.png)
It's 7am on an early-spring Tuesday morning. The beachside alleys of Hermosa Beach are slowly waking up as surfers walk their boards out to the ocean, mothers stroll their babies along the Strand, and athletes head out to morning volleyball activities on the sand. Here, many people start their days playing and moving in the sun before the pressures of the later day take over.
I wake up to a quiet alarm clock and a mental rundown of the day ahead. I focus on specific things I'm grateful for, then power on my red light therapy bed before slipping in, letting my mind wander, and relaxing.
By 7:30 water is in my system, I've run through my hygiene and skincare routine, and my espresso machine spittles to life while I boot up my computer.
Messages have already rolled in from the night before (one from a client on the East Coast and one in the Midwest - both different timezones), and I prioritize replying to them before making a high-protein breakfast and drinking my coffee.
I'm craving a look at the ocean, but I store that in my brain for later because I have some tight deadlines approaching, and jump straight into work.
My automated calendar system has planned my work schedule out, and I'm regularly tracking progress in my project management system.
Today I'm editing some photos and creating a social media strategy. To minimize distractions, I get into a cozy editing vibe and have high frequency tracks playing in the background.
Fun Fact: Did you know the average brain burns 600-800 calories per day? I recently learned this fact and it surprised me, but explains the exhaustion after spending long hours online.
By 10am, I've gotten through communication and project management ... and look! An invoice just came through! $400 from a brand management client. The money will be in my bank account within 3-5 business days. I mentally cheer myself, and then remember I promised to quote them on business card design, so I draft up an invoice and send it for collection with a grateful "thank you" note.
As a freelance brand manager, I invest most of my energy into digital communication on social media platforms, so many of these tasks take me into my agency software, but there are also clients who require smaller systems, so I'm logging into their personal systems for copywriting, graphic design, client approval, scheduling and community management.
By noon, I've had lunch and take a quick scroll on my Instagram and notice automated DMs have generated some leads to follow up on.
Because my email newsletter have a high response rate, I'm spending my afternoon editing my month's announcement to send to out to subscribers.Â
Then, I look at my calendar week ahead and am reminded that I'm driving up to Beverly Hills for a shoot on Thursday for stunning photos and videos of stunning architecture, so I'm clearing my SD cards and charging my electronic gadgets and gear.
By 4p, my workday is almost done, so I'm spending time progressing on a drone license course and updating my Freelancing 101 course for students.
I'm wrapping up the day by following up on voicemails and doing some outbound calls on my phone line, then putting my computers to sleep and preparing for movement.
I lace up my running shoes and head outdoors to enjoy a sunset on the way to my neighborhood gym, where I complete my day's workout on a guided training app.
I spend the evening working on an apartment renovation project with my boyfriend and enjoy a bowl of frozen yogurt, topped with our favorite high-protein sprinkles and call it a night.
Cheers to a successful working day as a freelancer!
Megan Keyser is a freelancing photographer and brand manager based in Hermosa Beach, a sleepy beach town just south of Los Angeles, California. Connect on Instagram.
