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

Hi Andria, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I am living the dream—my dream. I love what I do as a freelance editor. However, just like any dream, it can be nebulous at times, not a clearly defined path from beginning to end.

Working as a full time freelance editor began at the most inconvenient time in my life for taking chances. I was newly divorced, had two young children, and I had just signed a one-year lease on a home for my kids and myself. I had been a very happy stay-at-home mom, but I needed to re-enter the workforce—and fast. I needed something steady, reliable. What I didn’t need was more risk. But with the support of my mom, I took a risk on myself at 37 years old to follow my dreams.

Self-employment means you are going to do a lot of work by yourself. You will always be the most passionate person about your job, your clients, your brand—all of it. You will put in night and weekend hours when your little ones are sleeping and at times run on fumes. But self-employment is never a solo pursuit. Everyone needs support. Eleven years ago, my mom supported me as I was starting out. My little ones thought I was famous because I had my own website. And my husband is my biggest fan, even of the nerdy stuff he doesn’t understand. If I were to give advice to someone starting down this road, that’s what I’d say: Your mapped out plans will be full of unforeseen curves in the road. No one will be more passionate about your work than you. So rally around you a handful of people who support you most and take a chance on yourself!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Andria Flores. I am an author, editor, and recovering perfectionist. I got into the writing and editing industry when I stepped out of my comfort zone of meeting expectations and took a risk on my passion.

I was creative as a kid, artistic, a writer, a dreamer. But for some reason I believed I was supposed to grow out of that as I became an adult. Regardless of the reason for that gross error in judgment, I redeemed myself at 37 years of age, when I revived my excitement for creativity. I reinforced my value for deep-thinking, writing, and dreaming. And it wasn’t long before I became a freelance editor, and in the middle of it all, an author, too.

The primary services I offer include copyediting and proofreading. I edit both fiction and nonfiction: manuscripts, web content, and large business documents. I do some consulting and coaching as well. An editor has to be a problem-solver, comfortable to be led by intuition, and maintain a healthy knowledge and respect for the rules. Beyond that, for me, it’s all about relationships. I love people and I enjoy the collaboration my work affords.

Come to think of it, that is probably what wins me the work, a sense people get early on that I am invested in developing our relationship as much as I am our work. And I sincerely am.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Early on, I began collaborating with a professional to meet their writing and editing needs for their business expansion, internal business documents, and especially their professional blog, public speaking, and book writing pursuits. They had a lot of work for me. As I was just starting out, it was a win-win for the client and myself. A few years in, as my desires grew to expand my editing opportunities to include more content variety and fiction manuscripts, I found myself in that sticky place of growth in which the desire for more is there, but the capacity to handle that volume of work is not.

I didn’t want to disappoint my client by reducing my responsibilities and hours for them. And even if I was willing to do that, it would pose a risk to the steady income I had established. It was a sticky position to be in. At the time, while they fully supported my desire for growth, they didn’t want to change our working relationship if possible. It was a respectful, on-going conversation for months.

And then, one morning, I got a call informing me that they had an unfortunate and sudden financial change. As a result, my services would only be called upon as needed, and it wouldn’t be often for now. I completely understood. And I briefly panicked because I went from full time income to zero income. I was not prepared for that. But, I hustled. And I prayed. And I pivoted. I stacked my portfolio with both fiction and nonfiction authors. And I enlisted the help of 2-3 proofreaders I could keep on contract to balance out the workload. I filled the wide-open capacity with the kinds of projects I wanted. I personally did the editing work I desired most to do. And I delegated other work, which also became a fantastic resource to my clients.

Ultimately, I see it as a time in my life that God gave me the nudge I needed to take a chance on my dreams again—to recharge. My business has thrived ever since, as has that client’s. I still do work for them today. I don’t think we could have navigated that together so smoothly had we not invested in our relationship all along.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Relationships. In an industry like mine, I think it’s intimidating for a new author or client to figure out what they even need from an editor, not to mention what it might cost. It’s like going to a doctor or an attorney for the first time. What will they want from me? What can I expect from them? And is this going to cost me my life savings?

I try to put my clients at ease from the first phone call by just being a real person. I reveal my humanity with my professionalism. I validate their questions, and then I answer them. Then, after the work is completed, I address any concerns they may have and I ask for an honest review. Word of mouth is the best endorsement, and I believe that’s true for me just as much as it is for a doctor or lawyer.

I want my clients to be able to honestly say at the end of a project: I trusted her. She knows her stuff. She added real value to my project. And I would work with her again in a heartbeat. It’s not an ego-boost I’m looking for, rather honest feedback from a pleased client. Again, it’s all about relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.andriaflores.com
• Instagram: andria.flores
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/andriaflores17
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/andria-flores-b7a46a180
• Twitter: @andriaflores22

Image Credits
Christopher Cook at pushingthelens.com