Charles handed his notice in at his pub job with no plan. His partner gave him one month to figure it out. Seven and a half years later, he's an award-winning freelance podcast producer whose almost entire client chain traces back to one decision: making a football podcast about Northampton Town.

Along the way he's had a succession of word-of-mouth freelancing clients, realised his dream of appearing on BBC Radio, and made all of it work around being there for his family. Guilt or not.

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Perryn went from IT to fashion to freelance illustrator - not exactly the expected path. But one re-share from a stranger with a million followers changed everything.

Based in Brooklyn, she's built a career doing the art she loves for women-led & focussed brands, with a set of financial habits that would make her accountant-pushing parents very proud.

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After years of freelancing alongside agency work, Laura finally took the full time leap in 2020. In this episode she shares how word-of-mouth built her client base, the mentors that built her skills and confidence, how she manages dozens of projects at once, and why she’s completely unapologetic about chasing unpaid invoices.

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Could having a niche make freelancing easier? In this compilation episode, Steve revisits conversations with freelancers who have specialised in skills, industries and even values.

Plus: how to figure out your own freelance niche.

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What do you do when the work that used to “just come in” suddenly… doesn’t?

After nearly a decade of steady referrals, freelance brand copywriter Mark Grainger hit a quieter spell - and had to rethink how he found clients, positioned himself, and showed up online.

In this episode, we talk about getting proactive when freelancing goes quiet. From rebranding and niching, to experimenting with outreach and leaning on community.

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Laura Viola Maccarone has spent nearly two decades building a design career on her own terms. In this episode, Laura shares how a brutal freelance interview became the catalyst for creating Rizbee Studio and a huge change in her business.

We hear How niching transformed her business, and why relationship-led networking - not selling - has driven consistent growth... and friendships.

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Cold emailing. Cold calling. Can send chills down the back of a freelancer. In this short episode, Steve reflects on conversations with freelancers from the Being Freelance podcast who have used cold outreach in all sorts of ways. With success.

Done thoughtfully and consistently, it’s often the thing that can get a freelance business moving - especially when work feels quiet.

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Katie Chappell is a freelance live illustrator whose business took off fast - especially during the pandemic. At one point, she scaled into an agency-style setup with staff and illustrators working around the world. On paper, it looked like success. In reality, it nearly broke her.

Such a fun, fascinating chat, from drowning in emails to riding The Good Ship Illustration.

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Everyone talks about planning at the start of the year - but how do freelancers actually keep it up when client work kicks in? In this short episode, Steve reflects on conversations with the most strategically minded guests from the Being Freelance podcast, exploring simple, repeatable ways to regularly check in on your business throughout the year.

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