Being Freelance

Ben’s always been self-employed. Right after graduating college, he hustled as a freelance illustrator and animator for two years, and grouped together with a team to run an animation studio for a few years after that. Although the studio work was successful, he had enough of “wearing multiple hats” there. He'd been doing illustration work on the side and really enjoyed it. He decided to “bre...

Working for agencies and studios as a graphic designer since 2012, Amber Asay hated that she couldn’t interact directly with her clients. She also couldn’t show off her work in a personal portfolio, since her creations were the intellectual property of her employers. Even if she could have, she didn’t take much pride in the type of corporate branding work she had been doing. Now she’s connected to...

Jenni Heffernan Brown has had a pretty interesting path to freelancing success. Working for mega corporations, then to graduate school with a bit of freelancing on the side, and now teaming up with another freelancer to form an agency. She’s never been one to thrive under strict rules set by others. A Straight-A student in high school, she was always in trouble for skiving, because she’d rather ge...

Mark Steadman has had a self-described checkerboard career. Freelancing on and off for years in between spells in companies, agencies and even running startups. He's always had side projects. And whether or not they're a 'success', the experience still feeds back into his freelance skills. But now he's bringing his podcasting project in from the side to be centre stage, gi...

Jess knew she wanted to work on her own terms. What she didn't know, was what a virtual assistant was. And yet when an opportunity came up to be one, to work remotely and become freelance... she jumped at it. As years went by the amount of work started to overwhelm her. So she hired her own virtual assistants to help out... and her company Don't Panic Management was born. Everything &apo...

It feels like Karen is being freelance on her terms. With her own voice, her own style. Stress free. Quite possibly in pyjamas. Here we chat about how she got started as a copywriter, how she got started making money from courses helping other writers and how she got finished with trying to be a digital nomad. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com...

Through 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. Since recording this conversation Michelle is on the move again... keep listenin...

At the heart of Matt's freelance success are other people. Sure, of course he's good at what he does. He's not just made podcasts, he's both made and seized opportunities. But more importantly he's made connections when he's met people. Put simply: the more people you meet, the more chance you have of working with them in the future. Be that fellow freelancers or pote...

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...

If you don't take yourself seriously, why would your clients? South African photographer and digital artist Natalie chats about making connections, hiring other freelancers, expanding her services and wrestling with being a workaholic learning when to say 'no'. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com , subscribe to the podcast and to...

'Social Mouth' Sam has a story of reinvention, investment, belief and community. We hear about the power of Instagram Stories and her Small & Mighty podcast in helping people get to know her. The benefits of a business coach. And the impact that ill health, a dog and a dad can have on your future. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.co...

When 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. We chat about how he's made that happen - his coworking studio, networking and adapting to a changing world - always learning new skills, reinventing.. and never with his shirt tucked in. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Che...

For German freelancer Uli, it all started with sharing. Using Twitter to share and make reality her dream of living and working in London. Since then she's been sharing work spaces, sharing in communities, sharing thoughts, groups, content, challenges, knowledge and now she shares it with us. From leaving agency life to nurturing (or naturing) an entrepreneurial adventure with her company Sec...

Carson has always freelanced on the side. Chasing the cash and the creativity that freelance opportunities would bring whilst still studying or working full time. He's learned how to find the good clients, set expectations, communicate and avoid work overload (eventually). Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com , subscribe to the podcast and t...

Composer Grant Kirkhope has spent the past 20 years not just making video games music, but making a name for himself. From the lessons and habits learned as an in-house composer, to breaking out as a freelancer in a new country: looking for opportunities, an agent and a day off. It may seem like a series of ‘happy accidents’ but it’s a tale of persistence, creativity and professionalism. Doing wha...

Nisha was the winner of the IPSE UK Freelancer of the Year Aspire 2017 award. 'Aspire' is all about recognising and supporting 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. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out...

Holly chats about first finding enough freelance work to hang up her waitress apron... and now finding balance from all of that work. We chat about the mental challenges, relocating, making YouTube videos and... dogs. 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...

Redundancy isn't the end. It's a new beginning. For Caroline that meant retuning and retraining from radio to design. Key to surviving both business and relocation has been Caroline's ability to get out there and meet people. Not networking. It's meeting people. One person can make a difference. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelanc...

Chris Phillips, or 'crispe' is an illustrator and animator based in Sydney, Australia. Chris' gif loops have been viewed millions of times on the likes of Giphy, Dribbble, Behance, and Instagram. That side project led to big projects after an agent came knocking. We chat about dealing with clients, being paid, switching off and getting out - or not. Love learning from other freelanc...

As 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...

Early on, London based filmmaker Ben started juggling life as a freelancer and studying. Here, he chats about working for free and how he transitioned that to paid gigs. How collaborating with others can inspire him both creatively and in business. Plus, coping with cashflow and the pressures of travelling for work... and knowing when to say 'no'. Love learning from other freelancers lik...

After six months of struggling to get her freelance career off the ground, Lauren started blogging. Every day. For a year. It took off. Her diary booked up months ahead and a waiting list of clients for her business Elle & Company. We chat about using a business coach, content marketing, hiring assistants, evolving a passive income stream and more. Love learning from other freelancers like thi...

After 15 years of being freelance has given Jon plenty of thoughts to share. the benefits of long term gigs versus variety the way he found other freleancers to set up a coworking space from freelancing as a dad with babies to when their teenagers along with portfolio polishing, book writing, conference speaking, side project creating and payment chasing He also talks about the guilt you can feel...

After six months of working remotely from home on her company, Katy realised she needed company. Eventually she founded a weekly pop-up co-work group called Freelance Folk. And that's exactly who she found as fellow freelancers heard about it and joined her. We also chat about taking on her niche, taking risks and taking the train with a forest of cardboard furniture. Love learning from other...

It's our 100th episode! It's taken time to get this far and that's something Swedish freelancer Anton knows all good, long lasting things need. Be it a newsletter, a business, a reputation.... Anton shares his story - through finances, workloads, positioning... mastering freelance. Taking time. Anton's book 'Mastering Freelance' is available now at antonsten.com - use...