why boundaries matter to me as a neurodivergent freelancer

(this was originally posted to LinkedIn for Mental Health Awareness Week, but sharing it here too so I can refer future clients here when onboarding!)

as someone who is still coming to terms with their adhd (and likely autism) diagnosis four years on, and because I'm very aware of my own mental health needs every single day, there are some things about working with me that potential clients should know from the jump.

it's hugely important to me that my preferred ways of working are respected and maintained so that I can continue to deliver the high quality results my current clients have come to expect, while also maintaining my daily routine and mental health needs.

my boundaries are simple accommodations that are there to benefit both me and my clients, so long as they are respected. with respect, it's not that deep.

🔍 no calls (until you pass the vibe check)

because of my neurodivergence, I find calls that question my experience and skill set (even if literally just to talk about myself) make me highly anxious. although I am an excellent sales person, I don't sell myself well (especially face to face), and I'd rather let my experience speak for itself.

I'm also really, really bad at talking without an agenda or a script of sorts, so to alleviate the verbal diarrhoea, I prefer to share examples of work and discuss initial briefs via email. once I am comfortable speaking with you without worrying about how I come across, then I'm absolutely down for calls. I still need notice time and an agenda, but who doesn't want that ahead of calls?

📲 no meetings that could be emails

if you've hired me to do a job, then having meetings that could have been emails is just a waste of the time you're paying me to do the work.

as mentioned above, calls and meetings can stress me out and make me anxious, so instead, I ensure all work is communicated via a live document which I update daily based on the business' individual needs.

I'm also chronically online, and aim to reply to emails and slack messages within the hour during business hours (sometimes even outside of business hours), so if you need me, you have more of a chance of catching me online than booking in a call.

🗣 no micro-managing - I am the expert here

presumably I've been consistently busy and booked over the last five years because I'm good at my job and somewhat of an expert in my field. I suppose that means then, that I don't need someone checking in on me every hour to ask how things are going, has anyone replied yet, what's the coverage status, et cetera.

like most people, I can't provide the best results with someone looking over my shoulder at all times. I communicate waaaaay more than most people (perhaps too much?) so while working with me you can expect regular updates and check-ins, keeping you up-to-date with everything that's going on behind the scenes. I promise.

🤐 no bulls*t - I'm not a yes man

perhaps the biggest complaint of me over the last however many years that I've been alive, is that I don't hold back and tell it how it is. I can now blame that on adhd and cite discrimination whenever anyone calls me on it (I'm jokiiiing)(or... am I?), but the good news here is that I will tell you when something isn't working, or isn't worth pursuing, or is a total waste of time.

I am not a "yes man" and I do not like having my time wasted, so you can expect complete and total honesty from me. to a fault, probably. but I truly think that honesty is the best policy, and you're paying me for my experience and knowledge. if I don't think something is going to work, I'm not going to enjoy working on it, and it's not going to get the results.

trust me to find the thing that will work, let me hyperfocus on it like it's my new passion project, and let's just smile and nod when it all works out for the best, k?

what I'm looking for from potential partners

🔊 clear communication

I need to have clearly defined briefs. if they're not, expect me to ask a lot of questions until they are. this isn't calling you out, this is making sure that I totally understand what you want, and confirming that I have all the details right.

💡 realistic goals

sorry folks, but I am not a miracle worker. I don't work against link targets or unrealistic vanity metrics. I am not a traditional PR and I am not an SEO. I am a digital PR and I follow the latest guidelines and recommendations from across the digital marketing industry. end of.

♻ end-to-end management

I work better when I can own something from start to finish. while I offer a full range of support options, I just prefer to work with clients for whom I can: create a strategy, generate ideas, write releases, and outreach campaigns.

does this sound like something you can work with? if so, I'd love to hear from you!

erica@colourfulcomms.com