Inspirational

From the first batch ever baked with Grandma, chocolate chip cookies are a sugar fix we indulge in, both to celebrate and to console us. Since the invention of the chocolate chip cookie in the 1930s, the baked goodie has maintained its hold over our hearts and waistlines, making cookie icons like Wally Amos, founder […]

Personal branding expert Claire Bahn, founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based boutique strategic communications and marketing outfit Claire Bahn Group, says she got into the field professionally after learning to market herself as an actor and model. “I found that the people who marketed themselves the best were able to get the jobs they were

Welcome! I hope this letter finds you thriving in your pursuit of success (excuse the pun!). As the editor-in-chief of SUCCESS+, it’s my absolute pleasure to present our Freelancer’s Handbook issue. I’ve had the incredible privilege of working in the media industry for over three decades and have been fortunate to contribute as a freelance

Getting sued might be every freelancer’s worst nightmare. A decade ago, Reyna Gobel, MBA, MPH, a freelance journalist and speaker, was asked to edit and fact-check an article about 10 celebrities who had declared bankruptcy. The online publication paid her $125, well below Gobel’s normal rate, but she took it on as a favor because

Have you ever paired a task you enjoy with one you dread just to get it done faster? Maybe you put on your favorite ‘80s playlist while washing dishes or played a rerun of a classic sitcom while folding laundry. Without knowing it, you might have been utilizing the behavioral strategy of temptation bundling.  This

Kendrick Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour was a visual spectacle, a groundbreaking hip-hop opera hailed for its intricacies and ambitiousness. For two hours each night, Lamar and a swarm of dancers interacted in finely tuned movements; one critic said it was like “watching the engine of a fine-tuned Mercedes.” Few rappers have achieved, or even attempted,

I started working with a new editing client in 2022 as a freelance journalist. He didn’t bat an eye when I told him my rate to copy edit his legal blog. And, he eventually went on retainer with me. I wanted to be able to attract more clients like him: professional, willing to value creative

We all have that bad habit we just can’t shake, from sneaking a cigarette even though you quit smoking 20 years ago, to eating your feelings in a bowl of ice cream at 11 p.m. But what if you don’t know how to break bad habits? Some experts point to habit replacement, rather than elimination,

In Bonaire, the word “dushi” has a few different meanings. It can be a term of endearment like “baby,” or it can describe a sweet, delicious food. In the local Papiamentu language, “dushi bida” means “the good life” and describes a feeling of deep contentment.  I learned this on a recent trip to Bonaire, where

Unlike employees, freelancers don’t have their rights and work responsibilities automatically outlined when they agree to work for a company. Whether initiated by the contracting company or the freelancer, contractual work agreements define important items, such as the project’s scope, payment, deadlines and ownership. Although contracts may initially seem like extra paperwork, these agreements create