C.J. Hayden
@cjhayden.bsky.social
Nonfiction author. Writing mentor and business coach to self-employed professionals and creatives. Posts on writing, getting sh*t done, and how to survive and thrive as a solo pro. More at cjhayden.com
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C.J. Hayden
@cjhayden.bsky.social
· Jun 9
Facilitator's Guide to Overcoming the Fear of Self-Promotion - C.J. Hayden
FACILITATOR’S GUIDE TO OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF SELF-PROMOTION Lead this Road-Tested Program for Your Clients, Students, or Book Group by C.J. Hayden Available in Paperback, PDF, Kindle, or ePub Coach,…
cjhayden.com
Announcing my new book! The Facilitator's Guide to Overcoming the Fear of Self-Promotion. Now you can lead #coaching and training programs to help your self-employed clients and students overcome fear of #marketing and #sales.
What if all the negative feelings we have about #marketing and #sales are simply because we hate the artificiality and manipulation we think must be part of it? #selling
Marketing the Real You - C.J. Hayden
I often wonder how the practice began among self-employed professionals and creatives of pretending to be someone else in order to promote your business. You know what I’m talking about — it’s the…
cjhayden.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:45 PM
What if all the negative feelings we have about #marketing and #sales are simply because we hate the artificiality and manipulation we think must be part of it? #selling
It can be the response you most dread hearing when you tell someone about your business: “You? Really? Well, who do you think you are?” #marketing #sales #selling
Who Do You Think You Are? - C.J. Hayden
The fear of hearing those words when talking about your business can stop you in your tracks. It’s the response you can most dread hearing when you tell someone what you’re doing now, or introduce…
cjhayden.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:45 PM
It can be the response you most dread hearing when you tell someone about your business: “You? Really? Well, who do you think you are?” #marketing #sales #selling
If you make the motions of doing a certain thing, studies suggest that the area of your brain governing that activity will be stimulated. This can save you as a #writer. #writing #WritingTips
Muscle Memory to the Writer's Rescue - C.J. Hayden
As a self-employed professional or creative, it’s likely that some sort of writing is frequently on your to-do list. But we all have days when getting started on a writing project seems impossible.…
cjhayden.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:45 PM
If you make the motions of doing a certain thing, studies suggest that the area of your brain governing that activity will be stimulated. This can save you as a #writer. #writing #WritingTips
Planning to take time off over the holidays? Let your clients know that *now*. Thank them for giving you time to relax and celebrate and tell them when you'll be back. Then feel free to ignore them while you're off. #consultants #coaches #freelancers
November 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Planning to take time off over the holidays? Let your clients know that *now*. Thank them for giving you time to relax and celebrate and tell them when you'll be back. Then feel free to ignore them while you're off. #consultants #coaches #freelancers
I used to be skeptical of the advice to write at a certain time no matter what. Then, I got cancer and everything changed. #writing #writers #WritingTips
Can Good Writing Happen on a Timetable? - C.J. Hayden
When you hear the advice to set aside time to write, do you worry about whether you’ll be able to produce quality writing on a set schedule? What if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, or…
cjhayden.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I used to be skeptical of the advice to write at a certain time no matter what. Then, I got cancer and everything changed. #writing #writers #WritingTips
Without accurate records of who you have contacted, when, and what your last interaction was about, effective follow-up is impossible. #marketing #sales #selling
Follow-Up Is Simple - So Why Isn’t It Easy? - C.J. Hayden
Doing a good job at follow-up is a piece of cake. You just capture every lead or potential referral partner you run across, then place a call, send an email, or both. If you don’t make a sale right…
cjhayden.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Without accurate records of who you have contacted, when, and what your last interaction was about, effective follow-up is impossible. #marketing #sales #selling
The silver lining of breakdowns is they can lead to unexpected discoveries, creative solutions, or huge leaps forward. #coaches #consultants #freelancers
Breakdowns Can Lead to Breakthroughs - C.J. Hayden
The worst thing that can happen when a self-employed professional or creative is working on an important project — like a book, a course, a design, a website, or a report — is a breakdown. An…
cjhayden.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The silver lining of breakdowns is they can lead to unexpected discoveries, creative solutions, or huge leaps forward. #coaches #consultants #freelancers
"When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing." ~ George Orwell #quote
November 17, 2025 at 2:45 PM
"When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing." ~ George Orwell #quote
Setting your #writing expectations too high can even prevent you from writing at all. #writers #WritingTips
Three Good Paragraphs Can Make Your Day - C.J. Hayden
Sometimes our expectations of ourselves as writers (whether we write to build business, express ourselves, or as a way to make a living) are way too high. It’s good to hold aspirations to be a…
cjhayden.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Setting your #writing expectations too high can even prevent you from writing at all. #writers #WritingTips
You work hard at #marketing to attract potential clients. But how do you actually get them to hire you? #sales #selling
What Really Makes People Buy? - C.J. Hayden
What makes people buy is the ultimate question, isn’t it? You work hard at marketing to attract potential clients. Then you work even harder to get a chance to speak with them about what you have to…
cjhayden.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:45 PM
You work hard at #marketing to attract potential clients. But how do you actually get them to hire you? #sales #selling
Your #productivity dragons can be defeated. But first, you need to get to know them better. Awareness is the key to becoming a powerful dragon-slayer. #motivation #procrastination
Slay Your Productivity Dragons - C.J. Hayden
They lie in wait for you when you least expect them — the productivity dragons of fear, resistance and procrastination. Just when you think you’ve defeated them at last, they rear their ugly heads…
cjhayden.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Your #productivity dragons can be defeated. But first, you need to get to know them better. Awareness is the key to becoming a powerful dragon-slayer. #motivation #procrastination
Next Friday is Get It Written Day! Join us Nov 14 and get your stuff (blog, book, course, etc.) written. #writing #writers #blogging
Get It Written Day - C.J. Hayden
cjhayden.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:45 AM
I didn't feel like brushing my teeth this morning. But years of ingrained dental hygiene habits sent me to the sink regardless. #Writing can be like that, too. #writers #WritingTips
A Moment of Tough Love Can Keep You Writing - C.J. Hayden
I didn’t feel like brushing my teeth this morning. My mind was on everything I needed to accomplish today, and I wanted to get right to it after breakfast. But years of ingrained dental hygiene…
cjhayden.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I didn't feel like brushing my teeth this morning. But years of ingrained dental hygiene habits sent me to the sink regardless. #Writing can be like that, too. #writers #WritingTips
R=Relevant; E=Educational, Entertaining, and/or Evocative; A=Authentic; L=Leads to trust. A winning formula to get more clients. #marketing #sales #MarketingTips
To Get More Clients, Get R.E.A.L. - C.J. Hayden
One of the ways I help self-employed professionals and creatives build their businesses is with writing — blog or Substack posts, byline articles, ebooks, and more. To explain to them the type of…
cjhayden.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:45 AM
R=Relevant; E=Educational, Entertaining, and/or Evocative; A=Authentic; L=Leads to trust. A winning formula to get more clients. #marketing #sales #MarketingTips
Lost profits can’t be recovered. Every month your profits are too low is a month that is gone forever. #profitability #freelancers #consultants
Don't Wait for Tax Time to Look at the Bottom Line - C.J. Hayden
A curious thing happens to self-employed professionals and creatives in the spring of every year. They wake up one day and realize they’d better figure out how much money they made last year so they…
cjhayden.com
November 1, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Lost profits can’t be recovered. Every month your profits are too low is a month that is gone forever. #profitability #freelancers #consultants
If you were a marathon runner, you'd have a plan for how to run the race. It's no different with your #writing. #writers #blogging
What's Your Plan for Writing this Year? - C.J. Hayden
If you expect to produce written material on a regular basis in the coming year, you need a plan. Writing coach Nina Amir explains it like this: “If you were… a marathon runner, you’d have a plan for…
cjhayden.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:45 AM
What do you need more of right now? What is coming up soon that you should prepare for? What problems do you need to address? Questions like these can help you determine what your primary goals should be for #marketing. #sales #GetClients
Four Steps Out of Marketing Overwhelm - Get Clients Now!
Does it seem like there are always too many things to do to market your business? It's easy to get overwhelmed by marketing ideas, plans, and tasks, especially when many of them involve learning new…
getclientsnow.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:45 AM
What do you need more of right now? What is coming up soon that you should prepare for? What problems do you need to address? Questions like these can help you determine what your primary goals should be for #marketing. #sales #GetClients
Get your #marketing done first. Every morning, before checking email or voice mail, hopping on social media, or looking at your client projects, tackle your marketing activities for the week. #sales #BizDevel
Avoiding the Feast or Famine Trap for Your Business - C.J. Hayden
It can seem like it’s the destiny of the self-employed professional to exist in a constant state of feast or famine. Either you are working day and night to keep up with client demands, or you’re…
cjhayden.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Get your #marketing done first. Every morning, before checking email or voice mail, hopping on social media, or looking at your client projects, tackle your marketing activities for the week. #sales #BizDevel
Ya know, there's only a few weeks left in 2025. If you had some big stuff you wanted to accomplish this year, you'd better give it some focus now! #productivity #goals #motivation
October 23, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Ya know, there's only a few weeks left in 2025. If you had some big stuff you wanted to accomplish this year, you'd better give it some focus now! #productivity #goals #motivation
What activities might allow the necessary space in your head for your words to grow? Make a list of those #writing catalysts to keep handy for when you feel stuck. #writers #WritersBlock
Your Words Need Space to Grow - C.J. Hayden
Dame Hilary Mantel published her first novel at the age of 33. Over the next three decades, she wrote twelve books of historical fiction, two collections of short stories, and a memoir. She was the…
cjhayden.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:45 AM
What activities might allow the necessary space in your head for your words to grow? Make a list of those #writing catalysts to keep handy for when you feel stuck. #writers #WritersBlock
You don't have to wait until November to say thanks. You can say it all year! #consultants #coaches #freelancers
Saying Thanks Is Good Marketing - Get Clients Now!
Never underestimate the power of a thank you. I thanked someone a while back for helping me solve a technical problem. She replied to my note of thanks by inviting me as a guest speaker for a group…
getclientsnow.com
October 19, 2025 at 12:45 AM
You don't have to wait until November to say thanks. You can say it all year! #consultants #coaches #freelancers
You're invited to join the writers and artists contributing to: REFUGE: Voices of Courage & Resilience in a World Gone Mad. This new anthology by Cathy Krizik, author of 52 Reasons for Hope, seeks submissions from writers, poets, essayists, and artists of all kinds.
Writers and Artists: A Call for Submissions
You're invited to join the writers and artists contributing to: REFUGE: Voices of Courage & Resilience in a World Gone Mad.
laurasaridavis.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 1:22 PM
You're invited to join the writers and artists contributing to: REFUGE: Voices of Courage & Resilience in a World Gone Mad. This new anthology by Cathy Krizik, author of 52 Reasons for Hope, seeks submissions from writers, poets, essayists, and artists of all kinds.
People ask #writers "Where do you get your ideas?" The prolific writer gets them everywhere. #writing #inspiration
Prolific Writers and Creators Ask Questions - C.J. Hayden
We self-employed professionals and creatives are always generating new stuff. We write blog posts, develop courses, and generate copy for our websites and emails. Some of us create unique work on…
cjhayden.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:45 PM
People ask #writers "Where do you get your ideas?" The prolific writer gets them everywhere. #writing #inspiration
Capture your expertise in a format that allows clients to sample it before hiring you: videos, blog posts, a book. #marketing #sales #BizDevel
Persistent, Consistent Follow-Up Pays Off - Get Clients Now!
Let's call my client Sandy. She was first referred to me by an instructor in the professional training program she was taking. (Hint #1: Develop referral partnerships with other businesses and…
getclientsnow.com
October 14, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Capture your expertise in a format that allows clients to sample it before hiring you: videos, blog posts, a book. #marketing #sales #BizDevel