Laura Stevens

I love freelancers. That probably isn’t surprising, considering I am one. I also love the clients who hire them. Most freelancer-client relationships begin with good intentions on both sides: the client needs help, the freelancer has skills that can make life easier, and everyone is genuinely hoping this will become one of those magical working relationships where things simply get done. And sometimes it does. But freelancers and employees are not interchangeable. The expectations that work...

Every workplace has them. The person who needs just a little more reassurance. One more conversation. One more clarification. One more check-in. One more “quick question” that somehow becomes a 37-minute discussion involving three people, two Slack threads, and at least one person staring blankly into the distance afterward. The energy vampire. Before anyone starts mentally assembling a list of suspects, I should probably clarify something: I don’t think energy vampires are difficult people....

Being indispensable can feel flattering. It can also be exhausting. And I've seen firsthand that a healthy business shouldn't depend on your highest tolerance for chaos.