Growing through life, we encounter a lot of lessons – some harder than others. I firmly believe that all of these crop up to teach us something. I quit corporate in 2019 to start Chapter IV and do the one thing I love most, more often – writing.
I work on a project basis with some clients but mainly on a retainer basis, and I am thrilled to meet most of the people I have in this journey—all of them adding to my skill set on a professional and personal level. Such is the beauty of freelancing; the ability to meet and co-create with the best globally.
So here’s a roundup of my top lessons from the almost three years in the biz:
- Watch your back – You’ve got to cover your basics. Whether it is protecting your website (I’ve had a horrible experience with this, and maybe, I’ll write about it too) or having a client contract in place, these small yet effective actions will make the process smoother.
- Optimize social media for lead generation – Pick a platform or two, and stick to it. Don’t overwhelm yourself; choose consistency over perfection.
- Focus on doing the work – Real-talk? I often tend to steer away from the task at hand to visualize a successful future. And while that is great for a push, the when and where of doing it is crucial.
- Bad days are A-OK.
- The market is saturated, but no one can offer what you do – I spent so much time wondering why there is a need for another writer, and thank god, I didn’t listen to that voice. I believe that every person has their market, and the past three years have been a testament to that.
- Discipline is the key – show up every single day (frankly, I’m still working on this one)
- What would you need as a business owner? Try to identify gaps in the market while being true to your skillset.
- Be loud about your boundaries – You take the weekend off? Okay. Are you traveling? Cool. Do you do client calls only between 3-5 pm on Wednesdays? Fine. Whatever it is, say it clearly.
- Believe in yourself 100% – We’re back to ground zero without this.
Have you been contemplating the shift? If so, share your thoughts, and I’m happy to help