C.J. Hayden

Self-employed professionals often make and more difficult than it needs to be. Check out these 6 ways we make it hard.

What Makes Getting Clients So Hard? - C.J. Hayden “Getting clients is really hard.” That’s what we self-employed professionals and creatives tell each other, anyway. Over coffee, at meetings, and online, wherever self-employed folks gather, the difficulty of getting clients is a frequent topic. There’s certainly some truth to this sentiment...

On any given day, you might not feel inspired. If you have that needs to get done, how do you deal with that?

Tired, Distracted, Uninspired? You Can Write Anyway - C.J. Hayden On any given day, “You might not feel inspired,” says author, editor, and blogger Leah McClellan. “You might think you don’t feel creative. The thought of writing might feel overwhelming. You might feel dread, fear, or worry. You might think it won’t be any good or you think you’ll never...

Join me for the next Get It Written Day! On June 12, use the power of co-working to get your important stuff (blog, Substack, book, course, etc.) written.

Get It Written Day - C.J. Hayden Get It Written DayWhatever You Have to Write… …Let’s Write It Together!Day-Long Virtual Writing Retreats for Self-Employed Professionals and Creatives with C.J. Hayden Next Retreat: Friday, June 12, 2026 9:00 AM-4:00 PM either Pacific OR EasternTwo separate groups are available; one for each t...

Because the I'm writing is about my time as a teenage runaway, I'm reading other memoirs by women who left home as teenagers. Here are 4 on my reading list: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls; Girlhood by Melissa Febos; I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell; Runaway Girl by Carissa Phelps. What others do you know of?

Need a way to make a plan for your self-employed life? Try this one.

Life-in-a-Notebook Planning System - C.J. Hayden Clients and students often ask me, “C.J., you always seem to have a million things going on. How do you keep track of it all?” Their questions imply that they believe I am more organized, focused, or productive than the average bear. Personally, I’m not so sure that’s true. You should see my...

From his output, it would seem that Charles Dickens was sitting down at his desk and without pause from the moment he rose until he fell asleep. But that isn't so.

How to Write Like the Dickens - C.J. Hayden Charles Dickens wrote 20 novels and novellas, numerous short stories, a few plays, and several non-fiction books. His writing career began in 1833 and ended with his death in 1870 at the young age of 58. Dickens was the most popular writer of the Victorian era, and is still widely read today. I adde...

Feeling overwhelmed by email? Here's what I did. 1. Move every message over 30 days old out of your inbox. 2. Review what's left and categorize it (e.g. w/ colored stars) so you can address it in batches of like work. 3. Unsubscribe from every list not relevant to your 2026 goals. 4. Set up filters to assign categories/stars automatically as mail comes in. My days are easier & more productive by making these changes!

Marketing and your services can be one of the most challenging elements of being in business for yourself. But does getting clients have to be as hard as we seem to think it is?

What Makes Getting Clients So Hard? - C.J. Hayden “Getting clients is really hard.” That’s what we self-employed professionals and creatives tell each other, anyway. Over coffee, at meetings, and online, wherever self-employed folks gather, the difficulty of getting clients is a frequent topic. There’s certainly some truth to this sentiment...

To make less of a struggle, you must give up magical thinking.

In Marketing, Work is Necessary; Struggle is Optional - C.J. Hayden Self-employed professionals and creatives often tell me that they find marketing to be a struggle. They can’t seem to get enough clients to pay the bills, or they’re spending more money to land each client than the sale is worth. Too many of their efforts seem to fail. “There must be an easier...

"You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." ~ Jack London