Being Freelance

From starting as a PR freelancer to accidentally heading a small agency, working with her husband and then transitioning back into solo freelancing, Lucy shares the challenges she's faced along the way - both professional and personal.As the creator of ‘Hype Yourself’, we hear how showing up daily even in her darkest days has built Lucy’s reputation. But maybe she wouldn’t quite do it all the same again. This episode is practical, fun, candid. And very much worth the hype.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelan

Study, determination, and a knack for design were going to take Robert out of his poor upbringing in South Africa. But the death of his brother, drew him back again. To help young people see a brighter future for themselves, he needed time. To have time, he needed to go freelance.Faced with the daunting reality of having to survive without savings or a backup plan just one month before COVID kicked in, Robert shares how he made the most of platforms like LinkedIn and ultimately doubled his income during the pandemic.He eventually had so many leads, he started hiring others. Plus, through content creation and organising meetups, he’s giving back, while moving forward.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, s

Hannah wondered how the people she met whilst travelling could afford to travel non-stop. It turned out, they were freelancers.And so began a journey into figuring out how she could make that happen, whether she’d like it when she did - and finding her niche along the way. Now back in the UK, she is ‘Hannah from Shiny Happy Digital Design’.Happy when working. Happy when on holiday. Happy to put her prices on her site thanks very much.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!There’s no ‘o

Joel was originally on the Being Freelance podcast in November 2015.Now it’s time to catch up on the intervening 8 years. As he’s gone from a single solo copywriter to being a married father and founder of a company.We hear how Case Study Buddy grew out of a freelancing side project into a company with major clients and seven figure revenue. But is the grass greener? From freelance to founder - Did being his own boss set him up well to be a boss of many?You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made f

Sam was drawn to freelancing when the bar he pulled pints for, asked him to design a poster.The writing was on the wall. Well, it wouldn’t have been a great poster otherwise. Sam became known as a designer/illustrator for bars, pubs and clubs.And then covid hit. Overnight all those places shut. But Sam’s happiest when he’s working…You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!There’s no ‘one way’ to be a successful freelancer, but this course will help you avoid the many mistakes that most of

For a long time Kayleigh didn’t even see what she had as a 'business'. She was trading time and skills for money.But a few years ago she embraced outside help. Coaches. Group coaching. Working with a strategist, a photographer and copywriter. She polished her brand and found her niche. With this new confidence and focus, her rate quadrupled. As did her satisfaction. Working with clients with the right vibe for her and them.She wasn’t an island. With help, her business thrived. And she was Queen of Proposals.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'

8 years after Franky first appeared on the podcast, it’s time to catch up.Still a freelance copywriter. Still in Bristol. But so much has changed. Not just her kids getting taller.In this episode, Franky shares how she had to reshape her business around a chronic illness, diagnosed less than a year after we last spoke.And how she found a co-mentor in the back in the taxi. It’s been one heck of a journey. Not just the one back to their homes.Franky’s business has evolved around her family, her interests and her health. With resilience, determination and good people around us, perhaps the flexibility of freelancing can help us adapt to anything.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.comCheck out Franky and her co-mentor Charlie on their own podcast 'Friends with business benefits'. EPISODE SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine - SUBSCRIBE today and get those sweet glossy pages in your hands!JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang

In this special bonus episode of the Being Freelance podcast we take a selection of the regular Live Q&As that we host in the Being Freelance Community and let you soak up the wisdom once more.You can catch full video replays of all of our Live Q&As in the Being Freelance Community.In this episode, we've got:- Freelance content marketing and SEO strategist Beth Gladstone- Tom Garfield who creates websites alongside his wife Ellie, as ‘Brand New Notebook’- Conversion copywriter Prerna Malik of Content BistroFind a full transcript and links at the website.Questions that are answered1. HOW DO YOU GET TO WORK WITH SUCH HIGH PROFILE CLIENTS?2. HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE SPENDING ON A WEBSITE?3. ARE REGULAR BLOGS STILL WORTH DOING?4. HOW WOULD YOU LAUNCH AND SELL AN ONLINE COURSE WITHOUT AN EMAIL LIST?5. SHOULD I PUT MY FREELANCE PRICES ON MY WEBSITE?6. HOW DO YOU SPEND REGULAR TIME ON YOUR OWN MARKETING WHILST ALSO DOING EVERYTHING ELSE?7. SEO WISE, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO O

When Liz left uni, she was adamant she didn’t want to be a freelancer. And yet here we are, via starting a stationery business and a family. A 9 year gradual process which has resulted in her switching from treating her freelancing like a hobby, to firmly treating it like a business.Starting a podcast. Working with Adobe. Diversifying her income and having fun along the way.This is Episode 300 of the Being Freelance podcast - recorded live in the Being Freelance Community - join us!There is also a video version of this podcast on YouTube.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.comBonus questions in this episode from BFFs (Being Freelance Friends) Angela Lyons and Elizabeth Chesney. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? T

This is actually the fourth time Jackson’s been freelance. He’s not just quit jobs, he even once quit his own company.But whereas the other times he was a ‘regular’ graphic designer, this time he’s spent a decade as a specialist: a lettering artist and calligrapher.Regularly posting to Instagram and Behance got him noticed and grew an audience as commissions from around the world reached him at his home in Brazil.He’s since launched online courses, prints, fonts and NFT collections, building his reputation so he can work when he wants around his family. There’s no sign of him quitting this time around.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-ups, Socials and more.JOIN YOUR BFFS AT  beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Free

Anna had built a career across corporate and government comms in Melbourne. But if she wanted to move her family out of the city and that meant first meant transforming the way she worked.Anna set out to prove she could match her past income, now as a freelance copywriter. The seeds she planted in the city are now bearing fruit. From a farm in rural Victoria she’s reaping the rewards - a business that feels good and that runs around her kids.Today she’s questioning the external pressures that tell us to ‘scale’. The farmers before them planted olive trees. That doesn’t mean it’s a business for her. Just because other copywriters before her have grown with subcontractors and products, does she have to follow them too?Anna goes into detail about how she has built her website and her business to work around her family. So much insight AND the sound of Australian birds too - you're in for a treat!You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone b

Alex trained as a musician. He followed a drumming dream to Nashville along with an internship at a 'mom & pop' business.There, they had him creating graphics and videos - those two things came together when Alex discovered motion graphics. He took to studying and developing as a motion designer. Self taught, he’s always been constantly trying to learn and improve.He didn't want to be the best in his company. He wanted to learn from the best...Finding an internship in LA working on big Hollywood movies, he kept at it. Swapping socialising for learning, upskilling and sharing his self initiated projects on Instagram - he made a name for himself and studios started coming to him.Now, post-pandemic, he’s trying to rebalance work-life. 4 day weeks are in. Snowboarding weekends are the norm. But it’s a slippery slope when you stop learning - the instability of freelancing is still keeping him on his toes. You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're

Spring 2020. A pandemic lockdown. Doesn’t sound like the ideal time to build a business, but Ayo had 20 years of marketing experience as her foundations. And a love of marketing that she’d put to good use on herself.Specialising in the ‘built environment’ - think construction, engineers, architects - Ayo launched a podcast that raised her profile and brought her clients. Repurposing content across socials and her newsletters, Ayo put the same plans, systems & processes she uses with clients to boost her own business.With award-winning added to her LinkedIn profile, she’s built something pretty special. Maybe we can learn by studying the blueprints. Seriously so much to learn on the content marketing strategy Ayo is using! You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With LIVE Q&As, Coworking, Meet-up

Brazilian creative Victoria was working in advertising in London when in 2013 she fancied a change.A change of pace, country and language, and to help her do that she figured she’d go freelance in Spain.After 3 years she took a job in an agency. Four years on she felt ready to freelance again. A pandemic and motherhood making the flexibility of working from home even more appealing.Second time around Victoria felt much more prepared. In her positioning, her processes, her dealings with clients… in running her own business.In this conversation we cover, amongst other things:the importance of a network of fellow freelancersgetting to know clients properlyworking around having a childhow some things you want to do just can't be done right now, and that's okay...You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).A place to ask questions, sense-check, laugh and support.With

It’s quite a winding route that’s taken Marcelle to be known as a fashion photographer. But from working in shops on London’s Oxford Street as a teenager, now her photos can be seen in those windows instead.Marcelle did lots of work for free early on but it built a network, a portfolio and a reputation that has since served her well. Whilst her training as a graphic designer has kept her working at times when she didn’t have a camera in her hand.She loves her job and is a self professed workaholic, but her thirty year plan finds her sitting in a beach far away from the streets of London.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com This episode is sponsored by AXA Business Insurance.Get cover for your work, your tools, your reputation. It feels better being protected, being freelance.Work hard, insure easy. Check out their site or Search AXA Business Insurance.AXA Insurance UK plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Au

Kyle left agency life and started his self-employed journey working with friends as a collective. 8 years on though, he’d built his own name through hosting meet-ups and speaking at events to the point where it made sense to go solo.From small meet-ups he ended up speaking on some of the biggest stages with the likes of Adobe as clients. Yet in 2020 decided to switch from being a freelancer to becoming a Creative Director in-house.Now, full-time at School Of Motion, a fully remote company, he still has flexibility in his life. Kyle believes his years of working independently, general skill-set, and ability to get things done that comes from being freelance is actually making him a better employee.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com This episode is sponsored by AXA Business Insurance.Get cover for your work, your tools, your reputation. It feels better being protected, being freelance.Work hard, insure easy. Check out their site or Search AXA Business Insurance.AXA

When Korean Hyunjin, or ‘Jenna’ as she’s also known, met her American husband, she moved to be with him and needed to find work in small town USA.Whilst blogging tips about international relationships, Jenna found readers started to approach her for help with their own written English requirements like cover letters and applications. Her freelance journey had begun.Years later she joined Elance, that became Upwork, and worked her way up to be one of the top 1% professionals on the freelancer job site.Her blog meanwhile spawned what is now the largest community for Korean/international couples. Currently based back in South Korea, along with regular clients on Upwork, her free community brings her plenty of opportunities as her members recommend her too.Maybe Upwork doesn’t have to be a race to the bottom after all. Hear Jenna's story. And her cat.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com This episode is sponsored by AXA Business Insurance.Get cover for your work, your t

Luke needn’t have been scared of going freelance. He’d spent 10 years of agency life making great work and making a name for himself. Through writing, speaking and community, people knew he’d be a great freelancer even if he didn’t.And whilst all of his income is derived from client work, that’s definitely not where all his time is spentLuke devotes huge amounts of energy to Birmingham Design. Joining forces with his friend Dan to organise events, workshops, a shop, website, directory, mentorship scheme and a massive festival celebrating and nurturing the creative scene around them.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com This episode is sponsored by AXA Business Insurance.Get cover for your work, your tools, your reputation. It feels better being protected, being freelance.Work hard, insure easy. Check out their site or Search AXA Business Insurance.AXA Insurance UK plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authori

When Australian Robyn quit her job working in comms for a French yacht company, she wasn’t expecting her boss to be so keen to keep her that he’d offer her a 2-day-a-week retainer if she went freelance.So she did. Finding work through her network and referrals along the way. 6 years later Robyn still has no website.But working solo also gradually sent Robyn into her shell. So now, she’s proactively seeking out connection once more. Making online dates with other freelancers and working with a business coach - she’s enjoying life being freelance once more.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com This episode is sponsored by AXA Business Insurance.Get cover for your work, your tools, your reputation. It feels better being protected, being freelance.Work hard, insure easy. Check out their site or Search AXA Business Insurance.AXA Insurance UK plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regula

While working in his first job at a small agency, Ryan started a website. He didn’t think much of it. Until its local SEO started bringing him leads and the chance to do extra work on the side.A year on, working evenings and weekends, he’d reached capacity. This was it. Time to go full time freelance. With no network of his own, he needed his site to continue to bring him clients. And it really did.In the past year Ryan’s grown a team of two fellow freelancers. Able to make the most of the leads, the retainers and enjoy the ability of having people to bounce ideas off of rather than make every decision on him.You'll find full show notes and transcript for this episode at beingfreelance.com This episode is sponsored by AXA Business Insurance.Get cover for your work, your tools, your reputation. It feels better being protected, being freelance.Work hard, insure easy. Check out their site or Search AXA Business Insurance.AXA Insurance UK plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by t