It's crazy to believe that I've been freelancing for a whole year now. (Pictured is my fun drink from celebrating!) In some ways, I feel like I've come so far from where I started, but I also feel like I still have so much still to learn when it comes to running a business and managing my time. Regardless, here are 5 important lessons I've learned in this last year...all of which I wish I could go back and prepare my past self for!
1. It's feast or famine
I had heard this before from other freelancers. And while I worked full-time at an agency, this also seemed to be the case — either I had zero projects or 30, no in between! But this has been so true during my first year back freelancing. Some months have been incredibly slow, and it's taken a lot of practice to not panic during these times. I now try to view the slow times as opportunities to rest or focus on other things while I wait for more work to come my way. Sure, I'll still do outreach or apply to freelance jobs I find, but I don't do this out of panic. Because odds are, in another week or so, several more projects will come in at once!
2. Ghosting is real
And there really isn't anything you can do about it, which is the most frustrating. You can check in over and over again, but really, if someone isn't going to respond to you, they probably aren't someone you even want to work with anyway. (Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with this when it comes to receiving payments, but I know this can be a very real problem, too!)
3. Hold each opportunity with open hands
After one particular slow month last winter, I had five requests for projects all come in at once. I was pumped! I sent proposals, had phone calls, and checked in constantly via email. I started telling friends and family how busy I was about to be with all this work. And guess what? Four of the five projects fell through. I was pretty crushed. I felt like I had jinxed it. But this taught me an important lesson — hold opportunities with open hands. It's normal to get your hopes up when potential projects come in (especially if they sound fun!). But you never know what's going on behind the scenes.
4. Know your strengths, weaknesses, and interests I've had to be honest with a few potential clients on the type of work I’m capable of and willing to do. I know it can be tempting to take on just about anything when you're desperate. But I've reached the point where I know what I like to do and what I don't like to do, what burns me out fast and what energizes me. I also don't want to give anyone a false idea of my experience when they're asking for something I've never done before.
5. Every little job counts
I've had a few one-off jobs that didn't turn into anything. And while I've been tempted to see these as a disappointment for not turning into more steady work, I have to remind myself that each of those still count as something! Each project is a way for me to grow, learn, and (of course) help pay the bills, even if it doesn't grow into anything more than that.
Some highlights during my first year (back) freelancing:
Finding new opportunities to continue writing for the healthcare industry
Finding new clients who reach out consistently with work
Getting to partner on a few website rebrand projects
Editing children's books (and working on writing one!)
A big thank you to my husband, my family, my friends, and my former colleagues who have been so encouraging, supportive, and have helped me make more connections! I truly appreciate you, and I'm so excited to see what the next year of freelancing holds!
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