Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sky Ariella. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sky, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

After graduating from college, I was positive that I’d walk the secure, stable path of law school and end up with a guaranteed career. It felt safe and smart. Before I could dive into another few years of rigorous schooling, though, I decided to take a little trip — a solo backpacking adventure for six months through Asia. I’d never left the country before and I was ready to dive into the deep end.

About halfway through the trip, a gnawing realization burrowed into my psyche. I didn’t want to go home, I didn’t want to go to law school, I didn’t want to sit around in rooms all day under pressure. I wanted a career that would make me feel free and let me do something I loved.

The answer was obvious before I even realized it. I wanted to become a writer. The longing was buried beneath layers of voices telling me “Writers don’t make money”, but I began to tune them out for the first time since childhood.

I went full-force into my writing business around the time COVID hit. I entered one of the most saturated freelance markets out there, known for its difficulty to produce liquid cash, in the middle of a global pandemic. Yet, I had tunnel vision. I knew the risk was huge, but the gamble of never trying and looking back with disappointment was far greater to me. I told myself if I could just prove two things to clients — I’m a good writer and more importantly, a reliable one — I can get myself in the game.

The blind faith and determination paid off.

A one-time guest post snowballed into a major full-time client, then two, and three. Now, I can confidently say I am a professional full-time writer with several main full-time clients and random gigs flowing in all the time. Sometimes I think back at myself, nervously taking on the risk of becoming a freelance writer. It always pushes me to step outside of my comfort zone because I never know where it’ll end up taking me.

Sky, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Sky Ariella and I’m a professional freelance writer. I always had writing in my blood, but I didn’t actually start my full-time writing career until a few years ago. I’ve written for quite a few brands and niches online, including Zippia, Explore, Travel Lemming, Booking.com, FashionCast, In The Know Traveler, and a few others. I’m also a scriptwriter for a major YouTube channel.

The thing that set me apart for clients as a writer is my professionalism and versatility. I’ve written articles about the gender gap in corporate leadership and the best restaurants in Seville, Spain. I’ve done pieces on the adaptive fashion market and the best music festivals in the USA. I can create a dense, research-heavy statistic study or a 25-minute documentary script. I even make articles on my own blog for other writers who want to break into the industry.

I like being challenged and learning new things, and that’s definitely helped me in the writing space. The thing I’m most proud of is carving a career that genuinely makes me happy every day. Whether I’m writing an expository documentary, a travel guide, or an article about making money with writing, I really put my all into making something that’s going to be useful, informative, and fun to read.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The first six months to a year of my writing career were a bust. I just could not figure out how people were making money writing on their computer, it seemed like a foreign concept. When I was nearing the end of my savings and I knew I had to make a major change in my business strategy.

First, I stopped giving it the half-hearted effort I knew I was. I had to treat it like my full-time job and write every single day just to get my voice out there if I wanted to succeed. Secondly, I started presenting myself as a professional writer, not a wanna-be professional writer. That small mental shift made a huge difference in how I was perceived by prospective clients.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My two most significant sources of new clients are LinkedIn and my own former pieces.

LinkedIn is a world of potential professional opportunities once you build a reputable profile. I’ve gotten clients applying to LinkedIn jobs and from businesses reaching out after finding my profile while searching for freelance writers. I also get a solid stream of new clients from my own former articles that people find and email me about. For example, a fashion website found an article I wrote about fashion industry statistics and I ended up writing for them about fashion topics for a bit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.skyariella.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyariella/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sky-ariella/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sky_ariella
• Medium: https://medium.com/@skyariella
• MuckRack: https://muckrack.com/sky-ariella-1