Being Freelance

After the agency she worked for lost its major client, Helen took her first business full time. Later, when she found herself “slogging away not making enough money”, it was time for something new.Next, she set up her second business, a marketing and PR consultancy, and since then, she’s found a niche in coaching entrepreneurs to write authority-building books.Helen does some ghostwriting, too. She says she always dreamed of living a portfolio lifestyle. She enjoys the variety.She chats to Steve about finding success with LinkedIn marketing and reflects on her experience of making the “classic freelancer mistake” of undercharging. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Paul finally took the plunge and went freelance five years ago, with a solid 18-month gig lined up but no savings. With a young family to think about, it was a big decision.These days, alongside his consultancy work, Paul produces a weekly podcast, runs an annual conference and hosts a Slack group. He talks to Steve about how each drives new business for him and how he manages his time with so much going on.This is Paul’s second time around in business. The first left him with a sense that no matter what happens, everything will be okay. Tune in to hear what he’s learning this time around. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Nadieh was working full-time when she launched a personal project with a friend. They documented the process closely, sharing in-depth blog posts that explained the hows and whys behind their decisions. Six months later, Google reached out to them and became a first client. And so Nadieh’s freelance story begins.She talked to friends, read books, got an accountant and started putting herself out there. She kept sharing those in-depth blog posts and soon started speaking at events.“I’m not a person that does sales,” Nadia says. Instead, she shows what she can do and hopes that people who like it will get in touch.And it’s working for her this far. Tune in to hear her story.Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Iain’s in his fifth decade now and freelancing for the second time around. During his first stint, he painted blackboards for pubs, restaurants and shops. He started from scratch with a small portfolio and went door-to-door until he’d built a full-time business. And then, in 1996, Iain moved to Copenhagen with his Danish girlfriend.These days, he’s designing graphics, websites and illustrations for clients who usually find him via Google. He runs a couple of side projects around his business and tries to enjoy the Danish culture of “working very hard but also making sure they take time off.”For Iain, that means no work on Monday mornings. “It reminds me that I have a choice,” he says.Iain chats to Steve about how he taught himself on Lynda.com, built up his website, learned to work better with clients and found time for personal projects. This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Hash landed his first freelance gig by accident while he was still a student at uni. It’s seven years later now and he’s never looked back. He got some studio space from that first client in return for the odd bit of work, and through word of mouth and meeting people, he was able to build up his contact list and bring in a steady flow of work.Hash has learnt as he’s gone along, bouncing back from mistakes to keep pushing forward. “When it comes to freelancing,” he says, “It’s a marathon, not a race.”He’s worked on plenty of side projects during his time freelancing, including a guide for new freelancers, and he says “You’re only as good as your portfolio. Putting stuff out there that you believe in and that you want to create is so important.” This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Sara started freelancing in 2018 after she was laid off from a VP of Marketing role in Silicon Valley. Since then, she’s relied on her network and word of mouth referrals to keep the work coming in.When she’s not working for clients, Sara spends her time doing standup comedy. As well as gigging regularly, she’s spoken at the SXSW conference about the links between standup and marketing and how practising standup comedy can make you a better marketer.She chats to Steve about finding balance, working from home, managing her time, and how she combines both of her ventures - comedy and marketing - on just one website. This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Matthew left uni in 2009, right after the financial crash. Ready to find a way to combine his love for music and games, he started freelancing immediately, picking up small projects and commissions, getting involved with whatever he could outside of his full-time job. But it wasn’t until 2016, after he was made redundant, that Matthew went freelance full-time. He had plenty of good contacts and some work in the pipeline, and things snowballed from there. As his clients grew so did he, and he began picking up referrals the more he got his name out there.He doesn’t have plans to grow his business to be any bigger than him. He simply wants to be a good craftsman, he says, and he’s very happy that he’s able to provide for his family while doing work he loves. This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people.  With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket. Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

What if you could find a mentor who’d teach you everything they know for free?That’s exactly what happened for Melinda when she connected with Chris Do, founder of online education platform, The Futur.After talking one on one and realising they could learn from each other, Chris invited Melinda to co-host a series on his YouTube channel, where they’d talk about the real-life issues she was having as she tried to build her freelance graphic design business.Melinda realised that she needed a brand just like the clients she was designing for, and through her on-camera coaching sessions with Chris, she learned how to grow that brand and her business along with it.She found community, got confident with social media, launched a newsletter, started a mastermind group, and began teaching what she knows through content, workshops and coaching sessions. This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people. With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket.Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

James started freelancing in 2010 after spending a couple of years building a name for himself online. He was still working for an agency during that first couple of years. He’d spend his days working on whatever landed on his desk, and his evenings creating exciting things for clients like MTV. Eventually, the balance tipped and James went freelance full time.By working on his own projects and putting that work out there, James was attracting clients who wanted to pay him for the things he loved doing. And it’s gone that way ever since.“When I was younger, I had an immense frustration with not having my own style,” James says. “That frustration was necessary. If you’re complacent, you’re not evolving. The more you do, the better you get. Don’t let that frustration stop you.” This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people. With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket.Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Bored at home when she first became a mum, Diane decided to launch an online shop. She didn’t have money to invest so she got to work DIY-ing the website herself. She barely sold a thing, but she did start getting questions from people who wanted the name of her web designer. And so a new business was born.It’s ten years later now and, as well as running her own web design business, Diane’s teaching others how to use WordPress via her YouTube channel.She’s struggled in the past to know when to stop working. But now, thanks to avoiding distractions during the working day, finding other interests outside of work, increasing her prices and being strict with her boundaries, she’s found a way of balancing things that feels good. Like making Wednesdays just for her. This episode of Being Freelance is supported by Coconut.Coconut is the ultimate accounting and tax tool for self-employed people. With expense tracking, receipt capture, invoicing and tax all in one easy-to-use app, Coconut gives you the power of a finance team in your pocket.Free yourself from business admin at getcoconut.comLove learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, be part of the Being Freelance Community!You'll also find useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.comLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance vlog - YouTube.com/SteveFollandWho the hell is Steve Folland?You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.comTrack him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland