How Focus, Consistent Action, and Follow-Through Helped Diana Relaunch Her Freelance Business
After several successful years as a freelance medical writer, Diana Henzel, PharmD, stepped away from her business for nearly two years to care for family members facing health challenges. When she was ready to return, her former clients had moved on, and she needed to relaunch her business and regain momentum.
Dislike of Marketing Makes it Harder
With experience in regulatory writing, a high-demand area of medical writing, extensive experience in clinical pharmacy, and a certificate in regulatory writing from the University of the Sciences, Diana had a strong foundation for freelance success.
But she didn’t like marketing and lacked confidence about successfully restarting her business.
Then Diana heard about Freelance Flow, a 12-month marketing coaching program for freelance medical writers and editors who want to build a stable, sustainable business. Led by Lori De Milto, who has been a freelance medical writer since 1997 and a marketing teacher and coach since 2014, the program combines personalized coaching with a proven marketing system.
Customized Support Makes Marketing Easier
Diana found the support and accountability she needed in Freelance Flow. Personalized coaching with assignments with deadlines and accountability reminders helped her focus on what mattered most, take consistent action, and follow through on her marketing—even when she was busy with client work.
“I don’t like marketing so I needed somebody to push me forward,” says Diana. “Lori gave me consistent accountability, helped me stay focused on my goals, and gave me an opportunity to discuss the challenges I was experiencing.”
Consistent support while implementing what she learned also helped Diana. “If I needed advice or encouragement, especially if I was doing something that’s new to me, I could go to Lori for support. It’s much easier and less stressful to have that support than just to get the content and run with it on my own.”
During Freelance Flow, Diana used a proven marketing system to identify her ideal clients and clearly communicate her value to them in her LinkedIn profile and website content. “Developing client-focused messaging helps me present my services in a way that speaks directly to client needs, making it easier for potential clients to see how I can help them,” says Diana.
Diana also built trusting relationships with colleagues by volunteering for the American Medical Writers Association’s (AMWA’s) Mid-Atlantic Chapter and raised her visibility on LinkedIn, including in search results, through an optimized profile and by starting to comment on posts and writing her own posts.
Volunteering Makes Networking Easier and More Effective
Networking, especially through professional associations, is one of the most effective ways to build a freelance business. As a volunteer for AMWA’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Diana is networking with more confidence and getting more value from the time she invests in networking.
Diana helped organize the Mid-Atlantic Chapter conference one year and served as co-chair the next. She also joined the board as the membership and volunteer coordinator, and helping organize a regional event and her chapter’s dinner at the AMWA national conference.
“Volunteering allows me to meet a lot of different people and helps me feel more comfortable speaking with people and developing relationships with them,” says Diana.
Those professional relationships are what leads to new clients and referrals to clients from colleagues.
The Results of Marketing Support and Accountability
Through Freelance Flow, Diana developed a marketing system tailored to her business. With monthly coaching, personalized feedback, and accountability, she turned marketing into a consistent habit that helped her attract the right clients.
“Taking small steps helped me build momentum,” says Diana. “As I got accustomed to the marketing process, I built my confidence.”
By the end of the program, Diana had three new clients and as much work as she wanted most of the time. Networking brought in two of those clients and the third came from an ad for a freelance medical writer. Two more clients had shown interest in Diana’s services but hadn’t needed freelance help yet.
When a networking contact referred Diana to a client looking for help with payer and market access communications, Diana realized it was close enough to regulatory writing to give it a try. Diana developed a new skill and the client, who had been struggling to find competent, dependable freelancers, got the help she needed.
Diana had met staff from the company that placed the ad when she attended a presentation by them at the AMWA annual conference. Before participating in Freelance Flow, that would have been the end of it. But with what Diana learned during the program and her newfound confidence, she decided to apply—and they hired her.
In less than a year, Diana was mostly doing work she enjoyed, which is unusual so early in a freelance career, and had already turned down several projects that weren’t right for her.
Through monthly coaching sessions, assignments with deadlines, and a proven marketing system, Diana found what she needed: support while implementing what she learned and the accountability that kept her focused on achieving her goals.
While Diana still doesn’t like marketing, now that she’s seen how it’s helping her build her freelance business, she’s more comfortable doing it and has made it a routine part of her business.
About Regulatory & Scientific Writing Solutions, LLC
Regulatory & Scientific Writing Solutions, LLC delivers clear and concise regulatory and payer and market access writing to support efficient and successful regulatory and market access review. Diana helps medical communications companies, contract research organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and other clients support regulatory review and evidence-based decision-making with clear, well-organized documents that are easy to review and demonstrate accurate interpretation and clear communication of complex scientific information and strong knowledge of drugs, disease states, and the drug development process.
Is Freelance Flow Right for You?
Freelance Flow is a 12-month coaching program for freelance medical writers and editors who want to build a stable, sustainable business. It’s part of a proven marketing system that will help you identify and attract the right clients by communicating your value clearly, focus your marketing on what works best, and market consistently.
Every freelance business is different.
Your experience, goals, strengths, and marketing challenges are unique to you. That’s why the first step isn’t enrolling in Freelance Flow—it’s having a conversation.
During a free 30-minute virtual coaching session, we’ll discuss:
- Where your freelance business is today
- The marketing challenges you’re facing
- Your goals for your business
- Whether Freelance Flow is the right fit for you.
After our conversation, I’ll send you a brief written report that summarizes my recommendations, along with ideas you can use to strengthen your marketing. If Freelance Flow appears to be a good fit, I’ll also include additional information about the program so you can decide whether you’d like to move forward.
The coaching session is designed to help you gain clarity—not to pressure you into making a decision.
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