Being Freelance

Watching her partner Mark go freelance with great success, Lyndsey decided to join him. “If he can do it, why not me?", she asked herself. Now the founder of a small collective, Nine Dots Creative, Lyndsey’s on the hunt for some big juicy clients. We chat about the “Spark Up” business course Lyndsey took and how it lead her to launch Nine Dots, what life was like freelancing alongside Mark, and how she’s managing to run a collective on top of all the work she does as a solo freelancer. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter.* You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfree

After leaving college and landing in a job that wasn’t right for him, Jared realised that he didn’t want to spend his whole life working at something he wasn’t passionate about. He launched a blog, began learning Squarespace, and the rest, as they say, is history. He now runs two Squarespace design companies - Brevity and the cleverly-named WebsiteByTonight. From giving away a couple of freebie designs to kick off his portfolio to hiring other freelancers and finding ways to scale his business, Jared’s made a lot of progress. Listen to him share some of the biggest lessons he’s learnt a long the way. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, s

Jae never imagined she’d pursue a freelance career - or even a creative one, for that matter. After graduating and then missing out on a job she’d set her heart on, Jae began exploring her creative interests and started work on a couple of personal projects. Before long, she’d developed an eye-catching and memorable brand - The INKtrovert, and was winning gigs on the back of putting her work out there online. Despite this early success, Jae admits that she was reluctant to embrace the business side of being freelance, hanging on to a part-time job instead of going at it wholeheartedly. She’s now all in, having gone freelance full-time and committed herself to building a business around her brand. So what has she learnt so far? And what is she doing to grow the business as well as the brand? This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your exp

He started out where many drummers did in his day; responding to magazine adverts for unpaid work with bands. Over the years, Kari’s built a successful career for himself as a freelance musician, finding plenty of ways to diversify his income. He’s learnt so much that he now teaches others how to turn their passion into a profession. So how did he get there, in an industry where it’s notoriously difficult to make a living? Interestingly, by using a lot of the same skills and approaches that freelancers in other industries learn to apply. Kari’s service might seem wildly different to yours, but you’ll be surprised by how much you can learn from his story of being freelance. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning fro

When she found herself knocking back freelance opportunities every week, Cath left her full-time job behind to start a business. Her only regret? Not having done it sooner. Cath’s been lucky in that she’s not had to search for work. Through SEO, website strategy, and word of mouth, she’s moved from one job to the next and worked with an array of international clients. And one of the biggest benefits of having no boss, Cath says, is the freedom to learn and develop in your own way. “I’d rather be an innovator than be following everyone else. I’m busier than ever but I’m learning more than ever.” This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscr

It could be argued that Jan’s doing things differently. He’s not on social media, he’s had long stretches of time out of work, he’s committed to maintaining his work-life balance, and he invests a lot of time into personal development. It all started with an unpaid work placement when he was almost bankrupt. Now, Jan’s built the kind of flexible freelance business that allows him to live life on his own terms. And he’s done that, he says, by getting organised and building deeper, more meaningful relationships. This is his story so far. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter.* You'll also find u

When Stephanie's employers were refusing projects she'd have loved to take on, she set up her own business on the side and began teaching people about the importance of the work she was doing. Seeing how popular the idea was, Stephanie's employers soon asked her to shut down her business and bring the work in-house. Stephanie said no. She's since had a book published on the subject, ran workshops for the United Nations, given international keynote speeches, built a virtual team of 6, and launched her own online academy that serves hundreds of students each year. Imagine if she hadn't said no all those years ago...If she hadn’t believed in herself and recognised the benefits of being freelance… This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreela

After leaving agency life behind in search of autonomy, Alex built up his freelance web design career around a full-time working from home gig. His goal was to run his own agency, but he was stuck working on client-led projects that he didn't really believe in. Alex knew he could do a better job for his clients if only they'd let him take the driving seat. He re-positioned himself as a marketing consultant and began to take on projects where he'd play a leading role. Business grew, and soon Alex was ready to hire his first member of staff. His agency, The Lead Engine, is now 6-people strong, and Alex is working hard to get to a point where marketing and strategy can be his sole focus. (Well, that and being around more for his family. Fridays off, anyone?). This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. T

After walking away from a diverse career to have a family and live abroad, art graduate Xanthe was reluctant to return. Her children had started school and she was ready to work again, but office life was no longer appealing. She had this passion for taking pictures of her children and documenting her life, and after discovering Flickr and connecting with like-minded people online, she was hooked. Xanthe built a reputation for herself as a freelance wedding and family photographer, and then developed her business to include brand partnerships, film making, and online film courses. Like many of us, Xanthe’s got to where she is now without much of a plan. But it’s through diving in and giving things a try that she’s been able to explore so many of her creative interests. Because if you never try, you’ll never know, right? This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s e

Dave’s always been freelance. First as a musician while he was studying, and more recently as a web designer working mostly with independent business owners. After starting out designing websites for musician friends, he built a solid reputation for himself on Upwork, gaining clients in the UK and overseas. When he began networking with other freelancers online, Dave soon saw the value in community. He’s now an active member of several groups and has recently launched a new project especially for freelancers. Work Notes is a resource full of advice that helps freelancers tackle the more practical aspects of running a business. It’s Dave’s way of giving back to the freelance community. And this is his story so far. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit Free

After leaving agency life behind to go freelance, UX designer Mariana found herself yearning for more. Despite still working from home, she now runs her own small agency, Fruto. Missing the benefits of working closely with other people, Mariana wanted to create the perfect environment for great work. A team where the responsibilities are shared, the skills are complementary, and the opportunities to collaborate make for better creative decisions. And while many creative freelancers shy away from the business, sales, and financial aspects of our work, Mariana tells Steve that she’s actually learned to embrace those tasks. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website

After falling into freelance life accidentally in the late nineties, Paul Jarvis has helped to shape the way many freelancers work. He started out designing websites for professional athletes, working from his parent’s basement on a self-built computer. And now, 20 years later, Paul is a writer and published author who helps entrepreneurs build businesses that are better, not bigger. Through his weekly email series, the Sunday Dispatches, multiple podcasts and online courses, and now his book, Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business, Paul teaches freelancers to make up their own rules when it comes to how they want their businesses to look. In this episode though it’s finally time to hear his story. How did his business look? How did he get to where he is today: happy to be a company of one? This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s e

From spinning tunes in a gold sequined dress as DJ Super Kat, to organising a national conference for people in the blog and creative industries, Kat Molesworth has a lot going on. She’s a mother of three and a freelance photographer and blogger. She speaks at events, consults with brands, and runs a YouTube channel and podcast. She’s also the founder of Blogtacular - a London-based annual conference with a list of sponsors that includes Microsoft and MailChimp. Despite having so many strings to her bow, Kat knows how it feels to face the financial pressures that so often accompany freelance life. During our chat, Kat opens up about the struggles she’s had feeding her family when payment for freelance work has been late. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, vis

Digital nomad Kelly landed her first freelance writing gig while she was on a working holiday in New Zealand. Broke and struggling to find work locally, Kelly was introduced to the online world of content mills and freelance market places. After falling in love with a zombie-clad Brit she’d met in a haunted prison (true story!), Canadian-born Kelly found herself living and working in the UK. She spent her days looking after three-year-olds and her evenings and weekends climbing the freelance ladder. Eventually, after more than a year of building up her portfolio and establishing a name for herself, Kelly took her freelance business full-time and hit the road again. That was in 2011, and Kelly’s been travelling the world while she freelances ever since. We chat about how she balances work with travel, how she feels about the security of freelance life, and why she chose to de-monetise her travel blog. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances

After studying Graphic Arts at uni and leaning towards the more experimental forms of art, Martha found herself working in an in-house graphic design role that left little room for creativity. Now two years into her freelance career and living between England and Spain, Martha has built herself a flexible business where she has plenty of variety in her work. And, more than that, Martha is now able to give herself time to work on her craft, scheduling in 5-day “holidays” where she’s free from client work and can focus entirely on her side projects. “The idea was to become freelance so I could enjoy my life more and work on these areas that I wanted to work on,” Martha says. Find out how she’s made that a possibility in this episode of Being Freelance. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To clai

35 side-hustles into a freelance career, with a book, a podcast, and a growing reputation as a keynote speaker, Jay has many strings to his bow. Watch him give a speech or hear him talk and you’d be forgiven for assuming he has it all figured out. Jay oozes confidence, but he’ll be the first to tell you that he’s making it all up as he goes along. Only this summer, in fact, Jay thought about leaving it all behind and getting a job. To his credit, he was able to overcome that threatening bout of self-doubt just as quickly as it appeared. But it just goes to show - even the boldest among us can struggle with being freelance. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To claim your 1 month free trial, visit FreeAgent.com/beingfreelance Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the websit

Despite working full-time and freelancing on the side, Caitlin’s made a big impact. From being a finalist in IPSE’s Freelancer of the Year Awards in 2015, to designing her own range of clothing to combat the stigma around mental health issues, Caitlin’s side hustle is impressive. Caitlin’s a self-taught designer who tasted her first slice of the freelance pie aged just 16. We talk about finding clients, building a portfolio, using freelance projects to save for a rainy day, and how Caitlin manages freelancing alongside a full-time job. Caitlin also opens up about her own struggles with mental health and the lessons she’s learned along the way. She’s an advocate for changing public perceptions and encouraging sufferers to carry on and go after the things they want. And she’s doing it the best way she knows how - through design. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out,

Chris O’Shea first started freelancing straight out of college. After teaching himself web development with a library book, Chris had a phone line installed in his childhood bedroom in the family home. From there, 18-year-old Chris ran his own web design company in what was his first stab at self-employment. Sadly, (or luckily, depending on how you look at it) that one didn’t work out, and so Chris went back to uni to study a Digital Art degree. Moving to London in 2005, Chris soon found himself leading the way in the world of interactive installations. Travelling the world, running events and managing a successful blog - all alongside doing the work in his freelance business - Chris became an authority in his field. From building a name for himself to building a family; Chris is now a stay-at-home dad of two. Shifting to a career that allows him to work on projects he loves while still being around for his kids. We talk about what he learnt from that early experience of freelance life, how he applied those l

Web developer Jason Resnick had a big life goal. When he started a family, he wanted to be home to see his kid’s first steps and hear their first words. To him (and to most of us, I’d imagine) that’s what’s important. Jason wanted to be able to shape everything else around that. Rewind a few years to the late nineties and you’d find him ditching economics class to take casual HTML lessons from a friend via email. That’s where Jason fell in love with web development, and he soon began building a part-time freelance business around a full-time job. When the time came to leave his job and take the business full-time, Jason had the skill-set to do the work, but none of the business and sales knowledge needed to bring it in. We talk about how he’s developed that knowledge and built a sustainable freelance business that’s full of efficient processes. And how he now, having reached his life goal of building that flexible career, is determined to help other freelancers do the same. This episode is supported by FreeAg

How is it episode 150?! But it is. Thanks so much for listening and sharing! Kirsten set herself a goal. To create a better work/travel balance. To see more of the world without giving up her job. And that's where we find her, on the road - more than happy to NOT set a new goal, but instead enjoy living this one. We chat about collaboration, remote working, making opportunities, digital nomad life (not that she'd call it that!), side projects, multi-skilled job titles and mentorship. Kirsten's both a mentor and a mentee and thinks no matter where we are in our freelance careers there are always people just a few steps ahead that we can learn from. And others who can learn from us. Kirsten believes if we have a chance to be a mentor, we should take it. This episode is supported by FreeAgent - online accounting software that makes managing your business finances a breeze. With an award-winning UK based support team on hand to help out, it’s easy to stay on top of your expenses, invoices, banking and tax. To cla