Freelancer Watercooler: Recent Episodes
Ansley Fones
Let us be the co-workers you don't have! Co-hosted by Ansley Fones, a freelance web designer and developer, and Carly Crawford, a freelance tax preparer/administrator/bookkeeper, this podcast is all about having casual chats with folks on their grind. Feel free to listen in your pajamas.
As Carly says, we're "learning how to people" on this episode with Shea Quraishi, who's recently launched her new consultancy business, Raising Empathy. Shea shares how she treads lightly in the delicate business of being a parenting coach, as well as how she's navigating social justice controversy in the Florida school system as an education consultant. Grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and listen in!
SheaQuraishi, Raising Empathy: raisingempathy.com
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
Ansley's Online Course: ansleyfones.com/website-101-online-course
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
Not Tool Time: Bitdefender
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Brittany Abdool has spent a decade in social marketing, and just this year she has finally followed her heart and taken the leap to starting her own values-led company, Ona Media! She shares with us her three tips for starting a social marketing strategy and her thoughts on Facebook, and she recommends an old social platform that's got new life.
Email Us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Brittany Abdool, Ona Media: onamedia.co
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
Ansley’s Online Course: ansleyfones.com/website-101-online-course
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
Not Tool Time: Toggl
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Get ready to take notes! Elliott Noble-Holt shares some of the amazing advice from his book, Bald Bearded Boss, on how he grew his business from one person with a copy machine, to one of Inc 5000's Fastest Growing Companies. Not sure how to delegate? Want to promote a diverse and positive workplace culture? Interested in the power of vision boarding? Elliott's guidance is sure to inspire you (even if you aren't inspired to wake up at 4:30am like he does), so listen in!
Email Us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Elliott Noble-Holt: baldbeardedboss.com
Bald Bearded Boss, the Book: baldbeardedboss.com/book
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
Ansley’s Online Course: ansleyfones.com/website-101-online-course
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
Not Tool Time: JotForm
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
We're kicking off 2022 with entrepreneur Aeshia DeVore Branch, founder of Pretty Girls Sweat - a fitness community that's turning tropes upside down and supporting amazing charitable endeavors to boot! Aeshia shares her passion for making systemic change in the wellness community, as well as details on how she runs a successful eCommerce shop and membership website.
Email Us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Aeshia DeVore Branch: prettygirlssweat.com
Start a Pretty Girls Sweat Chapter: prettygirlssweat.com/careers
Aeshia on Instagram: @prettygirlssweat
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
Ansley's Online Course: ansleyfones.com/website-101-online-course
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Not Tool Time: Dropbox
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Happy Holidays from the Freelancer Watercooler! We're winding down our year and wrapping up with a rundown of the professional swings we took this year. We'll celebrate the ones that panned out, and at least acknowledge the ones that didn't so much. For our job listing, we recognize the hardships of being Santa. We're gearing up for 2022, when we'll bring you more great guests - see you in the new year!
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
Tool Time Not Tool Time: Wave
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Wonder what it's like to be a content creator? Listen in for our behind-the-Instagram-scenes with Kathryn Kellogg of GoingZeroWaste.com. We cover getting and organizing photography, monetizing your website and social presence, and just how much work goes into a short TikTok video. Plus, Kathryn shares her expertise in living sustainably, recycling responsibly, and donating to worthy causes to fight climate change.
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Kathryn Kellogg, Going Zero Waste: goingzerowaste.com
Kathryn on Instagram: @going.zero.waste
Thinx - Kathryn42 for 20% off
One Movement Water Bottle
Organizations to Donate to:
Amazon Frontlines
Plastic Pollution Coalition
Rainforest Action Network
EarthJustice
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
You aren't your job, and you deserve to be treated like a human at your work, even if you're your own boss! Sarah Cottrell of Former Lawyer drops by to remind us of these important truths about late-stage capitalism. She also shares lessons she's learned from her long-running podcast, and Carly's got a super nifty dual screen tool for not-tool-time. Listen in and then do some self-care.
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Sarah Cottrell, FormerLawyer: formerlawyer.com
Equal Justice Initiative
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
Sidetrak Monitor
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
We admit it: not everything about freelancing is great. Let's talk about what sucks with friend-of-the-pod Doug Foote, a political communications consultant. Doug shares with us the challenges of his current journey to leave freelancing as well as his expertise on email communication (for politics and generally). We also talk about Facebook's recent troubles, even more personality tests, and the value of working with a team.
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Doug Foote: linkedin.com/in/dougfoote
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Think no one could have more concurrent careers than Carly? Well, meet SEO expert, non-profit consultant, and yoga studio owner Amanda Gorman! We talk about the human-centric side of SEO, Amanda's favorite tools of the trade (they're free!), and tips for designing landing pages that convert. As a yoga studio owner, Amanda also shares with us some of the struggles of a brick-and-mortar business and why she keeps yoga as a part-time career.
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Amanda Gorman: amandagorman.com
Now Yoga Movement: nowyogamvmt.com
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Learn from our mistakes as we hear about podcasting tips and traps with Broadway sound designer, Will Pickens! Will also shares some of his unique perspective on freelancing, Carly and I start a new segment where we share our favorite tools, and our final job listing is, in Carly's words, "our best one yet."
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Will Pickens: willpickens.com
Brother, Mine! Podcast: https://www.handforgedfiction.com/
MegaWatch is: http://willpickens.com/MegaWatch/
Will's shows:
The Michaels Abroad: http://www.huntertheaterproject.org/
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/
Our podcasting equipment:
Microphone: Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Headphones: Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone
Alitu: https://alitu.com/
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Seedling: ansleyfones.com/seedling
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Do you struggle with creating content? Josh Gryniewicz shares his storytelling and human-centric approach to content creation, including some strategies for getting in touch with and conveying your own story to reach your specific goals. We also discuss important questions like "what is an intrapreneur?" and "what are rocks best at?" and "can horses be mental health professionals?" (hint: we think yes)
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Josh Gryniewicz: oddduck.io
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Seedling: ansleyfones.com/seedling
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Do you have a website? This episode on website security is a MUST. Jenn Diesi of Geek Girl Tech drops in to share information on website security risks and what you can do now to secure your site! We also discuss what it's like being a woman in IT and supporting female-owned businesses, too!
(Extra apologies for most obtrusive ambulance siren on any episode so far.)
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Jenn Diesi: geekgirltech.com
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
Kinsta affiliate link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TGNcYrFCponcCBqHKskiytNWHO9ycRxy/view?usp=sharing
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Carly asks me the tough questions this time! We chat about Wordpress custom vs pre-made themes, what to put on your homepage, and my favorite fonts (right now). There's a very tasteful amount of Dungeons and Dragons talk. We also dive into my new web design program for anyone with a smaller budget or tighter timeline: Seedling. Join us!
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Seedling: ansleyfones.com/seedling
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
WPEngine affiliate link: ansleyfones.com/wpengine
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Let's get to know our beautiful ball of human light, Carly! In this episode we do a deeper dive into Carly's love of all things book-related, learn some important do's and don'ts for keeping your business's books, and discover just how passionate Carly really is about taxes. We talk personality tests and our Hogwarts Houses, make a pact to actually charge rush fees, then finally get our very first listener question and discover that we, uh, don't have the best strategies for work-life balance. We're working on it.
Email us: freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Carly Crawford: carlydoesbooks.com
Carly on Instagram: @carlyisbooked
Ansley Fones: ansleyfones.com
Ansley's WordPress Crash Course: ansleyfones.com/webinar
Caroline Fourmy: carolinefourmy.com
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Say "HELL YES" to this episode! Soulful Career Coach Nina Sasson joins us to share some of her transformative career (and life) advice. It's like she stares into your soul, y'all. Carly and I talk about the moments we realized we wanted to go freelance, and share a truly wild question at the end!
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Nina Sasson - ninasasson.com
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Nina's Designer, We Are Branch - wearebranch.com
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Branding is a lot more than a logo and a color scheme: it's a tone, a mood, and a story. Blair Badenhop, a brand mentor, is here to tell us all about her strategies for finding authenticity in your branding so that everything from the copy on the page to the colors on your Instagram stories serve you and your target audience. (And she tells us how to find that target audience too!) We also learn about Blair's much needed new content platform for new moms - launching in May!
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Blair Badenhop - blairbadenhop.com
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
Blair's Copywriting Course: blairbadenhop.com/copywriting-101
PSTPRTM, Coming in May: pstprtm.com
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Ever wonder what it's like to be a professional artist? Well then come meet Patrick Lord! He shares his thoughts on staying creative when you're in a slump (hint: it has to do with the episode title), what it's been like for theatre artists in the pandemic, and what he's been up to while all the stages are dark. We also nerd out about Dungeons and Dragons, and Carly and I discuss our napping skills (or lack thereof). Please support your local artists!
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Patrick Lord - patrickwlord.com
Patrick (and Bandit!) on Instagram - instagram.com/pwlord
Nitya Ramlogan - nityaramlogan.com
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
Patrick's Projects:
Start with a Spark - https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624293115
Remarkable Squirrel - remarkablesquirrel.com
"What I Do" at the Kennedy Center - https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/digital-programming/2020-2021/what-i-do/what-i-do/
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Need to add some go-get-em attitude to your week? Get your butt kicked in a positive and supportive way by the one and only Nikki Veit: entrepreneur and personal trainer. She shares business and fitness secrets (organized in lists of three, naturally) and will absolutely make you want to Accomplish Things. Carly and Ansley chat about pandemic coping mechanisms and working from home with your significant other, and we finish everything off with the cutest (still funny) job ad.
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Nikki Veit & NV Strong Training - nvstrongtraining.com
Nikki on Instagram - instagram.com/kettlebellatrix
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
As freelancers, entrepreneurs, parents, and co-workers how can we help promote anti-bias values? Kate Beal, an anti-bias educator and trainer, shares how she approaches talking about racism with children and adults, as well as how she's juggled a career change while pregnant. Carly and Ansley talk about career trajectories, and Carly makes the beautiful mistake of asking Kate for children's book recommendations.
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Kate Beal & Equity Initiatives - equityinitiativesllc.org
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
ALL THOSE BOOKS:
Kate's Recs:
The Color of Us - Karen Katz
Kamala Harris Rooted in Justice - Nikki Grimes
She Persisted Series & She Persisted Around the World Series
Think Big Little One - Vashti Harrison
You're Here for a Reason - Nancy Tillman
Marvelous Me - Lisa Bullard
Mama Miti - Donna Jo Napoli
Seeds of Change - Wangari Maathai
Little People, Big Dreams Series
Winter Celebrations Around the World - Heather Conrad
Celebrations of Light - Nancy Luenn
Same, Same But Different - Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Carly's Recs:
The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh - Supriya Kelkar
Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO - Tamara Pizzoli
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Non-payers. Scope creepers. Chargebackers. Content stealers. We've been there and dealt with that BS, too. In this episode, we don't just commiserate, we help! Our guest Sam Vander Wielen harnesses her expertise as an attorney and entrepreneur to tell you how to protect yourself from these nightmare scenarios.
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Sam Vander Wielen - samvanderwielen.com
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
Sam on Instagram
Copycat Webinar is here! https://samvanderwielen.com/free-copycats-workshop/
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Don't know where to start with SEO? Start with this ep! Carly and Ansley hang out with Julia Lovallo and receive some amazing marketing advice from one of the best in the biz. We admit to being lurkers on TikTok, and talk about cultivating authoritative tones of voice ("B**** Voice") to counter our (obvious) adorableness. Join us!
Show links:
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Julia Lovallo - julialovallo.com
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
Carly's Maleficent Lamp
We will update with Julia's food blog when we have it!
That Mailchimp feature is "Resend an Unopened Campaign"
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Carly and Ansley chat with Paige Schmidt about how she connects health and budgeting for her business, the benefits of fear when trying something new, and some riveting facts about the tax code. We also cover some zoom etiquette and talk about rainbow butt mugs (it's exactly what it sounds like).
Show links:
Email us! freelancerwatercooler@gmail.com
Paige Schmidt - paigeschmidt.com
Ansley Fones - ansleyfones.com
Carly Crawford - carlydoesbooks.com
Caroline Fourmy - carolinefourmy.com
Carly's Organizer Template for GoodNotes