The five key things that helped me go freelance in 2022
If you’re sitting there wondering about whether you should go freelance, then you might be interested to know what events and experiences formed the stepping stones of my journey to getting here.
It certainly wasn’t in the plan (I love a plan) and yet, here I am. So, what made me do it? And at the start of a recession? Am I crazy? Probably. But here are the reasons why:
1. Covid paved the way
Covid really mucked up what should have been some of the most special moments of my life. The only way I’ve begun to come to terms with this, is by trying to focus on the positive consequences, and going freelance was definitely one of them.
Other than really levelling-up the quality of take-away options in my hometown, Covid brought one big change for me…
It made me realise that job security really is a myth. Nothing is safe in this uncertain and volatile climate. And after going through a year of worrying about job security (while pregnant) I began to realise that security only comes when you make it. For some, that means starting a side hustle, for others it means maintaining a great network of colleagues and contacts that can support you when you’re down, and for others it’s the desire to keep learning new skills, so you always having something fresh to offer. For me – it was about doing all these things.
Nothing is permanent anymore unfortunately, and when I began to see that being employed wasn’t necessarily as safe as you think, then the option of freelancing seemed even more appealing and, less scary too.
2. I had a baby
I think women should be prouder of the years they’ve taken out of their career to have a baby. Shout about them! Not apologise.
It’s not only one of the hardest jobs on earth, (with absolutely no training, little pay and unrealistic working hours), but it has also taught me some of the best professional skills, that not even a fancy London training course could give me.
I once announced after changing my daughter’s nappy in an aeroplane toilet: ‘Well, that was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – I’m putting that on my CV’ and a series of women on the plane nodded and laughed in agreement. During maternity leave I also had to negotiate firmly with a rather aggressive man in a queue for the Post Office to say that it wasn’t OK for him to smoke so close to other individuals, but also particularly near my six-week old premature baby. Battle won, I honestly felt like I could rule the world.
I had lost the fear. I was more confident. And because it’s no longer just about you, you’re more passionate about all the things you do.
As a result – and contrary to popular belief – having a baby made me better at my job. I found I no longer questioned my decisions, I now trusted my intuition a lot more and when I returned to my job in-house, I found myself being more efficient and more effective than ever before. I realised, I could do anything that I set my mind to, because when you’re a Mum you just have to get it done; even if you’re child has just decided to be sick down your last clean pair of Levi’s.
3. Friends took the leap before me
I’m probably (but maybe not now?) in the rare position where many of my friends and my own husband, own their own businesses.
For years I’ve watched from the side lines as some have grown their side hustles slowly before making the leap, while others have quit their jobs on the spot with no client base, but just an idea and a dream. I’m pleased to say – they’re all doing really well, within their respective fields, and more importantly – they’re loving it.
They could also help with questions I had about setting up a business, doing accounts and buying insurance. What should I do? Did you do it this way?
But it’s not just that…they showed me the way.
A friend of mine, who runs a HR support network and online training platform, told me that one of her clients had got a promotion recently and the client referenced her platform as the reason she got the job. My friend had tears in her eyes as she was telling me. Her ambition is to change the world of work, and this was just one of many examples that my friend now had, to prove how she was in fact making a real difference. I could feel her happiness and sense of achievement, and I loved that she could own every second of it.
Seeing friends owning their own lives, but also taking back control of their personal lives was really refreshing and I decided I wanted a bit of that. As one said last year, “I went to my child’s nativity this morning and the best thing about it? I didn’t have to ask anyone if I could go.” Hell yeh. Bring on the panto.
4. I wanted to go ‘all in’
For me, it’s about going ‘all in’. It’s a phrase that I often use to describe friends I admire: “I love her, she’s someone that goes all in”. And it’s not just to do with work either – it might be someone that goes mad for Cacti or Warhammer just for the sheer love of it.
When someone is keen on a topic, some may say ‘fanatic’ or ‘obsessed’ – but I don’t like either of those worlds. ‘All in’ to me, is about being invested. Being passionate for a cause. And, truthfully, I wanted in.
I’ve never been one of these ‘hands off’ marketers. I’ve always been very much an ‘all in’ kind of gal too. I want to know every nuance of the industry, of the audiences and of the value you’re trying to bring. I would get frustrated by requests to do a bit of marketing for marketing’s sake and when marketing strategy was focused on preference rather than evidence, I could feel my hands balling into a fist.
And yet here I was, going all in, when I realised… I should be going all in for the people just like my friends and family.
As my maternity leave came to a close, I found I had more and more requests from people wanting marketing support, and this was the opportunity and big nudge that I needed to get started. I found increasingly I wanted to help these entrepreneurs, business owners and quite frankly – grafters – who all had a vision to create something great. And I wanted to be part of it too.
5. I listened to my cheerleaders (and stopped listening to others)
I've always been very grateful to the amazing people that have helped me along the way during the last decade or so. These are people in my personal and professional life, who’ve provided some sort of love, guidance or support when I needed it most. And they were so important in my decision to go freelance.
When I used to mention to people about my idea to quit my job, a lot of people used to say to me – “I wish I had the guts to go freelance!” (a lovely sentiment as it’s intended to imply that I’m brave, but unfortunately, I just took it as someone thinking I’m making a stupid move). After an exchange like this I often panicked and delayed a change, that quite frankly should have happened much sooner.
Then, I realised when I spoke to my cheerleaders, they didn’t comment on the decision they just simply asked “so, when are you doing it then?”. They didn’t need question it. To them, it was a no-brainer, and they were behind me the whole way.
The day I purchased AliceFriday.com, my best friend sent me a branded notebook entitled ‘Master Plan’ while my husband casually started crafting me a slick brand and website. The rest as they say is history.
Of course, I know freelancing is always going to be tough, mainly because it’s a working style that requires you to work much harder to ensure there's always enough money in the bank. But what I’ve experienced, so far outweighs any of the negatives of going freelance. I’m hungry for the next project. Excited to hear about where you are on your journey and how I might be able to help.
If this sounds like a bit of you, then get in touch.