How do you address a work environment that is anything but inviting and invigorating?

Malinda Mason Miller will provide some answers at the Feb. 26 DFW Freelance Alliance Brown Bag: How to Deal with a Toxic Workplace.

Miller is president of EmCubed, where she helps nonprofit and socially conscious for-profit organizations dedicated to making a tangible impact in their communities. She has 15 years of professional communications and public relations experience.

Based on her personal experiences and observations, she will provide direction for working effectively within less than ideal workplaces.

The Brown Bag is free to AWC, IABC, DSVC and PRSA members. Registration fee is $10 for individuals who do not belong to one of those organizations.

WordPress powers more than 60 million websites, so chances are, you’ll be asked to add content to a WordPress site if you haven’t already. Join Erica Jennings on April 16 at the Freelance Alliance Brown Bag luncheon and learn the following:

• What to expect when you log into a WordPress site and how to navigate the admin panel

• How to create posts and pages

• Which plugins can make your life easier

• How to use widgets to customize sidebars and footers for your clients

• Where to go for help and resources

Erica Jennings is a graphic and web designer based in Plano, TX. She has been designing and building websites exclusively in WordPress since 2008. More information about Erica Jennings can be found here: http://jenningsdesignonline.com/

Join the Freelancer Alliance at Trinity Hall and unwind with your fellow freelancers. No charge except the food and drinks you consume. See you there!

We all know we’re supposed to get out there, meet people, and develop new business opportunities. But what should we keep in mind  when we attempt to do that?

Join us on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, as Paul Maynard, The Relentless Networker, shares advice for strategic networking, networking that nurtures productive business relationships.  If you’d like to get some advice in advance, you can visit Paul’s blog at: http://therelentlessnetworker.blogspot.com/

An ambassador with the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Paul chairs NDCC’s Small Business Committee. He is also a past IABC Dallas board member and is an active volunteer with the DFW chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Paul is an active blogger and speaker and is known in the Dallas area as The Relentless Networker.  You can learn more about him from his LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmaynard.

Put on some pants and get out of the house! Catch up and swap stories with fellow freelancers at our Freelance Alliance happy hour. No charge except the food and drinks you consume.

Regina Burns and Kelly Lane catch up at the Freelance Alliance happy hour at Gloria’s in Addison.

If freelancing is a three-legged stool, those handcrafted legs might well be finding the work, doing the work and – sooner rather than later – getting paid for the work.

Getting paid? “Aye, there’s the rub!” as an English freelancer once  wrote.

Join the Freelance Alliance Tuesday, June 19, to learn how you can protect yourself and enforce your rights – how to get paid in full and on time for your hard work.

Speakers at this brown bag lunch presentation will be Harry Frauman of FRS Group, and Lisa Hall of InCredible. Bring your questions and your lunch, and you’ll leave with some great new ideas that can boost your bottom line.

Lisa Hall of InCredible explains how to ensure payment from clients while Harry Frauman of FRS Group looks on.

Join us to learn more about virtual agencies — what they are, how to find them and how to work with them.

“Living on earth is expensive, but it does include an annual free trip around the sun.”
— Unknown

Freelancers enjoying the March 2012 happy hour at The Flying Saucer in Addison.

Join the Freelance Alliance for happy hour and celebrate the first day of spring, the latest milestone in our annual journey around our neighborhood star.

Tuesday, March 20, marks the vernal equinox and our first happy hour of 2012. We’ll be gathering from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Flying Saucer in Addison.

Make a note. It’ll be fun. You can kick back with your fun freelancing friends, meet new people and enjoy a drink, a snack or a meal.

The Flying Saucer is at 14999 Montfort Drive, Addison, TX 75254, and it’s easy to find — it’s on Montfort just south of Belt Line Road and just east of the Dallas North Tollway. The phone number for those likely to get lost is 972-991-7093.

So bring a friend or another freelancer. There’s no charge except for the treats you order.

For more information, contact Richard A. Solomon at rxsolomon@gmail.com

The Freelance Alliance is organized by members of The Association for Women in Communications (www.womcom.org) and members of the Dallas chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators (http://www.dallasiabc.com) and the Public Relations Society of America (http://www.prsadallas.org)

Freelance Alliance Co-Chair Richard Solomon with presenters Liz Young and Paul Donaghy from Creative Circle.

At the Freelance Alliance brown bag lunch program Feb. 22, you’ll learn how to connect with new clients using the services of an agency. If you’ve ever needed help filling downtime and you want to explore new opportunities, this is where you can learn more about the agencies that connect freelancers with those who hire us.

Our panelists will be Liz Young, recruiter, and Paul Donaghy, Area Manager, from Creative Circle, and Leslie Bryan-Spradlin, managing director at Digital People. Bring your questions and your business cards.

Another full house for the Freelance Alliance brown bag lunch. Creative Circle presenters Liz Young and Paul Donaghy explain the ins and outs of creative agency work.

NOTE: This Wednesday meeting is on a different day than we usually gather. Check your calendar and make time to join us.

For more information, please contact Pat Pape at patpape@yahoo.com or Richard A. Solomon at rxsolomon@gmail.com

The Freelance Alliance (www.freelancealliance.org) is an umbrella organization created to better serve independent professionals by resource sharing between the Dallas chapters of The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) (www.awcdallas.com), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) (dallas.iabc.com) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) (www.prsadallas.org).

Another fun night of mingling with DFW freelancers at Trinity Hall!

Start off the new year with the DFW Freelance Alliance from 6 until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Trinity Hall at Mockingbird Station, (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, #250, next to Angelika Theatre).

Bring a friend or another freelancer! There is no charge, except for the goodies you consume. For more information, please contact Pat Pape at patpape@yahoo.com.

In the corporate world, employees often receive a number of benefits beyond a paycheck, including access to retirement plans such as pensions or 401ks, employer-paid health insurance and life or disability insurance.

When you strike out on your own, you have the chance to build upon your dreams and control your own destiny, but an employee benefits program is often not part of your new package. No matter how big or small your company is, however, you can create your own employee benefits program.

Join the DFW Freelance Alliance on Tuesday, Nov. 20 for an informative session to learn simple, effective strategies for building a business and a future that works for you. Shane Brewer, Vice President of independent wealth management firm LD Lowe Wealth Advisory, will share practical ideas and tips you can use right away to establish a firm hold on your future. LD Lowe Wealth Advisory was founded just over 20 years ago as a solo practice, and today has grown to a firm of 11 people who manage more than $145 million in assets.

Because they understand what it’s like to start small, the team at LD Lowe has helped a number of entrepreneurs find personal fulfillment in their businesses, as well as plan for life after work. Shane will share ideas not only for building a retirement plan, but also how to fund the important things in life, such as funding a child’s college education, caring for aging parents and contributing philanthropically. In addition,

Shane will share tips on protecting what you have today through tax-saving strategies and ensuring you have the proper levels of insurance.

Each attendee will also receive a free copy of the book Life’s Bridges: Building Your Bridge to Financial Wealth, written by two principals of LD Lowe Wealth Advisory. The book provides a road map and a practical step-by-step guide to planning your financial future.

LD Lowe Wealth Advisory is a Registered Investment Advisor.

For more information regarding the DFW Freelance Alliance, contact Richard Buse (Busewrites@sbcglobal.net), or Erica Jennings (erica@jenningsdesignonline.com)

No happy hour scheduled. See you next year!