The 4 Stages of Freelancing Explained | Part 1

You’ve surely heard of the corporate ladder, but what are the career progressions for freelancers? Those of us who sell creativity in some form usually freelance part-time at the start, and those who stick with it eventually think, “Hey, why shouldn’t I be one of those people who make money while they sleep?”

In this episode of Freelance Cake, Austin L. Church discusses the moonlighter and hustler phases of freelancing, shining a light on the motivations, challenges, mistakes, and questions at each stage, as well as the main breakthrough and financial goal for each.

Whether you're reflecting on your current stage or aspiring to reach new heights in your freelancing career, this episode offers practical insights and guidance tailored to your unique stage.

This episode is part of a two-part series, and in the next installment, we'll explore the lifestyler and diversifier stages of freelancing. Don't forget to tune in for that one as we continue peeling back the layers of the freelancing journey.

Key points

• Stages of freelancing (01:53)
• Moonlighters overview (02:49)
• The motivations for moonlighters (03:44)
• The challenges for moonlighters (04:39)
• The questions for moonlighters (05:50)
• The main breakthrough for moonlighters (06:13)
• Hustlers overview (08:29)
• The motivations for hustlers (10:34)
• The challenges for hustlers (11:10)
• The questions and breakthrough for hustlers (12:39)
• The main financial goal for hustlers (13:39)

Notable Quotes

• "The main breakthrough for moonlighters is growing confidence in their ability to win projects and deliver outcomes while managing other responsibilities."
• "The main breakthrough for hustlers is setting smart strategic prices that reward your skill, efficiency, and expertise."

Resources

• Read the full post here
• Business Redesign Group Coaching Program

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