Author Archive | chatfielda

I converted an old computer into a workstation for my kids last weekend. It’s just a laptop plugged into an old monitor, but I wanted to make sure they were learning how to manipulate mouse and keyboard as effectively as they do the home screen on an iPad.

It reminded me of being roughly the same age, my family’s first computer arriving on a cold February morning, and opening an entire world of opportunities. Games to be sure, but also digital encyclopedias, and the Internet. I taught myself to type and then shortly afterwards taught myself how to build websites.

Were they good?… Read More

I’ve been working for myself eight out of my ten plus professional years. I dove directly from college into freelance copywriting and have been doing it on my own almost constantly ever since (with a brief stint at a New York agency).

Today I run a comprehensive digital marketing agency that focuses on persona development and content strategy for B2B businesses. It’s a long way from freelance articles stuffed with keywords about male pattern baldness products.

So, I understand the urge of many freelancers to get out of their current situation and into a much better one as soon as possible.… Read More

I’ve been freelancing or consulting for 80% of my adult working life. In fact, as of writing this, it’s been almost exactly 10 years since I resolved to quit my job and start working at home, having absolutely no idea how to actually do it.

Over the course of that decade, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients in dozens of countries, and have learned a lot about business, marketing, and productivity. If you want to succeed working for yourself, especially once you have a family, you don’t really have a choice. But it wasn’t always like this. I wasn’t always able to take time off midday to take my son to the dentist or go see a movie when he’s home for an in-service day.… Read More

You’ve just written an epic blog post that you’re certain will go viral in a matter of hours.  You hit “Publish” and wait for those hits and “shares” to roll in.  Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple for most of us, and a few extra steps are required to make sure that your efforts weren’t in vain.  On WordPress alone, there are over 2.2 million posts per day, so you’ll need to find a way to make yours stand out from that crowded field.  Here are seven things that you should do after you launch that well thought-out blog post.

Whether you do this before or right after initially publishing your post, optimizing internal linking is incredibly important for several reasons. … Read More