Bread & Butter - Issue 04

🍞 When the Ground Feels Shaky

Back from vacation, my feed hit me like a storm.

👀 Layoffs.
👀 “Open to work.”
👀 Small businesses crushed under shifting policies.

The hardest part? Watching colleagues who gave up side gigs to be “all in” for their employers—only to be stranded when loyalty wasn’t reciprocated. Or farms and local businesses shouldering the weight of financial rules stacked against them.

Even in my own work, dips hit hard. My stomach drops, blood pressure spikes, and the anxiety is real.

But just like in homebuilding, you can’t wait until the storm to reinforce the walls.

🧈Building for Durability

In homes, insulation isn’t flashy.
Foundations rarely make it to Instagram.
Durable materials don’t sell themselves.

But without them? The whole structure is vulnerable.

Work is no different. That’s why I’m building Bread & Butter with multiple income streams— my insulation against storms I can’t control.

Durability looks like:

• Diversification → Don’t bet it all on one client or platform.

• Education → Keep learning, like builders adopting better materials.

• Community → Neighbors matter when floods hit, networks matter when work dries up.

It’s not glamorous. But it keeps the walls standing.

🥖 Fresh Bakes

These are real platforms and people I actually follow — no fluff, no filler. Bookmark your lane and build your insulation:

• Kaitlyn Arford — Weekly freelance writing & editing gigs, vetted and practical.

• Harlow — Freelance job leads + proposal templates in one place.

• All Things Freelance Writing — Community-driven listings and resources for freelance writers.

• Write Jobs+ — A newsletter delivering writing-only gig listings.

• Chris Bibey — Freelance Framework — Daily freelance writing gigs from someone in the trenches.

• TOFU (Top of the Funnel) — Content strategy + community for landing better freelance clients.

• The Freelance Writing Network — Curated freelance writing opportunities and insights.

• Make Writing Your Job — A community + newsletter teaching writers how to build resilient careers.

👉 Have a favorite freelance board or resource? Reply and I’ll feature it in a future issue — because resilience is stronger when we share leads.

🍴 The Last Slice

We can’t control layoffs.
Or algorithms.
Or how policies shift overnight.

But we can build like the smartest builders do:
— Insulate.
— Choose materials that last.
— Invest in foundations that outlive the storm.

That’s why I’m building Bread & Butter the way I am.
And why I’ll keep showing up here—even when the reach dips.

Warmly,
Amanda
🍞 + 🧈 = stories worth spreading

Helping folks feel at home.