When Gareth was made redundant from the building trade he found himself out of work for months. A new dad at risk of losing his house, car, self-esteem... Until he found a freelance job site and started to wonder if he could make money online.
Gareth started writing. He didn't know that might have a job title. But years later here is. He's built himself a career in copywriting from the ground up.
Read MorePenny's always been freelance. We chat about when working for free has made a difference (and still can) and how being self employed has actually made being a mum easier (not sure it's ever easy!).
Despite a busy work-life schedule Penny seems really balanced. Maybe that's embracing work into your life. Or maybe it’s ditching the ‘day’ or ‘week’ mentality and instead looking at balance in the bigger picture.
Aussie freelancer Jacob has spent the last few years as a digital nomad. Freelancing on the road. And the plane. And the boat...
Before packing his bags, he packed a lot into building his personal brand. Growing his professional blog from his days as a student. So wherever he is in the world he knows potential clients will find him online.
Read MoreWhen Emma became a mum, she also became a freelancer. Trading as Big Bear Creative, she thought she'd get 15 hours of childcare a week and do little bits of work... But her freelance baby soon started to grow and need more attention.
Now, not only is she working four days a week, but her husband has joined the business too. Big Bear got bigger. And so did their plans.
Read MoreWhen Prerna’s husband couldn’t work due to ill health, her side project of writing suddenly became crucial for their family.
Over time they realised it had real potential, her husband joined the business, they hired others as ‘Content Bistro’ served up hungry businesses around the world. It’s an amazing story. She had no money, no other options and no fear. And no idea how much her life was about to change.
Read MoreAre we stronger together?
Paris based freelance designer and art director Jonathan Da Costa thinks so. By collaborating with other freelancers he's managed to take on bigger projects - to grow his business whilst taking time out for his family.
Read MoreJames should be used to a family business. Before he went freelance as a photographer, he worked for his dad. Now he's partnered with his wife - working from home with the three kids not far away.
Juggling the needs of his customers alongside those of his family. Where your business itself is like another child constantly after your attention as it grows.
Read MoreElliot doesn't shy away from making a change in his life. After a string of non-coding jobs, he self-taught himself WordPress and became a freelance developer. From that he built up a successful agency - Raison.
But when fatherhood beckoned he stripped back the pressure of being a boss to freelance once more. More flexibility, more time for his family, more ability to be a specialist. And plenty more to hear about too…
Read MoreBen O'Brien, started out as a freelance illustator and animator, even forming a successful studio. But being creative was usurped by being a manager. So he went solo again and freelancer 'Ben the Illustrator' was born.
Ben tells us about being there for his family, making connections to peers around the world through an awesome survey and whether by knocking on doors or using side projects and social media - making himself unavoidable.
Read MoreThrough podcasts Michelle gained the knowledge and confidence to quit the 9-to-5 and start being freelance... and now years later her own podcast Creative Playdate is helping herself and others navigate being freelance, whilst also being a parent.
From starting out, reaching out and figuring it out as a freelance mum.
Read MoreAt the heart of Matt's success are other people. Sure, of course he's good at what he does. But it's the people he's met along the way that have helped him grow himself and his business.
Put simply: the more people you meet, the more chance you have of working with them in the future. Be that fellow freelancers or potential clients. Just keep meeting people!
Tidying her child's room Annie suddenly found a name for a business. With it she found a way to make work fit with family, she found meaningful work in a remote location and found a community of other freelancers to help her along the way. Now all she has to do is find time for herself...
Hear Annie's journey as self-employed virtual assistant 'Hello My PA', becoming one of the freelance heroes.
Read MoreWhen Dan was made redundant two weeks before his second child was born, he knew failure wasn't an option. He had to make a success of being freelance.
Hear how he's made that happen - the coworking studio, networking and adapting to a changing world - always learning new skills, reinventing.. and never with his shirt tucked in.
Read MoreWinner of the IPSE UK Freelancer of the Year 'Aspire' 2017 for young, up and coming self-employed talent.
We hear a snapshot of how Nisha got started as a photogapher: finding funding (without a loan in sight), and with it, finding community, clients and self belief.
Read MoreAs an editor in publishing Rose is used to reshaping people's words.
She's also done it with her life.
Cutting out the full time job for flexibility as a working mum. Stripping out the management role to focus on the work she enjoys. Reforming her hourly rate and rejecting the projects that won't hit it. Whilst creating The Freelancer's Cookbook.. well, that's a whole new tasty chapter in itself.
