Allison Gower is the President and CEO of Allison Evelyn, Inc., offering content, media and marketing services to a variety of local and global clients. She helps business owners find their voice and establish their online presence through content writing, blogging and landing placements in the media.
After graduating from San Diego State, Allison landed a job in marketing and sales with a video production company. In her role there, she discovered a love of writing. Fascinated by getting to know the client’s brand and how they defined their voice, Allison started freelancing in this capacity on the side, and eventually, one of her freelance clients offered her enough work to quit her day job.
Three years later, Allison has established her own company and continues to thrive as an entrepreneur, helping prominent businesses such as LaJolla.com and iPetitions connect with their audience. When not typing away at her co-working space in sunny San Diego, she is practicing yoga, hopping on a plane or facilitating video projects. On this episode of the podcast, Allison shares her approach to planning for trips that take her offline and several of her favorite travel experiences. She also offers advice regarding the business aspects of freelancing and the benefits of joining a co-working space.
Key Takeaways
The benefit of establishing a business
- At the income threshold of $80,000/year, freelancers begin to lose so much in self-employment taxes that it makes sense to establish a business
- For liability reasons, it is better to deal with legal issues as a separate entity
The challenge of doing solo work as a freelance writer
- It can be a difficult transition if you are used to getting energy and ideas from other people
The advantages of joining a coworking space
- Helps separate business and personal life
- Promotes productivity
- Affords the opportunity to connect with business owners who might need your services
- Provides friends to brainstorm with – and go to happy hour!
Allison’s tips for freelancers interested in pursuing travel opportunities
- Let clients know when you are planning an offline trip – as far in advance as possible
- Once your plans are finalized, sit down with your clients to plan
- Do as much work as possible before you leave
- Consider investing in a VA to support clients with ongoing needs
- Refer clients to another freelancer you trust who can sub for you
- Put systems in place to keep things running while you’re gone
- Compose a conversational auto response for your email to remind clients that you are unavailable
Allison’s favorite travel experiences
- She has taken trips to Atlanta and Illinois, working in the morning and exploring the rest of the day
- On backpacking trips to New Zealand and Peru, she has gone offline for several weeks
Allison’s best tips for emerging entrepreneurs
- Seek opportunities to network face-to-face
- Attend events in your area that address topics you’re interested in
- Connect with potential clients on LinkedIn and invite them for coffee
Connect with Allison Gower
Allison Evelyn Gower is the President & CEO of Allison Evelyn, Inc., offering content, media and marketing services to a variety of local and global clients. Originally from the Bay Area, Allison helps clients find their voice and establish their online presence through content writing, blogging and landing placements in the media. When not typing away at her coworking space in sunny San Diego, she is practicing yoga, hopping on a plane, watching Seinfeld or helping out video projects.
