Fresh Start Monday #015: We look for motivation, but it's momentum we seek
When I lost my job, I was determined to find flexible work to pay the bills until my coaching business could support me full-time. From everything I heard, it's going to take some time.
In November, I tried freelancing on Upwork. Upwork is a job board where freelancers can apply for either one-off or recurring projects. I set up a profile and applied to two or three projects per day.
That initial burst of motivation lasted for two dozen unanswered proposals until my interest faded. I chalked it up to another failed experiment and moved on.
I met someone who recommended I create a Rover account. Rover is a platform where dog and cat owners can find a pet sitter. Animals have always responded well to me, but having my own felt like too big of a commitment.
I created a Rover profile and started offering dog walking and house-sitting services. That same day, I received my first booking. The next day I had two more. The following day someone booked me to house-sit for 17 days over the holidays.
Because I had this initial momentum, I dove deep into what makes a successful Rover profile, watched Youtube tutorials on dog training and puppy care, and asked for testimonials from anyone who's seen me interact with their pet. And I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I also invested in a dog and cat first aid course. I didn't know that existed!
When you feel that momentum, you'll do anything to keep it going. Would I have taken that course when I first started? No. But I had success, and from interacting with owners, I realized how big of a priority safety and trust are.
Rover feels kind of silly. My sister recently asked me, "Who are you?" It started with momentum. And here we are. I've earned enough to pay my December bills.
Back to Upwork. I didn't sign on for two weeks until someone responded to one of my old proposals. He no-showed for the interview, but I celebrated the small win!
I tweaked my proposals and sent out several more. I received another interview, and we had a good conversation for 30 minutes. He ghosted me afterward, but another small win.
I received another interview to write someone's resume, and she hired me! I doubled down on what worked. I changed my profile to offer a combination of career coaching and resume writing. On Friday, I had my first resume consultation and did another interview which went well.
Suddenly, I had momentum. I canceled my plans Saturday morning and spent hours learning how to optimize my Upwork portfolio, learning what skills are in demand, and how to write better proposals.
Could I have done all of that at the beginning? Yes. But I had yet to receive a single response. Each job posting received dozens of proposals from freelancers with more experience and reviews than me.
Investing that time and effort upfront is hard when you haven't made a $1 or seen a taste of success.
Last Week
I wrote, "I am a successful entrepreneur" 15 times as a daily affirmation.
I noticed that I had these random high-energy moments toward what I'm building. I would be on a walk filled with confidence that seemingly came out of nowhere.
Sometimes we find this confidence from those small wins, but the affirmations felt like they filled in some gaps.
Even on some rough days when potential clients no-showed or they ghosted me, I had a minimum of 15 positive lines keeping me afloat.
Fresh Start Experiment
Use this week to create the slightest semblance of momentum.
Here are three tips from the past two months using platforms where you receive reviews for your services:
Get your first review as soon as possible.
Reviews equal trust. But trust is not how everyone buys. For some, price is the only determining factor.
You want to avoid competing on price long-term. Your time will not feel worth it, but at first it's essential. It's your one differentiator. Eventually, you can differentiate yourself on service, reviews, reputation, and so on, but you need to give them a reason to take a chance.
Ask for help.
Most platforms allow you to ask for testimonials from clients you've had outside the platform. Rover even allows friends and family.
Asking for help is something I continue to struggle with, but the difference between a testimonial and a blank is exponential. You might as well not have a profile picture, either.
Personalized speed is everything.
Rover has a stat called Response Time that shows up on each sitter's profile. It's a significant factor in how high you appear in search results. And from experience, who decides to hire you.
I despise it. I feel attached to my phone and more distracted than ever before. But it makes a difference. If I respond to a sitter's request more than an hour later, they've almost always moved forward with another sitter.
On Upwork, your proposal gets buried. If a project is more than 24 hours old, I don't bother. The client has almost unlimited options. Speed is another differentiator.
By personalized, you should use their name and write a message that refers to their specific project or profile. It takes time, but this blend of speed and personalization has helped me build business when my experience has yet to speak for itself.
If not on one of these platforms, momentum is taking that small step forward. Action causes motivation. By taking action, we'll find the momentum that fuels us.