Hey Hero!

Have you ever thought you had your schedule nailed down, only to find out you were completely off? 🙋‍♀️ This week, I had one of those “facepalm” moments that every freelancer who works across time zones will understand.

I’ve been working remotely from Mexico this week, first in one city, then another, which means I’ve hopped between two different time zones in just a few days. My usual Atlantic time zone? Completely tossed in the blender. Last Thursday, I set up my mobile office in the back seat of my father-in-law’s car at 5:15 a.m., so I wouldn’t wake up a house full of sleeping relatives, ready to start a coaching session with a client halfway across the world. She’s always punctual, so when she didn’t show up, I emailed to check in… only for her to reply, “See you at our regular time!”

Turns out I was the one who was early... by a lot. My laptop is still set to Nova Scotia, and my cell phone shows local time. My clients are all setting delivery times in their own time zones, which I faithfully plug into my Google calendar. Fool me once, right? 😅 Except… it almost happened AGAIN a couple of days later, when a colleague arranged a Google Meet to hash out some terminology. The frantic math was my cue to stop winging it and start finding better tools.

This week, I’m testing out World Time Buddy and Time and Date.  They're both super simple ways to see everyone’s time zone at a glance. World Time Buddy lets you drag and see overlap hours, and Time and Date has a great meeting planner that color codes “good” and “bad” slots.

I’d love to know: what’s your go-to time zone tool? Do you rely on an app, a calendar hack, or something else entirely to keep your freelance schedule running smoothly? Hit reply and share your favorite tool. Your tip might save another freelancer from their own 5:15 a.m. mix-up!

To your success,

Catharine