Freelance Fitness

Freelance Fitness

by Alison Pentecost
EntrepreneurshipFitness
Season 1
Messy, Worth It, Ongoing: Lessons From the Past Year
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Today, Freelancers, is the Freelance Fitness season finale. I can't believe an entire calendar year has gone by since I started this podcast. I wasn't even sure at the beginning how long it would run or how many episodes I would do. I had a big list of ideas and a dream, but could I really pull it off? But here we are a year later. 52 episodes covering all kinds of freelance business topics that are important to me, from practical tips, to emotional ups and downs and everything in between. Today I'm going to revisit some highlights of this first season. I hope they're some of your favourites too. Links to warm up exercise guides are here: Hamstring Sweeps, Dynamic Knee Hugs, Dynamic Quad Stretch. Links to cooldown stretches are here: Standing Figure Four, Standing Hamstring Stretch, Static Quad Stretch. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Sugar Blizz, Mondays, Mr. Steve, the Music Man, MXRPHEUS and JustNormal. To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E52
May 6, 2026
14:40
Make It Easy to Hire You: The Secret to Repeat Freelance Clients
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. If you're in creative freelancing, you've probably realized that a lot of your day is spent hustling. Y'know, trying to get someone to hire you. But you know what? Getting a job is one thing. Getting a client to come back? That’s where freelancing actually becomes sustainable. Having great clients come back to us for repeat work really is the ideal. People with whom we enjoy working, pay on time, and trust us to deliver our best, that's every freelancer's dream. So how do we cultivate long-term client relationships when so much of the creative industries seems to be focused on the transactional? If you want to follow along with the exercises from today’s workout, here is a guide to Overhead Arm Stretch, Dynamic Knee Hugs, Hamstring Sweeps, Over the Fence, Good Mornings and Thoracic Twist, all beginner-friendly and equipment-free. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Blood Harmony To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E51
Apr 29, 2026
14:51
Embracing Imperfection: Overcoming Creative Paralysis and Self-Doubt
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Today's topic. Bear with me here, there's a long lead-in. In episode 4: Authenticity – Be yourself, everyone else is taken, I talk about being your authentic self, but avoiding the overshare of personal stuff. Not everything is, or should be, for public consumption. But, in episode 10: Is A.I. Coming for my job? How I learned to stop worrying about our robot overlords, I talk about how I believe our human experience and POV are what allow us to offer a plus-value that can not only compete but beat cheap, fast AI-generated content. But what I want to speak about specifically today is how that authentic, human you comes with imperfections, and how that's not only OK, but how those imperfections are what make us relatable to the other humans with whom we want to inspire, touch, and communicate with. Our greatest struggle with imperfection, in my opinion, is not what we produce external to ourselves with our creative work, marketing, or social media posts, rather, I think our greatest struggle with imperfection is a feeling inside of us of being flawed or broken. How can we identify these feelings of needing to mask ourselves, and how can we deal with them in a healthy and productive way? Links to exercise guides are here: pushup hold, glute bridge hold, side plank, wall sit. Link to Isabel Sterne's Cringe newsletter. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: SCENE To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E50
Apr 22, 2026
15:36
Creative Freelancer Taxes: How to Stay Organized and Avoid Costly Mistakes
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Guess what, creative freelancers, it's Tax Season! So we need to be prepared. And preparation needs to be a yearlong process, not a last-minute scramble. If your tax-preparedness was a panicked afterthought, maybe this podcast will give you some guidelines to consider for next year. What are some of the common pitfalls we need to avoid in order to have our tax season to go as smoothly as possible? So when next year’s tax season rolls around, it’s just another task. And not a crisis. Links to exercise guides for today are here: high knees, squat to calf raise, duck walk, side shuffle. Links to warm up exercise guides are here: Hamstring Sweeps, Dynamic Knee Hugs, Dynamic Quad Stretch. Links to cooldown stretches are here: Standing Figure Four, Standing Hamstring Stretch, Static Quad Stretch. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Nyck Caution To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E49
Apr 15, 2026
14:43
Finding Clients Without the Constant Pitch: A Smarter Way To Grow Your Freelance Business
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. I want to talk about something that a lot of freelancers struggle with… but don’t always say out loud: Finding clients without feeling like you’re constantly pitching. Because let’s be honest… You can love the work… …and still hate the hustle. You need to promote your business, but under what circumstances? You don't want to be pushing your business card or your portfolio at absolutely everyone you meet, but FOMO is screaming in your brain to not miss a single opportunity. How do we choose our moments, and not make all our time spent with others transactional? If you want to follow along with the exercises from today’s workout, here is a guide to Knee Hugs, Standing Figure Four, Down Dog, Pigeon Pose, and Child's Pose, all beginner-friendly and equipment-free. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Ennio Máno To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E48
Apr 8, 2026
14:35
Who Owns What? Copyright, Licensing, and Creative Freelance Work
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Let’s talk about ownership. Not in the abstract philosophical sense — in the very practical, freelance-business sense. Because if you’re a creative freelancer, there are a few concepts that quietly shape your entire career: Copyright. Licensing. Trademark. Understanding these terms helps you answer an important question: Who owns the work you create? And just as importantly: Who is allowed to use it, and how? As a creative freelancer, your work isn’t just a file you deliver. It’s intellectual property. Understanding what belongs to you, what belongs to the client, and how licensing works helps you: price your work properly, protect your reputation, and build a sustainable creative business. Links to exercise guides are here: Push Ups, Super Humans, Plank March, Tricep dips. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Aanysa To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E47
Apr 1, 2026
14:14
Special Episode: How to Survive (and Enjoy) a Creative Industry Conference
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. But this week, Freelance Friends, special conference survival edition, no-workout, unless you want to. You do you. I just won't be the one coaching you. I'm travelling to the VOAtlanta voiceover conference this week. But don't worry, I've left you with a conference motivating playlist and my favourite tips for surviving a gathering of creative industry professionals. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: John Runefeldt, Zorro and Pär Hagström. To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E46
Mar 25, 2026
13:01
Big Feelings, Real Deadlines: Staying Productive When Life Is Life-ing
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Let’s talk about feelings. Not the cute, inspirational Instagram kind. The inconvenient ones. The ones that show up on a Tuesday when you have a deadline. There are so many reasons your emotions might be spilling over and your mind is having difficulty staying focused on your work. Stress Anxiety Grief Frustration You are allowed to be emotional and professional. You are allowed to feel grief and still deliver. To feel anxiety and still create. To feel frustration and still move forward. The goal is to be regulated enough to make informed decisions. So what do you actually do with your feelings when you still need to work? Let me give you some practical tips while we run off that excess energy. Running posture checklist is here. Links to warm up exercise guides are here: Hamstring Sweeps, Dynamic Knee Hugs, Dynamic Quad Stretch. Links to cooldown stretches are here: Standing Figure Four, Standing Hamstring Stretch, Static Quad Stretch. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Rh3a Bluu To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E45
Mar 18, 2026
14:32
The Devil You Know: When Loyalty Becomes Liability
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Today, we’re talking about the devil you know and why we stay with them. What do I mean by that? I mean, why do we stay with clients who drain us? Agents who underperform. Suppliers who overpromise and underdeliver. Managers who stopped advocating. Collaborators whose goals no longer align with ours. Is our loyalty a virtue or is it misplaced and holding us back? The question isn’t whether this relationship is comfortable. The question is: Is it building the career you want five years from now? So, how do we know when we've been with a collaborator, supplier or manager too long? And what should we do about it if we do need to move on? If you want to follow along with the exercises from today’s workout, here is a guide to Laying Figure Four, Bridge Pose, Thread the Needle, Down Dog, and Overhead Arm Stretch, all beginner-friendly and equipment-free. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Maybe To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E44
Mar 11, 2026
15:28
What To Do When It’s Not a Slow Month — It’s a Shrinking Market
Freelance Fitness is your weekly 10-minute movement break designed for creative freelancers, voice actors, designers, writers, editors, and anyone who spends their days creating, producing, and problem-solving. Hosted by freelance voiceover artist and former fitness instructor Alison Pentecost, each episode blends mindset coaching, creative productivity, and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Today I want to talk about something I'm sure has all been on our minds...What do you do when work dries up… and the savings account is running low? Even if you had a cushion. Even if you did “everything right.” Savings aren’t infinite. The economy has been tough this past year for salaried and freelancers alike. And let me be clear. I’m not talking about: “This week is slow.” or “This month is slow.” I covered that in Episode 30 — Disappointment: When the Business plan doesn't go as planned I’m talking about something deeper. Industry contraction. Platform disruption. Structural shifts. Tech shifts. Budget collapse. AI disruption. Industry consolidation. Corporate restructuring. Entire sectors pulling back — e-learning, gaming, advertising, media. When it’s structural, the fear gets existential. You worry. “Is my skill set obsolete?” “Did I bet on the wrong niche?” “Is this permanent?” “How long do I ride this out?” So what does that mean for us as freelancers? Links to exercise guides are here: Squats, Forward Lunges, Squat to Calf Raise, Split Squats. Written and Hosted by: Alison Pentecost Theme Song: Snakes and Fire by Pär Hagström Playlist: Non-State Actor To learn more about my voiceover services — including commercial, corporate, e-learning, and narration work — visit www.alisonpentecost.com. Questions or feedback? Email podcast@alisonpentecost.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
S1 · E43
Mar 4, 2026
15:30
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