Smart Habits for Translators

Episode 88: Smart Habits for Better Work/Life Clarity—Our Last Episode!In this last episode of our podcast, we're touching on the topic that started Smart Habits for Translators more than four years ago—work/life clarity! If you missed the news, check out our previous episode where we explain why our podcast is coming to an end and what you can expect.The concept of work/life clarity was what brought us together as co-hosts of Smart Habits for Translators, and it's a topic we've addressed in many episodes of our podcast. We believe that striving for work/life balance is an unattainable goal while being clear about the priorities in your current season of life and business is a better way of identifying focus areas and setting boundaries.Tune in to our last episode to hear our conversation on:• What work/life clarity is and how it's different from work/life balance• How our understanding and approach to work/life clarity has evolved since we started our podcast• What could be some signs to take some time to consider your own work/life clarity• How to find work/life clarity• How to set boundaries and priorities in your life and business intentionally

Episode 87: Smart Habits for Building and Changing HabitsIn this last episode of 2023, we're sharing some important news about our podcast. After four years of producing Smart Habits for Translators, we've decided it's time to wrap up the podcast, so this will be our second-to-last episode. Tune in to hear the reasons for our decision (spoiler alert—there's no drama, and we're still great friends!) and how you can continue to listen to our previous episodes after January 2024.We decided to round out the year by discussing the concept of Atomic Habits by James Clear—one of the topics that brought us together and served as a catalyst for starting Smart Habits for Translators! :)Tune in to hear our conversation on our favorite tips in the Atomic Habits book and how we apply them in our businesses and personal lives! In our next (and final episode), we will share our thoughts on work/life clarity (just like we did when we launched the podcast in 2019!) and how we apply these principles when setting goals for the new year.Resources we mentioned in this episode:• Atomic Habits by James Clear• Find Your Why by Simon Sinek• MasterClassSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/87

Episode 86: Smart Habits for Business Storytelling with Joachim Lepine and Ann Marie BoulangerHave you ever thought about how the art of business storytelling can be helpful in your business? It's not just about clear communication to market your services or network with others. Not only is it important to be aware of how we translators and interpreters tend to talk about our professions and the value we offer, but it's just as vital to understanding what our clients' experiences and expectations are. Whether you're a seasoned translator or interpreter or someone who is just starting out, weaving a compelling narrative that resonates with your clients and helps foster your business relationships is an important part of marketing your business successfully. That's why we're excited to discuss this topic with our guests and welcome Joe Lepine and Ann Marie Boulanger to the podcast.Joachim (Joe) Lepine was born into a French-speaking family in Belgium and grew up in the U.S. before moving to Quebec in 2006. When he took his first translation course—on a whim—he knew he had found his calling. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in translation and a master's degree in education. In the ensuing years, he translated for a myriad of prestigious clients in Quebec and abroad. To share his passion for the craft, over the past 15 years, Joe has taught French-into-English translation and related courses at Université de Sherbrooke and trained for NATO, the United Nations, the European Commission, OTTIAQ, Magistrad, Editors Canada, the Translation Bureau, ITI (UK), Training for Translators (USA), and many others.Today he is the cofounder of LION Translation Academy, which offers training to help translators and translation teams to thrive in every area of their practice.Ann Marie Boulanger was born in Montreal, Quebec, to an anglophone mother and a francophone father. After earning a college diploma in liberal arts, she heard about an acquaintance who was studying translation… and that's when the lightbulb went off!After graduating with a bachelor's degree in translation from Concordia University, she was hired by start-up translation firm Traduction Proteus Inc., which she eventually bought in 2005. The business continues to thrive today. A life-long learner, Ann Marie later earned an MA in translation studies from Concordia in 2018.Her other hats include co-founder of LION Translation Academy and part-time lecturer in translation at McGill University. When Ann Marie isn't translating commercial texts, she can be found working on children's books, with more than 45 translations to her credit so far. Her first literary translation, The Woman in Valencia, by Annie Perreault, was named a World Literature Today Notable Translation of 2021.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Joe and Ann Marie offer• How their careers have evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in their careers so far• What habits they had earlier in their careers that they no longer practice and why• Why it is important for translators and interpreters to be aware of the stories we tell the world—and our clients—about ourselves• What constitutes a good business story and how we can utilize it as a marketing tool• How negative experiences can be used in business storytelling• Other tips on how to consciously craft narratives about the value of our workResources we mentioned in this episode:• Joe's translation business, Traductions LION• Ann Marie's translation business, Traduction Proteus• LION Translation Academy• Connect with Joe and Ann Marie on LinkedIn• Get the free Client Win storytelling template from Ann Marie and Joe!• The Story Advantage: Unleash the Power of Storytelling to Engage, Inspire, and Influence by LJ Bloom• KindleSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/86

Episode 85: Smart Habits for Time ManagementWhen you wear multiple hats, it can be challenging to manage your time, prioritize tasks, and focus on what's important. If this sounds familiar, we feel your pain! We have shared our approach to time management and setting priorities in previous episodes, but we thought we'd dedicate an entire episode to this topic to talk about the things that help us stay productive and avoid stress and overwhelm.Tune in to hear our conversation on:- How our approach to time management changes during busier or slower seasons- How we find the balance between personal priorities and external expectations and commitments- How to know when it's time to call it a day and how to end your day with a wind-down process - How to manage your free time so you have more work/life clarity- Our favorite time management tools and techniquesResources we mentioned in this episode:AsanaFull Focus PlannerThe Todoist appErin Condren Life PlannerSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/85

Episode 84: Smart Habits for Taking a Workcation with Corinne McKayWe are excited to be back after our summer hiatus from the podcast, refreshed and recharged to bring you all new episodes and guests.Speaking of guests… today's episode is one we are very excited to be bringing to you, and it might be fresh on your mind if you took a vacation this summer and brought along some work with you. You may have heard this referred to as a working vacation, or a “workcation.” And we found the perfect person to share about her recent workcation with us, and let us in on all the details about how to take one and how to make the most of it!We're excited to welcome Corinne McKay back to the podcast.Corinne is an English/French conference and legal interpreter and ATA-certified French to English translator, based in Boulder, Colorado. A full-time freelancer since 2002, she served on the Board of the American Translators Association for seven years, including as ATA President from 2017-2019. She is the author of the book How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator, and runs the online professional development platform Training for Translators. After more than 15 years as a translator, Corinne caught the interpreting bug, passed the Colorado state court interpreter exams for French, and then earned a Master's in conference interpreting from Glendon College. She now divides her time between interpreting, translation, and offering business training for other freelancers.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What it means to go on a workcation and why Corinne decided to take one this year• How to decide to if you want to take a workcation rather than a non-working vacation• How to prepare yourself and your business for a workcation• What goes into choosing the location and the amount of time you plan to spend on your workcation • What work-related factors you need to take into account when choosing a location• Whether or not to notify clients about your workcation or just operate like business as usual• How to enjoy the vacation aspect around your work and also set some working hours• What you can do to prepare for issues like a poor Wi-Fi connection and other unforeseen circumstances• What things worked well during Corinne's recent workcation—and what she would do differently next time• Corinne's tips for translators and interpreters who are planning a workcationResources we mentioned in this episode:• Corinne's training company, Training for Translators• The portable monitor that Corinne recommends• The Commit30 plannerSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/84

Episode 83: Smart Habits for Saying “No” with Dagmar and Judy JennerToday's episode is one you may not be expecting… or maybe if you've been a long-time Smart Habits listener, you understand how it aligns with what we discuss here on the podcast. Saying “no” and doing it with confidence can be difficult in any area of life, especially in business. But saying “no” is essential to running your business with less stress and more time for what you really want to work on with the clients you really want to work with! Today, we have the pleasure of discussing smart habits for saying “no” with two guests we know you'll recognize! We'd like to welcome Dagmar and Judy Jenner to the podcast.Dagmar is a German, Spanish, English, and French translator and conference interpreter based in Vienna. She grew up in Austria and Mexico City and has an advanced degree in French from the University of Salzburg and a master's degree in conference interpreting from the University of Vienna. She runs the European side of Twin Translations and is the past President of the Austrian Interpreters' and Translators' Association, UNIVERSITAS Austria. Dagmar is passionate about literature, classical music, and chess.And Judy is a Spanish and German business and legal translator and a federally certified Spanish court interpreter and conference interpreter. She has an MBA in marketing from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, a master's degree in conference interpreting from York University in Canada, and runs her boutique translation and interpreting business, Twin Translations, with her twin sister Dagmar. She was born in Austria and grew up in Mexico City. She is a former in-house translation department manager. Judy writes the blog Translation Times and the "Entrepreneurial Linguist" column for The ATA Chronicle, serves as one of the ATA spokespersons, and teaches interpretation at the University of California-San Diego, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and at New York University as of fall 2023. And she's a frequent speaker at T&I conferences around the world, mostly online these days. Judy flies a lot for her interpreting assignments, and one of her special talents is memorizing airport codes.Dagmar and Judy are the authors of The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Dagmar and Judy offer, and how their careers have evolved over time• Why they wrote The Entrepreneurial Linguist, and what they think is the biggest takeaway for our colleagues when it comes to their freelance businesses• What values led them to become translators and interpreters, and how these values are reflected in their business• What smart habits have been crucial in their careers so far• What habits they had earlier in their careers that they no longer practice, and why• Why they think it's important for translators and interpreters to be able to say “no”• Some key reasons to say “no,” and some strategies to do it with grace• Their thoughts on whether saying “no” means losing an opportunity or future work with a client• How we can practice saying “no” so it feels easier going forward• In what ways saying “no” has paid off in their careers• Other tips for our listeners on the power of saying “no”• What advice Dagmar and Judy would give to their past selvesResources we mentioned in this episode:• Dagmar and Judy's European website, Texterei, and their translation company, Twin Translations• The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation• Judy and Dagmar's blog, Translation Times• Connect with Judy and Dagmar on Twitter• The Remarkable tablet and the Rocketbook reusable notebook that Judy recommends• Dagmar's YouTube channel on German orthographySee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/83

Episode 82: Smart Habits for Building and Maximizing Your Network with Alicja Tokarska and Ania MarchwiakWe often discuss the importance of building and maintaining your professional network, and we're sure you've heard this advice many times before. But what does it mean in practice? Alicja Tokarska and Ania Marchwiak joined us recently to discuss ways to build and maintain your professional network, especially when you work in a less common language pair. We know our listeners based outside the US will find this topic particularly interesting. But, of course, the tips you're about to hear will be helpful no matter where you're based or what language combination you work in.Alicja is a freelance translator and subtitler based in Glasgow, Scotland. She translates between English and Polish, and from Spanish and French into Polish and English. Alicja is passionate about inclusive communication and works mainly in the areas of audiovisual translation, culture and heritage, fashion, and mental health. Ania is a freelance translator working with Polish and English. She is based in Glasgow, Scotland. Ania translates for the medical and pharmaceutical industry and has recently ventured into new specialisms, which are sustainability and mental health. On top of being a translator, she is a keen forager and yogi and has recently become a certified breathwork instructor.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Alicja and Ania offer, and how their careers have evolved over time• Smart habits that have been crucial in their careers• Some habits they had earlier in their career that they no longer practice, and why• Their thoughts on maintaining healthy boundaries, and what boundaries they set in their professional life• How they approach networking, and how they maintain and utilize their network• How they take the guesswork out of marketing their services to new and existing clients• What habits, systems, or processes help them stay organized and consistent• Their advice on how to make networking and marketing feel less scary• Other tips for our listeners on building and maximizing their networks• What advice Alicja and Ania would give to their past selvesResources we mentioned in this episode:• Get in touch with Alicja, visit her website, and connect with her on social media• Get in touch with Ania, or connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter• Follow Ania's Instagram page dedicated to breathwork• The Power of When by Michael BreusSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/82

Episode 81: Smart Habits for Cultivating Creativity with Mireya PerezToday's topic may seem unexpected, but we're sure it will spark some ideas for you, just as it did for us.If you ask a translator or an interpreter what they like the most about their work, many will say they love learning new things every day and enjoy the creative process that goes into conveying a message from one language to another. Our jobs require creativity and curiosity, so we're very excited to bring a special guest to join us in discussing how we can cultivate these qualities in our work.We are thrilled to welcome a colleague, friend, and fellow podcaster Mireya Perez to join us on the podcast. Mireya began her professional interpreting career after completing her interpreting studies and becoming a certified medical interpreter. She worked as a medical interpreter in both a general and children's hospital before becoming a staff interpreter in a K-12 public education school district, where she spent nearly a decade helping to highlight the roles of trained interpreters in education. Currently, Mireya is the proud owner of Brand the Interpreter Incorporated, an up-and-coming multimedia learning platform that includes the Brand the Interpreter podcast, a show dedicated to sharing the stories of language professionals from around the world. She holds a master's degree in communications and enjoys reading and sharing about creativity, personal branding, and strategic communication management.Tune in to hear our conversation on:What services Mireya offers, and how her career has evolved over timeHow she started her podcast Brand the Interpreter, and what she enjoys the most about being a podcast hostWhat values led Mireya to become an interpreter, and how they show up in her businessSmart habits that have been crucial in her career, and what habits she no longer practices and whyHow she transitioned from being a school district interpreter and translator to a freelancer, and what the transition was likeWhat systems, processes, or habits help Mireya stay focused and organized while running her businessWhat she does when she doesn't feel motivatedMireya's thoughts on future-proofing her careerHow she cultivates creativity and curiosityWhat challenges translators and interpreters run into when it comes to maintaining curiosity at various stages in their careersHow interpreters and translators can boost their creative side and find time and opportunities to engage in creative activitiesThe advice Mireya would give to her past selfResources we mentioned in this episode:Follow Mireya on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedInVisit the Brand the Intepreter websiteBooks that Mireya recommended:Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil KnightAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James ClearThat Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc RandolphSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/81

Episode 80: Smart Habits for Thriving in the Premium Market with Michael SchubertIf you've ever heard a colleague mention working in the “premium market,” you may have thought, “Hmm… how do I tap into that area of the market?” After all, who doesn't want to work for clients who value our work and pay premium rates, right?!Well… we've found the perfect guest to share insights with us about working and thriving in the premium market! We're excited to welcome our colleague and friend, Michael Schubert to the podcast.Michael is an ATA-certified German-to-English translator based in San Francisco, providing premium translation services with a focus on corporate communications in the software industry. He is also an Adjunct Professor for German-to-English translation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.Michael earned degrees in Music Performance and German Language in his native Los Angeles, including a scholarship year at the University of Heidelberg, where he studied musicology and German. Following his graduation, he worked in Germany for 10 years as an orchestral flutist. In 2000, Michael moved to San Francisco and launched his translation career. His clients have included small and medium-sized software companies in Germany as well as artists, orchestras, musicologists, and music publishers in Europe and North America. In addition to translating and teaching, Michael regularly presents at the ATA Annual Conference and elsewhere on the subject of business skills, pricing strategies, and successful client relationships.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• The services Michael offers, and how his career has evolved over time• A habit he practiced earlier in his career… and why he let it go• Why it's so important for translators to consider their services premium when it comes to the clients they serve• What translators should consider when it comes to their identity as a professional in the premium market• Michael's experience raising prices and providing value-based pricing, and what he has learned from sharing presentations on these topics• What steps translators should take to enter the premium market• What helps a translator thrive in this area of the market• The kinds of professional development opportunities translators should look for to support the kind of work they want to do for the kinds of clients they want to work for long-term• Other tips for translators on working in the premium market• The advice Michael would give to his past selfResources we mentioned in this episode:• Follow Michael on LinkedIn and Twitter• Visit Michael's website• Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos• Michael's favorite: The Ember mugSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/80

Episode 79: Smart Legal Habits for Translators with Nicole FenwickLegal protection is a must for any freelance translator. And we all know how vital it is to get this part right! But it can be overwhelming, time-consuming, and nerve-racking if we don't know where to start or feel unsure of the legal protections we have (or should have) in place. That's why we're excited to be joined this month by a guest who can talk to us more about the legal aspects of running a freelance translation business.But first, we want to share some legal protections of our own… As you listen to this episode, please remember that we are not attorneys, and nothing in this episode is meant to represent legal advice. The content of this episode is meant to encourage you to put legal protections in place in your freelance translation business and seek the necessary legal advice you need. If you have questions about the legal aspects of your freelance business, we encourage you to consult a qualified attorney before making any changes.We are excited to welcome Nicole Fenwick to the podcast this month!Nicole is an entrepreneurial French-to-English legal translator and lawyer-linguist based in Barcelona. When she's not translating or traveling the world, she enjoys making translators' lives easier by helping them understand their legal rights and obligations and drafting their terms of business, so they can do what they love, safe in the knowledge that they have the legal protection they need to protect their work and pay the bills, preferably on time.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Nicole offers, and how her career has evolved over time• What values led her to become a freelancer, and how they developed in her business• What smart habits have been crucial in her career, and what systems, processes, or habits have helped her stay focused and organized• What habit she had earlier in her career that she no longer practices, and why• What translators should look out for when clients ask them to sign a contract• What terms and conditions translators should consider including in their own contracts with clients• Nicole's thoughts on taking out professional indemnity insurance, or as many people refer to it, errors and omissions insurance• What other ways translators can protect themselves legally• How freelance translators can find a small business attorney to help them draft or review contracts for the type of work we do• Other tips on how to approach the legal landscape of working as a translator• What advice Nicole would give to her past selfResources we mentioned in this episode:• Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and Instagram• Visit Nicole's website• Legal templates for translators• LSP.expert• Sign up for our newsletter below to get a free resource that Nicole graciously shared with our listeners: Top Tips for Client ContractsSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/79

Episode 78: Smart Habits for Continuing Your Professional Development with Eman AbdoWe know the beginning of the year is the time when many people set their intentions and aspirations for the year, and this often includes training and development goals.So, we thought we should dedicate our first episode of the year to professional development. We're very happy to welcome a guest who takes continuing professional development (CPD) very seriously and openly shares her CPD journey on LinkedIn. We are excited to be joined by Eman Abdo. Eman is an English-to-Arabic translator specializing in localization and transcreation with a special focus on marketing, e-learning content, and game localization. She studied translation at the Faculty of Al-Alsun.With more than five years of experience in the game localization industry, Eman has worked on the localization of AAA games, mobile games, and indie games. She is also the author of the Egypt Localization Guide and the force behind the localization of many apps and games in Arabic. She is a gamer at her core, aspiring to change how Arabic is represented globally.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Eman offers, and how her freelance career has evolved over time• What values led her to become a freelancer, and how they developed in her business• What smart habits have been crucial in her career, and what systems, processes, or habits have helped her stay focused and organized• What habit she had earlier in her career that she no longer practices, and why• How Eman approaches continuing professional development (CPD): how far in advance she plans the courses or webinars she wants to attend and where she looks for them• How she chooses which CPD events to sign up for and decides which areas of her business, skills, or services she wants to grow and develop• How she budgets for CPD• How she stays on track and makes time to complete the courses she signs up for• What Eman does after she completes training courses to implement what she learned or incorporate it into her marketing activities• Eman's tips on how to approach CPD strategically and consistentlyResources we mentioned in this episode:• Follow Eman on LinkedIn• Eman's webinar “Game Localization in the Arabic-Speaking World” (register by the end of January 2023 to take advantage of the discount!)• Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigalSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/78

Episode 77: Smart Habits for Kicking Off and Wrapping Up Your WeekIn June 2020 (wow, time flies!), we released an episode on delineating your workday in which we talked about some things we like to do at the beginning and end of a workday. So, for our last episode of 2022, we thought it would be good to do a follow-up episode to talk about some smart habits related to kicking off and wrapping up your workweek. Tune in to hear our conversation on our:• Why it's important to kick off and wrap up your workweek in a mindful, deliberate way• What we like to do at the beginning of the week• How we choose to wrap up our week• Our top tips when it comes to getting the week started on the right track and wrapping it up in a way that helps us unplug from work during the weekendResources we mentioned in this episode:• Our 2022 end-of-year survey—open through January 10, 2023!• Episode 19: Smart Habits for Delineating Your WorkdaySee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/77

Episode 76: Smart Habits for Preparing for an Exam or TestDecember is certainly a busy season for most of us, with so much work to wrap up before the holidays and so many personal and family commitments. It's also a time when we reflect on the accomplishments we made this year and what goals we'd like to set for the coming year. If one of your objectives next year is to take a certification exam or translation test, we think you'll find this episode useful. Several listeners asked us for tips on preparing for exams and tests, so we're happy to share our experiences and advice on this topic. We both know that getting certified as a translator and/or interpreter and passing a translation test for your dream client can be a big milestone in your career, but they can also be stressful experiences. So, let's talk about some ways to make these situations less nerve-racking and increase your chances of success. Tune in to hear our conversation on our:• Experiences with translation and interpreting certification exams, how we prepared for them, and how these credentials helped our business• Tips on how to make exam day less stressful• Approaches to taking translation tests for clients• Advice on what to take into account when taking translation testsYou'll also get some amazing tips and advice from our colleagues—certified translators and interpreters in different languages—on how to prepare for certification exams!Resources we mentioned in this episode:• ATA certification exam• CCHI certification exam for healthcare interpreters• Some helpful resources on preparing for the ATA certification exam:o The Ins and Outs of the ATA Certification Examo Ergonomics for ATA's Certification Exam: Unspoken Advice with Untold Benefitso Forming A Peer Study Group to Prepare for ATA's Certification Examo Taking and Preparing for ATA's Online Certification Examo 12 Extra-Linguistic Skills You Need to Master before Taking ATA's Certification Examo Who Wants to Fail ATA's Certification Exam?o Practical Tips for Taking ATA'S Certification Exam Onlineo One Member's Tips on How to Prepare for ATA's Certification Exam• Episode 46: Smart Habits for Finding the Right Clients for You• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides• Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels by Loretta Graziano Breuning• The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva RoseSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/76

Episode 75: Smart Habits for Forming and Maintaining a Translator CollectiveToday, we're thrilled to share with you a concept that we know is something our colleagues are interested in. In fact, we have not only one guest, but two here to tell us more about it! We're excited to be sharing the microphones today with our colleagues and friends, Jamie Hartz and Nathalie Reis, who are here to chat with us about translation collectives.Jamie Hartz is an ATA-certified Spanish to English translator who specializes in legal and commercial translation and transcription. She has been a freelancer since 2013, and in 2016 Jamie helped to found the Black Squirrel Translator Collective, which currently consists of herself and three fellow alumni of Kent State University's master's in translation program: Mary McKee, Hannah Sampson, and Nancy Cabrera.And Nathalie Reis is a full-time freelance translator and copywriter specializing in the creative industries (travel & tourism, art & culture, leisure & wellness, and fashion & beauty) as well as the humanitarian field (including human & social rights, women & children's health). She runs Nathalie Reis Translations in Northwood and works from English into French. She is a Member of the CIoL, an Associate of the ITI, a Member of the Society of Authors, and acts as Publicity Officer for the ITI London Regional Group. Nathalie also co-founded the Creative Translation Hub with Carolina Casado Parras and Adriana Tortoriello, a small collective of translators focused on the creative industries and working mainly from English into French, Spanish and Italian. Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Jamie and Nathalie offer and how their translation businesses have evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in their careers• What systems, processes, and habits help them stay organized, and how they set priorities• What boundaries they set in their professional lives and how they maintain them• What translator collectives are and how they work• Why it can be helpful for freelance translators to work together in this way• What positive results Nathalie and Jamie have seen as well as some challenges related to being in a translator collective• Jamie and Nathalie's tips for freelance translators who want to form and maintain a translator collectiveResources we mentioned in this episode:• Our next virtual business retreat with a special guest, Dorothee Racette• Creative Translation Hub• Connect with the Creative Translation Hub on LinkedIn and Instagram• Learn more about Jamie's translation services and connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter• Black Squirrel Translator Collective• Pomodoro technique• Get Fit for the Future of Transcreation: A Handbook on How to Succeed in an Undervalued Market by Nina Sattler-Hovdar• The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill BrysonSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/75

Episode 74: Smart Habits for Your Social Media Presence with Kelsey FrickIn our latest episode, we're talking about some smart habits related to developing and maintaining a social media presence for your business. Besides coming up with ideas for content, it can be hard to stay consistent when it comes to marketing your business on social media. That's why we invited a colleague who we think has great insights to share on this topic to join this conversation, and we're excited to hear her tips.We are thrilled to be joined by Kelsey Frick. Kelsey is a freelance translation account manager, French-to-English subtitler, and social media consultant. After working as a project manager in the T&I industry for 5 years, Kelsey went freelance in the middle of the pandemic and found success by marketing herself on LinkedIn with TikTok-style content and outreach to other translators. Tune in to hear our conversation on:• What services Kelsey offers and how her freelance career has evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in her career, and how she decides which aspect of her business needs more attention right now• What boundaries she sets in her professional life and how she maintains them• What social media platforms Kelsey focuses on, and how she built her expertise in this field• Why she thinks it's important for freelance translators and interpreters to have a social media presence• How she feels about posting for and connecting with colleagues versus communicating with clients• How she stays on top of social media marketing without letting it take over her day• What translators and interpreters tend to do well when it comes to social media, in addition to common mistakes• The myths or misconceptions about social media presence that Kelsey would like to set straight• What smart habits freelance translators and interpreters can apply to have a consistent and authentic social media presence• Kelsey's top tips for social media presenceResources we mentioned in this episode:• Our next virtual business retreat with a special guest, Dorothee Racette• Follow Kelsey on LinkedIn and Instagram• Canva• To get Kelsey's downloadable list of 30 social media content ideas for our listeners, sign up for our emails on our website!See the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/74

Episode 73: Smart Habits for Setting Boundaries in Your BusinessBefore we jump into the topic of Episode 73, we want to remind you about our next quarterly virtual business retreat, which will be on December 14. We're excited that our colleague and podcast guest Dorothee Racette has agreed to be our guest speaker this time! She will kick off our retreat with some tips and wisdom on how to set reasonable and realistic goals for the new year, and then we'll focus on discussing our business goals for the first quarter of 2023. If you'd like to join us, you can sign up at smarthabitsfortranslators.com/retreat. Space is limited to 25 participants, so don't wait!In today's episode, we chat about smart habits for setting boundaries in your business. What do we mean by this? Well, setting boundaries in your business could take on a lot of forms, but the main idea is to determine what you will and won't do based on what is best for your business and what is best for you as the owner. This could look like setting boundaries around the hours you work, the types of projects you take on, and even who you want to work with. Tune in to hear our conversation on:• Why boundaries are important for translators and interpreters• Our thoughts on helpful boundaries for your business• What boundaries we set in our professional lives and how we maintain themResources we mentioned in this episode:• Our next virtual business retreat with a special guest, Dorothee Racette• Episode 33: Smart Habits for Setting Priorities and Getting Things Done With Dorothee Racette• Episode 35: Maintaining Healthy Boundaries Between Work and Personal Life: Another Joint Episode With Speaking of Translation• Episode 69: Smart Habits for Negotiating with Clients with Susie Jackson• Susie Jackson's blog on financial habits for freelancers• Episode 60: Smart Habits for Taking Time Off• Intelligent Change: Mindful Affirmation Cards• Anti-Fatigue Cushioned Standing Desk MatSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/73

Episode 72: Smart Habits for Diversifying in a Niche Specialization with Abigail DahlbergToday, we're really excited to be joined by a colleague we both admire very much. She is a translator, content writer, mom, and expert in environmental issues and sustainability. She has been working as a translator for over 20 years and has grown and diversified her business within a very niche specialization. In fact, her success in this area has even earned her the nickname “Trash Girl,” believe it or not!We are thrilled to be joined by our colleague and friend, Abigail Dahlberg. Abigail is a German to English translator and copywriter specializing in sustainability issues. After completing an MA in translation and interpreting at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in 2001, she worked as a staff translator in Germany for several years before relocating to Kansas City and launching her freelance business in 2005. Over the past 15 years, Abigail has helped dozens of direct clients in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland communicate with an international audience via her business, Greener Words.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• When and how Abigail started her freelance career in translation and how her business has evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in her career• What systems, processes, and habits she uses to stay organized and how she manages all the tasks on her plate• How she decides which aspects of her business need more attention at certain times and how she sets priorities• What boundaries she sets in her professional life and how she maintains them• Why she decided to diversify her service offerings and how she went about it• Abigail's advice for specializing in a niche field or market and diversifying your services• Her thoughts on work/life clarity for freelancers and how she tries to protect the boundaries between work and personal lifeResources we mentioned in this episode:• Abigail's website• Follow Abigail on Twitter and LinkedIn• ATA Inside Specialization podcast episode: Translating Sustainability• Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success by Esther K. ChoySee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/72

Episode 71: Smart Habits for Attending In-Person ConferencesWe're recording this episode a week after our quarterly virtual business retreat, and we wanted to thank all of our colleagues who participated. We've been holding these quarterly business retreats for over a year now, and this was our best one yet—we had great conversations and a guest speaker who we all enjoyed. It's never easy to find uninterrupted time to sit down and review how various areas of your business are going and what you would like to focus on. Our virtual business retreats are an opportunity to identify areas of improvement and commit to specific actions you will take to achieve your goals—not to mention the perk of brainstorming with colleagues. We're really excited about our next retreat, which will be on December 14. We will have a guest speaker again to kick things off, and then we'll focus on discussing our business goals for the first quarter of 2023. And now back to the topic of this episode: smart habits for attending a conference after what's been two years of having very few in-person events to attend. We have already recorded three episodes about smart conference habits in the past, and they are among some of our most popular episodes. If you haven't listened to them yet, we recommend that you check them out: • Episode 3: Conference Habits• Episode 26: Smart Habits for Attending Online Conferences• Episode 51: Tips and Tricks for Attending Hybrid Conferences, a Surprise Joint Episode with Speaking of TranslationWe recorded the last two episodes to respond to the changes in the conference landscape due to the pandemic. Since the situation is different now and more people are attending in-person conferences again, we figured it was time to discuss what you might want to take into account when attending your next in-person conference. Of course, we still think that much of the advice we shared in Episode 3 and Episode 26 is still relevant. We'll also share what we think has changed and some new factors to consider when attending conferences these days.So, tune in to hear our conversation; we hope this helps you plan for an upcoming translation and interpreting event!Resources we mentioned in this episode:• Our next virtual business retreat on December 14, 2022• Episode 3: Conference Habits• Episode 26: Smart Habits for Attending Online Conferences• Episode 51: Tips and Tricks for Attending Hybrid Conferences, a Surprise Joint Episode with Speaking of Translation• The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark• An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten• Eve Bodeux's Global Reads Book ClubSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/71

Episode 70: Our Favorite Podcasts About HabitsBefore we dive into this episode, we have some news to share!We are excited to announce that Susie Jackson, our guest from Episode 69 on Smart Habits for Negotiating with Clients, will be a guest speaker at our upcoming virtual business retreat on September 20, 2022. So, if you need help making an action plan for 2023 to keep working toward your goals and let go of what's not working for you, we hope you'll join us! Susie will kick off our virtual business retreat with a short presentation on pricing and negotiating with clients with confidence. Our virtual business retreats are a safe, friendly space for you to review various areas of your business and discuss plans, ambitions, and aspirations for your business and work/life clarity with a small group of colleagues—and us. We organize these retreats every quarter, and we love hearing that people find them helpful and motivating. Join us on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, from 1 pm to 4 pm US Eastern Time!And now back to today's episode.We really enjoyed discussing our favorite books about habits in Episode 68, so we thought we would dedicate an episode to our favorite podcasts on habits, too! There are so many great podcasts out there, and we always love sharing what we like and hearing about podcasts that are new to us. Of course, there are many wonderful podcasts produced by our colleagues specifically for translators and interpreters, but today we're chatting about podcasts that are not directly related to our field of work. We find it helpful to look for advice and inspiration from people in other fields from time to time, too.So, tune in to hear our conversation about some of our favorite podcasts on creating and maintaining smart habits, and how they apply to translators and interpreters.Resources we mentioned in this episode:• Our Virtual Business Retreat on September 20, 2022, with guest speaker, Susie Jackson• Episode 68: Our Favorite Books About Habits• Episode 69: Smart Habits for Negotiating with Clients with Susie Jackson• Focus on This podcasto Episode 148: Rethink Your Evening Ritual to Power Your Dayso Episode 139: Four Reasons You Must Record Your Winso Episode 153: Four Tools to Defeat Distractions and Interruptions• Full Focus Planner• Best Laid Plans podcast by Sarah Hart-Ungero Episode 108: Back to School Energy• Deliberate Freelancer podcast by Melanie Padgett Powerso Episode 134: My Q1 Audit—A Slow Start & 4 Big Decisionso Episode 123: My 2021 Business Review and Questions to Help Youo Episode 117: My Time Tracking, Money and Client Audit for Q3• Before Breakfast podcast by Laura Vanderkamo How to Help Yourself Relax• Do Pause: You Are Not a To-Do List by Robert Poynton• The Best Today podcast by Shunta Granto Episode 73: 12 Examples of Everyday Routines• High-Income Business Writing podcast by Ed Gandiao Episode 299: How to Make Smarter Decisions About Which Clients to Keep or Let GoSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/70

Episode 69: Smart Habits for Negotiating with Clients with Susie JacksonIn today's episode, we're happy to welcome back a colleague who joined us on the podcast two years ago! She is a translator and a mentor for freelancers who need help figuring out their pricing and getting their business finances in order. We love learning from her through the various courses she teaches and her blog, and we're sure that she has a lot to share on today's topic: negotiating with clients.Susie Jackson is a Spanish-to-English translator and copy editor specializing in academic texts for the social sciences. She also mentors freelancers on pricing and business finances to help them figure out how much they should be charging and how to manage the financial side of their business so they can earn a decent living doing what they love. You can connect with Susie on Instagram or check out her free resources for help with pricing and finances on her website.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• How Susie's business is going, and the smart habits she adopted since our last conversation• What finance-related habits freelancers tend to struggle with• Why it's hard for many freelancers to negotiate and the challenges that usually come up when negotiating with clients• What strategies freelance translators and interpreters can apply when negotiating with clients• What pricing mistakes translators and interpreters usually make• When and how to raise your rates• How we can take the emotion out of communicating our prices to clients• Susie's top tips on how to approach negotiations with clientsRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Smart Habits for Translators workshop with Susie: Smart Habits for Pricing and Negotiation on September 6, 2022• Episode 12: Financial Habits for a Healthy Business with Susie Jackson• Susie's website and Instagram profileSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/69

Episode 68: Our Favorite Books About HabitsIn this episode, we're chatting about what is probably our favorite topic ever—books! And not just any books… but our favorite books about habits. It's no secret that we love reading about smart habits and discussing how to adopt them in our businesses and personal lives—so much so that we started this podcast! That's why we thought we should dedicate an entire episode to this topic.Tune in to hear our conversation about some of our favorite books on creating new habits and how they apply to translators and interpreters.Resources we mentioned in this episode:• Atomic Habits by James Clear• James Clear's website and newsletter• Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo• Marie Forleo's podcast and MarieTV series• Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab• Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg• The Tiny Habits website and mailing list• No-Fail Habits by Michael Hyatt• Maintaining Your Second Language: practical and productive strategies for translators, teachers, interpreters, and other language lovers by Eve BodeuxSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/68

Episode 67: Tools for Organization and Follow-ThroughAs professional translators and business owners, we have to stay organized to make sure our businesses run efficiently. And there are so many things that can be organized: finances, client projects and information, plans for our business, marketing campaigns, and so much more.Keeping your systems in check by using tools that help you stay organized and follow through on your projects and communications is vital to the overall health of your business. And it can also be vital to your own health! Being disorganized can cause stress, anxiety, worry, and a general sense of feeling bad about yourself. So, today we'd like to talk about our favorite tools for organization and follow-through.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• How systems and tools can bring us a sense of calm and peace in our businesses• Where tools can come in handy for staying organized in your translation or interpreting business• Examples of what freelancers tend to need to organize and which tools can be helpful• Tools we use and love and how we use them in our businesses• Tools we would recommend in everyday lifeResources we mentioned in this episode:• Yasmin AlKashef's LinkedIn post about the one-touch rule• Episode 57: Smart Habits for Managing Your Inbox• Asana• OneTab extension for Chrome• How to group and arrange tabs in Chrome• QuickBooks• How to create email templates in Gmail• Reading list in Chrome• OneNote• Create, view, and edit bookmarks in Chrome• LastPass password manager• Genius Scan PDF scanner• Slack• Airtable• Full Focus PlannerSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/67

Episode 66: Smart Habits for Maintaining a Sustainable Business with Rafa LombardinoWe are excited to welcome a wonderful colleague to join us in today's episode. She is a translator, teacher, fellow podcaster, and expert on audiovisual translation and tools and technology for translators. She has been working as a translator for over 20 years and has grown and diversified her business during that time. We enjoyed hearing from her about ways to grow a sustainable business while doing what you enjoy.We're very happy to welcome Rafa Lombardino to the podcast.Rafa was born in Brazil and has been living in California since 2002. She became a professional translator in 1997. She is certified by the American Translators Association (ATA) in both English-to-Portuguese and Portuguese-to-English translations and has a Professional Certificate in ES>EN translations from UC San Diego Extension, where she started teaching translation classes in 2010, including “Tools and Technology in Translation,” which was also released in book format. Rafa is the President & CEO of Word Awareness, hosts the Translation Confessional podcast, and specializes in technology, marketing, HR, EH&S, education, health & wellness, audiovisual, and literature.Tune in to hear our conversation on:When and how Rafa started her freelance career in translation and how her business has evolved over timeWhat smart habits have been crucial in her careerWhat systems, processes, and habits she uses to stay organized and how she manages all the tasks on her plateHow she decides which aspects of her business needs more attention and how she sets prioritiesWhat boundaries she sets in her professional life and how she maintains themRafa's thoughts on diversification for translators, and what tips she has for translators who are thinking of diversifyingHer thoughts on how to stay up-to-date with tools and technology, issues in our profession, and your clients' needsHer thoughts on work/life clarity for freelancers and how she tries to protect the boundaries between work and personal lifeRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Rafa's websiteRafa's company: Word AwarenessRafa's podcast: Translation ConfessionalRafa's book: Tools and Technology in TranslationTools and Technology in Translation at UC San DiegoTranslators101The Audio Technica microphone Rafa uses for teaching, podcasting, and voice-over recordingThe wireless Bose headset Rafa uses for audio editing, subtitling, and listening to audiobooksSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/66

Episode 65: Smart Habits for Overcoming an All-or-Nothing Mindset with Nora DíazIn today's episode, we are joined by a colleague who is an expert on tools and technology for translators and interpreters. She is one of the organizers of the popular Innovation in Translation and Innovation in Interpreting Summits, and she is very active in our profession. We always enjoy following her work and are in awe of how she handles all her projects and responsibilities. We know she has a lot to share on the topic of smart habits, so we are excited she agreed to join us today!We're very excited to welcome Nora Díaz to the podcast.Nora is a Mexican conference interpreter and translator who enjoys working for clients from around the world on a wide variety of topics, including healthcare, marketing, technical and general texts, and leading teams of linguists, including translators, editors, and proofreaders from Mexico, South America, and Spain working together on large projects. Her interest in productivity has led to a constant exploration of technology to boost productivity, such as CAT tools, speech recognition, computer automation, and custom macros. On her blog, Nora Díaz on Translation, Teaching and Other Stuff, she shares what she has learned with translators and interpreters from around the globe.Tune in to hear our conversation on:When and how Nora started her freelance career in translation and interpreting and how her business has evolved over timeWhat smart habits have been crucial in her careerWhat systems, processes, and habits help her stay organizedNora's tips on finding the balance between paid work and professional developmentHow she accomplishes big goals while working full-time and being a parentNora's advice to colleagues who want to make a big idea happen but feel overwhelmed and don't know where to startHer thoughts on how to stay up-to-date with technology and pick the best tool for the jobNora's top tips on embracing and leveraging technology in your work as a translator or interpreterHer thoughts on work/life clarity for freelancers and how she tries to protect the boundaries between work and personal lifeResources we mentioned in this episode:Nora's blog: Nora Díaz on Translation, Teaching, and Other StuffNora's training courses: Academia CLPConnect with Nora on LinkedIn and TwitterThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyTrados Business ManagerMicrosoft OneNoteGoogle TasksInnovation in Translation SummitInnovation in Interpreting SummitThe Deliberate Freelancer podcastWrite It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It by Henriette Anne KlauserBuy audio narration for your Kindle booksHow to read and listen to a book in the Kindle appSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/65

Episode 64: Smart Habits for Overcoming Limiting BeliefsIn this episode, we are having a conversation about limiting beliefs—what they are, how they can affect the work that we do as translators and interpreters, and how to challenge or overcome them. Limiting beliefs are like deeply ingrained stories we tell ourselves about why we can or can't make progress in a given area. We all have limiting beliefs about something in our freelance translation or interpreting businesses. Some are related to how much money we believe we can earn, while others might be related to our professional development, productivity, language skills, or specializations.It is important to note that limiting beliefs can affect any area of our lives, not just our work. You might have limiting beliefs about a personal goal you want to achieve or your ability to do something you've always wanted to do or change. But today we're going to focus on those limiting beliefs that rear their ugly heads in our work lives.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• Our own experiences with limiting beliefs that were holding us back• How limiting beliefs can affect translators and interpreters at various stages of their career• How to identify limiting beliefs in our professional work• Ways to overcome or challenge your limiting beliefs• How to recognize when your limiting beliefs are creeping in and what to do about itResources we mentioned in this episode:• Book Talk, etc.: A conversational podcast about books and more• One Line a Day: A Five Year Journal• The Five-Minute JournalSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/64

Episode 63: Smart Habits for Aligning Your Business With Your Values and Goals with Marina IlariIn today's episode, we're joined by a colleague, fellow podcaster, and fellow working parent, who will help us explore the topic of staying organized and focused when you have a lot on your plate. So many of us can relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed and scattered when we have an endless list of responsibilities, projects, and goals. We're very excited to welcome Marina Ilari to the podcast.Marina is an ATA certified English>Spanish translator with over 16 years of experience in the translation industry. She has worked as a translator, editor, and quality assurance specialist for many companies around the world with a special focus on creative translations and video game localization. She is the chief executive officer of Terra Translations and co-host of the podcast about translation, En Pantuflas.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• When and how Marina started her freelance career, what services she offers, when and how she started her career in translation and localization, and how her business has evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in her career• How she manages her many tasks and roles, and what systems, processes, and habits help her stay organized• Her advice for people who juggle several different projects and responsibilities—how to stay focused on what's important right now and overcome the feeling of being scattered• Her tips on how to find time for the things that make you feel happy and fulfilled• Her approach to investing in your career while being an engaged parent• Marina's thoughts on work/life clarity for freelancers and how she tries to protect the boundaries between work and personal life• Her advice for our listeners about growing their translation or interpreting businessResources we mentioned in this episode:• Connect with Marina Ilari on LinkedIn• The En Pantuflas podcast• Marina's company, Terra Translations• Pocket app• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport• The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field by Mike MichalowiczSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/63

Episode 62: Smart Habits for Following Up With ClientsIt's been said many times that it's easier (and less expensive) to retain clients than it is to find new ones. But we know of so many freelance translators and interpreters who say that following up with clients is just really hard for them. They don't want to bother anyone or come across as annoying or desperate for work.In today's episode, we're talking about the importance of following up with your translation or interpreting clients and how to make this process less awkward and time-consuming than it often seems.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• Our experience of following up with our clients and what works for us• Some ways in which you could follow up with current clients• How to prepare yourself ahead of time to make it easier to follow up with clients regularly• What's stopping freelancers from following up with clients and why we often make it into a bigger deal (emotionally) than it really is—and how to overcome this feelingResources we mentioned in this episode:• Registration for our next Virtual Business Retreat on June 21, 2022• Corinne McKay's blog post on following up on marketing contacts• Episode 2: Impostor Syndrome• Time-tracker: Toggl• Madalena's favorite stand-up desk and under-desk treadmillSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/62

Episode 61: Smart Habits for Drumming Up New Business with Melanie Padgett PowersSo many of us have experienced the ups and downs of freelancing, which have felt magnified over the last two years as a result of the pandemic. We've heard from many of you that you'd like more ideas for ways to grow your business and get more recurring work from clients. Well, our guest today happens to have some excellent advice on this topic, and we're thrilled she agreed to join us.In today's episode, we get to talk to a fellow freelancer, podcaster, and word person! We think you'll love hearing her insights on a topic we all want to learn more about: drumming up new business! We're happy to welcome Melanie Padgett Powers to the podcast.Melanie is the owner of MelEdits and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. She is a freelance writer and managing editor for health care membership associations and regularly writes about public health, COVID-19, health care, and issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has a journalism degree and was previously a newspaper reporter in her home state of Indiana. Melanie is also the creator and host of the Deliberate Freelancer podcast and the new Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group, which focuses on the business side of freelancing. Tune in to hear our conversation on:When and how Melanie started her freelance career, what services she offers, and how her business has evolved over timeWhat smart habits have been crucial in her careerHer thoughts on work/life clarity for freelancers and how she tries to protect the boundaries between work and personal lifeHow she drums up new business and what's worked well for herHer tips for navigating the feast/famine cycle and finding long-term ways to overcome itWhat marketing methods work best for her, and how she finds time to fit them into her scheduleMelanie's smart habit tips on how to create more times of feast than famine while avoiding burnoutHow a regular business audit helps her as a professional and what she would suggest to people who want to start doing regular business auditsWhat kinds of tasks her virtual assistant (VA) does for her and how working with a VA benefits her businessMelanie's tips on growing your freelance business deliberatelyResources we mentioned in this episode:Registration for our Asana workshop on March 24, 2022Registration for our next Virtual Business Retreat on March 17, 2022Melanie's podcast: The Deliberate FreelancerThe Facebook group for Deliberate Freelancer listeners: please listen to the podcast first and then join!Subscribe to the free Deliberate Freelancer newsletter and receive two email templates Melanie used to secure $30,000 (per email!) in new workFollow Melanie on TwitterOne of Melanie's favorites: Book tracker: Reading List See the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/61

Smart Habits for Taking Time OffWe all know that time off is important, yet it's not something independent translators and interpreters allow themselves to do very often—or consistently. Freelancers often feel guilty about taking time off because they feel like they're neglecting their businesses. • “What if an important client needs something?”• “What if there's no work when I return?”• “I can't afford to take time off!”Sound familiar?We think it's important to discuss the topic of taking time off, so we're dedicating this episode to doing just that. You'll hear us talk about how we do it as freelance translators, how you can prepare for time off, how to come back to work without feeling overwhelmed, and most importantly, why it sometimes feels so difficult to take time off (and how to change that).Tune in to hear our conversation on:• Whether we generally succeed with taking time off and whether the pandemic or other factors have made it more or less difficult for us to take time off• How time off affects your energy, mood, creativity, and other aspects of your work and personal life• How often we take time off and how we plan for it• Our tips, dos, and don'ts when it comes to sticking to the plan and not working during your scheduled time off• Our tips for coming back to work after a break• Why it can be difficult to allow yourself to take time off and some ideas for how to overcome those barriersResources we mentioned in this episode:• Registration for our Asana workshop on March 24, 2022• Registration for our Virtual Business Retreat on March 17, 2022• Madalena's master class on Google Ads for Training for Translators• Madalena's Copywriting course for Training for Translators• Madalena's blog posts on email signatures:o How to Maximize Your Email Signature As a Professional Translator or Interpretero How to Maximize Your Email Signature - Updated with More Strategieso 8 More Ways to Maximize Your Email Signature As a Professional Translator or Interpreter• Corinne McKay's blog post: How to take a vacation• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown• A Slow Fire Burning by Paula HawkinsSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/60

Smart Habits for Maintaining Your WebsiteMaintaining a website is something so many freelancers find overwhelming. We get it. There's a lot to think about, which can leave you feeling like you don't know where to start.Our goal with this episode is to dispel the myth that maintaining your website is as tedious, hard, or time-consuming as so many people think. Your website is the only digital asset you can really control, one that gives clients a better idea of who you are, what makes you unique, and what it's like to work with you. Few people talk about the importance of maintaining your site once you have one, so we wanted to share some tips and smart habits that help us keep our websites up-to-date.Tune in to hear our conversation on:- Why it's important to maintain your website and what some benefits of doing this are for your freelance business- What you need to consider about your website design- What to consider when you update your website copy- What to consider when you update content on the individual pages of your site- What website sections need to be updated regularly- What other elements of your website you might need to update behind the scenes- Some dos/don'ts for leading clients to your website- Our tips for those who feel overwhelmed about maintaining their website Resources we mentioned in this episode:- Registration for our Virtual Business Retreat on March 17, 2022- Madalena's master class on Google Ads for Training for Translators- Madalena's Copywriting course for Training for Translators- MICATA Annual Conference- ITI Conference 2022- Madalena's T&I Website Blueprint Course- Broken Link Checker- Page Speed Checker- Madalena's blog post: 10 Simple Ways to Boost Your Translation or Interpreting Website's SEO - Episode 33: Smart Habits for Setting Priorities and Getting Things Done With Dorothee Racette- Dorothee Racette's coaching practice and blog: Take Back My Day- Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab- Local Woman Missing by Mary KubicaSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/59

Smart Habits for Caring for Growing Your Online NetworkWe all hear about the importance of having a strong network for our business. And in some of our previous episodes, we've talked about ways to network at in-person events. Today, we thought it would be great to chat about growing your network online and some dos and don'ts that we personally subscribe to.Networking can be equally daunting whether you're just getting started in the profession or you're already an established translator or interpreter. You can feel uncertain about meeting clients on their turf, attending online events, or using email or social media platforms to connect with clients and colleagues. And of course, if you sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome or consider yourself an introvert, you may dread the very idea of networking.And then there are all kinds of other things to consider: where to find networking opportunities online, whether to network with clients only or to also think about networking with colleagues, what you can bring to the table and how you can utilize your network efficiently, etc.So, today we're sharing our thoughts and tips on this topic with the hope of helping you grow your online network as well.Tune in to hear our conversation on:Why it's important to have an online network and what some benefits are for your freelance businessWhere to go to establish or grow an online network What platforms or ways of connecting with people you should be thinking aboutOur thoughts on limiting your online network to clients vs having colleagues in your online network as wellHow to grow your network in a consistent and strategic wayGood strategies for connecting with new people online and creating new professional relationshipsWhat are some dos and don'ts in maintaining your existing network and leveraging itOur tips for those who feel nervous about connecting with new people for various reasons: maybe you find it difficult to step out of your comfort zone or maybe you feel that you don't have much to bring to the tableResources we mentioned in this episode:• Registration for our Virtual Business Retreat on March 17, 2022• Madalena's master class on Google Ads for Training for Translators• ATA webinars related to building your online network:o Building a Networko The Power of Social Media: Key Strategies for Marketing Your Interpreting and Translation Services• One Line a Day journalSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/58

Smart Habits for Caring for Managing Your InboxHaving a freelance translation or interpreting business means that you depend quite a bit on your email inbox. At least, we know we do! You probably correspond with most of your clients via email, as well as colleagues and others who need to reach you or send you important information.But it's really easy to let your inbox take over your work-life (and perhaps your home-life, too!). We know that we have felt this way on and off through the years, especially as email quickly took over as the main form of communication.So, today we want to share our thoughts and tips on managing your inbox so it doesn't manage you!Tune in to hear our conversation on:- Why it's healthier for your business and work/life clarity to set yourself up for success with your inbox- Why it's important to do a quick audit of what you receive and send on a regular basis and determine if it's all truly necessaryWhat filing systems we use in our inboxes- How we handle incoming emails that we haven't yet seen or replied to- What we do with emails that seem to have a lot of back-and-forth- Our thoughts on when and how often to check your email- How to set boundaries around emails on evenings and weekendsResources we mentioned in this episode:- SEO Translation course by Teresa Sousa- Boomerang for Gmail- Streak for Gmail- Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant- Money Mindset by Canna Campbell- Enhanced Productivity with Text Expansion by Nora Diaz for ATA's Next Level blogSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/57

Smart Habits for Caring for Your Mental Health with Dr. Elizabeth MillerThere is a lot of responsibility and uncertainty that comes with being a freelancer and a small business owner. Many of us often struggle with feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, and the pandemic has certainly exacerbated this to such an extent that some people could barely function due to constantly feeling worried and not knowing what to expect. Our worlds have been turned upside down, and many people have been feeling guilty that they don't seem to be able to function the same way they did before. We've been talking about discussing the topic of caring for your mental health on the podcast for a long time, but let's be honest, we're not experts on this topic. So, we decided to find someone who is, and we're thrilled to welcome today's guest, Dr. Elizabeth Miller, who will help us normalize this topic and offer some helpful advice.Elizabeth is a psychotherapist, researcher, speaker, and mom of two, who specializes in women's mental health, chronic illness, and compassion-focused trauma recovery. She opened her private clinical practice, Elizabeth Miller Therapy, after identifying a need for an integrative and holistic approach to healing. She provides support for women, teenagers, couples, and families, who are looking for a mind-body approach to mental health. Elizabeth merges modern neuroscience with research-based mind-body techniques to help her clients obtain optimal health. Please visit www.ElizabethMillerTherapy.com for more information. Elizabeth also founded a company called Well Mind Body to provide educational resources to help people live their lives to the fullest by helping connect mind body and spirit.Tune in to hear our conversation on:• Elizabeth's clinical practice and what areas she specializes in• What solopreneurs and freelancers can do to manage feelings of stress, pressure, and uncertainty in a healthy way• How to handle feeling isolated and how to manage introvert tendencies and social anxiety• Elizabeth's tips on managing perfectionism and overcoming the feeling of not being good enough• How solopreneurs and small business owners can overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome and start valuing their own work• Elizabeth's advice for parents who, especially after the last couple of years, feel drained and don't feel like their normal selves• What resources, tools, and strategies are often overlooked or used inconsistently when it comes to supporting mental health • What smart habits have been crucial for Elizabeth in her life and career and how she protects the boundaries between her work and personal lifeResources we mentioned in this episode:Dr. Elizabeth Miller's websiteFollow Elizabeth on Instagram and FacebookFollow Well Mind Body on InstagramLook Ma', No Hands podcast by Laura Max Rose: episodes with Elizabeth on social isolation and the feeling of shame during the pandemic and navigating stress and life transitions with kidsStress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance by Emily FletcherHarmoni necklace: Use discount code WELLMINDBODYIf you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, know that there are resources and professionals who can help. Reach out to your physician, your local mental health hotline, or someone you trust and let them know you need help.See the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/56

Today's episode is all about the importance of checking and improving our work as translators. We all know that this is a crucial step in maintaining the high quality of our work. But not all of us enjoy the editing and proofreading step or have a systematic and efficient approach to the process. So, we invited two of our colleagues, Eve Bodeux and Emily Safrin, to discuss this topic with us. Eve and Emily are both excellent translators and talented editors.We're excited to welcome Eve Bodeux and Emily Safrin to the podcast! Listen in to hear our conversation on:• When and how Eve and Emily started their freelance careers, what services they offer, and how their businesses have evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in their careers• Why they decided to present “Proofread Like a Pro and Ship It Express: Effective and Efficient Quality Control for the Time-Strapped Language Professional” at the 2021 ATA Annual Conference• Why translators usually struggle with checking and improving their own texts as well as editing other people's work• How to give objective and constructive feedback as well as receive and respond to the feedback others offer you• What tools and resources can help translators with quality control of their work• What they do to maintain work/life clarity and protect the boundaries between work and personal lifeRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Eve Bodeux's website and Twitter account• Eve's book, Maintaining Your Second Language: practical and productive strategies for translators, teachers, interpreters and other language lovers• Eve's Global Reads Book Club, a book club for translators• Emily Safrin's website• Emily's article for the ATA Savvy Newcomer blog on ergonomics for ATA's certification exam• American Translators Association• ACES: The Society for Editing• PerfectIt: Proofreading software• Do Pause: You Are Not a To Do List by Robert Poynton• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor NoahWe'll send our email subscribers a summary of this episode, including links to all the mentioned resources, including Eve's 10 Tips for an Ergonomic Office and Emily's guide on how translators can add copyediting to their services.See the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/55

In today's episode, we have a thought-provoking conversation about the importance of treating your translation or interpreting business as a business—in particular, thinking like a business owner. This sounds like such a simple thing, but many freelance translators and interpreters fail to do this and consider themselves “just freelancers.” This mindset can have a negative impact on your interactions with clients, your pricing, and many other elements of your business.We have talked about this in many of our previous episodes, but today we've invited a special guest to join us in this conversation.We're excited to welcome Sarah Townsend to the podcast!As a freelance copywriter for more than 20 years, Sarah helps purpose-led businesses discover the power of persuasive copy. In 2020, she published Survival Skills for Freelancers to help business owners around the globe tackle the day-to-day challenges of self-employment. Described as “better than a business coach”, the Amazon #1 bestseller busts the myths about being your own boss to help you ace self-employment without burnout. It distills 20 years of experience – plus quotes from over 100 freelancers – into 200 unputdownable pages. Since then, Sarah has combined her copywriting work with delivering mentoring, training, and events to help the self-employed community tackle the ups and downs of freelance life.Listen in to hear our conversation on:• When and how Sarah started her freelance career, what services she offers, and how her business evolved over time• What some smart habits have been crucial in her career• Why her book, Survival Skills for Freelancers, is so popular among freelance translators and interpreters• What top three things freelancers usually struggle with• How freelancers can educate themselves to maintain a business-owner mindset• Sarah's tips for valuing yourself and your expertise and charging appropriately• Her thoughts on the benefits of having a community as a solo worker and finding the right community for you• Sarah's favorite tools or resources that can help freelancers feel more professional, efficient, and productive• How she tries to protect the boundaries between her work and personal lifeRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• The Smart Habits for Translators Virtual Business Retreat• Pomodoro technique• Sarah Townsend's copywriting website• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram• Sarah's book Survival Skills for Freelancers• Free sample of the first chapter of Survival Skills for Freelancers• Deliberate Freelancer episode: Freelancer Survival Skills + a Pep Talk about Boundaries with Sarah Townsend• Calendly• Canva• Trello• FocusKeeper• Text Expander• Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown• On Writing by Stephen KingSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/54

Today, we want to share an important discussion that we don't tend to hear a lot of honest conversations about, at least not in a public forum. Freelancers and business owners know that the feast and famine cycle can really take a toll, especially if you're unprepared to handle times of famine. If you've ever been in the middle of a famine in your business, you know how unsettling it can be . . . waiting for that next project, wondering how you're going to make it to the next big check. But it doesn't have to be that way! The feast and famine cycle doesn't have to be on repeat in your translation or interpreting business. There is another way to run a freelance business, and that's what we want to share with you in this conversation.We're excited to welcome our colleague, Yulia Tsybysheva, to join us today!Yulia is a Russian marketing translator based in the UK. Originally from Russia, she's lived in the UK for over 10 years and has worked in the translation industry for over 15. She works with clients in the fashion, beauty, jewelry, and travel industries and specializes in web and app localization, as well as transcreation. Recently, Yulia also started a new role as a Russian Language Lead at Flo Health app.Listen in to hear our conversation with Yulia on:• When and how she started her freelance career, what services she offers, and how her translation business evolved over time• What smart habits have been crucial in her career• Advice for fellow translators who find themselves in a famine cycle• How to maintain a level head about your business when you're in a famine cycle• Tips for navigating the feast/famine cycle and finding long-term ways to overcome it• What marketing methods work best for Yulia, and how she finds time to fit them into her schedule• Smart habit tips to create more times of feast than famine while not falling into a state of burnout• Yulia's tips and tricks on enjoying a freelance career and parenthood, and how she protects boundaries between her work and personal lifeRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Our next Virtual Business Retreat• Yulia's website• Connect with Yulia on LinkedIn and Twitter• Yulia's blog post for the ATA's Slavic Languages Division blog: Localizing digital products into Russian: what is it like?• Yulia's interview for Slovo, the ATA Slavic Languages Division podcast• The Freelance Bible: Everything You Need to Go Solo in Any Industry by Alison Grade• Freelancer Magazine• Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Denny Penman• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela DuckworthSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/53

This 52nd episode of Smart Habits for Translators marks the second anniversary of our podcast! It's hard to believe that it's been two years since we launched Smart Habits for Translators. More than ever, we are grateful to you all, our listeners and colleagues, and it makes us so happy to hear that you enjoy our episodes!Last year, we celebrated our first “podcastiversary” by recording an “Ask Us Anything” episode, so we're making it a tradition by doing the same this year! We've been gathering questions from our listeners for a while, and we want to thank those of you who wrote to us by email, through our website, and on social media to submit your questions. There were so many of them that we had to group them into several categories to make sure we could answer as many of them as possible.Listen in to hear our thoughts on:• What advice we'd give to a beginner translator starting their online business• How to pick a name for your business and find your first clients• How to kickstart your online presence, and how to create a website with little experience under your belt• What we think a freelance translator should aim to achieve in their first year• How to prioritize when you feel a bit scattered and overwhelmed with all the things you should be doing as a new freelance translator• Our advice on being a freelance translator and a parent and how to succeed at both• How to find your community online and connect with colleagues• What CAT tools and CRM tools we use and how we suggest choosing which tools to invest in• What some of our "nerdy moments" are in everyday life• How we develop new podcast episodes, divide responsibilities, choose topics, and if we ever argue over episode contentResources we mentioned in this episode:• Our next Virtual Business Retreat• Madalena's interview on the Deliberate Freelancer podcast• Our Facebook group for translator moms• Asana• Streak• HoneyBook• Eve Bodeux's Global Reads Book ClubSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/52

Surprise! This is another joint episode of Smart Habits for Translators and Speaking of Translation.Corinne McKay and Eve Bodeux, co-hosts of the legendary Speaking of Translation podcast, recently announced, after 13 years they pressed pause on their podcast, but all of their past episodes are still there. We have already recorded two joint episodes (Episodes 29 and 35), and we're excited that they agreed to join us again and record this special episode!In this episode, we'll be discussing a topic that many of us are faced with (yet again!) this fall as many of our favorite conferences are going virtual or hybrid. As much as we look forward to returning to fully in-person events, unfortunately, we're not quite there yet because of the pandemic and travel restrictions. And hybrid conferences aren't quite the same thing as an in-person event or a virtual event. So, how can attendees and speakers prepare for hybrid conferences?Here's what we discuss in this episode:• What we think will be different when attending a hybrid conference vs. a fully in-person one or a virtual one• What smart habits for attending a regular conference still come in handy when preparing to attend a hybrid one• What in-person and virtual attendees should keep in mind when attending a hybrid conference• What speakers should be mindful of when they present in a hybrid format• What factors do we personally take into consideration when planning which conferences to attend next yearResources we mentioned in this episode:• Speaking of Translation podcast• Training for Translators• Corinne McKay's website• Eve Bodeux's website and Global Reads Book Club• Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo's website and blog• Veronika Demichelis' website• Madalena's Master class for Training for Translators: LinkedIn for translators and interpreters• ATA's 62nd Annual Conference• Innovation in Translation Summit• Trados Elevate Conference• LocWorld conferenceSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/51

In this episode, we're piggybacking on the topic of Episode 49 about conducting a business audit. Before you start reviewing the different areas of your business and identifying or updating your business goals, it's important to keep in mind what your vision is for your business. As we said in Episode 49, we want you to put your CEO hat on and think about what you would like to get out of your business and whether it's changed from what you originally thought your business would be.Forming a vision for your business is like creating a roadmap. You're basically laying out the path you want to take and deciding what you want to get out of your freelance business and what it means to you.You'll need to answer some really big questions that may seem daunting at first and may take you a while to figure out.Not to worry—we're sharing some advice in this episode about what you might want to consider when you think about the vision for your freelance business. This is a perfect start to a business retreat that you can do on your own, with a trusted colleague, or with us, at our Smart Habits for Translators virtual business retreat!Here's what we discuss in this episode:- Why it's important to think about the vision for your freelance business and how often you should do so- What to consider when you reflect on what you would like to get out of your business- Why it's okay to admit that your vision has changed from what you originally thought it would be- What other questions are worth considering as you reflect on the vision for your businessResources we mentioned in this episode:Episode 49: Smart Habits for Conducting a Business AuditDetails and registration for our Virtual Business RetreatInnovation in Translation SummitSee which T&I events we are attending or speaking at this fallThe ATA Podcast “Inside Specialization” series: an interview with Abigail Dahlberg about translating sustainabilitySavvy Diversification Series – Don't be scared! How to Add Ghostwriting to Your Portfolio of ServicesSavvy Diversification Series – From text translator to film subtitler in just a few monthsATA's The Savvy Newcomer Diversification seriesSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/50

We often talk about small business owners, in particular freelancers, having to wear many hats: we're our own boss, bookkeeper, marketing team, tech support person, administrative assistant, and more! But how often do you really sit down and think about all these areas of your business?In this episode of Smart Habits for Translators, we are having a conversation about conducting a business audit: why it's important to check in with your translation or interpreting business regularly, what areas to look at, and, most importantly, how often.This is an area that is often overlooked by many freelancers: we can get so much into the day-to-day needs of our business that we forget to take a holistic look at the bigger picture. So, we thought that sharing a sort of roadmap today might be helpful.A business audit is a great starting point that will help you get ready for a business retreat. Spoiler alert: in this episode, we are announcing our very first Virtual Business Retreat! Check the episode for more details.Here's what we discuss in this episode:• Why it is important to review various areas of your translation or interpreting business regularly• What areas of your business to review during a business audit• How a business audit can help you set or modify your business goals and create a solid action plan• Details of the first-ever Smart Habits for Translators virtual business retreat and how you can joinResources we mentioned in this episode:• Details and registration for our Virtual Business Retreat• Episode 8: Setting Goals for the New Year• Episode 24: Course-Correction for Your Business During Times of Uncertainty• Atomic Habits by James ClearSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/49

We all know that first impressions count, and this applies to all interactions you have with other people–both online and in person. When you run your own business, it's even more important that you come across as a reliable, trustworthy professional, someone who clients and colleagues can trust and value.After all, this is how we often choose service providers ourselves. Whether we need a graphic designer or an accountant, or when we're looking for colleagues to collaborate with, we want to find someone who portrays themself as a professional from the start.But since so many of our interactions with the outside world are online these days (and most of us are used to working alone), it can be easy to forget how other people may perceive us. So, what strategies and smart habits can help you maintain a professional image?Here's what we discuss in this episode:- What to keep in mind when you have email and phone interactions with clients and colleagues- How to elevate your professional image online: in directories for translators and interpreters and on your website- How social media presence can influence your professional image- How your behavior impacts people's willingness to work with you- Our own reflections and tips on maintaining a professional image toward colleagues and clientsResources we mentioned in this episode:• Madalena's master class: Write Better Copy for Your Freelance Website• Madalena's 4-week course: LinkedIn for Translators and Interpreters• Madalena's blog posts:o How to Maximize Your Email Signature As a Professional Translator or Interpretero How to Maximize Your Email Signature - Updated with More Strategieso 8 More Ways to Maximize Your Email Signature As a Professional Translator or Interpretero 3 Ways to Use Testimonials When You Have NDAs• OSTI (Oregon Society of Translators and Interpreters) 2021 Conference• ATA (American Translators Association) 62nd Annual Conference• ATA Back to Business Basics webinars on the topic of professional image for translators and interpreters: o Personal Branding Basicso Phone and Email Etiquette for Freelancerso Getting and Incorporating Feedbacko Building a Network• ATA webinar: Personal Branding 101 for Translators and Interpreters• Grammarly: grammar, tone, and style checker• TextAloud: Text to Speech Software for Windows• Speaking of Translation episode “Tools that keep us productive and happy”• FREE webinar on protecting yourself against scammers: Don't Fall for It! Scams Targeting Language Professionals• The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth • The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray TedroweSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/48

As most translators (and many interpreters) work remotely, it's important to think about how we can reach and engage with our clients from a distance. With technology at our fingertips, there's no excuse for not engaging with our clients online. And yet… it can feel overwhelming, intimidating, and for some, even anxiety-inducing. We don't say this lightly. We know a lot of people deal with anxiety when it comes to their business and trying to market to potential clients. So, in this episode, we share our thoughts on engaging with clients online. We hope you will find some of the tips we share helpful.Here's what you'll hear in this episode:• How to research your options and choose online venues that will be the most effective • How to learn what features of online platforms work for you and how to make the most of them• How to make a plan for online engagement with clients• How to plan your time when it comes to online engagement and networking• How to engage in conversations with your clients consistently and not feel like a salesperson• Our own smart habits and strategies for engaging with clients onlineResources we mentioned in this episode:• OSTI (Oregon Society of Translators and Interpreters) 2021 Conference• ATA (American Translators Association) 62nd Annual Conference• Madalena's master class: Write Better Copy for Your Freelance Website• Madalena's 4-week course: LinkedIn for Translators and Interpreters• Episode 46: Smart Habits for Finding the Right Clients for You• How to Reach Out to Potential Translation or Interpreting Clients on LinkedIn• Episode 5: Reading More When You're Not WorkingSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/47

Having a freelance business means that you're always looking for new clients. Even if you have some regular clients, all freelance translators and interpreters should be planning ahead and marketing their services or responding to inquiries from potential new clients.But just as you're not always the right fit for a particular project or client, they might also not be the right fit for you. This goes back to the goals and aspirations you have for your business, your specializations, or your particular schedule or personal circumstances.But how do you determine if a particular client is the right fit for you? This can be especially hard if you're just starting out and have little to no experience. It can also be difficult if you've never thought along these lines before and if you're used to saying “yes” to every project.So, in this episode, we're sharing some smart habits for determining who the right clients are for you.Here's what you'll hear in this episode:• Why it is healthier for your business and work/life clarity to determine who the right clients are for you• How to decide on the right kind of clients for you and your business• How to take into account the expectations that our clients may have of us and our expectations of them• Our thoughts on the so-called client avatar or client profile and what characteristics/features to include in it• How to find information about your ideal clients• How your client avatar can help you set goals for your business• Why the definition of the right clients for you changes along with your business• Some smart habits related to finding the right clients for youResources we mentioned in this episode:• Madalena's website, courses, and blog• Madalena's master class on LinkedIn for translators and interpreters• Madalena's blog posts: o How to Create an Ideal T&I Client Profile to Market Your Services o How to Determine and Attract Your Ideal Client• Characters with Character: 50 Ways to Rekindle Your Love Affair with Language by Jost Zetzsche: order a signed copy from Jost or through Amazon • The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth See the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/46

We've all heard how important it is to specialize as professional translators and interpreters. But not everyone agrees with this. There are many who believe that specializing is not necessary and that you can get enough work as a generalist to make a good living. We're not here to argue that you can't, of course, but we do feel that specializing is an excellent way to stand out as a professional, gain better clients, and open more doors for future opportunities in an area you already know well.Choosing a specialization can feel daunting when you're just starting out as a translator or interpreter, and even years into your career, it can be easy to overlook the importance of diving deeper into your subject area.So, in this episode, we're sharing some smart habits for specializing and keeping up with your specialization!Here's what you'll hear in this episode:• What our specializations are and why we picked them• How to get started in a specific specialization• Why it's important to choose a specialization that you feel good about• How to continue growing in your subject area and keep up with your specialization• How to not let professional development fall by the wayside when you get busy• How we plan professional development in our areas of specializationRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Madalena's website, courses, and blog• Episode 44: Smart Habits for Diversifying Your Translation Business• American Translators Association• American Medical Writers Association• ACES: The Society for Editing• ATA's webinar on back-translation• IPIECA: the global oil and gas industry association for advancing environmental and social performance• SHRM: The Society for Human Resource Management• ATA's Back to Business Basics webinar on choosing and building a specialization• Inside Specialization series on the ATA Podcast• Eve Bodeux's Global Reads Book Club• Bright by Duanwad Pimwana• Persuasive Copywriting: Cut Through the Noise and Communicate With Impact by Andy MaslenSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/45

While it’s definitely important to master your craft and hone your skills, we also think that offering more than one type of service or working with various types of clients can be a safeguard for your business. After all, you never know when things might shift, and when they do, it tends to happen when you least expect it. Or maybe you’re just ready for a change. There are so many reasons to diversify your translation or interpreting business! In this episode, we want to share some ways to do that, along with some smart habits you might try to implement, too.Here’s a summary of our discussion:• Our experience with diversifying our business and why we believe it’s a good idea• How you can look at diversification from a variety of perspectives in your business• Why taking an inventory of your past experience, skills, and interests can be a helpful start when you start thinking about diversifying your business• Some ideas on ways to diversify• How you can take circumstances that change beyond your control and use them as motivation to diversify• Our thoughts on diversifying our businesses further in the future• Smart habits that can help you diversify your business• Our new segment “Smart Habit Tip,” where we share a tip related to a smart habit that we recently learned or were reminded ofResources we mentioned in this episode:• Madalena’s website, courses, and blog• The Deliberate Freelancer podcast: Episode 84: My 2020 Business Audit & Lessons for 2021• The Daily: The New York Times podcastSee the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/44

In this episode, we’re sharing a conversation about finding mentors and surrounding yourself with people who encourage you and push you to be better at your craft. This can feel like a difficult thing to do, especially in a profession where we are used to working alone and behind the scenes.It can be especially daunting if you’re a new translator or interpreter. It’s not that easy to know where to start, and finding someone who will guide and encourage you can feel nearly impossible. So, how do you go about finding mentors and a community of people who help you grow and develop?Here’s a summary of our discussion:• How getting involved in the T&I community can help you surround yourself with people who encourage and push you to be better at your craft• How to figure out what you want in a mentor or someone you look up to who makes you want to be better at your work• Why it's important to be aware of but tune out what isn’t in your best interest• Who can be a mentor from afar and how they can inspire and encourage you even if you don’t know them personally• How timing can impact what you're looking for in a mentor and why your mentors can be different at different stages of your career• How to make the mentoring experience rewarding not just for yourself but for your mentor too• How people who surround you can encourage and push you (in a good way!) to be better• Why those you surround yourself with don’t necessarily have to be in the same field or industryRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Madalena’s website, courses, and blog• ATA 62nd Annual Conference website• Episode 2: Impostor Syndrome• Episode 37: Smart Habits for Improving Your Online Research with Elizabeth Adams• The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation by Judy Jenner and Dagmar Jenner• Boomerang app• Likewise app• WONDERBOOM Portable Waterproof Bluetooth SpeakerSee the full list of links and resources for this episode:https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/43

In this episode, we’re having a conversation about finding time for unpaid work and projects. You know, those things we truly enjoy doing—whether for our own development or personal fulfillment or as a volunteer in an organization—but that can be difficult to make time for during busy days filled with paid work.Like most of our translator and interpreter colleagues, it comes as no surprise that we love the work we do and we sometimes can’t believe that we get paid to do it. But there are also other projects and goals we have that we want to devote time to that we don’t actually earn any money doing. These are things that will help you grow but that are so easy to push aside for a "quieter" day.For example, maybe you have a blog you write, a special project or area of study you’re trying to develop, a hobby you want to lean into, or maybe you volunteer for an organization that means a lot to you. Whatever the project or goal you’re working toward, it can sometimes be hard to find time to work on these things that don’t pay the bills but are fulfilling.So, how do we make time for these projects and goals? We don’t have a secret recipe for success but we’re happy to share our approach and learn what others are doing.Here’s what we discuss in this episode:• What projects we spend time on and why we try to make time for them• How to decide how much time you can devote to unpaid projects and how often you can work on them• How to handle those times when a certain project takes more time than you expected• How to make time for hobbies and overcome that sense of guilt that comes with devoting time to something fun instead of working longer hours or earning more money• How to respond to requests or proposals to work on something that is completely unpaid and that may take up a good bit of your timeResources we mentioned in this episode:• Madalena’s website, courses, and blog• American Translators Association• No-Fail Communication: 13 Workplace Communication Problems and How to Fix Them by Michael Hyatt • No-Fail Meetings: 5 Steps to Orchestrate Productive Meetings (and Avoid all the Rest) by Michael Hyatt• Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra AndrewsSee the full list of links and resources for this episode:https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/42

Today’s episode is all about using technology in your work. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Even though many translators and interpreters like putting pen to paper, we depend on technology and tools to make us more productive and maintain our work's high quality. This is also a controversial topic, especially the debate surrounding the advances in machine translation (MT), how this technology affects our work, and what lies ahead.We also often get questions from listeners on the beginner end of the spectrum about translation environment tools or CAT tools: which ones are best and how to choose the right ones when you’re starting out. We’re no experts on this topic, but when we discussed who to invite as a guest, our decision was easy! And we’re thrilled that he said yes to our invitation.We’re excited to welcome our colleague Jost Zetzsche today!Jost Zetzsche is a translation industry and translation technology consultant, a widely published author on various aspects of translation and localization, and an ATA-certified English-to-German technical translator. In 1999 Jost co-founded International Writers' Group, LLC, on the Oregon coast. Originally from Hamburg, Germany, he earned a Ph.D. in the field of Chinese translation history and linguistics at the University of Hamburg. He sits on the editorial board for MultiLingual Magazine, the Journal of Internationalisation and Localisation, and the ATA Chronicle. In 2018 he was awarded an honorary membership to American Translators Association (ATA). Since 2016 he has been contracting with United Bible Societies to help create and maintain the Translation Insights and Perspectives tool. Here’s a summary of our conversation with Jost:• When and how he started his freelance career and how it evolved over time• What his typical workday looks like and what changes he had to make due to the COVID-19 pandemic• How Jost protects boundaries between his work and personal life• What smart habits have been crucial in his career• What his thoughts are on using technology in our work as translators and interpreters• How to choose the right tools and technology for your job• How to stay informed and be aware of the technological changes and developments that concern translation• How to overcome the fear that technology will make human translators’ jobs redundant• What 3 tools Jost would recommend all translators to tryRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Learn more about Jost Zetzsche and his work• Learn more about The Translator’s Tool Box and The Tool Box Journal• Follow Jost on Twitter• Check our Jost Zetzsche’s books: Characters With Character: 50 Ways to Rekindle Your Love Affair with Language and Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World (co-authored with Nataly Kelly)• Discover the Translation Insights and Perspectives tool• The ATA Chronicle• IntelliWebSearch: a terminology research tool• ABBYY FineReader PDFGet a full list of links and resources for this episode:https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/41

Managing finances is one area of business that all freelancers and small business owners have to deal with on a regular basis, and translators and interpreters are no exception. Owning a small business often means that you wear many hats, and, let’s face it, the role of CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, is one that a lot of us struggle with or even dread. We often hear colleagues ask questions about managing the financial side of their business and financial planning, and we’re interested in these topics too. And because the financial side of a business is so vital to get right, it’s always best to ask a professional.So, to discuss this topic with us today, we’ve invited a special guest: Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Financial Counselor Pamela Capalad.Pamela has been in the financial services industry since 2008. She founded Brunch & Budget to help people who felt ashamed or embarrassed about money have a safe and friendly place to talk about it and make real financial progress. Her mission is to make financial planning as affordable as possible for the communities who need it most. She co-hosts the Brunch & Budget podcast and co-founded the Race & Wealth Podcast Network. She also runs a group financial planning program called See Change, specifically designed for People of Color. Pam has been featured in the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, Vice Magazine, and other places you’ve heard of. She was named in New York Magazine’s Best of New York 2019 and has brunched with over 400 people and counting. Here’s a summary of our conversation with Pam:• Who she serves and what services she offers• How Pam started Brunch & Budget and how her business evolved over time• What her typical workday looks like and what changes she had to make due to the COVID-19 pandemic• What mindset shifts or changes she typically sees her freelance clients go through• What mistakes freelancers usually make when it comes to financial habits and how to avoid them• Pam’s tips on responsible spending for freelancers, saving up for big-ticket items, and planning for retirement• What questions freelancers should ask when they are looking for a financial planner• How Pam protects boundaries between her work and personal life• What other smart habits have been crucial in her careerRESOURCES WE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:• Learn more about Brunch & Budget• Listen to the Brunch & Budget podcast and the Race & Wealth podcast• Follow Brunch & Budget on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook• Take Charge of Your Finances: Pamela’s interview on the Deliberate Freelancer podcast• Episode 18: Creating a Four-Day Work Week With Matt Baird• Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree BrownGet a full list of links and resources for this episode:https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/40

In today’s episode, we’ll talk about the mindset shift and strategies that are necessary when you’re ready to take your freelance translation or interpreting business to the next level. Whether you aspire to make more money as a freelancer or you simply want to reach the stage where you’re only working on ideal projects for ideal clients at ideal rates, you may find yourself with more questions than answers on how to get there. When possible, we like to step outside of our professional bubble and talk to colleagues in other fields, especially creative ones, to get their perspectives and advice.So, to discuss this topic with us today, we’ve invited a special guest: a six-figure freelance writer, coach, author, and fellow podcaster, Laura Briggs.Laura Briggs is a teacher turned entrepreneur. She has coached over 11,000 freelancers and is the author of How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business (2019) and The Six-Figure Freelancer (2020.) Her third and fourth books will be released in 2022. Here’s a summary of our conversation with Laura:• How Laura started her freelance career and how her business evolved over time• Who she serves and what services she offers• What her typical workday looks like and what changes she had to make due to the COVID-19 pandemic• How her books and her podcast came about and the topics she covers• Laura’s tips for freelancers on how to manage imposter syndrome, especially when you try to grow your business• How one plans for growth in their freelance business, and more importantly, how one actually implements those plans• Strategies for dealing with variable income and the lack of stability that freelancers often struggle with• Laura’s advice on specializing and choosing a niche• How Laura protects boundaries between work and personal life• What other smart habits have been crucial in her careerResources we mentioned in this episode:• Learn more about Laura’s freelance coach business: Better Biz Academy• Connect with Laura on LinkedIn• Join Laura’s Facebook group: Mastering Your Freelance Life with Laura: Becoming A Six Figure Freelancer• Get a free copy of the first two chapters of Laura’s book, The Six-Figure Freelancer• The Deliberate Freelancer podcast by Melanie Padgett Powers• ClickUp: A project management tool• Focus@Will: Personalized focus music to help you get stuff done• Boomerang: A productivity app for your inbox• Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike MichalowiczGet a full list of links and resources for this episode:https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/39

In today’s episode, we’re having a conversation on the topic that we briefly discussed in several previous episodes and that many of our listeners often ask about: being a parent and a freelancer. Those of us who have kids know that parenting is a full-time job. But running your own freelance business can also take a lot of time and energy. So, how do you combine the two without crashing and burning in the process? We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll share our experience and what has worked for us.Here’s a summary of our conversation:• How old our kids are and how old they were when we started freelancing• What we did to prepare and set ourselves up for success in that first year with a baby, how much time off we took before and after birth, and how we transitioned back to work after that• How we manage to take care of our kids and run a freelance business, whether we have help, and how our typical day looks, considering our family’s schedule and needs as well as our work and other commitments• How we prepare for and deal with sick days, half-days at school, school holidays, and emergencies• How we handle long holidays and extended periods of time when our kids have to stay home while we work• Our tips for overcoming family vs work guilt• What our kids say about our work as translators and what they think we do all dayResources we mentioned in this episode:• Our on-demand webinar Smart Habits for Marketing Your Business in Unexpected Ways (Don't forget to use the code SMARTHABITS at checkout for $10 off!)• Madalena’s course with Training for Translators: Copywriting for Translators: Identifying and Targeting Your Copywriting Market• Madalena’s T&I Website Blueprint course• ATA’s virtual workshop “Interpreting Idioms and Cultural References” (in Russian; March 13, 2021)• Episode 7: Overcoming Family vs. Work Guilt• Outschool: Virtual classes for kids• Podcast episode by Speaking of Translation: Self-care and mental health in the pandemic• The app we use for meditation: Calm• Elizabeth Gilbert on distinguishing between hobbies, jobs, careers, and vocation• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owenshttps://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/38