The Freelance Remuda: Navigating the Equine Media Frontier

We have a nice long episode for you today! Kate and Abigail discuss their hectic recent weeks, including a fun story-gathering trip and Freelance Remuda retreat together in South Dakota, then we chat with Solo Select Horses founder Melanie Smith about how she uses marketing to promote her multiple equine businesses. Lastly, fellow equine media pro Jennifer Denison joined us during our Freelance Remuda retreat to recap the American Horse Publications conference.

In today's episode, Kate and Abigail talk about our experiences with equine event media policies, we have a great conversation with event photographer Stacy Judd, and we end by a short discussion about publication freelancer contracts and guidelines. We hope our conversation today offers insights on equine event media, and we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Welcome to our first episode of 2025! Kate and Abigail discussed goals and upcoming projects for The Freelance Remuda, and then we sat down with marketing expert Chelsea Sutton. Chelsea's unique skill set includes solid business and marketing knowledge, plus a deep background in equine events. She's a notable horse show announcer and podcast producer, and brings an infectious energy to our conversation. We hope you enjoy today's episode as much as we did putting it together!

In Episode 54, we're chatting about small businesses and defining your version of success! Abigail and Kate discuss their experiences and challenges in balancing horse show life with freelance work, and then dig into interviews with two social media and marketing experts: Kelly Giardano of Avenue Equestrian, and Denise Alvarez of Stormlily Marketing. These guests shared strategies for marketing and business growth, tailored to equestrian entrepreneurs. Both of us took notes and were inspired to immediately implement some of their strategies. We hope you find this episode helpful!

In Episode 53, we're chatting about social media! Our extended interview is with social media consultant Lydia Kyle, where she gives LOTS of great advice. And in our intro segment, we're announcing our upcoming Freelance Remuda Cowboy Country Workshop.

In Episode 52, Abigail and Kate are talking about equine books! First, Kate and Abigail discuss Abigail's experiences writing her first book, which is coming out this summer. Next, we chat with Rebecca Didier, managing editor and graphic designer at Trafalgar Square Books, the leading publisher of equestrian books and videos. We hope our conversations are helpful, whether you're looking to write your own book or are simply an avid reader.

In this episode we are digging into marketing: freelancing as a marketing professional, and promoting your services and brand authentically. We discuss how we're handling summer schedules and upcoming pitching season, and dive deep into conversations with Ashton Kirkeide and Mackenzie Kimbro.   **This is the FULL episode with nearly 30 extra minutes. The previous Episode 47 cut off at 52 minutes, unbeknownst to us. Please enjoy the rest of the interview with Mackenzie--you absolutely won't want to miss what she has to say!**

In Episode 51, Abigail and Kate visited with two movers and shakers in the equine video and Western television media scene! First, we talked to Lily Rhodes, a digital marketer and social media manager who creates content we love for equine brands. Next, we chatted with Karlee Peterson, an executive producer at The Cowboy Channel, about her rise from interning at the National High School Rodeo Finals to heading up the Cowboy Channel. What are your thoughts about this episode? Let us know at freelanceremuda@gmail.com.

In Episode 50, we're talking with two equine media professionals about AI – Artificial Intelligence – and how it is changing the way we create! We visit with photographer Shelley Paulson about how she's seen AI affect photographers and the images being generated. In segment two, we visit with writer and marketer Katie Navarra Bradley about how AI can be used to a writer's benefit. We hope you find today's episode insightful and eye-opening. Let us know your thoughts in our Facebook group, or email freelanceremuda@gmail.com.

This is our last episode of 2023, and today Kate Bradley Byars and Abigail Boatwright discuss our thoughts on the current state of equine media—print, digital, social media and more. We are then joined by the king of equine podcasts, Glenn Hebert for an insightful chat about where podcasting is today. Holly Caccamise of Horse llustrated rounded out our conversation as we discussed print and digital magazines. We hope you enjoy!

In today's episode, you'll hear conversations with “Cowgirl Comedian” Chelsea Edsall and quintessential freelancer Lizzie Iwersen. Both of these amazing women are carving their own career paths out of opportunities that present themselves through friendships and connections they have made in the horse world. In our first segment, Kate and Abigail chat about our new freelancer retreat, and some of our favorite guest blog posts on our Freelance Remuda website. We can't wait to hear what you think!

In this episode Kate and Abigail are digging into marketing: freelancing as a marketing professional, and promoting your services and brand authentically. We discuss how we're handling summer schedules and upcoming pitching season, and dive deep into conversations with freelance marketing pro Ashton Kirkeide and Western influencer Mackenzie Kimbro.  Let us know what you think of this episode - you can email us or even better, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Show notes

In this episode, Kate and Abigail discuss some recent adventures with work, and in the main segment we visited with author Liz Hughey about her children's book series featuring mule packing. We also share a preview of the self-marketing for freelancers panel that we are co-moderating at the upcoming American Horse Publications annual conference, and a bit about two other sessions in which we are panelists. Don't miss our announcement about our annual in-person Freelance Remuda Gathering at AHP!

In Episode 45, Abigail and Kate explore how to get the most out of learning opportunities: workshops, online courses and other means to improve your craft and broaden your niche. We talked with photographer Chris Dickinson about his photography journey and his sought-after photography retreats, and Nicole Poyo Brennan about her evolution from Virginia college student to Great Basin ranch photographer. We hope you enjoy!   Episode notes: http://www.freelanceremuda.com/blog/2023/4/18/episode45-learning-growing-and-gaining

Welcome to Episode 44 of The Freelance Remuda. In this episode, Abigail and Kate talk about Kate's recent trip to the Art of the Cowgirl and Abigail's current book project. We also interviewed two photographers: rodeo photographer Christopher “Click” Thompson, and equine/wildlife/fine art photographer Phyllis Burchett. Our wonderful guests shared so much of their interesting experiences, as well as helpful education—we even took some notes—and we think you'll want to do the same!

Welcome to another episode of The Freelance Remuda! Today, Kate and Abigail kick us off by discussing how we found the right audience for each of our businesses. Next, we talked with equine portrait photographer Rachel Griffin about how she established her business in a new location and how she's rebranded. And finally, we discussed building a client base, rebranding, and how trainers work with equine media pros with Shannon Pigott. Let us know what you think of this episode - you can email us at freelanceremuda@gmail.com, or even better, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

In today's episode, Kate and Abigail discuss what working at max capacity looks like, and how we figure out what the ideal workload is for ourselves. We also interviewed Jessie Jarvis, founder and CEO of ag and western job site Of the West about finding a job in the agricultural world; and Freelance Remuda's first repeat guest, Jen Paulson of Jen Paulson Creative, about the importance of community journalism. This episode is a bit longer than usual, but we think the info you'll glean is worth your time with us! Let us know your thoughts over on Facebook or Instagram, or shoot us an email at freelanceremuda@gmail.com

Welcome to the 40th episode of the Freelance Remuda Podcast! You may notice a few changes starting with this episode, mainly a new format. We're experimenting with recording several segments for one episode, and we'd sure love your feedback! Whether this is your first episode with us or your 40th, we're glad you're here, and we're thankful you're spending your valuable time with us.  Nichole Chirico is the editor of Horse & Rider magazine and the producer of Horse & Rider On Demand Online training portal. Nichole has risen through the ranks of this beloved Western publication to her current leadership role. She's also a photographer and an avid horsewoman herself. We so enjoyed talking with Nichole about how Horse & Rider's content has evolved to reach readers across many platforms. And we think you will too.

Today Abigail and Kate talked with Catie Staszak, a multimedia equine sports journalist. She has been an announcer and color commentator at major showjumping events and has appeared on television for a variety of sports television networks. She's also written for many major equine magazines. Catie is the CEO of Catie Staszak Media Inc, a boutique media agency focusing on storytelling-based marketing and PR. We hope you enjoy our conversation today.

If you're wanting to get your feet wet in freelancing for equine media, event coverage is an excellent place to start. There is a real need for more writers to cover the vast number of horse shows occurring all over the place for magazines and websites. HOWEVER, event coverage is a unique form of journalism. Before you head out to your local rodeo, we want to talk about what you need to know to do this detailed type of writing.

We talk a lot about writing and photography on this podcast, but another important role in equine media is graphic design. Graphic artists are critical to producing eye-catching logos, layouts, infographics and websites…the list is endless. Here to talk with us today is Avery Shifflett from Denim and Velvet, an all-in-one agency serving Western brands. We are so excited to chat with Avery, and we think you'll enjoy our conversation.

Lindsay Keller is the daughter in the mother-daughter duo behind The Bell Mare Book Company. Together with her mother Marilyn Domer, Lindsay has created several children's books surrounding the cowboy way of life. With authenticity born from their own ranching lives, Lindsay and Marilyn have created two delightful books and a coloring book enjoyed by children and their parents alike. We loved hearing about their company vision and the process to make their books.

2020 threw us a collective curveball, am I right? Thanks to a global pandemic transforming the way we worked this year, and uncertainty on many fronts, those of us carving out careers as equine media professionals have met our share of challenges this past year. But amid the chaos, there have been good things to come our way as well. Looking ahead, here at The Freelance Remuda, we thought we'd do a bit of reflecting on what we've learned this past year and share some of our individual (and Freelance Remuda) goals with you.

In today's podcast episode, we talked with Olie Moss, the founder of Olie's Images and Equine Photo School. Olie is a veteran equine event photographer, covering mainly roping competitions and barrel races. He's shot events all over the West, including The Patriot and Wrangler Team Roping Championships. We're so excited to share this conversation with you—listen close, he shares a huge announcement about his company during our talk. And don't miss his educational blog post from our Event Photographer Series from earlier this month. Olie, welcome to the show!

Milt Toby is an attorney and the president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, an organization dedicated to helping independent non-fiction writers. Milt also serves as legal counsel for the American Horse Publications, and is a frequent presenter on publishing contracts, copyright and other legal issues affecting writers at AHP seminars and other national meetings. He's also an author, and his latest book, Taking Shergar was named the best horse racing book at the EQUUS Film & Arts Fest in 2019. Milt has been a great source of knowledge for the American Horse Publications community, as well as our Freelance Remuda group. I've learned so much from talking with him, and I hope y'all will too. Today we're going to focus on some pending laws that may affect freelancers in the United States. show notes: http://www.freelanceremuda.com/blog/2020/1/28/episode-33-freelancer-laws-with-milt-toby

We are staring down the end of the year—and of the decade! In this episode, Kate and Abigail sat down to talk shop for the first time in a while. We recapped 2019, discussed some changes we're seeing in equine media and how to roll with the punches, and talked about our goals for 2020. Thanks for sticking with us—we're so thankful for our Freelance Remuda community. We have learned so much from y'all, and you inspire us so much! We hope you have a 2020 that's everything you've hoped for. Show notes at: 

Recorded during the Elevate Your Pitch session moderated by the Freelance Remuda and fellow freelancer Jennifer Bryant, this episode walks through the hows and why of making a successful pitch to equine media content gatherers.The episode will go through four points: Precise, timely, thorough and follow up.  The session was held at the 2019 American Horse Publications' Equine Media Conference. 

Kelly Artz is the founder and CEO of Entrigue Consulting, a dedicated full-service marketing company. Her company speclizes in helping brands connect with brand ambassadors—businesses sponsoring riders, for example. Kelly's company offers a variety of services to small businesses, particularly in the horse industry. Kelly herself is a horsewoman, and we're excited to talk with her today about how she started her company, and how marketing for equine brands is a different breed. The Freelance Remuda Podcast explores the trials and triumphs surrounding life as a freelancer in equine media, while sharing valuable tips from equine media editors and creatives doing what they love. Visit freelanceremuda.com for more. 

Jessica Hein is the Senior Director of MemberCare & Publications for the American Paint Horse Association. She brought a lifetime of agricultural and equine experience to her role at APHA, and during her tenure at the association, she has moved up through the ranks of its multiple publications to her current position. An award-winning writer and photographer, Jessica lives just outside Fort Worth in Justin, Texas, with her husband, horses and dogs—and soon, a new baby. Abigail worked with Jessica at APHA for nearly five years, and she had a huge role in shaping the writer and journalist she is today. Both Kate and Abigail consider Jessica a great asset to the equine media industry, and we're so pleased to have her on our show today. We look forward to her sharing her advice and wisdom, and we think you will too.

In this episode, hosts Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars talk to Jamie Samples, the creator of Yellow Barn Media which is a full-service marketing firm geared toward equine businesses. This Michigan native thrives on helping companies attract and develop loyal customers, and she does it on a variety of platforms: e-courses, webinars, masterminds, coaching, speaking engagements, etc. Jamie is passionate about helping businesses in our industry, and we're excited to hear her advice for freelancers on how to promote ourselves on social media. View other episodes in the Archive at FreelanceRemuda.com

This is Part 2 (of 2) of Abigail Boatwright's session for freelancers at the 2018 American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Veteran freelancers Tracy Gantz and Jennifer Bryant joined her in discussing ways to kick off your freelance business and keep it going for the long haul, and attendees participated in a Q&A session.

Abigail Boatwright moderated a session for freelancers at the 2018 American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Abigail and veteran freelancers Tracy Gantz and Jennifer Bryant talked about ways to get your freelance career starting off on the right foot, and ways to develop yourself into a hirable freelancer long-term. We also spent a lot of time discussing questions amongst the group. This is Part 1 (of two) of the session.

Patty Tiberg is a cornerstone in the niche publication industry. Rising through the ranks at Cowboy Publishing and on through Morris Media Network, Patty is the vice president of the company's Equine Enthusiast Group, which houses such publications as Barrel Horse News, Quarter Horse News, Reined Cow Horse News and Western Horseman. A fellow graduate of Texas A&M University, as well as a founding member of TAMU's Equestrian Team, Patty is a wealth of knowledge and has become a trusted resource for both of us as we have worked with her over the years. We're excited to share what she has to say about contract work in equine media, and how freelancers like yourself can score such a gig. Show Notes: http://www.freelanceremuda.com Where can listeners learn more about Cowboy Publishing? Western Horseman Quarter Horse News  Barrel Horse News Equine Journal Western Lifestyle Retailer  Ranch Horse News  Cutting Horse Chatter Reined Cow Horse News Horsecity 

The Freelance Remuda Podcast launched in January, and since then, we have produced two episodes each month that focused on the equine media industry. We interviewed guests including established editors and young up-and-coming media entrepreneurs, inviting them to share their expertise with you and hopefully, helping to educate and inspire you. Now, we are jumping off into a new venture with The Freelance Remuda, but don't worry. We aren't abandoning you. This episode, we're going to reflect on 2017, set goals for 2018 and forecast our next step.

Arizona author Carly Kade's first book, “In the Reins,” has been an Amazon best seller for more than 10 weeks, is an EQUUS Film Festival Literary Award Winner for Best Western Fiction and earned her a loyal group of followers. Married with a full-time job as Manager of Strategic Talent for a Fortune 200 Energy Company, shows her Paint horse, and mom to two adopted dogs, Carly still finds time to write. In fact, Cowboy Away, the sequel to her first book will be out this year. She juggles a successful career and pursues her dream as a freelance author, and today, Carly is going to tell us how she does it!

This episode of The Freelance Remuda Podcast features Jennifer Paulson, the editor-in-chief of Horse & Rider magazine, one of the leading Western training magazines on newsstands today. The magazine provides practical training tips from professional trainers, horsekeeping advice and insight into living the Western horse life. A horse enthusiast herself based in Colorado, Jennifer has worked at Horse & Rider since 2010. Horse & Rider is such a respected publication, and we know you'll enjoy hearing from Jen about how the magazine has evolved, what she looks for in freelancers, and what it takes to produce the right content. 

John Harrer and his wife Ranae host the Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship. Podcasts about horses are few and far between, and the Whoa Podcast was an early entry into the medium. Over the last five years and more than 120 episodes in, the Harrers have carved a place in the podcast space. They interview horse people from all walks of life and equine disciplines, introducing listeners to interesting horsemen and women. The weekly show is practical and entertaining. Both hosts are avid horse enthusiasts themselves, so listeners follow along with their adventures in training, trail rides and travel. 

Kirstie Jones, of Kirstie Marie Photography, started out taking photos of her horses as a hobby. A lifelong horse lover, she competed at breed shows growing up and on TCU's equestrian team. After college, she started her photography business as a side gig and quickly gained a loyal client base. This year, Dallas-based Kirstie quit her finance job and went full-time as an equine photographer—an exciting development for those of us who love her work! You've seen her photos grace magazine covers, editorial spreads and ad after ad in equine publications. We've wanted to have Kirstie on the show since before we began production, but somehow it turns out that recording three days before she's scheduled to have a baby is, of course, the perfect time. Remuda, we think you'll love hearing what Kirstie has to say. She's got razor-sharp business sense and one of the most distinctive styles in equine photography today. 

Since 2009, Ryan T. Bell has made a living as a freelancer travelling to Russia, South America, Canada and around the U.S. gathering stories and photographs about the Western way of life. He has been published in Western Horseman, and also in magazines like Outside, Town & Country and National Geographic. Ryan is a Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow, has a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Colorado and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative NonFiction from the University of Montana. From Montana, Ryan and his family—wife Madeline, daughters Octavia and Esme and dog Bandito—now reside in Washington state. Ryan is pretty much a badass and in this episode, we picked his brain on his process, favorite projects and his philosophy on journalism. Worth the listen!

Shelley Paulson is an accomplished equine photographer based in Minnesota. A horse lover herself, Shelley's unconventional background includes studying to be an opera singer, an Apple support technician, a web designer and now a photographer and filmmaker. Today, she captures beautiful images for portraits and commercial use—and she's begun using a drone for innovative film and photography. Shelley has 13 years of experience as a professional photographer, and we're so excited to have her on The Freelance Remuda Podcast today.

This is the second part of our business tax and legal series. Today, we'll be talking to James Decker, a lawyer based in the West Texas town of Stamford. James provides advice to clients about business and property ownership, including agriculture, estate planning and probate, real estate, oil and gas, business and entrepreneurship. 

Renee Sneed is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner. But Abigail first met her when she joined Texas A&M's Equestrian Team and they were teammates. She has a background showing Paints and QH and after excelling in collegiate competition and graduating with a BBA and Masters of Science degree in Accounting, she joined one of the Big Four, Ernst & Young in Dallas. Today she works with her dad at Dirkse & Associates Limited, where she helps individuals, small and medium businesses, and farms & ranches with their tax and accounting needs. In this episode, we picked Renee's brain about tax and accounting stuff because that is definitely outside of our wheelhouse of expertise. 

Real talk: there will always be times where you need to increase your income, and when you're a freelancer, your income can fluctuate wildly. Lately we have been talking about what we do when we need to hit a certain financial goal, or a sudden expense comes up, or a contract falls through. Basically, what do we do when we're kind of freaking out about money. Luckily, as freelancers, we can hustle for that extra money in a couple of ways. It's really important to plot long-term financial goals with carefully scheduled out assignments. But sometimes, you just need to make some extra cash quick. And that's what we're going to talk about today.  About The Freelance Remuda The Freelance Remuda is a podcast about navigating the equine media frontier. Co-hosted by seasoned freelance professionals Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars, the podcast explores the trials and triumphs surrounding life as a freelancer in equine media, while sharing valuable tips from equine media editors and creatives doing what they love.

Katie Navarra published her first article 16 years ago, and today is an established freelance writer living on the East Coast but contributing to multiple national publications. She has written two children's books for Story Publishing and like most in the equine media industry, she grew up passionate about horses and writing. An unconventional start to her career- she didn't attend journalism school, she completed an internship in NYC and her first professional job selling landscape supplies--have all contributed to her success as a freelance writer. About The Freelance Remuda The Freelance Remuda is a podcast about navigating the equine media frontier. Co-hosted by seasoned freelance professionals Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars, the podcast explores the trials and triumphs surrounding life as a freelancer in equine media, while sharing valuable tips from equine media editors and creatives doing what they love. Find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Welcome to our special minisode where we share the Q&A portion of our session at the American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference "Recharging and Reinventing your Freelance Business” in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you missed out on the part one of the session, revisit Episode 15!

Recorded live at the AHP Equine Media Conference June 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Session blurb: Experienced freelancers and The Freelance Remuda podcast co-hosts Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars will discuss ways to revitalize your freelance writing or photography business. This includes identifying your strengths and how to capitalize on them, ways to improve your content offerings, and how to set yourself up for success through establishing your brand and workflow.  The episode starts with Kate & Abigail introducing themselves with some background on their work experiences. A:  Why are we doing this? While some of you are just starting out or changing jobs, or maybe even thinking about getting into freelance, others of you are veterans in the field. In January, we launched the Freelance Remuda podcast. We started because Abigail and I found ourselves having a lot of conversations about how to excel as freelancers. We wanted to help other freelancers, and also encourage relationships between those freelancers and content buyers (clients, editors, companies). We talk about challenges as freelancers, and interview editors about what they look for in freelancers. We also talk to other equine media professionals that have advice and tips. K: Our goal is to elevate our freelance community, and give you both encouragement and tools to do your job better and enhance your own career paths. And this session is springboarded by the FR podcast. Gathering here is a prime example of how we can all work together toward the same goal – a high quality product for content buyers that will also be beneficial to our careers. How can we do that? By focusing on three major points, we hope to give you the tools to recharge your freelance batteries and reinvent how you think about working relationships. The discussion focuses on three main topics: building on strengths/finding your niche, goal setting & building professional relationships. Using those topics, Kate & Abigail outline how to recharge and reinvent your freelance business. Discussion on finding a niche/build on strengths: Kate – “I believe that my personal riding experiences and professional work experience allow me to competently write about most all Western style riding articles. However, feedback from content buyers has shown my strength lies in a training article, where I enjoy writing a profile. I pitch training articles because magazines are always looking for that educational content. When I write training articles, I typically learn something, and try to also ensure the reader has the same sense of accomplishment.” How did I build on this strength? Suggesting training articles for magazines, working with sources I felt were professional and accomplished. That has allowed me to build a working relationship with at least two publications that rarely do not accept a training article pitch. Abigail – training and health pieces. When I was on staff, I never volunteered to write health pieces because they were hard and they had a lot of research. Right after I became a freelancer, I went to the AAEP conference for story ideas. I came home with a bunch and wrote 8 health pieces. Now, I really love writing health pieces because my sources are usually veterinarians that are really knowledgeable. And it's a challenge to disseminate the info in an understandable way. So what are your strengths? 1. What do you already have a deep passion for? How do you back up that passion with knowledge? 2. Talk to your content buyers. What do they like that you produce? Examples. What you think is your strength may not be what the editors really like. 3. What are you interested in? What do you want to learn more about? Having an interest in a topic comes through in your writing. Follow those passions, even if its something that has been covered a lot—how can you find a different angle? Would a different magazine be interested? 4. READ THE MAGAZINE before you pitch! 5. Focus your efforts on building relationships with the publications that best suit you instead of scatter-shot style pitching to all magazines.  Set Goals > Open discussion on goal setting and development Goals are good. But sometimes, we get so dang busy that we forget to look past the next deadline, the next few months. Think for a minute, what inspires you? What goal do you want to reach? What can you do to achieve it? Tell us. Abigail: Two years ago, I wanted to do a story with Lyle Lovett's horse, Smart N Shiney, aka Mr Gorgeous. I pursued the story and the end result was award-worthy content. And, I got to meet the most beautiful horse! What are your goals? Do you have a specific magazine you want to add your byline to? A certain source you really want to work with. Examples of questions that can kick start goal planning: 1.     Expand your clients by a certain number of publications? 2.     What about photography? Do you want to have a cover or learn a new technique? 3.     Do you want to use your professional skills to branch out into a new freelance niche like a vlog, podcast or eBook?   4.     How can you achieve these goals? 5.     What is the timeline? Big goals, like starting a podcast or expanding your business may require long term planning but you will have baby steps to achieve. Other goals, like adding a new client, could be done in 30 to 60 days. Break bigger goals down to smaller steps. Identify the goal, then identify at least three means to achieve it, and make small stair step goals to hit on the way to your ultimate reward. Find a friend to help keep you accountable. Invest in yourself to offer the best possible content, including photography. Invest in your skills through continuing education or mentorship.  - CHALKBOARD METHOD (Being Boss) Set goals - including desired income or number of assignments. Make space on a calendar or whiteboard where you can track the goals. Re-evaluate monthly/quarterly/annually. Audience question: What do you do when you're all filled up and somebody comes to you with an assignment?  Abigail Sometimes, I say no. Sometimes I tell the editor the next opening I have available for an assignment. It's better for the magazine, and it's better for me, if I cap the assignments I take on. Each publication deserves to have my best, and if I have too much work, I'm not putting out my best, and it doesn't help anyone. Audience follow up: Do you find that they come back to you, or do they write you off because you said no? Abigail: That is the fear. One magazine, yes, because they needed me to do a certain kind of story and I could no longer do it. But most of the time, they do come back. I don't let the ball drop. As soon as I have a space and an idea, I will go back to them and pitch it. Keep the conversation going. Don't write them off either. If they say no, they say no, but I felt it was better to protect the amount of work I have to do for everyone involved. Kate: If you get a query that is last minute and you can't handle it, you can tell them you're booked till a certain date, and let the editor know you're available for more work after that date. That gets the magazine side thinking a little bit further out. I've come back with work because I didn't just say no, I followed up with when I was available. Abigail: Another thing you can do in that situation is refer them to a trusted freelancer. It doesn't do any good to try to write all the stories and take all the photos. There is plenty of work for all. Build professional relationships You are all here, building relationships. But you don't have to put forth a lot of money to make connections. Use a Facebook group, reach out in different ways. Kate: Let others know what you're up to professionally, like I did with Ireland. I know we all hold our ideas and assignments close to the vest. But sharing your projects with a work buddy or other editor can help you gain assignments. For example, I knew Abigail was available to photograph a story I was writing and suggested her to shoot. I was recently contacted to pick up an assignment in Ireland because that editor had heard through the grapevine I was there. Don't be afraid to reach out or share what you're up to if it will help you gain projects. Abigail: We are colleagues, not competitors. If you feel envious of someone else's accomplishment, use that feeling to spark progress in your own goals. It serves us well to foster relationships. Kate: Don't burn bridges. You never know who will be your boss next week. Abigail: Diversify! Think about how you can pitch content to magazines outside the horse industry! Expand your footprint with social media marketing and network building Let's talk about this. Who has a Facebook page? Twitter? Instagram? Who abhors social media? OK, now who has no idea if you actually have a return on the time investment? Abigail: How do you brand yourself? Does your logo and your posts convey your brand? Be sure to tune in to our minisode next week, featuring the Q&A from the AHP session!    

Episode 14: Branding and Re-Branding As freelancers, it has become more and more important to have a presence online. Gone are the days of simply bringing a portfolio of your work and a resume to a potential client meeting. Today, many freelancers employ social media and a website to market themselves to editors and companies. We will talk about social media in another episode, but today we are going to talk about branding and re-branding yourself as a freelancer. Abigail's SmugMug Page **The episode is timely for Abigail and Kate, as Kate just redid her website to incorporate her married name. Abigail was, at the time of recording, in the process of redoing her logo. However, her logo design guru Faith was last week's guest blog, and you can see her new logo here   Branding and rebranding can be a foreign concept to freelancers. Companies have brands, and freelancers are their own company! Kate emphasizes the need to put forth a message and visual that allows people to know who you are as a freelance creative and what you can offer.   What is a brand? More than a logo! ·      Overall package ·      Web presence o   Voice used on the web (Conversational? Professional?) ·      Business card font o   Logo color ·      Shows value & expertise ·      How you dress for meetings … it is all a brand and the brand is YOU. It sets the tone for the professional relationship.   Kate and Abigail outline the process for their websites throughout the episode: 1. Kate – ·      Wanted new site to portray her focus: writing and photography. o   For Western lifestyle, she chose a bucking horse stallion. This is her logo background and business card background. o   Font is clean and simple. ·      Pushed to redesign/rebrand because of “new” name and byline – katebradleybyars.com. ·      Bootstrap/ DIY site – SquareSpace template with Kate's tiny web design additions. ·      Focused on finding a template that displayed large images and had content pages for contact, etc. ·      Links to contact were important to add on multiple pages. ·      Social media links are a window – show your best side and best work on social media! Abigail reminds listeners that a dated website, one with old content, broken links or is not edited for grammar and style, can drive people away… the opposite of the a good first impression. They touch on web hosting sites as well as sites to host photography. 2. Abigail – ·      Hosts her photography on SmugMug. o   Allows clients to access and order from site. o   Small fee for site. o   Other file sharing or storing sites were touched on, like Flikr and Google Drive. o   Site selection should be made to make a freelancer's life easier to publish work and reach clients. ·      Wanted to showcase her style, how she can be hired and show examples of her work on her website, abigailboatwright.com. o   No longer promotes working on social media campaigns or development   A benefit of freelancing is adding and removing avenues of work based on trends or amount of other work. This is why regular updating helps! ·      Her previous site was hosted on blogger.com and was mainly personal info. She DIY overhauled it to a blog site for her freelance business. o   She linked to portfolio work. o   Allowed her to establish first true online presence. o   Struggle to shape it how she wanted but did present her work to viewers. ·      New site focus was tricky to find: showcase work for photography clients AND horse industry editors. She drilled down on her perfect client. Kate also had a blogger style site at first that was not updated regularly and was photo heavy. *do not follow her previous work trend! Update often!* Ways to develop a website: “Bootstrap”  The DIY style web design that is the budget-friendly option. It also offers hands-on ability to update or edit the site without going through a third party. Some struggles to bootstrapping can be updating templates, getting the look you want “Pro” Abigail hired a company to design her website. They set up the Squarespace template, but she still has control over the content. This company designed her logo and branded materials. To give the company direction, she asked herself, what is the image she wants to portray? Abigail wanted to show emotion and connection. Her homepage image has a girl kissing a horse, and in her portfolio she concentrated on images that emphasize emotional connection. The company assisted with SEO, like “Fort Worth photographer” hits on Google. The pros were that it took less time than if she did it solo. Cons include the expense and, depending on the site type, you can give up control to the company. Her company walked her through a tutorial on how to update the site. If a problem is beyond her, she can always call for assistance. “Hybrid” The Freelance Remuda site (freelanceremuda.com) was built in stages of pro and bootstrap: 1. Logo designed by Faith 2. WordPress domain purchased and attempted to create -       Takeaway includes knowing if you need a .com or .org for your needs -       Before purchasing be sure you know what plug ins and apps work for each host site 3. SquareSpace -       This site hosts the current Remuda site. Kate built most of the pages in a template. -       Abigail navigated add the “must have” elements of contact and the newsletter subscriber. -       Pro: user friendly -       Con: analytics for podcast Promotion: Freelancers tend to shy away from promotion. But your social media and website are the perfect place to promote your work. Abigail discusses how her Instagram shifted from family to business focus. She realized it had a number of followers on her account but was posting more family images. To promote her professional work, she started a new family Insta. Abigail uses Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.   Kate has a balance of work and lifestyle on her Insta, because her dog (#HukFinDog) and horse (#TheBerniePony) do make cameo appearances. She sees Insta as a means of showing personality and style that can bring in clients. Kate has Facebook and Instagram, but doesn't tweet. Words of advice: 1. CONTACT INFORMATION -       An email form is good, but having a direct mail address (or phone number) is preferred by visitors. Always check to ensure the form is working so you don't miss work. -       Some clients prefer to speak to you, so a phone number is a second contact form 2. TIME TO CHANGE -       Abigail's biggest limitation to redesign is the time it takes to build a new site, logo, etc. -       Promoting the name and new site are a must to gain looks! -       Also, budget. Sometimes a new design is needed but the funds to invest aren't there. Instead, update the content of what you have. 3. KEEP IT FRESH -       Updating what you have is the key to keeping people interested in your site, your work. -       Post new work, or work that shows your current skill sets. -       Add a monthly review of your online presence and update it as needed. -       Even if you're not ready to launch, obtain social media names that fit your brand. -       Promote yourself, your work, your accomplishments! -       Remember, create your brand, maintain your brand and promote your brand. Abigail's last advice was to ensure you have a great bio that represents you. There are bio creators out there, like Abigail, and having that window into who you are as a professional will help. To wrap it up, Kate and Abigail remind you to pick something comfortable and start there, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or an easy-to-update website. Now, grow your brand!         

In this episode, Abigail talks to veteran freelancer Jennifer O. Bryant. She has a range of experience in publishing—particularly in the horse industry. With a background in hunt-seat, eventing and dressage riding, Jennifer brings solid horse knowledge to her writing. She has a degree in English and she's written for a variety of platforms: non-fiction books, magazine articles, event coverage—including the Olympics—and editing for several equine publications over the years. That doesn't even count her published work outside the horse industry for other genres, or her command of social media. While she is a seasoned freelance writer, with a bright and interesting voice to her work, she is also a great editor. Lately, she edits the United States Dressage Federation's member publication—USDF Connection.  Jennifer's career path and how it relates to her love of horses Snagging a college internship interview at the company that published Equus magazine was a lightbulb moment. Seeing the office covered with horse-related media made her realize people could get paid to think about and write about horses all day. She started out in the editorial department of a book publisher in San Diego, California--completely unrelated to horses. She worked her way up to an editorial position. After looking to move back East, she found an opening as an editor at a local newspaper in upstate New York that published equine news. She next joined a dressage magazine in Pennsylvania, and a little over a year later, the magazine was acquired and moved. Tired of moving due to her husband's military career and her following magazine jobs to different locations, they decided to put down roots and she began to freelance. That was 1999, and she's been freelancing full-time ever since. Changes she's seen in the world of freelancing during her tenure in the field In some aspects, there are more opportunities for freelancers because of platforms such as blogging and podcasting. Anybody that wants to create something can self-publish in some form. But it can be hard to monetize. Freelancers need to be more adept at pitching and writing for different kinds of media. Everything today is done electronically, vs. calling and mailing letters to editors. Freelancing is still freelancing--you're still creating what your editor wants, in their timeframe, on their deadline. It's just a little bit easier with email. Some magazines are hiring more freelancers, and others are taking contract work back in-house. It's a revolving door at horse magazines, between publications and back and forth from contract, freelance and staff positions. She talked about how she has made freelancing a career and some keys to success. One, she's been fortunate to have a contract with USDF Connection. That gig offers a level of income and work security. Success-wise, she had mentors early on that helped her get a solid grounding in writing and editing. She has developed a deep level of subject matter knowledge, and says it's crucial to write for a niche publication. It's difficult to break into a freelance gig when you're an unknown quantity, versus the field you've been working in--such as equine publications. Advice for breaking into writing in the horse industry Just as its difficult to break into writing for a magazine like Vogue, and you have to start with smaller outlets to work your way up to that level, in the horse industry, there are similar parallels. There are a lot more opportunities at smaller publications, particularly if you have specialized knowledge such as living in a region or a specific discipline. She says flipping through the magazine before pitching photos or story ideas is key. She recommends becoming a member of American Horse Publications to get access to the member directory, and study the publication members.  Advice for listeners hoping pick up a contract with a publication There is usually a monetary benefit to both sides. Sometimes when a freelancer works enough for a publication, producing a substantial amount of content for them, it's worth it to the magazine to put them on contract to reserve a certain amount of work or hours each month. Sometimes it is being in the right place, right time when a need comes up and a contract is advantageous for both parties. Contracts are usually offered to freelancers that have developed a good relationship with the company, and produced good content consistently and dependably for the magazine. Find Jennifer online at: usdf.org jbryant@usdf.org  www.jenniferbryant.net    

Ben Masters (on the gray horse) riding the trail for the film, book and multi-content feature Unbranded.  Note from Kate: Ben Masters is an enigma. In 2010, as a college student, he and two friends took a multi-month pack trip, and Western Horseman and I did an article about that trip. When Ben came to us with a hair-brained idea for a 5-month, more than 3,000-mile border-to-border pack trip that would be filmed with video and photos for a documentary, we jumped in to work with him again. The result was an award-winning film called "Unbranded." Today, Ben runs Fin & Fur Productions, focusing on wildlife and storytelling. This 28-year-old has been published in National Geographic and in Western Horseman. Ben created his own career and is forging a new freelance career, blending his loves the outdoors and storytelling.   Show Notes: Ben's job and how it fits into his lifestyle: Ben's job is ever-changing. He is a writer—magazine, online content and a printed book, as well as a filmmaker of two features, "Unbranded" and "Charged," as well as short films. He loves his lifestyle and the changing landscape of his career. He finds planning more than 6 months out hard. Each summer he takes time for his own outdoor experiences, leading elk hunts and pack trips. His work focuses on discussing conservation and caring for the wildlife and wild land. Ben's career path and how it led him to where he is now: Unbranded launched Ben into the spotlight, and opened up doors for other projects. Years  before, in 2010, Ben joined Parker Flannery and Mike Pickney to ride 2,000 miles along the Continental Divide Trail. That started his desire to make a border to border ride, and gave him an introduction to BLM Mustangs. Once the movie launched, it truly started his career. Ben had the help of filmmakers to create the masterpiece of "Unbranded" and that has helped him in the next projects. What has helped Ben along in his career? "Unbranded" was successful because of a massive team effort, Ben said. He found Kickstarter donors that helped get the project rolling. [here you will hear Ben get honked at! He said: “I hate being in cities!”] Most of the stories Ben tells are a reflection of thing he is passionate about. He did not study photography or writing or filmmaking, but he uses those modes to get his story told. At Texas A&M University, Ben studied wildlife biology and has used that knowledge when working ranches. He loves wildlife, and his background gave him credibility to tell the stories about conservation that he does. Speaking the lingo helps him to tell the stories he does. Working in the field and living the lifestyle of his story sources makes for a greater connection and comes through when he tells the story to an audience. Skills learned on the job, and how he's evolving his skills: He states that it is pretty hard to screw up a photo in the mountains with a bunch of horses. When he was “broke and needing money” Ben worked on the [oil field] rigs, where he purchased a Canon 5D Mark III and started taking photos. That inspired his love of photography. “Getting a shot right is one of the most satisfying things you can do,” Ben said. “I love the feeling of getting a shot.” He discusses the differences in taking a superb still photo versus filming. Equipment suggestions for working in the field: Ben is a “big fan” of the 5D Mark III. He has a 5D Mark IV, too. He discusses why he likes the cameras and some limitations he has seen. For video, Ben shoots with a Canon C500. "Unbranded" was shot with the 5D Mark III and C500. "Charged" was shot with a lot of GoPros. Typical hours or time commitment for your job? He does not have much separation between personal life and work because what he loves to do is his job. Ben discusses how his “work” filters into his life. Typically, his work is 18 hours a day. A feature film can take three years to move from concept to the screen. A short film will take about four months. How he gets funding and payment for his projects: Ben is still working to master the art of making money at what he does. The feature films have been a combination of Kickstarter for seed money and working with brands like Yeti. Ben says Kickstarter is crucial for alerting people to a new project. Also, when they contribute funds, it allows them to feel ownership of the project. Distribution networks like National Geographic and Western Horseman help. However, Ben had to prove his work was worth the effort before being hired by these organizations. Feature films do require financial backers for the higher budgets. How he chooses his projects, whether video, writing or a photography exhibit: All the stories and projects are things Ben is passionate about. He has a long list, but works to see whatever is timely. He enjoys character driven stories that can be a vehicle to understand a complex issue, like wild horses on public lands. However, he does not consider his films activist films. Instead of seeking stories, Ben has stumbled into them based on his relationships. Most challenging and rewarding parts of his chosen career: The most challenging part is that Ben spends a considerable amount of time chasing down funding. The most rewarding part for Ben is seeing the impact a project makes on someone's life, for example seeing more people adopt Mustangs after "Unbranded" premiered. A quantifiable and tangible impact is important. “Charged,” Ben's latest feature film, is inspirational. He has also worked with a veteran's program, Heroes & Horses, through his projects, giving them a tool for fundraising and learning from veterans. If you could do it over again, would you choose a different career path? Sometimes, Ben does entertain other employment opportunities. He doesn't enjoy the aspect of his job that requires appearances that place him at the center of attention. Preferably, Ben would like to drop social media and just work with horses. But, the obligation to tell stories is greater to him. Kate, Abigail and Ben discuss the responsibility of storytelling through good journalism. Advice for young people wanting to work in the equine media industry: Avoid “balls & chains” like debt, so that you can take off whenever the job or project calls. College debt, relationships and other factors can interfere with the chance to work on quality projects. Ben discusses the need to work to establish a portfolio so that bigger projects come your way. However, he said he still doesn't get the high budget projects all the time. He also advises to ask for help, or ask people to provide assistance. His own career is a culmination of people helping him out. Finally, surrounding yourself with good teammates is key. Advice for freelancers wanting to take on a big project: Ben has never had someone offer him a project. Moreover, he has started projects, and then people want to get involved as they see the potential. Especially early in his career. Ben has made a few short films that were never purchased, resulting in a loss of funds. However, it was important to have that project in his portfolio. Abigail agrees it is not always about the paycheck. Advice for pitching big companies or publications:  He advises face-to-face meetings instead of only email pitches. The face time meeting can help show your passion about the project. Human interaction in a pitch is key to Ben.   How to find Ben Master's online: Facebook  Ben C. Masters Unbranded Charged Film Instagram: @bencmasters Websites: benmasters.com unbrandedthefilm.com Ben at his Austin home with his sidekick, puppy dog Molly. 

Even if you're a one-person freelance biz, there are a lot of moving parts to get the job done. Our success depends on being able to meet deadlines and take care of loose ends. If you're just starting out, your business has expanded or you've gone through a change like a move or having a new baby, it's easy to get overwhelmed. In this episode, we'll be talking about ways to get organized in your freelance business.  Workflow -       Write out everything you do from story idea (or photo shoot concept, logo design, social media goal) to completion and payment. o  Kate found herself getting lost using multiple notebooks. Now, she types her idea on a Word doc, creates a new folder for the idea and puts it in the main folder for the magazine she think best suits that pitch. Then, when she pitches it & the idea is accepted, she adds the due date to the front end of the folder to put it in her date workflow. -       Take a look at your the steps—where can you consolidate? Delegate? Simplify? Rearrange? o   Kate simplified by keeping one spreadsheet for assignments and expenses. Then, notes per assignments are kept in a Word doc. (Sign up for our newsletter to get both of our spreadsheets for your own use! ) Keeping it organized -       Find a system that makes sense to you. Abigail does best with notebooks, a planner and a few spreadsheets: o   A spreadsheet with every assignment and all the information about it. (Sign up for our newsletter to get both of our spreadsheets for your own use! ) o   A small notebook with a page for every story she's working on. She has the due date, magazine, topic, and every step for that story lined out. o   A small notebook with every item on her to-do list for the week, organized by “podcast” “work” “personal” o   A planner. Abigail's is the Brilliant Business Mom planner.  o   Kate uses her calendar for EVERYTHING. She also marks items with a “persona” or “work” color. -       Files organized on computer: Documents > AB Comm > Magazine (or Word content, photography) > Each magazine's name > Each story or series > ALL related content. -       Kate has the same setup, but within each pub or client's folder, her assignment folders start with the date. She had three articles due yesterday, and all those article folders started with 05.17 – month and year. This also really helps keep her organized timeline wise and in her backup harddrives. -       All of Kate's photos are on an external HD, sorted by year and shoot. o  Abigail downloads from the camera ASAP. o   Cull in Photo Mechanic. Sometimes she make notes on which photos she wants for editorial o   Pull all the files in Lightroom, but she only imports the ones she plans to use. o   Edit in LR, pull to Photoshop for some images o   Export with proper file name into same photo file (processed) -       Kate edits only in PS. But she adores PhotoMechanic. It is cheap, easy to use and allows for batch renaming, photo sort with color coding or rating, and you can take a screen shot of a contact sheet of sorts to send quick photo looks to editors or clients. -       When sending assignment to editor, Abigail usually makes a new folder in the same folder in Documents that includes the article, photo guide and chosen images. She'll either upload this to FTP or copy to Dropbox to share. -      Kate sends editors links to download the photos via Google Drive. She has a folder within the client folder for ALL the article docs and photo images. Then she has a folder call “Turning In” where she drops the invoice, article and photos selected to print. She emails the editor the article + invoice with the photo link, AND on the email she includes the comp address for the source. Photo shoots? -       Abigail keep this info on her master spreadsheet – client, date photos are due, rate, etc. o   Kate is just starting to do more portrait sessions, but they are on her master spreadsheet. -       All of Kate's photo files start with the date, the session type (Equine or Family or Commercial) then the client last name or company name. That info is also how she names a photo. So her photo file names are: 170427_Family_Byars_#. She keeps RAW and the edited JPG. Back it up twice! -       Abigail uses Hellosign for contracts. She was using PayPal for payment, but just switched to Quickbooks. -     Kate has a word doc of all the text from emails Bookkeeping – This will be its own episode with our “setting up biz” expert coming soon, but if you're just starting out and want some quick ideas on starting to track expenses, we will share what we do. -       Spreadsheet for income and expenses. o   KEEP RECEIPTS! Kate puts them in a sandwich baggie and label the trip or client and month/date. -       Invoices – Abigail has made them in Adobe Illustrator for years. o   Kate uses Word and makes a PDF from the easy to edit doc. o  Kate has a tax guy because taxes are just something I don't want to work with! -       Mileage – apps like MileIQ. Abigail saved photos of my mileage and put on a spreadsheet, but has just switched to MileIQ Abigail has learned that the more organized she gets, the more productive she is, and the less stressed she is, with less procrastination. Keeping track of assignments early on, even if you only have one or two every month or so, is a great way to get in a process that will be easy to add work to in the future. Kate looks at her assignment spreadsheet every few days because with all the interviews, transcribing and writing, she forgets where she is or what day it is, but she refuses to miss a deadline! We hope this talk has sparked some inspiration for y'all. Find a method that works for you, get yourself organized, and rock it! We'd love to hear about the systems you've put in place, and what planner gets you going—jump in to our Facebook group where we'll be talking about the episode! If you haven't signed up for our email newsletter, NOW is the time! We've sent our Remuda links to the spreadsheets we live and die by. Sign up to download for your own use! Sign up *This post contains some affiliate links