Episode 72: Smart Habits for Diversifying in a Niche Specialization with Abigail Dahlberg

Smart Habits for Translators

Episode 72: Smart Habits for Diversifying in a Niche Specialization with Abigail Dahlberg

Today, we’re really excited to be joined by a colleague we both admire very much. She is a translator, content writer, mom, and expert in environmental issues and sustainability. She has been working as a translator for over 20 years and has grown and diversified her business within a very niche specialization. In fact, her success in this area has even earned her the nickname “Trash Girl,” believe it or not!

We are thrilled to be joined by our colleague and friend, Abigail Dahlberg.

Abigail is a German to English translator and copywriter specializing in sustainability issues. After completing an MA in translation and interpreting at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in 2001, she worked as a staff translator in Germany for several years before relocating to Kansas City and launching her freelance business in 2005. Over the past 15 years, Abigail has helped dozens of direct clients in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland communicate with an international audience via her business, Greener Words.

Tune in to hear our conversation on:

• When and how Abigail started her freelance career in translation and how her business has evolved over time

• What smart habits have been crucial in her career

• What systems, processes, and habits she uses to stay organized and how she manages all the tasks on her plate

• How she decides which aspects of her business need more attention at certain times and how she sets priorities

• What boundaries she sets in her professional life and how she maintains them

• Why she decided to diversify her service offerings and how she went about it

• Abigail’s advice for specializing in a niche field or market and diversifying your services

• Her thoughts on work/life clarity for freelancers and how she tries to protect the boundaries between work and personal life

Resources we mentioned in this episode:

• Abigail’s website

• Follow Abigail on Twitter and LinkedIn

• ATA Inside Specialization podcast episode: Translating Sustainability

• Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success by Esther K. Choy

See the full list of links and resources for this episode: https://smarthabitsfortranslators.com/podcast-episodes/72