The first 90 days of your freelance business

The first 90 days of your freelance business

What's your biggest takeaway? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2433224/open_sms] In this episode of The Jump Moment, Matt Curtis walks through what it really looks like to start a freelance business. Whether you’re preparing to leave your job or already in your first few months as a freelancer, this episode outlines a 90-day roadmap to help you build in a way that is realistic and builds momentum.  Matt shares the 12-week framework he walks through in the Christian Creative group to help freelancers set a manageable building pace. If you’ve ever tried to cram an entire business build into a long weekend or holiday break, this episode will help you slow down, plan smarter, and building a way that gains momentum over time. The 90-Day Jump Start Plan Weeks 1–6: Building the Foundation 1. Discover Your Why – Identify what drives you and the people you’re called to serve. 2. Build and Price Your Offer – Connect your skills to your client’s real-world problems. 3. Short-Term Marketing – Create a plan to start sharing your offer right away. 4. Personal Systems – Build systems that help you protect you time outside of working in your business. 5. Contracts and Taxes – Understand simple contracts and tax implications as a business. 6. Professional Systems – Build workflows, client onboarding, and invoicing systems to support the operation of your business. Weeks 7–12: Sustaining Momentum 7. Mid- and Long-Term Marketing – Build a marketing planning focused on mid-term and long-term investments. 8. Money in Business – Learn how to make wise financial decisions that protect your future. 9. The Heart of a Freelancer – Learn how to work well with clients, be gracious and humble, and create healthy boundaries. 10. Protecting Imagination – Prioritizing rest, creativity, and long term creative health. 11. Developing your Skills – Ongoing growth and development as a creative. 12. Evaluate and Pivot – Use a 90-day planning rhythm to review, refine, and set your next goals. Resources Mentioned * Traction by Gino Wickman — A powerful guide to building and running your business in 90-day cycles. Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4a0fY7P [https://amzn.to/4a0fY7P] * Quarterly Workflow Worksheet — Matt’s free tool to help you plan and evaluate your next 90 days. Download [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/quarterly-focus-worksheet]. Join the Christian Creative [https://www.skool.com/healthy-creative-ministry-6051/about] group on Skool. Learn more about 1:1 coaching or find tools to help with your jump to freelance at https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching].

From Meetings to Meaning | Casey Watts on Building a Business with Purpose

What's your biggest takeaway? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2433224/open_sms] Recommended resource: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever [https://amzn.to/4hEz6do] by Michael Bungay Stanier. ---------- In this episode of The Jump Moment, Matt sits down with Casey Watts, an educator turned consultant, speaker, and author, who helps leaders create meetings that actually matter. Casey shares how her career evolved from teaching to leadership to full-time business ownership—and how clarity became the guiding thread. She also opens up about the fears, financial hurdles, and support systems that made her jump possible. If you’re wrestling with fulfillment, regret, or the “right time” to take the leap, this conversation is for you. Episode Highlights: * Why bad meetings are often a symptom of a lack of clarity. * How side hustles can reveal your through-line and shape your eventual business. * The importance of knowing when you’re no longer showing up fully at work. * Why regret is often the greater risk than failure. * Two pieces of advice Casey would give her younger self. About Casey: Casey Watts is a passionate speaker, author, and thought leader in team leadership with over 20 years in education and 10 years of experience coaching educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. She is the creator of the Clarity Cycle Framework, helping leaders bridge gaps, foster commitment, and create sustainable alignment. Casey is also the founder and host of The Catching Up with Casey podcast, where she and her guests bring clarity to the seemingly small things in leadership that make a big difference. Connect with Casey: Website: https://www.catchingupwithcasey.com/ [https://www.catchingupwithcasey.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catchupwithcasey [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catchupwithcasey] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithcasey [https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithcasey] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@catchupwithcasey [https://www.youtube.com/@catchupwithcasey] Join the Christian Creative [https://www.skool.com/healthy-creative-ministry-6051/about] group on Skool. Learn more about 1:1 coaching or find tools to help with your jump to freelance at https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching].

The Secret to Creative Success Might Be in Your Schedule

What's your biggest takeaway? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2433224/open_sms] What if the key to unlocking success in your creative business isn’t another tool or strategy... but it's your schedule? In this episode, Matt Curtis explores how time management shapes both creative freedom and business growth for freelancers and staff creatives alike. You’ll learn why your calendar might be the most important tool in your creative toolkit—and how managing your schedule with wisdom and intention can help you align your work with your values. Matt shares practical steps from his Tools for Christian Creatives series, including a simple, printable worksheet that helps you uncover where your time really goes. Whether you feel like your day is out of your control or you’re struggling to stay disciplined as a freelancer, this conversation will help you manage reality, build sustainable habits, and protect the things that matter most—your faith, your relationships, and your calling. Free Resource: Download the Weekly Schedule Planner [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/weekly-schedule-planner] mentioned in this episode and build your schedule your time with purpose. Download now [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/weekly-schedule-planner] Join the Christian Creative [https://www.skool.com/healthy-creative-ministry-6051/about] group on Skool. Learn more about 1:1 coaching or find tools to help with your jump to freelance at https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching].

High Performance without Burnout | with Frank and Sabrina Szabo

What's your biggest takeaway? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2433224/open_sms] Many believe that burnout is just about overworking. But in many cases, burnout actually stems from being underutilized.  In this episode of The Jump Moment, I talk with Frank and Sabrina Szabo, founders of /chaynj/ (pronounced “Change”), a coaching business dedicated to helping high performers prevent and recover from burnout. We discuss the dangers of tying your identity to performance, the fears and transferable skills involved in making the jump to freelance, and the critical role of community in sustaining your business. Episode Highlights: * Burnout is often about underutilization rather than overwork * High performance can be healthy with the right rhythms * The tension of finding transferable skills when leaving a long career * Why fear is natural (and even helpful) when starting something new * Community as both protection against burnout and fuel for freelancing About Frank and Sabrina Szabo: Frank and Sabrina Szabo are partners in life and co-founders of /chAYnj/, a coaching practice focused on those who operate under constant emotional demand and high responsibility. As a Hungarian-Brazilian team, they bring cultural depth, grounded presence, and hard-earned insight to their work. Their coaching supports individuals who hold it all together at the office, at home, and often in silence. Because they understand the weight of that role firsthand, they help clients recover clarity, agency, and a sense of self. Sabrina is a leadership coach, educator, and ICF Foundation Ambassador. She currently pursues a PhD in Intercultural Education and holds a Master’s in Global Leadership. Frank is a high-performance coach and author who has spent over twenty years supporting Olympic athletes and pressure-tested teams. In addition, he holds certifications in EQ-i 2.0® and EQ 360. Both Frank and Sabrina are ICF Professional Certified Coaches. Together, they remain committed to making emotional well-being both practical and deeply personal. If you feel like you've been holding it together while quietly burning out, check out the Own Your Shift program. This 12-week experience supports people who carry a lot and need more than just rest. We help rebuild emotional capacity, sharpen focus, and restore a sense of self through one-on-one coaching, clear structure, and measurable progress. We run the program only three times a year with six participants each time because we prioritize deep, personal support. This work comes from our own lived experience with burnout, and we’re deeply committed to helping others find steadiness again. If you're ready to stop bracing through the day and start living with more presence, they can learn more at chaynj.com [http://chaynj.com/]. Connect with Frank and Sabrina:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaynj/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaynj/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaynj_lead/ [https://www.instagram.com/chaynj_lead/] Website: chaynj.com [http://chaynj.com/] Frank's Book: https://amzn.to/4mwnzh4 [https://amzn.to/4mwnzh4] Join the Christian Creative [https://www.skool.com/healthy-creative-ministry-6051/about] group on Skool. Learn more about 1:1 coaching or find tools to help with your jump to freelance at https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching].

Being faithful with what’s in front of you with Jacob Dyke

What's your biggest takeaway? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2433224/open_sms] When your vision feels far off and progress is slow, how do you keep going? In this episode, executive coach Jacob Dyke shares what it looked like to stay faithful with what God had placed in front of him—even when business didn’t take off right away. From working evenings at Lowe’s to give his business a fighting chance, to wrestling through identity, fear, and provision, Jacob’s story is a powerful reminder that slow progress is still progress. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth it to keep building when results are delayed, this conversation will encourage you to stay the course. Episode Highlights: * Why progress doesn’t always mean speed * What it looks like to be faithful with what’s in front of you * How to balance vision for the future with intentionality in the present * Why spiritual formation matters in the entrepreneurial journey * The role of coaching and outside voices in finding your direction About Jacob Dyke: Jacob is the founder of Anchor Coaching, where he helps Christian entrepreneurs improve productivity without burnout as well as a Startups.com [http://startups.com/] Advisor. Jacob writes The Anchored Entrepreneur, a newsletter you can find via his LinkedIn. Connect with Jacob Dyke: Website: http://anchorcoaching.co/ [http://anchorcoaching.co/] Newsletter: https://anchor-coaching.beehiiv.com [https://anchor-coaching.beehiiv.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-dyke/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-dyke/] Join the Christian Creative [https://www.skool.com/healthy-creative-ministry-6051/about] group on Skool. Learn more about 1:1 coaching or find tools to help with your jump to freelance at https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching [https://www.lunchtimeheroes.co/coaching].