I'll be your freelancer friend! Thanks for the honest narrative. Sometimes, as a freelancer, I wonder if I should look for something more stable. But then I think the corporate world might not respect my freelance background. Another thing I'll say is that there are so many coaches out there teaching freelancers how to get clients and achieve 10k months, but a lot of them tend to teach in absolutes. Now that I've been freelancing for several years, I've finally realized there's no single right way to go about getting clients. You have to find what works for you. Anyway, best of luck 💕
Thank you so much, Maria! It's so refreshing to hear people saying that sometimes they wonder if they made the right choice/if they should consider something more stable, too! I'm sure I'll have my moments. Love the advice though, thank you!
Ellen, I love your story. You are doing exactly what I am planning on doing. With the slight twist that I'll be doing it once I am back from mat leave. My goal is also to move to a part time freelancer position with my current agency. And hopefully explore more freelance opportunities on the side as well. I am cheering you on on this new journey and can't wait to hear how you're getting on!
Ah that’s so exciting! Congratulations (for both things!). Thanks so much for the lovely comment, and please keep me informed how you’re getting on when the time comes! Gotta support each other 👏🏻
A few weeks ago I was told that my current copy and content writer role with a company I’d been with for 2 years is no longer needed. Prompting me to hand in my notice. I’ve been dreaming of freelancing for the last few months (feeling as though my creativity and writing were suffering because of having to work with clients that didn’t light me up inside).
I feel the universe has nudged me much sooner than I feel ready to, but here we are.
Not having another role to go into after this week feels so scary, so I completely understand! My only issue is I don’t have the necessary savings, so I definitely will need another part time job in order to pay the bills in the meantime. I don’t even want to get started on how soul crushing job searching is either!
I’m currently in the trenches of trying to get all of the logistics sorted (the business email address, the website, the social platform, building a potential client list). And it is HARD! Like you said, everyone says how great freelancing is, but rarely tells you the steps on how to go about it.
I’m incredibly grateful for how honest and real your words are, and for the timing of it. I would gladly be support buddies for each other during this exciting but incredibly uncertain time!x
This is so amazing! I’m not a HUGE one for “the universe” but I do sometimes think a push slightly earlier than you planned for this type of thing can be helpful in terms of thinking “right I’m just going to do it”. BUT, doesn’t make it any less scary. I’m so excited for you though! About to message you back literally right now x
such a great, nuanced post about the balance between pursuing your dreams while also being human and needing money. and as they say, if not now then when? congratulations and i wish you the best of luck on your freelancing career <3
Been self-employed for 7 years - there is definitely this idea that it’s all “work from anywhere/tuesday morning yoga”, the reality for me has been a slow process of learning to set boundaries for myself regarding my working hours and implementing a more “classic” work structure wherever possible (I work in events so that can be tricky haha). Financially, it takes a lot of planning (put some money aside during your good months to make up for the not so good ones!), but I promise you will find your groove! I went into it with 0 preparation or savings and always made it work (minus the first few months of Covid). There are pros and cons but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything else!
Oh this is so so reassuring thanks so much! I’m so glad you’re thriving. And I think finding the balance in working hours will be a challenge at first, even with space for more clients. The temptation to just work literally all the time because it’s for YOU!
Love this Ellen!! Huge congrats for taking the leap. The physical act of handing your notice in and simply starting out on such a new journey can often be the hardest hurdle to pass, so you are well on your way. I have actually decided to try my hand at the freelance writing world too (eeeek!), so I'll definitely drop you a message. It would be great to share learnings and perhaps a healthy sense of ✨panic✨ when needed 😂. From reading this, you are going about it so sensibly and I have no doubt your writing will shine to prospective clients! Happy for you 🙌🏻
Ahhhh Harriet, thank you! I was actually (weirdly) thinking about you when I handed my notice in, I remember you saying you were mid career move, too! VERY excited for us! And very game to share learnings and panic, obviously. I will message you!
Congratulations on quitting your job, this is such a realistic post on that topic! On this side is a girlie who quit her corporate job to pursue a Pilates teacher training with absolutely no background in anything related to fitness. Having your own thing does not ever come with the freedom or the "yoga at 11 am" vibes that everyone who ever work for themselves talk about. There is so much hard work to get to that stage but I can tell you that IT IS WORTH IT!! Especially if you were unhappy with the corporate job, it is never like the present to make that choice and work for yourself instead! I would love to chat on this topic and be your friend if such a situation arises <3
Thank you SO much for this, this is so reassuring and lovely!!! And congratulations for doing it all too. I love love love hearing the success stories, you’ll have to share you secrets! 🥰
I have recently found your Substack and I LOVE the way you write - so relatable, open and honest. As a fellow marketer also very much getting the freelance itch, this resonated a lot with me. I would love to connect and hear more about how it has been going/if you have any wisdom for me! Xxx
I've been trying to do this for months, my FT job is making me feel sick mentally and physically. But freelancing has become fewer and farther in between than it used to be.
I've also set up a children's fishing business and have started to make some money from that. Not much, but I'm hoping to keep the $500/month I've made from it stabilized or more.
Do you mind sharing what rate they hired you back as a PT freelancer?
I'm making $82k/year which averages $4600/month. My bills are ~$2600/month but add in the stuff I spend on extra when I'm stressed and don't have time to cook bigger, bulk meals, and more money goes out the window.
I have a year's worth of savings, but I know the market has been so bad. :/ I hope you don't mind sharing, it's been so so freaking hard. I love seeing posts like yours.
Hey!! Honestly, I get it, the freelance market is really tough at the minute (but so is agency life in the UK right now, so I felt I had to just go for it and embrace the struggle anyway).
I’m actually thinking about doing a post on how I set my rates, if that’d be helpful? I haven’t gone with a specific day rate in this case because the content output is going to change slightly each week, but I’ll message you now with what we talked about! Give me one second 💕
I’m with you, ellen! yesterday was my last day at my corporate job as well, and now i’m going full in on my coaching business. what i’ve learned over the past few months of preparation is that it takes a blend of practicality and delusion to confidently make the leap ✨ excited for your new chapter!
Omg congratulations, that’s so exciting!! Look at us! I feel exactly the same. I’m as prepared as I can be, but it’s that tiny spark of delusion that’s made me actually jump. Excited to see your coaching business grow!! 💕
Congrats on taking the leap!! I went freelance in my marketing career at the start of last year and although it’s been a rollercoaster of highs and lows I just couldn’t go back now to a world where I am told where and when to put my bum on a seat.
It’s made me reevaluate my relationship with money and how much I actually need. I don’t make as much (yet) as my last job but I worked out I would have needed about 100 days of annual leave to do the things I did last year.
It would be great to connect - it’s always helpful knowing people who are on the same, crazy ride 🤪
Thank you so much! I’m expecting a similar kind of setup! I’ve worked out what I need to survive, then what I need to thrive, then what I’d love in a dream world, but honestly my main priority is having a better work/life balance, so if I’m slightly under what I used to make, I’ll take it, haha!
I've just done the same thing! I've really been enjoying the last few months of leisure, but I'm also working on what I want my life to be and making a plan for financial freedom.
Congratulations, Ellen! Sounds like you have a good plan to make it work. And thank you for being honest about being worried about the bills - that's exactly what most of us have in mind when thinking about freelancing.
I'll be your freelancer friend! Thanks for the honest narrative. Sometimes, as a freelancer, I wonder if I should look for something more stable. But then I think the corporate world might not respect my freelance background. Another thing I'll say is that there are so many coaches out there teaching freelancers how to get clients and achieve 10k months, but a lot of them tend to teach in absolutes. Now that I've been freelancing for several years, I've finally realized there's no single right way to go about getting clients. You have to find what works for you. Anyway, best of luck 💕
Thank you so much, Maria! It's so refreshing to hear people saying that sometimes they wonder if they made the right choice/if they should consider something more stable, too! I'm sure I'll have my moments. Love the advice though, thank you!
Ellen, I love your story. You are doing exactly what I am planning on doing. With the slight twist that I'll be doing it once I am back from mat leave. My goal is also to move to a part time freelancer position with my current agency. And hopefully explore more freelance opportunities on the side as well. I am cheering you on on this new journey and can't wait to hear how you're getting on!
Ah that’s so exciting! Congratulations (for both things!). Thanks so much for the lovely comment, and please keep me informed how you’re getting on when the time comes! Gotta support each other 👏🏻
Absolutely will do!
How I felt every word of this post Ellen!
A few weeks ago I was told that my current copy and content writer role with a company I’d been with for 2 years is no longer needed. Prompting me to hand in my notice. I’ve been dreaming of freelancing for the last few months (feeling as though my creativity and writing were suffering because of having to work with clients that didn’t light me up inside).
I feel the universe has nudged me much sooner than I feel ready to, but here we are.
Not having another role to go into after this week feels so scary, so I completely understand! My only issue is I don’t have the necessary savings, so I definitely will need another part time job in order to pay the bills in the meantime. I don’t even want to get started on how soul crushing job searching is either!
I’m currently in the trenches of trying to get all of the logistics sorted (the business email address, the website, the social platform, building a potential client list). And it is HARD! Like you said, everyone says how great freelancing is, but rarely tells you the steps on how to go about it.
I’m incredibly grateful for how honest and real your words are, and for the timing of it. I would gladly be support buddies for each other during this exciting but incredibly uncertain time!x
This is so amazing! I’m not a HUGE one for “the universe” but I do sometimes think a push slightly earlier than you planned for this type of thing can be helpful in terms of thinking “right I’m just going to do it”. BUT, doesn’t make it any less scary. I’m so excited for you though! About to message you back literally right now x
Thank you so much! I’m excited to see your journey also. I think having someone on a similar timeline can be so helpful x
such a great, nuanced post about the balance between pursuing your dreams while also being human and needing money. and as they say, if not now then when? congratulations and i wish you the best of luck on your freelancing career <3
This is so, so lovely of you, thank you so much! And thanks for reading <3
Been self-employed for 7 years - there is definitely this idea that it’s all “work from anywhere/tuesday morning yoga”, the reality for me has been a slow process of learning to set boundaries for myself regarding my working hours and implementing a more “classic” work structure wherever possible (I work in events so that can be tricky haha). Financially, it takes a lot of planning (put some money aside during your good months to make up for the not so good ones!), but I promise you will find your groove! I went into it with 0 preparation or savings and always made it work (minus the first few months of Covid). There are pros and cons but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything else!
Oh this is so so reassuring thanks so much! I’m so glad you’re thriving. And I think finding the balance in working hours will be a challenge at first, even with space for more clients. The temptation to just work literally all the time because it’s for YOU!
I’m proud you were able to take that leap
Be disgustingly audacious 🙂
Omg disgustingly audacious is my new vibe, thank you! I love this!
Huge congratulations. You should be so proud of yourself 🫶🏼
Thank you so much!
Love this Ellen!! Huge congrats for taking the leap. The physical act of handing your notice in and simply starting out on such a new journey can often be the hardest hurdle to pass, so you are well on your way. I have actually decided to try my hand at the freelance writing world too (eeeek!), so I'll definitely drop you a message. It would be great to share learnings and perhaps a healthy sense of ✨panic✨ when needed 😂. From reading this, you are going about it so sensibly and I have no doubt your writing will shine to prospective clients! Happy for you 🙌🏻
Ahhhh Harriet, thank you! I was actually (weirdly) thinking about you when I handed my notice in, I remember you saying you were mid career move, too! VERY excited for us! And very game to share learnings and panic, obviously. I will message you!
Ah that’s so lovely!! Pleased to have been in mind 😂 Yes, let’s definitely keep talking throughout this (crazy!) but exciting time 🤞🏻
Congratulations on quitting your job, this is such a realistic post on that topic! On this side is a girlie who quit her corporate job to pursue a Pilates teacher training with absolutely no background in anything related to fitness. Having your own thing does not ever come with the freedom or the "yoga at 11 am" vibes that everyone who ever work for themselves talk about. There is so much hard work to get to that stage but I can tell you that IT IS WORTH IT!! Especially if you were unhappy with the corporate job, it is never like the present to make that choice and work for yourself instead! I would love to chat on this topic and be your friend if such a situation arises <3
Thank you SO much for this, this is so reassuring and lovely!!! And congratulations for doing it all too. I love love love hearing the success stories, you’ll have to share you secrets! 🥰
I have recently found your Substack and I LOVE the way you write - so relatable, open and honest. As a fellow marketer also very much getting the freelance itch, this resonated a lot with me. I would love to connect and hear more about how it has been going/if you have any wisdom for me! Xxx
Ahhh Steff, thank you so much that's so kind! Excited to keep sharing and (hopefully) help support you with your own journey!! Exciting times xx
Congrats on making the leap! I’m also right there with you on pursuing this career path. Good for you for taking this step!
Thank you! And same to you!!💕
I've been trying to do this for months, my FT job is making me feel sick mentally and physically. But freelancing has become fewer and farther in between than it used to be.
I've also set up a children's fishing business and have started to make some money from that. Not much, but I'm hoping to keep the $500/month I've made from it stabilized or more.
Do you mind sharing what rate they hired you back as a PT freelancer?
I'm making $82k/year which averages $4600/month. My bills are ~$2600/month but add in the stuff I spend on extra when I'm stressed and don't have time to cook bigger, bulk meals, and more money goes out the window.
I have a year's worth of savings, but I know the market has been so bad. :/ I hope you don't mind sharing, it's been so so freaking hard. I love seeing posts like yours.
Hey!! Honestly, I get it, the freelance market is really tough at the minute (but so is agency life in the UK right now, so I felt I had to just go for it and embrace the struggle anyway).
I’m actually thinking about doing a post on how I set my rates, if that’d be helpful? I haven’t gone with a specific day rate in this case because the content output is going to change slightly each week, but I’ll message you now with what we talked about! Give me one second 💕
I’m with you, ellen! yesterday was my last day at my corporate job as well, and now i’m going full in on my coaching business. what i’ve learned over the past few months of preparation is that it takes a blend of practicality and delusion to confidently make the leap ✨ excited for your new chapter!
Omg congratulations, that’s so exciting!! Look at us! I feel exactly the same. I’m as prepared as I can be, but it’s that tiny spark of delusion that’s made me actually jump. Excited to see your coaching business grow!! 💕
Congrats on taking the leap!! I went freelance in my marketing career at the start of last year and although it’s been a rollercoaster of highs and lows I just couldn’t go back now to a world where I am told where and when to put my bum on a seat.
It’s made me reevaluate my relationship with money and how much I actually need. I don’t make as much (yet) as my last job but I worked out I would have needed about 100 days of annual leave to do the things I did last year.
It would be great to connect - it’s always helpful knowing people who are on the same, crazy ride 🤪
Thank you so much! I’m expecting a similar kind of setup! I’ve worked out what I need to survive, then what I need to thrive, then what I’d love in a dream world, but honestly my main priority is having a better work/life balance, so if I’m slightly under what I used to make, I’ll take it, haha!
I've just done the same thing! I've really been enjoying the last few months of leisure, but I'm also working on what I want my life to be and making a plan for financial freedom.
Congratulations!! It’s so exciting to get to do that
Congratulations, Ellen! Sounds like you have a good plan to make it work. And thank you for being honest about being worried about the bills - that's exactly what most of us have in mind when thinking about freelancing.
Thanks so much for this, Rebecca! Glad it’s (hopefully) helpful, cause honestly the panic is real