That Time I Was a Big Fat Failure

Can I confess something?

Last week I failed. I was a big fat failure. I'd agreed to work with a client, and she was not happy with what I did. In fact, she was so unhappy she asked for a refund.

It wasn't a big project. I'd only spent a handful of hours on it. But I did spend my limited free time working hard on it. And it was a failure.

There are several reasons I failed. Communication issues were part of the issue, but it was mainly because I'd agreed to do something that I wasn't really comfortable doing. The project had turned into something that I hadn't expected, and it wasn't in my wheelhouse. Instead of bowing out like I should have, I pressed on.

And then I failed.

I gave her the refund because obviously things weren't working. I felt awful. I was angry, hurt, disappointed...when I went into the system to reverse the transaction I felt like my face was on fire. I've never had to give a refund before. I've never had anyone be so unhappy with my work before.

But I learned an important lesson. If it doesn't feel right, don't agree to do it. If you go into a project and it becomes something you don't feel comfortable with, turn it down and recommend they find someone else. I'll remember that next time. And no, I don't have any hard feelings toward that client. I hope she found the right person and got exactly what she wanted. I could've spent 10 more hours on it and I don't think I could've given her that.

I guess I could look on the bright side: it totally counts as a rejection, right? I haven't racked up as many of those as I'd anticipated, so I better get back to it. I've put myself out there quite a bit this week (more on that soon!) and I anticipate quite a few more rejections in the near future. As long as there are some wins in there too, I'm totally ok with it!

Happy Friday, friends!

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

Week's Links: Getting Down to Business

Hello Monday! 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It was gloriously sunny in Oklahoma, which was a nice change of pace from ALL THE RAIN we've been having. I had a huge list of things to do, but many of them were pushed back so I could enjoy the sun. I spent hours working on our flower bed and then our pool. The inside of our house still needs some love, but how can you work inside when the sun is out?! 

Of course, some of the things on the list had to get done. As I've mentioned previously, my little writing business is starting to grow. In fact, it's beginning to transition into something a little different these days. Lately I've been spending nearly every lunch break on the phone with clients or working on something for a client. While you would think I would be exhausted from it, it's actually been fun! 

Since my main focus is changing from writing and editing to more of content strategy I'll be rebranding and relaunching soon. While I work on that behind the scenes I'll still be working away for clients! Occasionally I'll be mentioning it here on the blog in case you or anyone you know would like to hire me. (You can find out how to do that here.) 

Obviously my free time has been decreasing as my workload increases, which means making some cuts. I'll still be posting here 3 times a week, but I have decided to make Sunday Sparkles a monthly newsletter instead of weekly. So next month expect one long and awesome edition! 

Now, let's get down to the business at hand: week's links!

I watched LOST here and there when it originally aired, but I binge watched the whole series a few years ago and loved it! This post about the 16 things you never noticed about the LOST pilot was awesome. 

Pets are awesome, but a pet duck that wait for its owner every day? So cute! (Plus it reminds me of Friends!) 

While I wouldn't say I relate to all 27 things that don't make sense to Type A people, but I relate to most of them! 

It sort of breaks my heart to watch this video of a rescued circus lion feeling grass for the first time, but it's worth it. 

Unlike the Type A post, I relate to every. Single. Thing. in this post about what overthinkers understand. 

And finally there's the website Does Your Resume Suck? I decided to break my resume writing services out from my other services, and here's what I came up with. It's a work in process, so I'd love feedback!

Have a wonderful Monday friends. Let's have a great week, shall we? 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

When I Grow Up: Becoming a Freelance Copywriter

And we're back for another When I Grow Up Wednesday! This week I'm featuring Robyn Petrick, a freelance copywriter. We "met" via Twitter (she's @robynpetrik), and I was so glad to have her on the blog today! The work she does is similar to what I do in my side hustle as a freelance writer/editor, and I always love to hear from other writers :)

As a child, I wanted to be a ­______ when I grew up. Oh, that’s a long list! I went through stages of wanting to be a veterinarian, a lawyer, a marine biologist, a baker, a teacher, and a poet/author. 

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Out of all of those careers, being a poet or an author isn’t too far from copywriting at least! Which is pretty much why I choose to start a career in copywriting, so I can still work with words.

What is your official job title? Freelance Copywriter

Ok, now what does that really mean? I write content for other entrepreneurs, freelancers, and creatives whenever they need it. I specialize in website copy and social media updates, but I also write blog posts, and, well, anything written really. I’ve even written articles to go along with guitar lesson videos!

What is a typical day like? I just transitioned from my traditional corporate job to fully self-employed a few months ago, so being able to determine my typical day is my favorite part of writing for a living right now! I usually get up at 8 or 9am, workout or go for a run, and then start working around 10am. 

First I check email and social media for anything that needs a quick response, then I’ll spend a couple of hours on my own projects which usually means writing my blog posts, working my social media, and networking online. Since my boyfriend Chris is transitioning to self-employed as well (yay!), we’ll make lunch together around 1pm and watch a bit of Ellen. 

I save my afternoons for client work, so depending on the day I could be writing a new About page for a graphic designer or writing a set of tweets for a coffee shop owner. The projects I’m working on can be totally different, and that keeps writing fun for me! 

I try to save the evenings for relaxing with Chris or going out with friends, but since my business is pretty new, I admittedly end up working through many evenings as well. It’s all about the hustle these days! 

How did you end up in this career? I always dreamed of writing books of poetry or young adult novels for a living, but honestly, I had a really hard time getting past the idea that ‘no one can make enough money doing that’. Finally about a year and ago, it finally clicked that I could earn a living by writing as a freelancer instead. I started freelancing in my spare time, often staying up late and getting up early before work to finish writing projects for clients. I still remember the exact moment where I thought, “Hey, I can actually do this! This will work!” It’s quite an exhilarating feeling. 

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? Having always loved writing, I have filled tons of notebooks over the years with poetry and short stories. Once I decided I wanted to move into freelancing copywriting, I began taking copywriting courses online and reading oodles of books and blogs about copywriting. Like many creative careers though, the best training comes from actually getting out there and writing. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Read, read, read, write, write, write! If you’d like to step into a writing career of any kind, the most important thing is to read and write as much as you can. 

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? When I grow up, I would still love to be a published poet. I share some of my poetry on Instagram  and perhaps one day I’ll self publish a book of poetry.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Be you, be happy, and live what you love. Life is too short to not chase after your dreams. 

Thanks again for being part of When I Grow Up, Robyn! If you'd like to work with Robyn, you can find her at www.robynpetrik.com. 

Previously on MrsRobbinsSparkles...