PA Training 7/14, Work/Life Balance, Making Ends Meet

If you’re new to freelancing, or know someone who is, at one point or another, they’ll get a booking as a production assistant. This is the position that typically starts one on their professional production journey.

There’s a great training opportunity coming up, and it’s being led by three rockstars in the DC production community (2 of whom I’ve known since I started as a production assistant decades ago!). It starts FRIDAY NIGHT (7/14) from 5-8:30 pm, and there’s an all day session on Saturday (7/15) from 10-5. This is an onsite event, taking place in Washington DC at Interface Media Group’s facilities.

There are different registration levels, so choose the one that works for you- you don’t need to attend both, if you can’t make both.

It can be tough to make ends meet if you’re living gig to gig, as a freelancer.

Here are six tips to help deal:

• First, come up with a simple spending spreadsheet. This will help you track your spending and see where your money is going. You might want to categorize it like “going out/groceries/gas/savings/rent/utilities”.
• Next, look for ways to save money. This could mean cooking at home more, cutting back on unnecessary expenses, or finding cheaper alternatives to the things you need.
• Consider getting a part-time job. This can help you bring in some extra income to help cover your expenses.
• Negotiate your bills. Many companies are willing to work with you to lower your bills.
• Take advantage of government assistance programs. There are a number of government programs that can help you with food, housing, and other expenses. Outside of government assistance, you can purchase groceries at 50% off through SHARE, which I did when I was struggling- everyone is eligible.
• Look for ways to earn extra money. This could mean starting a different side hustle, or selling unwanted items. To this day, I help as a cater waiter at parties, which helps during the summer slump. You can find gigs on Craigslist.

Don’t panic. By it’s nature, freelancing can be sporadic, and slow at times. There are things you can do to cope with it. Just stay calm and take things one step at a time.

Set boundaries with your clients (in a minute, I’ll tell you how to set boundaries for yourself).

Let them know when you’re available and when you’re not. For email, I use SaneBox’s “Do Not Disturb” feature on the weekends. It reminds people not to expect an immediate response, but if they need one, they can put “urgent” in the subject line. If I’m expecting work-related communication over the weekend, I make sure clients know how to text me. (I don’t use my mobile number as my primary number- just a personal choice.)

Trying to get through a task and don’t need all the notifications? Put your phone in “airport mode” until you are done. This will help you focus on the task at hand and avoid distractions.

Create a dedicated workspace. This will help you mentally switch gears when you’re working and when you’re not. Not to mention it can be counted as a tax deduction!

Take breaks. Get up and move around every 20-30 minutes to keep your mind and body energized.

Log off at a set time each day, and take the phone OFF OF YOUR BODY. DO NOT PICK IT UP AGAIN UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, unless it actually rings. This will help you create a healthy work-life balance.

Use a productivity app. There are a number of apps that can help you stay focused and productive- my favorite is Todoist, which allows you to assign times to when you expect you can do each item. Free, and syncs across devices and your computer.

Take care of yourself. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising.