“People keep working in a freelance world … because their work is good, because they are easy to get along with and because they deliver the work on time. And you don’t even need all three! Two out of three is fine. People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good and you deliver it on time. People will forgive the lateness of your work if it is good and they like you. And you don’t have to be as good as everyone else if you’re on time and it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”
— Author Neil Gaiman’s tongue-in-cheek recipe for freelance success
Throughout my career, I’ve managed all three: my work is good, I deliver it on time, and people like me. But don’t just take my word for it…
My work is good
[You] really hit the ball right out of the park with the calibre, breadth, and high-quality storylines …. Thanks to your hard work on the ground, daily grind, last-minute squeezes, intense detail, attention to integrity, clarity of articulation, etc., etc., this year was a particularly incredible effort..
— Nadien Godkewitsch, Manager, Programs, Toronto Foundation
Lisa wanted to do a piece on education. Unbeknownst to me, she has been working on the best damn piece of writing I think any CSI reporter had done to date … I rarely get sentimental, but this piece really moved me on several fronts. On the one hand, this is Lisa’s best piece of writing to date. On the other, it reflects the incredible work of our members; work that we are helping to catalyze. Lastly, I suffered in the education system growing up. I was put in classes for people with learning disabilities. Specialists tried to medicate me for ADD. Teachers failed me. I was saved by going to an alternative school that rejected the flawed education system, and one teacher in particular who made me believe in myself. I ended up getting a Masters, but struggled the whole way through. All this to say, this piece and the members in it speak to me in a very personal way. I wanted to share this with you so you might enjoy reading it … and join me in thanking Lisa for her tremendous contributions to storytelling at CSI.
— Barnabe Geis, Communications Lead, Centre for Social Innovation
This report really does look fantastic. Great, great work Lisa.
— Jin Huh, Executive Director, Social Planning Toronto
I’m easy to get along with
Lisa is about as easy-going and reliable a person as one would want as a co-worker. Reliable, not easily flustered, rolls with the vagaries of contract work.
Peter Clutterbuck, Community Planning Consultant
You are the best — really with the patience of a saint and I don’t use the word ‘saint’ very much!
Betty-Lou Scholey, Project Coordinator, Mamow Ki-ken-da-ma-win
Lisa, I already miss you! It has been such a pleasure working with you. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your incredible work, your creativity, and your exceptional editing skills! I’m going to miss your sense of humor and frank assessments on politics that you brought to our meetings and discussions.
Beth Wilson, Senior Researher and Policy Analyst, Social Planning Toronto
I deliver the work on time
The client and I went over your corrections and completed the content approval ahead of schedule! Thanks so much for being so quick, efficient and professional. Your edits added a lot to the content and will give the site that professional edge..
Leah Kinarthy, Community Online Design (CODe) Project Coordinator, DigitalEve Victoria
Thank you very much for your quick and thorough work on the catalogue.
Emily -Jean Alexander, Gallery Relations, Art Toronto