Anna Burgess Yang

Freelance Fintech Writer + Product-Led Content | Operations Advice for Solopreneurs | Career pivots are fun. 🎉

I'm a freelance content marketer and journalist.
I share practical tips for solopreneurs.
I also like naps.

In 2021, I quit my job as a corporate executive at a fintech and pivoted to an entirely new career. 18 months later, I decided to bet on myself. I became a full-time freelance writer and solopreneur.

My solo business grew quickly because of my former exec experience. I can do more with my time because I know how to use tools and automate processes. Solopreneur life has always felt freeing for me, instead of overwhelming.

I want to empower other one-person businesses to take control of their time, streamline their processes, and free themselves from boring/tedious work.

I create resources for other solopreneurs including eBooks, courses, and my newsletter. I also provide 1:1 consulting for people looking to improve their business operations.

Gain freedom in your solopreneur life through optimization. Check out my resources here. ⏬

start.annabyang.com

Content Workflow Consultant

I help content creators, freelancers, and agencies manage their content - for themselves and their clients.

- I can build a 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. Publish a thing? I'll use automation to build a to-do for you on future date(s) to turn that blog post into two LinkedIn posts. Or turn a LinkedIn post into a Tweet. Or re-share a link to your Substack. Repurposing is easy. I'll make the repurposing calendar a piece of cake.

- I can build a 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆. Everything you publish on your blog, Substack, newsletter, etc. will automatically feed into a list. I use automation to connect links to drafts, artwork, clients, and more. No more digging: one central location to manage all of your content.

- I can do a 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. We'll do a video call and you show me what you're currently doing. I'll prepare a doc with recommendations for improvement, tools to check out, and other tips to simplify your life.

Running a solo business can be really lonely. 

Most days, it's just me and my computer (and my cats!) 

Client communication is either email or Slack. I have very few meetings.

Before I started working for myself, I worked remotely for years. But it was different. I could always ping someone or call a colleague. That doesn't exist when you're running a solo business.

So I've built connections on purpose.

I've joined freelance communities. 
I connect with other freelancers on LinkedIn. 
I've done co-working sessions where we hop on a video call together for focused work time.

Fellow solopreneurs have taught me a lot - especially about things like pricing and handling difficult client situations.

Solo work isn't for everyone. If you're considering it, keep in mind that you'll spend a lot of time alone. And surround yourself with people who "get it."

undefined undefined

Fintech Writer + Product-Led Content | Solopreneur Operations Strategist | Career pivots are fun. 🎉

Got this notification: my blog has 100 subscribers.

Small number, right?

I have thousands of followers on Medium. About 18 months ago, I changed my writing process: publish on my own domain first; republish to Medium. 

Since then, through organic search and links I've shared, some people have subscribed to my blog (hosted by Ghost). 

It always boggles my mind a bit when they do. They want to get new posts *in their inboxes*?? We're not talking about a short newsletter here - these are long-form blog posts. 

Anyway, cheers to the next 100. 

BTW: This email notification came *literally* the day after I renamed my blog. It used to be just my name, and now it is "Building Solo."

Waiting for permission to do something.
Trying to fill your days with tasks.
Saying yes to everything. 

What corporate habits have been the hardest for you to unlearn?

Ex-Fidelity manager George Noble wrote on X, "OPENAAI IS FALLING APART IN REAL TIME." (Yes, all caps) 

He cited increased competition from other AI Labs and the fact that OpenAI needs $143 billion before it even turns a profit. 

I switched from ChatGPT to Claude and Gemini over the past month (which was a chore, considering how much I have OpenAI embedded into my workflows). 

In that process, I did a few things:

- Determined which models are best for different tasks 
- Set up processes that will make it easier for me to switch between models in the future

(If you're curious, I have a link to my write-up about the switch in the comments)

My entire day operates by my Todoist task list. If it's not on the list, it basically doesn't exist.

Everyone needs *something.* Our brains simply cannot handle everything we're supposed to remember.

Find something that works for you.

Not sure if you need a big career change or just a small shift? 

I break down the different types of career pivots (and share how I’ve handled them myself). 

If you’re thinking about making a move, this might help you figure out your next step.

https://lnkd.in/gdiFx2Ap

Tired of blending in with other freelancers? 

Here are a few simple ways to help you get noticed.

https://lnkd.in/g-ybXMwx

I see a lot of posts: "You can run a small or one-person business on mostly free tools!"

I think that's the wrong approach.

I get that solopreneurs are trying to save money. But your time is also worth something. 

I will 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘺 pay for tools if they make my life easier. 
And I'll upgrade from free to paid quickly if I see additional value.

Am I mindful of costs when I'm adding a new tool? 
Sure. 

But usually, it's an easy decision. An extra $10 or $15 for something that makes my work more efficient is well worth the money, IMO.

A lot of project management tools are designed for complicated projects. (Teams, tasks, dependencies, etc.)

If you're running a solo business, you don't necessarily need all that.

For example, I don't create separate tasks for research, outline, draft, and edit within my client deliverables. I know where a project is at based on looking at the Google Doc. It would be extra work for me to "check the box."

But you should build a system that works for how YOU think. If you like to check the box for each piece in a project, do it.

It's newsletter day! You can still have my newsletter land in your inbox later this morning.

(Or, if you don't see this post until later in the day because the algorithm is weird like that, you'll get the next issue in two weeks.)

With each issue of Tinkering With Ideas, I send a mix of productivity tips, apps I'm testing, and the occasional life update. 

Short and sweet. Just the stuff I'm actually doing/using.

Every Friday, I spend 30 minutes on admin work for my business.

Sounds boring, right?

But here's what happens when I skip it: 
- Stuff piles up 
- My content library gets messy
- The "little things" I need to do get pushed to the following week. They don't go away.

That weekly admin time keeps my business under control. 

I either carve out the time now or spend wayyyy more time playing catch-up later.

taplio

Anna Yang's Linkedin Analytics

Anna Burgess Yang

Performance ScoreAnna Burgess Yang's LinkedIn Performance

What is Anna talking about?

Who is engaging with Anna

Anna Burgess Yang's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Anna Yang's Linkedin Analytics

Anna Burgess Yang

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Anna Burgess Yang's LinkedIn Performance

What is Anna talking about?

Who is engaging with Anna

Anna Burgess Yang's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Anna Yang's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreAnna Burgess Yang's LinkedIn Performance

Anna Burgess Yang's Best Posts (last 30 days)