We've had some amazing Live Q&As in the Being Freelance Community this year.
So as a bonus here's some of the amazing answers Paul Jarvis and Kate Toon gave to questions poised by freelancers in the group. Don't miss out, come and join us!
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Mel’s lived in Hong Kong, Aberdeen, Falmouth, and now Porthleven, with each new location bringing fresh inspiration for her career as a freelance illustrator.
As well as taking on commissions, Mel’s experimented with running workshops and selling products. Like Steve, Mel’s documented her freelance journey on YouTube, where she also publishes a video interview series with creatives in her local area.
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Leif started freelancing on the side around a full-time job. 11 years later, freelancing is his full-time job and he now runs a successful side project, too.
Leif is the director of ProCopywriters, a professional association with over 850 members. He chats to Steve about how he got started being freelance, how he’s found work and built up his business, and how he manages to run ProCopywriters alongside it.
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Stefano went freelance after 4 years in an agency, realising he wanted more control over the projects he took on. He’s an Italian living in London, and he says it’s meeting people at local events that has allowed him to find clients and build his business.
He’s done work around mindset, values and well-being too, and he shares some important reflections on how we can all be a bit kinder to ourselves as freelancers.
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Out of luck finding employment as a copywriter, Emily turned to freelance work by chance when she met a web designer who was looking for support.
Emily got her business off the ground from there, learning as much as she could from online resources while also pouring time and energy into her website.
Within 6 months, Emily was ranking number one on Google for keywords like “Brisbane copywriter” and business grew from there.
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Storm shoots celebrities in LA, and while his life might appear to be more glamorous than most, he still loves those working-from-the-studio days where he gets to walk to work in his underwear.
He chats to Steve about finding work, using an agent, putting himself out there, managing his work-life balance, and investing in his business.
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This week we have not just one but TWO freelancers for you. They’re being interviewed by a freelancer, in a room full of freelancers, for the Being Freelance podcast. Which was, of course, recorded live on National Freelancers Day, at IPSE’s annual event. And now we’re sharing it with you - another freelancer! (Or aspiring freelancer).
That’s a lot of biscuits.
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Tatiana’s taken on full-time roles throughout her career, as well as building up a studio alongside a partner. Knowing now that independence is what suits her best, Tatiana’s focused on working in a way that allows her to protect her own physical and mental health. She says money doesn’t control her happiness, and she doesn’t believe in forcing herself to work when she’s not inspired.
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After being made redundant from the company she was with for 19 years, Cathy put herself through training and became a freelance social media manager. Five years later, she’s running her own digital marketing agency and has co-founded a second business - Go With The Pro, a membership site for freelance marketers.
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Many of us start out without much of a plan. Other than wanting to do fun work with good people, we’re not really sure where we’re heading. And then, for some of us, that entrepreneurial spirit kicks in and we start thinking about scaling and hiring people. But what happens when you don’t have the skill-set (or love) for the kind of work that’s involved in building something bigger?
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From bidding for jobs on freelance marketplace Upwork, to establishing herself as an expert and consultant, copywriter Paige has learnt how to develop her skills, build authority, and set up systems to keep everything running smoothly. She chats about the different courses and mastermind groups she’s been a part of, and shares some of her tips for scheduling, planning, and working strategically.
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Steve caught the self-employment bug from family. He came from an agency background and started with one small client, building his business up over time. Now, he runs a meet-up, co-works, does speaking gigs, and he’s just published a book teaching freelancers how to sell without actually selling.
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Steph began working on podcasts before they were even really a thing. With a qualification in audio arts, she spent a year producing audio and video at a marketing company before heading out on her own. Seven years later, Steph’s hired team members, spoken at a conference, and worked on lots of exciting projects. She calls it ‘lucky timing’, but maybe it has something to do with her unique approach?
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Tom’s freelance career began when he was just 16 years old. It’s evolved significantly since then, but not without adverse effects on his health. We chat about work-life balance, dealing with serious burnout, learning from your mistakes, and the pitfalls of Hustle Culture.
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