Smart Habits for Translators

In this episode, we invited a special guest who’s not only a fellow translator but is also qualified to share exercise-related advice! Eva Stabenow is an ATA-certified English<>German translator focused on translating, writing, and adapting consumer-facing medical and health content. She holds a graduate degree in Conference Interpreting and has served the American Translators Association in various roles ranging from division administrator to mentor to certification exam grader. She is...

It’s very common at the end of a calendar year to analyze how things went and what you would like to do differently in the coming year. So, we thought it appropriate to talk about productivity, organization, time management, and priorities for this last episode of the year. We’re excited to welcome a very special guest, colleague and fellow translator Dorothee Racette. Dorothee is a Certified Translator and a Certified Productivity Coach. She brings together her expertise from decades of...

If you listened to our popular episode on conference habits (Episode 3 at the very beginning of our podcasting journey), you may remember that we mentioned a book called The Introvert’s Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone. We both really enjoyed this book and often recommend it to friends and colleagues who may struggle with introvert tendencies. Now, in Episode 32, we’re excited to welcome a special guest: the author of The Introvert’s Edge, Matthew Pollard. Matthew Pollard is...

We all know that marketing is necessary to run any business well. And while sometimes marketing can feel tedious or overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can very much create some good habits around marketing your business that will leave you feeling more in control of the future of your business and with more work/life clarity. In this episode, we're sharing about something that has worked well for us and that, we hope, will be helpful to you: smart habits for marketing in...

In today’s episode we’re excited to welcome our friend and colleague, Eve Bodeux. Eve Lindemuth Bodeux is a 20+-year veteran of the language services industry and has worn many hats. She is an ATA-certified French to English translator focusing on the translation of corporate communications, market research and international development content. She is also the owner of Bodeux International LLC, offering multilingual project management to clients worldwide. Eve is co-host of the...

We are excited to announce this special joint episode with our colleagues, friends, and superstar-podcasters Corinne McKay and Eve Bodeux! Corinne and Eve are co-hosts of the popular podcast, Speaking of Translation, which we have both been enjoying since before we even thought about launching our own. When Corinne and Eve asked if we would like to record a collaborative episode together, we didn't even hesitate to say yes. These ladies are wonderful to talk to, and we highly recommend...

As many of you may know, October is international breast cancer awareness month. So, it seemed like the perfect time for a very important conversation: dealing with (and overcoming) serious illness, as well as some smart habits that can be helpful if you or someone you know is dealing with something similar right now (or in the future). We are very grateful to our colleague and friend, Meghan Konkol, for discussing this important topic with us. Here’s a summary of our conversation with...

The Smart Habits for Translators podcast is 1 year old! To celebrate our podcastiversary, we recorded another Ask Us Anything episode, answering questions that we received from our listeners and colleagues via social media. Here’s a summary of our conversation: • Our thoughts on the unwritten rule that translators should only translate into their native language and not into their second language • What it's like being freelancers and moms during this very atypical time • How we battle...

You might remember that we talked about smart habits for attending conferences last year, in Episode 3. We shared tips about the things you can do before, during, and after a conference to make it worth the investment of your time, your energy, and your money. In fact, this is our most popular episode since we launched the podcast last year, and we are so glad that our colleagues are still finding these tips useful. But, as so many things have moved online this year, we realized that we...

Online security seems to be more important than ever these days. Since technology has become so ingrained in our daily lives, especially as a result of the pandemic, it's essential to do what we can to stay safe online. But how much do you know about staying safe online? And more importantly, do you implement all those recommended precautions, like smart password management? We wanted to get a refresher on this topic and encourage fellow translators and interpreters to take the necessary...

No matter how well you plan ahead, there are times when things happen that are out of your control. We're all experiencing this right now as a result of this year's events. Perhaps the world health and economic crisis threw a wrench in your business plans this year. Or maybe your career had to take a back seat due to family obligations or parenting responsibilities. Or perhaps you've experienced an uptick in work (in which case, congratulations!). Normally, this summer, we would do a...

We all know that professional development is extremely important for both translators and interpreters, but it can sometimes be a challenge to prioritize it over paid work, marketing, or establishing and growing your business. Especially these days, with so many learning and training opportunities available, it can be overwhelming to pick the right one. In this episode, we share our own experiences and thoughts on the topic of professional development for language professionals: how to...

Back in May, we asked our listeners what topic we should discuss on our podcast, and the response was overwhelming: anxiety. We believe that this response is definitely a reflection of the time we’re all in, but it is also something many freelancers struggle with from time to time—both anxiety in general and social anxiety in particular. We are very grateful to our guest, Sadie Hall, for joining us in this episode and sharing her experience with managing anxiety, social anxiety, and...

As freelancers, most of us have to deal with some degree of burnout at one time or another. We work remotely, but that means that we don’t have colleagues nearby who we can vent to or have a quick work break with. We work flexible hours, but we work for ourselves, which means that we can easily choose to work extended hours or devote evenings and weekends to work. We are trying to achieve our financial goals while being constantly reminded about the need to market ourselves, develop...

In today’s episode, we’re talking with our friend and colleague Corinne McKay about creating professional partnerships with colleagues. Many of you have surely heard of Corinne, but if you haven’t, here’s a quick introduction: Corinne McKay is an ATA-certified French to English translator and Colorado court-certified French interpreter based in Boulder, Colorado. She has been a full-time freelancer since 2002, and since 2005 has written books and taught courses for other freelance...

We hope that the topic of today’s episode is relevant not just for translators or interpreters, but for all freelancers! While we are used to working from home, we know that it's been an especially stressful time during the COVID-19 pandemic to delineate between work and personal time. In this episode, we talk about different ways to delineate your work day—not in a general sense of setting boundaries, like we discussed in Episode 1 on Work/Life Balance, but specifically how to signal to...

As the name of our podcast suggests, we’re always on the lookout for new smart habits that can be helpful in our work and personal life. We have been long-time admirers of the approach that today's guest takes to create work/life clarity and find freedom in freelancing. Our friend and colleague, Matt Baird, is joining us to share how he transitioned to a four-day work week. A necessary caveat: Like most of us, Matt’s reality is quite different these days (during the COVID-19 pandemic)....

This topic was a request from one of our listeners, and we thought it would likely apply to the current situation when many of us are feeling a lull in our work—or maybe even some patchy spots when work is busy for a week and then completely quiet the next—because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the global economy. We’ll also talk about other situations when you might experience a quiet work period, like holidays, summer vacation, or those times when you have unresponsive...

While everything about business looks a bit different than usual for most people right now, we can still be thinking about smart habits to put in place to market our businesses moving forward. Does it feel strange to think about marketing your services these days? You’re not alone! That’s why we’re excited to share our interview with our colleague and friend, Tess Whitty. A disclaimer: we recorded this interview about a month before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world. However,...

This topic may be one that hits particularly close to home for a lot of us, especially in times of uncertainty and stress. We all know how important sleep is for our physical and mental health, but it can also be one of the hardest habits to maintain. Many of us can relate to this during the current COVID-19 crisis, when our usual daily routine is disrupted, our financial stability is affected, and we are overwhelmed with heavy news. That’s why we felt it was particularly important to talk...