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Eric Karkovack: Hello everyone and
welcome to the WP Minute podcast.

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I'm your host, Eric Karkovack.

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So today's episode is a bit of
a mental reset for freelancers.

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Why do we need one?

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Well take a look around.

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The world is full of uncertainty
and that extends to WordPress.

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We've seen the software scale back to one
major release per year, not to mention

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the continuing legal drama, and that's
only part of the challenges we face.

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It's enough to make your head spin.

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So I want to take a few minutes to
provide some reassurance and reflection.

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So sit back, relax, and clear your head.

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It's time to take a fresh look
at freelancing with WordPress,

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understanding your value as a
WordPress freelancer, it's a tough

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time to be a WordPress freelancer.

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The entire ecosystem seems to be
shifting beneath us as we've witnessed

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legal battles and community drama.

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Not to mention a newfangled
technology, artificial intelligence,

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taking over the planet.

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None of this is good for
stability or our confidence.

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It's natural to wonder what it all
means for the future of freelancing.

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Are we doomed or just
in a time of transition?

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I know my business has
changed in the past year.

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Leads for new site builds have
morphed into requests for maintenance.

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It feels like we'll never get
back to the way things were.

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Perhaps that's true.

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It doesn't mean the future isn't bright,
though there's still value in what we do.

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Recognizing it is the first step
to finding success in a new era.

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So let's consider this a pep talk
for you, my fellow freelancer.

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Let's have a collective mental reset
to help us focus on what's next.

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Relationships are at
the core of what we do.

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Modern tools make it possible
for non-designers to build

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a functional website.

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But what happens when a user needs help?

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What if they need a feature
that isn't readily available?

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Sure.

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A SaaS provider can employ an
AI bot to handle certain tasks.

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It might answer simple questions.

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However, that doesn't establish
a relationship with a client.

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There's no human connection.

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As freelancers, we exist
to help clients go farther.

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We guide them through every step of
building and maintaining their website,

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and are there when they have questions.

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We can give them more
than generic answers.

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The relationships we form
with clients are meaningful.

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They can come to us
for support and advice.

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It builds trust and loyalty, and people
are more likely to stick around when

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there is an established relationship.

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The land of site builders and AI
assistance can't match these values.

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Clients will hop from one provider
to another without a second thought.

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That's not necessarily the case
when working with a freelancer.

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Perhaps these tools will make us look
too expensive in the short term, however,

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it's not hard to imagine frustrated
users eventually realizing that

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knowledgeable humans are worth the cost.

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That's why there will always be
a place for us in the market.

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Experience and expertise still matter.

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Websites are more
complicated than they appear.

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That's a lesson.

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Freelancers learn the hard way.

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We try, we fail and we improve.

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Those experiences with all their ups
and downs help us learn what works.

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We gain expertise that serves
us and our clients well.

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It's something we can lean
on as we face new challenges.

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It shows in knowing which plugins to
use and how to keep our website secure.

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Experience allows us to
troubleshoot a buggy feature

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or diagnose a slow page load.

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We've learned about
accessibility's importance and

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how to implement best practices.

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These skills are vital
to a website success.

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Clients need an expert to help them
avoid pitfalls and make sound decisions.

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They need someone who does more than point
them to sales, pitches and documentation.

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Having a one-on-one conversation about
website strategy is a prime example.

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It allows clients to weigh their options
and determine the best path forward.

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We're a resource for client growth.

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Our experience and
expertise make it possible.

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A changing landscape brings
opportunity as a creature of habit.

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I can't blame anyone for lamenting change.

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Once we think we have this industry
figured out, it reinvents itself.

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The tools and people we rely on
are suddenly different or gone.

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WordPress has stuck around even
through recent tumult, but how we

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use it and build for it has changed.

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Coding with PHP isn't the surefire
path to profitability anymore.

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Blocks powered by React have left
many of us scrambling to keep up.

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The market surrounding WordPress is
also undergoing a reckoning of sorts.

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For instance, products from
independent developers continue to

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be acquired by big conglomerates.

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These transactions tend to result in price
increases further squeezing tight budgets.

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Some clients are asking
us to do more with less.

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Those are the challenges.

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However, these shifts also
bring new opportunities.

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AI tools may be part of the answer.

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We can use them to increase our
efficiency and capabilities.

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They might also become a
springboard to more revenue.

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There's also a chance to shift our focus.

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The organization's flocking to use
site builders aren't a good fit

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for freelancers, at least not now.

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They're after the lowest price
rather than the best product.

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Thus, it's a good time to
identify a more profitable niche.

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It's also a moment to reinvest in
ourselves by learning a new skill

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or strengthening existing ones.

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Start by identifying areas that interest
you and can enhance your business.

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There is no shortage of courses or
tutorials to help get you started.

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Change is both difficult and inevitable,
but we don't have to sit idly by.

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While it happens, a proactive freelancer
can find opportunities amidst the chaos.

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You belong in this new era of freelancing.

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Things look a lot different than
they did five or 10 years ago,

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but that's not a new phenomenon.

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For perspective, my web design
journey started in 1995.

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My workflow consisted of hand coated
HTML and graphics from Microsoft Paint.

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I couldn't have imagined a tool
like WordPress back in those days.

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Somehow I managed to keep up
with the times for 30 plus years.

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Long time freelancers repeat
this cycle again and again.

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Maybe this new era seems scary
compared to others even so, I

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still believe freelancing is
a viable way to make a living.

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It's all about adapting to market
needs and what you do best With that in

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mind, take a deep breath, look at your
business and determine where you stand.

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Then draw a path to where you want to go.

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You got this.

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All right.

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That's our episode for today.

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There's no doubt we live in tumultuous
times, but freelancers still have

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an opportunity to adapt and thrive.

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I'd love to hear your
thoughts on this subject.

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So hit me up on Blue sky@kas.com.

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That's KAR ks.com.

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And be sure to visit the
wp minute.com/subscribe

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to receive our newsletter
and become a member.

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See you next time on the WP Minute.