Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo - Translator and Copywriter

This Freelance Insights interview features Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, who is a Spanish- and Portuguese-to-English translator specializing in medicine and life sciences.⁠

⁠I took Madalena’s T&I Website Blueprint course in 2019 because my translation website was in dire need of a makeover. Madalena's tips helped me create a design I love, re-write my copy to better target my ideal clients, and improve my SEO to attract more leads.

Besides being a translator and copywriter and teaching courses, she is the co-host of the podcast Smart Habits for Translators, which gives simple strategies to build better habits for your business and lifestyle.

⁠Madalena also hosts webinars and challenges on a range of business topics and runs a very helpful blog for translators and interpreters. To get updates on all her new and upcoming content, sign up for her email list by clicking the button further down this page. You’ll receive her Website Design Checklist for the T&I Professional for free when you do.

How do you describe what you do for work?

I'm a freelance Spanish- and Portuguese-to-English translator. I specialize in medicine and life sciences and I work mostly on documents that are related to clinical trials, research, and patient-facing documents. I also do some copywriting.

What's your favourite thing about working freelance?

I love that I get to work for the people I want to work for during the times that work best for me. I think most freelancers tend to work long hours, but we actually have a lot of control over the amount of time we work. We sometimes need to revisit that freedom and realign our boundaries and preferences from time to time when things can become particularly busy. A lot of us have worked either in corporate jobs or for other people as employees, and when we work for ourselves we think This is going to be great! I get to work all my own hours. And then we end up working longer than we did when we worked for other people. We can be our own worst bosses sometimes I think.

Where do you usually work from?

I work from home most of the time. I have a home office that I've made my own, complete with a standing desk. I've also been known to work when I'm flying! A lot of people don't like to work on planes, but I actually really love it because it's one of the few times that I'm totally disconnected from everybody, and I can get so much work done.

What does a normal working day look like for you?

I usually get up around 5am and I take that early morning time for myself. Sometimes I read or write or use the time to organize my day, and I usually enjoy breakfast with my husband toddler-free! I start working at 8:30am, and depending on the day I might be working on my translation or copywriting projects for clients, or I might be preparing a course or hosting a webinar. I like to batch my phone calls on certain days of the week because I find that there's a lot of time lost between activities when you're switching from client work to a phone call. I also batch my volunteer work with the American Translators Association. If I can, I'll get a break in mid-morning for exercise. I try to finish my work by 3:30pm, which is a challenge. Sometimes I have to finish things in the evenings, but my goal for 2020 is to not have to do that!

What one tip would you give other freelancers about running a freelance business?

Remember that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to who you work for and the schedule you hold. It took me a long time to take action about this realization. We do have the opportunity to shape the future of our freelance businesses but it has to be from making intentional decisions. No-one else is going to do this for you. If you want to break into a new specialization, you have to put in the time and the work. If you want to expand your client base, you have to learn about your potential clients to see where you can add the most value. When you feel stuck, that's usually a sign it's time to make some kind of change. You have control over that change!

Free resource

Madalena offers a free Website Design Checklist for the Translation & Interpreting Professional. It covers the key design elements to include, as well as a planning worksheet to help you with your branding.

Connect with Madalena

Email: madalena@madalenazampaulo.com

Website: https://www.madalenazampaulo.com/

Instagram: @mszampaulo

Twitter: @mszampaulo