#182: A massive pivot from freelancing to owning a business with her husband, with business coach Jenni Gritters

Today’s guest is Jenni Gritters, from Oregon. She is a business coach for freelancers and creators. She’s also a former journalist, and a current writer who runs a small content and community agency called The Riverwoods Media Group. Jenni is the former co-host of The Writer’s Co-op podcast and workshops. 

Be sure to check out Jenni’s group coaching program for freelancers, called SUSTAIN.

In today’s episode, Jenni shares how she made a massive shift in her business, going from a freelancer; then part-time freelancer while raising two young kids, while her husband was a critical care nurse; then being the primary income earner while her husband took on the primary household and kid duties (and joined Jenni’s business).

We talk about all that, but we also talk a lot about building a successful business, from Jenni’s coaching perspective, which I really appreciated and learned from. 

In this episode, we talk about: 

• The many pivots and iterations of Jenni’s business.
• How, as a freelancer, she carried over the same negative work patterns she had as an employee. 
• Going from reactive to proactive in our business. 
• The decision for her husband to quit his nursing career and Jenni to become the primary income earner. 
• Splitting her business between coaching and a content agency. 
• How she structures her week — and why she takes Fridays off. 
• How she makes money as a coach. 
• How she switched from sole proprietor to an LLC to an S-Corp.
• Addressing the pushback against six-figure freelancers. 
• How your identity as a journalist may be holding you back. 
• How to evaluate and reflect on your business through a business audit. 
• How to make micro changes to gradually change the structure of your business. 
• Many freelance writers are experiencing a downturn — tips to find more work in this weird season. 

Biz Bite: Defining your “needle movers” every Monday 

Resources:

Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee

Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group

Jenni’s group coaching program for freelancers: SUSTAIN.

Jenni’s website

Jenni on Instagram

Jenni on Twitter

Subscribe to Jenni’s “Mindset Mastery” free Substack newsletter

Download Jenni’s free business planning workbook

Gusto online payroll tool