Career Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

When was the last time you did something that scared you?

August 13, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 35 Comments

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Scaring yourself is a good thing – it means that you're pushing yourself to do something new and outside of your comfort zone. This can help you grow as a person and continue to improve. #scareyourself #motivation #dreamlife #lifetips I'd be lying to you if I said that our new sailing adventure didn't scare me.

We are currently around three months into our new boat life. We are very happy with our purchase and the huge life change that we have made.

We are excited for our future, all of the amazing places we will visit, and all of the learning experiences that we will get to have.

However, making this huge lifestyle change has been a little scary for me.

The first month of boat ownership was an interesting one. Before we bought our boat, we were constantly told that there are two best days in a boat owner’s life:

The day you buy you boat.
The day you sell it.

And, for a moment there, I thought that was right, haha! [Read more…]

You Wouldn’t Work For Free, Right? So, Why Do You?

June 28, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 54 Comments

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You Wouldn't Work For Free, Right? So, Why Do You? Do you often find yourself at the end of the year with unused vacation days?

If so, then you are essentially working for free.

According to CNN, 23% of workers surveyed said they used all of their vacation days in the previous 12 months. That means that 77% of people had unused vacation days!

Also, this same survey showed that the average U.S. worker uses less than HALF of their paid days off.

So, I did some more research because I find this subject so interesting. According to CNBC, on average, American workers gave up around $604 in lost benefits by ending the year with unused vacation days and other paid time off.

I find this topic interesting because when I used to work for others, I would never use all of my paid vacation days. [Read more…]

6 Actions To Take To Find Your First Customers When No One Knows You

May 30, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 16 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

When it comes to side hustling, one of the top questions I receive is about how to find customers. Of course, depending on your side hustle, the answer to this question will vary, but today I would like to help you brainstorm and find the right clients so that you can make more money.

How To Find Customers For Your Business - Creative Ways To Find Clients #howtofindcustomers #howtofindclients #waystomakeextramoney Launching a new side hustle can be intimidating, and there is a lot that goes into growing your side hustle business. One of the most important things to think about is how to find customers.

Learning how to market your new side hustle is extremely important, and it's a step that no side hustler should skip.

There are many ways to grow your side hustle. Whether you eventually want to turn it into a full-time business or if you just want to start making more money, growing it is possible.

When I first started side hustling, I had no idea what I was doing. And, I definitely didn't have a clue as to how to find customers/clients, but I went for it anyway.

Eventually, I found several clients and began earning enough money through freelancing that I was able to cover all of my bills. And, I started from nothing – I had no idea what I was doing! [Read more…]

Tricks To Get More Done In Less Time

May 16, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 25 Comments

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I consider myself to be a time management BOSS! Here are my time management tips so that you can learn how to manage time and accomplish the things you want in life. Looking for time management tips?

You're not alone.

I've been able to reach a lot of my goals due to my time management skills. People have wondered how I was able to pay off my debt in seven months, how I graduated with two college degrees by the age of 20, and how I've been able to build this blogging business to where it is today without a huge team behind me. Well, it's due to me knowing how to get more done in less time.

Some may call me impatient (okay, it's probably my biggest flaw), but I utilize a lot of time management tips and solutions below because I know how much they can truly help.

Now, I'm not perfect either. I can watch a whole season of a TV show in one day, and I can easily spend an insane amount of hours on social media.

However, it's about balance and knowing when too much is too much. [Read more…]

How to Make Money Self-Publishing Short Romance Novels on Amazon

February 23, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 33 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Today, I have a great article from Yuwanda Black. She has an interesting side hustle making extra money writing romance novels. In one month, she was able to make $3,211.57 doing this! Enjoy!

Did you know that you can make money writing romance? In one month, this person was able to make $3,211.57 writing romance stories for adults! I’m a freelance writer – I have been since 1993. I started publishing romance novels in 2013. Before we get into what it takes to make money writing romance, let’s start from the beginning, so you can have some context about how I started my romance writing career.

I come from a legal publishing background. I worked for Matthew Bender, a trade publisher in New York that was bought by the conglomerate that owns LexisNexis. In 1997, I left Matthew Bender for good to join my sister in a company she founded – Inkwell Editorial.

The firm started out as an editorial outsource agency. We did copy editing, proofreading, word processing and coding. We’d hire independent contractors (freelancers) to get the work done. The company expanded into on-site staffing in 1998, and it quickly became our biggest source of business; even though we still had an outsource division. [Read more…]

How I Made $1,536,732 In 2017 – My December Online Income Report and Annual Wrap Up

January 17, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 105 Comments

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Here's how I made $1,536,732 blogging in 2017! #howtomakemoneyblogging #howtomakemoneybloggingforbeginners #howtomakemoney #waystomakeextramoney Welcome to December 2017's business income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It's time to look at this month's update and see how I did.

If you're new to Making Sense of Cents, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section if you're not new here.

This all started out as my extra income report because, in the beginning, it was all about the money I was earning from my side jobs. In my side income reports from the beginning, I included all of the income I made except for what I made at my day job.

However, I left my day job as a financial analyst in October of 2013 and now my monthly income reports consist of the many ways I earn a living.

Many have asked why I would ever want to publicly post my income each month. Some think I'm crazy, whereas some are glad I'm open about what I'm doing. Whatever you think, I enjoy publishing my monthly online income reports and I share them publicly for three main reasons: [Read more…]

From Well-Paying Day Job To Risky Full-Time Side Hustle – Why I Made The Switch

January 8, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 62 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Just a few years ago, numerous people called me crazy for leaving my day job as a financial analyst in order to pursue my blogging side hustle full-time. At that point, many people saw my side hustle as just a hobby, not a real business. Plus, some people thought that it wasn't secure enough, that I was nuts for leaving my stable job that I went to college for, along with many other reasons.

Six years ago, I left my day job to pursue my side hustle full-time. Learning how to make money online through a blog was never my goal, but I'm so glad I gave it a shot! #sidehustle #howtomakemoney #howtomakemoneyonline #waystomakeextramoney And, for the most part, I completely understood why people thought I was crazy.

It's not like the average person knows a full-time blogger or exactly what a blogger is. Just the thought of someone earning a living online, just a few years ago, blew people's mind and led to lots of confusion and questions. It's a very unusual career choice that can be mind boggling for the average person to hear about.

Due to this, we received many money lectures from coworkers and bosses, people who thought we were giving up and trying to find an “easy” way to work, and more.

I had a great day job that paid well. It had benefits, paid a plentiful bonus at the end of each year, and I could have worked there forever if I wanted to.

But, it just wasn't for me.

Behind the scenes, it felt like my day job was killing me. I know that many people aren’t absolutely in love with their job, but I could barely stand going in each day and dreaded nearly every bit of it. [Read more…]

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