THE WHAT?
The Cookie Collective are a select group of BFFs who have established their freelance business and want to take it up a gear.
Together the Collective share challenges and advice. Find clarity and direction.
In short: give themselves a kick up the arse to get that thing done.
And to celebrate when it does.
It can help if you have one or two specific goals in mind already.
Maybe you'd like to
grow your email list
repackage your services
launch a passive income stream
streamline your processes
launch a side project
Whatever it is, it's going to get done quicker if you talk about it and work towards it as part of a collective of like-minded BFFs, rather than just having it sit on your to-do list. Again.
Motivation and accountability. Tick.
How does it work?
Our Cookie Collective meet every couple of weeks online.
You'll be joining me (Steve Folland) and a small group of other BFFs. Each call will be a max 1.5 hours.
Our current Cookie Collective started in January 2023.
It’s likely the next will be Jan ‘24 - keep reading or skip to the bit where you can pop in your email to register interest!
Ultimately you still have to make decisions. You still have to do the work to achieve your goals. But you'll have the collective force of a group of smart cookies behind you.
And in turn, you'll be there for them. And that'll make you feel good too.
We will also have our own private Cookie Collective Facebook Group so that we can share any updates in between calls to keep the momentum up.
Who’s to say it works?!
How about the previous batches of Cookie Collective?..
“Being part of the Cookie Collective was flippin awesome!
I gained a lot of confidence, reassurance and insight from it.”
- BFF Tom
“Such a great ‘not-a-mastermind group’ that I did it twice!!
It gave me a kick up the butt and the accountability I needed. You won’t regret signing up!!”
- BFF Bhavini
“A great way of prioritising goals.
It was amazing how many answers I found for things I had been mulling over for ages.”
- BFF Helen
“It was great to have accountability.
I achieved a lot more work from participating in the Cookie Collective which resulted in me winning lots of fab clients & ££££”
- BFF Nisha
“The group inspired me to push myself further and try ideas that I hadn't even thought about until now.”
- BFF Neil
“The calls have been a genuine highlight.
A chance to carve out a bit of time for my business in amongst the busyness of being a self-employed parent.”
- BFF Louisa
“A safe space to explore new ideas and take your business in directions you'd never even considered before.”
- BFF Alice
Read more from these BFFs as they share their Cookie Collective experience at the bottom of this page.
Why would I join this and not another Mastermind?
Hey! I’ve deliberately not called it a ‘freelance mastermind’.
But yes, there are plenty out there. You should do what feels right for you.
You know what BFFs are like. If you feel part of our community, you know if you’d feel right being part of this.
Personally, I think it’s great to mix with freelancers who ‘get it’ but who maybe work in a different field to you.
As for it being hosted by me? Well, I bring my experience of 9 years full-time freelance, running a stupidly demanding side project, two podcasts (one award-winning) and 20+ years in work in general. I carry in my head the shared experiences of having spoken to 290+ freelancers. I love seeing BFFs do great things.
But most importantly, this isn’t about me. It’s about you and the others in the Cookie Collective. I’m there to help make it a fun experience and bring the thoughts/conversations and yes, biscuits out.
SOUNDS GOOD Steve, but what does it cost?
Our most recent one ran from Jan to May ‘23 and was under £600 (which could be spread in multiple payments).
We had 9 calls. Roughly every two weeks (with breaks).
Calls scheduled to try and avoid the UK school holidays.
If you join us, you need to commit to being on the calls and being an active part of the Cookie Collective to get the most out of it for everyone.
When is the next one?
Sign up below if you’re interested.
You’ll be the first to hear about the next one!
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
Simply pop your email below and I’ll be in touch.
ERM - what’s BFFs, who is Steve and what’s with all the biscuitS?
If you’ve got those kind of questions then this won’t be the right time to be part of the Cookie Collective.
BUT, please do check out the Being Freelance podcast, hosted by me Steve Folland - and come and join the Being Freelance community.
When you’ve been hanging out with your new BFFs (Being Freelance Friends) for a while, I hope you’ll realise that despite working by yourself, you’re definitely not alone being freelance.
What previous Cookie Collective BFFs have to say about their experience
Helen - Learning Designer
”We immediately got on well together, with lots of laughter and support. Different industries, different stages in our freelance businesses - but there were so many familiar themes, ideas and experiences we could share to help others achieve their targets.
I found it a great way of prioritising some goals for my business, which always get too easily waylaid by client work. It was amazing how many answers I found for things I had been mulling over for ages.
I will miss these calls and would definitely join the Cookie Collective again.”
Nisha - Photographer
"Steve's group is everything a freelancer could need especially in times of wanting to level up their business game, explore new ideas with fellow like-minded people or a place to unload, chat and feel part of a support group and share things in a safe place.
I really benefited from these 6 sessions (each 1.5 hours long) as we talked about our business goals, celebrated our wins and offered ideas to each other in the group.
It was great to have accountability. I certainly achieved a lot more work from participating in the Cookie Collective which resulted in me launching a brand new business and winning lots of fab clients & ££££! This is a great investment, something to really grow from the experience."
Neil - Animator
"As well as keeping me accountable for my weekly aims and goals, the group inspired me to push myself further and try ideas that I hadn't even thought about until now.
The Cookie Collective offered me a safe environment to share my successes and concerns and I'd like to think I offered the same support to others along the way. The most fun you can have with a biscuit and a cup of tea in hand."
Bhavini - Designer
"Being part of the group has shown me that I CAN do the things I put my mind to, and that's huge for me. I didn't want to go back to the call in 2 weeks time without having achieved the goals I set. And because of this my mindset has shifted a little. I'm setting myself goals and holding myself accountable.
The Cookie Collective was such a great ‘not a mastermind group’ that I did it twice!! It gave me a kick up the butt and the accountability I needed to get out of my own head and create my book Wise Words. You won’t regret signing up!!"
Alice - Copywriter
“Before the Cookie Collective I was in a bit of a funk. I signed up not really knowing what I wanted to achieve - only that I needed to get my mojo back. Fast-forward 3 months and the group had helped me to identify what my 'problem' was, create a plan to tweak my business, re-vamp my promotional strategy and re-launch my website to reflect my new proposition...oh, and I wrote a book too!
The Cookie Collective gives you a safe space to explore new ideas, gain different perspectives from smart cookies outside your specialism, ask questions you'd never normally say out loud (like 'as a copywriter, can I really hire a copywriter to create my webcopy?!') and take your business in directions you'd never even considered before.”
Tom - Web Consultant
“Being part of the Cookie Collective was flippin awesome! Sharing my ideas, half-baked thoughts, hopes and dreams in a close-knit group of other self-employed people is an experience everyone should go through.
It was also really lovely to be able to help and support the other members of the group too. I gained a lot of confidence, reassurance and insight from it. Steve is a fabulous host. very professional but very fun to spend time with.”
Louisa - Proofreader
”When Steve announced that he was running his Cookie Collective group again, I jumped at the chance to join. It’s been such a lovely way to get a bit of gentle accountability to move my business and mindset forward. The calls have been a genuine highlight and a chance to carve out a bit of time for my business in amongst the busyness of being a self-employed parent.
Steve is a great host – encouraging and challenging in equal measure and hearing the views of others in different fields helped give me perspective.
I’m definitely a more confident business owner than before. Thanks Steve!”