Being Freelance

It was when Greg planted the flag of his values that things changed. Instead of chasing jobs as ‘anyone’, he became ‘someone’ - someone people wanted to work with for what he stood for. Now Greg’s not just a graphic designer, but a Creative Consultant, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant and public speaker. Freelancing with purpose. This episode is sponsored by Freelancer Magazine . Dedicated to...

After years of working her freelance life from 6pm-1am alongside other jobs, Raydene’s now gone full-time freelance. Working for herself. But not by herself. She’s set up a collective of freelancers to collaborate on projects. Sharing the work but importantly, sharing values. Far too many toxic jobs made her discover what matters. Kindness. Inclusivity. Philanthropy. She’s realised a business can...

When Ashwin moved from India to Ireland, it was more than just his surroundings that changed. At first he took any design work he could get. Then he decided to focus on being an illustrator.  But the pandemic allowed him to pause and focus further. He wanted to be a visual storyteller spreading positivity and joy. His self initiated (and even self published) side projects brought that to life.  Th...

When you work for a news organisation you're not allowed to let your personal thoughts out in your work. So when 2020 happened - the pandemic, George Floyd and beyond... Lo needed a way to express what she was feeling. She chose Instagram. And it wasn't long before big named brands chose her. Amazon, Adobe, American Express, The Ellen Show, Disney, Hulu, United Nations. All in her first...

When Claire moved from Ireland to France in 2009 she started picking up freelance work with the expat community. Since then she’s been on an even bigger journey. From a designer of ‘everything’ to a niche digital marketer. From ‘having lots of work’ to ‘having a business’. From working into the early hours with no life, to working a four day week with two months off in the summer. So much learned....

After years as professional dancer, Wayne started to make moves in a new direction. He picked up a camera and taught himself filmmaking. At first shooting what he knew - the dance world. Before stepping out into other genres and techniques including projection mapping and light installations. After a decade of freelancing Wayne’s realising the power of working with other freelancers. Both in promo...

Tim Odofin always wanted to work in the media, but his day job was in local government.  For years he would do voiceovers on the side of his job, often starting early, working late and even through lunch breaks. Finally, with a year’s buffer of cash saved up he decided it was now or never. It was time to go full-time freelance. That was three years ago and it wasn’t the savings that got him throug...

From South Africa, to Scotland and now to your ears. This is the story of Suz Bird. Being made redundant, going through a separation, moving house, parenting… it might not have seemed like perfect timing. But volunteering her vast marketing experience to a charity suddenly led to the possibility of freelance work. Something flexible for her new life. A year later after referrals kept bringing her...

Afoma trained to be a doctor. Yes, an actual medical doctor. So how did she end up worrying more about the health of her business than of patients? Hear how Afoma forged a career as a freelance writer & editor working with clients from around the world from her home in Nigeria. First via UpWork, then through her own contacts. All without losing her love of writing. Alongside freelancing, Afoma...

Vic realised he didn’t just want to be a Spanish copywriter. He knew his strength was in being bilingual. He also knew other freelancers were using LinkedIn to great effect to find clients. So he formed a LinkedIn strategy and stuck to it. Creating quality content and making real connections. Now Vic has great recurring clients and writes in Spanish and English. Confident to say adiós (or goodbye)...

Chronic pain had left Kendyll unable to work. Stuck at home, depressed, her sister gave her a watercolour set, saying ‘If Henri Matisse can paint from bed, then you can too”. And she did. Every single day. Sharing her illustrations of food and household objects on Tumblr. Kendyll’s fine art education had helped her find relief from the pain. Unexpectedly, it also helped her find work when a celebr...

Tom began freelancing right out of university after realising that the suit-and-tie life wasn’t for him. 12 years on, he’s built a strong and successful web development business and he’s now ready to branch out and try his hand at other things. When one of his tweets blew up and gained 2.5 million impressions, Tom seized the moment and wrote an ebook; the first in a lineup of digital products he’s...

Erica was born in Korea, where she studied and worked before moving to London in 2010 to complete a masters degree. After that, Erica stayed in the UK and built a career as a designer. Ready for a new creative challenge after 7 years in a full-time job, Erica began freelancing. Her first project helped her decide which direction to head in and it’s been a rocky but exciting ride ever since. She ch...

Kat freelanced on the side of her design jobs for years, with work coming in via word of mouth referrals from her large, local community. After designing day and night for years, Kat eventually pulled back on freelancing so that she could spend her free time exploring other creative pursuits. Later, Kat spent several years writing a book while still working as a designer for companies including Sl...

Marco moved from Italy to London in 2015, ready for a big reset in his life and career. He quickly found a job in design but he wasn’t happy with the work he was doing. In search of more creative freedom and control, Marco began working with agencies and looking for a better job, but it soon became clear that freelancing was his best option. Today, that drive to create work he’s proud of is still...

Nela Dunato is an artist, designer, and writer from Rijeka, Croatia. She likes to have fingers in 'many pies’, but equally has to balance the challenge of having so many hobbies that could also become work. As a freelancer she specialises as a brand designer. But she’s realised that once she’s created your logo and brand, she’s then in a position to offer you much more over the months and yea...

Oladimeji studied architecture but soon realised he wanted to make his own thing. Not a building or a structure, but a creative business that would free him from the nine-to-five. Developing the skills he learned in university, Oladimeji taught himself graphic design. He put in the hours to practise and got started by volunteering his services to local businesses. Today, Oladimeji works globally,...

Mel’s freelance story began when she walked away from a job that she hated. She had a big network of contacts in her industry, and so she emailed them all to say she was going solo. She got a couple of jobs right away and built it up from there. Eight years on, Mel’s still freelancing and she says that she’s deliberate in everything she does. From how she plans her days, to the type of clients she...

June’s been freelance since 2008 when she left her full-time role in London in pursuit of creative freedom. Today, she’s on a mission to inject optimism into the world via her art and design work. With support from advisors and coaches, who’ve taught her the business side of things, June’s working towards a big goal. She wants to earn enough for her husband to retire.   This episode is sponsored b...

Charlie started taking photos when he was 8 years old, but it wasn't until he fell and broke his back in 2017 that his current freelance journey began. With no insurance and a long recovery ahead of him, Charlie was left with zero income. He chats to Steve about how he slowly bounced back from the fall and built a new freelance business in the process.   This episode is sponsored by the very...

From designing for his buddies to speaking at events all over the world, Aaron’s been riding the freelance wave for more than two decades now, and it’s going well. With speaking gigs, his ‘Big Three’ retainers, a stream of other freelance work, his own merch shop and the thriving product business he co-founded, Aaron’s got a lot on his plate. There wasn't a lot of balance, but he was determin...

Salma made her first $3 online by selling a digital planner on Etsy. As she worked to grow that product-based business, Salma fell in love with design and began developing her skills. In time, she built a portfolio and a second, service-based business. Salma chats to Steve about setting up processes, staying organised and using content and social media to demonstrate expertise and bring clients to...

When his wife became ill and his employer wouldn’t offer paid leave, Adrian gave up his job to care for her and their two young sons. And that’s where his freelance journey began. Now with more than a decade of experience behind him, Adrian knows that there will always be challenges ahead. But with passion, joy and a determination to provide quality work, he’s confident that he can weather those s...

Her background is in marketing and fundraising but Vic knows that she was born to be a radio superstar. She stopped working for “The Man” in 2017 after redundancy and a particularly bad interview left her ready to set out on her own. Today she’s using her audio production skills to help organisations that do good. Vic’s set-up her business as a social enterprise, which means that the profits she g...

Hope woke up one day to realise that she hadn’t accomplished even half of the things she’d envisioned for her career. Motivated to recover from the low-grade depression she’d been in, she began making time for creativity again. Hope set out to find more purpose and meaning in her work, to connect with other creatives, and to explore her own interests and creative projects. She shares her story wit...