For instance, as a
translator or interpreter, you

such as expert knowledge,

have excellent writing and

invaluable experience,

language skills. Perhaps you

or amazing ideas. Figure

could write an article that a

out how to convert your

publication would be willing

ideas into a source of

to pay for. Think about
writing an e-book you could
sell. You could also offer a
webinar or online course.

Redefine Your Strategy:

Start an educational blog and

Start by assessing your

sell ad space. Use affiliated

results. How did you and

marketing to promote other

your freelance business

products or services by

cope with the hectic

linking to them on your blog,

turmoil? What turned out to

social media platforms, or

be the biggest pain point?

website in exchange for a

Is there anything you could

commission when readers

change to survive and

click the links. Develop a

thrive? For example, you
may want to narrow your
niche to attract more (or
better) clients and achieve
a higher earning potential.
You could also focus on
what's in demand right

There's always something
you can share with others,

YouTube tutorial series to
generate online traffic. The

Other Handy
Resources for
Freelancing Parents
Ridout, Annie. The
Freelance Mum: A
Flexible Career Guide
for Better Work-Life
Balance (Fourth Estate,
2019), http://bit.ly/
freelance-mum.

steady passive income and
protect your business from
unexpected storms.

Finding Harmony: A
Difficult Balancing Act
It's not easy to stay calm,
focused, and resourceful
when you have to constantly
deal with new challenges and
limitations. But if you plan
ahead, prioritize your
self-care, and learn to adapt
quickly to new conditions,

possibilities are endless.

you'll eventually turn your

Obviously, some of these

marathon into a light stroll

ideas will require an initial

and find harmony between

investment of time and/or

freelancing and parenting.

Gefsky, Jennifer.
Your Turn: Careers,
Kids, and Comebacks-
A Working Mother's
Guide (Harper Business,
2019), http://bit.ly/
Gefsky-mother.

now to ensure your clients
receive what they need the

NOTES

most. Try to reach out to

Pawlak, Dorota. You've Got This: How to Continue
Your Freelance Career When You Become a Mother
(September 2020), http://bit.ly/freelance-parent.

Kalenkoski, Charlene, and Sabrina Pabilonia. Initial Impact
of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Employment and Hours of
Self- Employed Coupled and Single Workers by Gender and
Parental Status (IZA Institute of Labor Economics, July 2020),
http://bit.ly/IZA-report.

Rose, Tom, and Jack Pannett. " COVID-19 Homeschooling?
Five Ways to Keep Your Kids Learning, Happy, and Healthy, "
Sky News (January 4, 2021), http://bit.ly/5ways-healthy.

your network, engage with
colleagues and clients, or
research a new direction for
your business. Sometimes
pivoting will help you
take the business to the
next level and prepare for
upcoming changes.
Strategize for the Future: Is
your business model future-

Gilbert, Debbie. The
Successful Mumpreneur:
How to Work Flexibly
Around Your Family
Doing What You Love
(Panoma Press, 2018),
http://bit.ly/Gilbertmumpreneur.

Meers, Sharon. Getting
to 50/50: How Working
Parents Can Have It All
(Bantam, 2013),
http://bit.ly/Meersworking-parents.

ready? Do you have enough
long-term clients, or do you
need to constantly chase
small one-time projects?
Maybe it's time to refresh
your portfolio by adding
subscription-based products
and services or creating
passive income streams.
In this way you'll be able
www.ata-chronicle.online

Dorota Pawlak is an English- and Germaninto-Polish translator specializing in localization,
as well as a business mentor for freelancers. She
teaches online localization courses and shares
her tips for freelancers on her website at www.
dorotapawlak.eu. She recently published You've Got This:
How to Continue Your Freelance Career When You Become a
Mother. She has an MA in translation and MSc in multilingual
computing and localization. info@dorotapawlak.eu
American Translators Association

http://www.bit.ly/freelance-mum http://www.bit.ly/freelance-mum http://www.bit.ly/Gilbert/mumpreneur http://www.bit.ly/Gilbert/mumpreneur http://www.bit.ly/Gefsky-mother http://www.bit.ly/Gefsky-mother http://www.bit.ly/freelance-parent http://www.bit.ly/Meers-working-parents http://www.bit.ly/Meers-working-parents http://www.bit.ly/IZA-report http://www.bit.ly/5ways-healthy http://www.dorotapawlak.eu http://www.dorotapawlak.eu http://www.ata-chronicle.online

The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2021

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