There are a million and one things that I could do tonight. Well, actually only about two, but still I have them to do if I desire. However, instead of going out on a date, I’ll be home spending the evening with my daughters. There were times in the past when I would go out on dates or attend various events, then come home and spend time with them. I feel like that’s me showing them that they are secondary to others and other things. So, on this night, we’ll be home with our bucket o’ chocolate, a stack of movies, sparkling juice, and strange colored nail polish (these kids are truly weird).

They may not know it, but their remaining very close to me has catapult through tough times. You always hear, “there’s nothing like a mother’s love”. Well, there’s nothing like a child’s unconditional love and appreciation. I’m truly grateful to have such beautiful, smart and talented young ladies that still me love me and have no problem showing it.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! “In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” – Eva Barrows

Original Post December 31, 2009…minor changes made today.

As I enter a new day, a new month, a new year – the first day of 2012, I am free of resolutions…again. I’m sure I won’t make it to the gym as often as I should (I went 1 time in 2011, but only to deliver a marketing plan), chances are some negative *ish will enter my life, I am almost positive I won’t stop drinking; and although I’m way more relaxed than I was when I originally wrote this, my use of profanity may not decrease much. I’m going to take one day at a time, diligently trudge towards my goals, and handle each situation, good or bad, as it comes along.

I wish I had a magic wand to ‘poof be gone’ all the nonsense, but life is not a fairy tale. Truth be told, some of us truly think we are going to wake up and all of 2011′s troubles will be gone. As always, I’ve been reading your social networking posts and many of you think the click of the “delete” button will solve your problems, but clicking the add, like, or follow buttons didn’t create them. If you will, please use that as a metaphoric insight into your life. Most troubles don’t come overnight; thus, they surely can’t be resolved overnight. In 2012, take time to evaluate every aspect of every situation and take responsibility for your involvement. From that point, you can start making necessary changes…do better, get better.

I wish the best for all of you and your endeavors. Make vision boards, achieve old goals, walk away from unattainable ones, set new ones, and keep a positive outlook on your future. Meanwhile, I’m going to eat what I want, think about doing some situps, sip on some egg nog, and begin working on vision boards with my daughters.

Happy New Year y’all!

One of the many hats I wear is that of a freelance web designer. I love being able to help businesses and organizations develop and revamp their online presence. My clients range from those that are just starting with very little money to major organizations – from trucking to adult entertainment to retailers, I think I’ve covered just about every industry. The one thing that I find the most common is that people can’t seem to rationalize through the differences between an employee and a freelancer. This actually causes me great frustration. So, I’ve taken my own experiences to deliver a portion of the Just Tonya B approach to dealing with freelancers. I may need to work on my approach, but hey, I’m human.

Here are 4 of “don’t-dos” when it comes to working with freelancers.

Don’t equate your job at your workplace to the work of a freelancer.
Unlike employees who are hired to do particular work and “other duties as assigned” for a set salary, freelancers are contractors working within set parameters of an agreement. Freelancers complete work outlined in a contract for a specific amount of money within a specific time frame. We don’t “punch clocks” and we typically don’t work 9 to 5 with weekends off. We don’t get paid vacation days, sick time or holidays; we pay our own taxes; and we are responsible for our own professional development. I say all of that say, give us a lot more respect.

Don’t ask your freelancer to teach you how to do his job so you won’t “have to bother him anymore.”
We are hired for our design expertise and skills, because these are skill sets that you don’t have or projects you don’t have time to complete. I MAY show my clients simple things, but my definition of simple and their definition of simple, probably won’t be the same. Would you ask your plumber to show you how to do back flow repair so you won’t have to call him anymore? Probably not. So, it is not fair to expect your designer to teach you web design or html coding.

Don’t nickel and dime your freelancer to the soup line.
You have to pay for what you want and time IS money. So, don’t get upset when we ask for more money for that “small, tiny, simple, little insignificant” additional thing you need. Sometimes what you think is simple could actually be a 4 hour job for you which you don’t want to compensate. What would you do if your paycheck was 4 hours short? Would you happily tell your boss, “Eh, don’t worry about it. I like you so much I love giving you my time.”

Don’t expect your freelancer to respond to you lickety-split.
Freelancers set their own hours, which may not coincide with your work hours. I know in Corporate, you are use to sending out emails and getting an immediate response from your employees or co-workers, but your designer does not work for you or with you. The most annoying thing to me is to get an email, then to get a phone call telling me that an email was sent, and then to get a text message telling me that the email was sent and a voice message was left – all in one day. Plan accordingly and don’t wait until the last minute. Most freelancers are working on multiple jobs at one time and have to put your inquiry in queue along with several others.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. I just wanted to help you help me make my life and the lives of other freelance designers better. :)

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” -Jim Rohn