Being Freelance
Episodes
Graphic Designer & Illustrator Itzel Islas
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From an overworked designer posting “a visual diary” on Instagram to running a multi-stream creative business, Itzel Islas has built a freelance l...
I’m Not a Machine - Freelancing Balance & Bandwidth with Katie Tucker
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Freelance market research consultant Katie Tucker shares how being intentional - with her time, energy, and choices - helped her build a freelance lif...
Slow Down - Lineo's Intentional Freelancing
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From choreographing dance routines and directing a TV show at a South African megachurch… to running her own freelance business - Lineo Kakole’s j...
Surgeries, Grief, & a Six-Figure Business - Jess Bruno
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Jess Bruno left her corporate job in marketing, to help with managing her chronic illness - she had no idea freelancing was even an option. It w...
No Suit, No Broccoli: Escaping Corporate Life with André Spiteri
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From finance lawyer in Malta to FinTech copywriter in Edinburgh — André Spiteri’s freelancing story is full of risk, reinvention, and real talk.I...
20 years freelancing as Ben The Illustrator
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PODCAST SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDE:High quality audio/video recorded online www.beingfreelance.com/riversideIt’s free to get started - use code BEINGFRE...
Your Handy Dandy Brandy Gal: Hollie Arnett
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PODCAST SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDE:High quality audio/video recorded online www.beingfreelance.com/riversideIt’s free to get started - use code BEINGFRE...
Collaborating, Not Competing - Jerel Ramsey’s Freelancer Story
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PODCAST SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDE:High quality audio/video recorded online www.beingfreelance.com/riversideIt’s free to get started - use code BEINGFRE...
Communications Specialist Dee Primett
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PODCAST SPONSORED BY: RIVERSIDE: High quality audio/video recorded online www.beingfreelance.com/riverside It’s free to get started - use code BEI...
Using Creative Skills For Good - Conservation Illustrator Styngvi
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Freelance Freedom: How Rebecca Rosenberg Balances Work and Wanderlust
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Animation Director Dave Anderson
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Antisocial Socialite Yolanda Sissing
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Illustrator Helen Ridley
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurposin...
Photographer Xavier Buendia
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Podcast Producer Kate Taylor
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Laughs for Leads on LinkedIn - Freelancer Dave Officer
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY (AND RECORDED USING) RIVERSIDE Record high quality video & audio with Riverside. See how recording, live streaming and repurpos...
Graphic Designer Angela Lyons
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Copywriter & Creative Director Thomas Kemeny
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Purpose Driven Illustrator Hazel Mead
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Sustainability Copywriter Raymond Manzor
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Illustrator Mariery Young
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Voiceover Emma Clarke
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Web Designer Phil Matthews
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Passion over Profit: Desire Lacap's Freelancing Philosophy
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Purpose Driven Freelancer Ettie Bailey-King
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Subscription freelancing - Brand Designer Brennan Gilbert
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Start Local - Freelance Marketer Hannah Isted
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Finding your Freelancing Niche - Video Production Specialist Kirth Noel
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
EPISODE SPONSORED BY RIVERSIDERecord high quality video & audio with Riverside.See how recording, live streaming and repurposing your content with Riv...
Niche Resistant - Freelance Writer Shea Karssing
19 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This time we're off to South Africa to hear the freelancing story of writer Shea Karssing.Shea was changing jobs every couple of years. Boredom settin...
Build A Freelancing Life - Architect Turned Designer Andy Hau
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet multifaceted designer and illustrator and one-person agency, Andy Hau. Andy shatters the typical freelance mold by sharing his unique journey fr...
Owning your age as a freelancer: The Wrinkly Writer - Mary Cameron
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Age doesn't matter.Until it does.Until you get the feeling people won't hire you anymore because you're too old.For Mary, she was 58. From New Zealand...
Winning freelance clients from Instagram & TikTok with logo designer James Barnard
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James Barnard shares his journey of becoming a freelancer and the strategies he uses to find clients and grow his business. He emphasises the importa...
Art Beyond the Arches: From McDonald's to a varied diet of design & illustration for freelancer Dan Bailey
17 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dan went freelance twice. First for creative freedom. Secondly to free him up for his family.Starting out as a designer for McDonald's but wanted a mo...
Copywriter Adri Kopp
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From big cat zookeeper to taming words as a freelance copywriter, Adri's freelancing story starts a little differently. Burnout led to her quitting th...
Logo Designer Blesson Varghese
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This time we're off to India to chat to self taught Logo & Brand Identity Designer Blesson Varghese.We cover the importance of networking, 'silent' me...
Virtual Assistant Erin Buck
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet VA & Social Media Assistant Erin Buck. Not that she knew what that was 5 years ago.But then, she was happy working in a school. She didn't need t...
Social Media Strategist Andréa Jones
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Early success on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork led to Andréa expanding her services and horizons. Using video and podcasts she built trust. She al...
Exhibition Designer Rebecca Shipham - Revisited
07 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Steve catches up with previous guest Rebecca Shipham, a freelance exhibition designer with 13 years of experience. They first spoke ...
Copywriter Eddie Shleyner
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2014 Eddie started the Very Good Copy blog. Using it to educate himself, to explore copywriting techniques whilst working in-house. But he wasn’t...
PR Lucy Werner
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From starting as a PR freelancer to accidentally heading a small agency, working with her husband and then transitioning back into solo freelancing, L...
Webflow Expert Robert Smart
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Study, determination, and a knack for design were going to take Robert out of his poor upbringing in South Africa. But the death of his brother, drew ...
Web Designer Hannah Dossary
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah wondered how the people she met whilst travelling could afford to travel non-stop. It turned out, they were freelancers.And so began a journey ...
Case Study Buddy Joel Klettke
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joel was originally on the Being Freelance podcast in November 2015.Now it’s time to catch up on the intervening 8 years. As he’s gone from a sing...
Graphic Designer & Illustrator Sam Minton
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam was drawn to freelancing when the bar he pulled pints for, asked him to design a poster.The writing was on the wall. Well, it wouldn’t have been...
Brand & Web Designer Kayleigh Hall
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For a long time Kayleigh didn’t even see what she had as a 'business'. She was trading time and skills for money.But a few years ago she embraced o...
Copywriter Franky Shanahan - Revisited
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
8 years after Franky first appeared on the podcast, it’s time to catch up.Still a freelance copywriter. Still in Bristol. But so much has changed. ...
BONUS - LIVE Q&As with Prerna Malik, Beth Gladstone and Tom Garfield
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode of the Being Freelance podcast we take a selection of the regular Live Q&As that we host in the Being Freelance Communit...
Graphic Designer Liz Mosley
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Liz left uni, she was adamant she didn’t want to be a freelancer. And yet here we are, via starting a stationery business and a family. A 9 ye...
Lettering Artist Jackson Alves
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is actually the fourth time Jackson’s been freelance. He’s not just quit jobs, he even once quit his own company.But whereas the other times ...
Copywriter Anna Rogan
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna had built a career across corporate and government comms in Melbourne. But if she wanted to move her family out of the city and that meant first ...
Motion Designer Alex Liou
05 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alex trained as a musician. He followed a drumming dream to Nashville along with an internship at a 'mom & pop' business.There, they had him creating ...
Marketing Consultant Ayo Abbas
26 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Spring 2020. A pandemic lockdown. Doesn’t sound like the ideal time to build a business, but Ayo had 20 years of marketing experience as her foundat...
Graphic Designer Victoria O'May
19 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brazilian creative Victoria was working in advertising in London when in 2013 she fancied a change.A change of pace, country and language, and to help...
Fashion Photographer Marcelle Adrianna
11 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s quite a winding route that’s taken Marcelle to be known as a fashion photographer. But from working in shops on London’s Oxford Street as a...
Motion Designer Kyle Hamrick
04 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kyle left agency life and started his self-employed journey working with friends as a collective. 8 years on though, he’d built his own name through...
Market Researcher Jenna Kang-Graham
27 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Korean Hyunjin, or ‘Jenna’ as she’s also known, met her American husband, she moved to be with him and needed to find work in small town US...
Graphic Designer Luke Tonge
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Luke needn’t have been scared of going freelance. He’d spent 10 years of agency life making great work and making a name for himself. Through writ...
Editor & Proofreader Robyn Santa Maria
13 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Australian Robyn quit her job working in comms for a French yacht company, she wasn’t expecting her boss to be so keen to keep her that he’d ...
PPC Consultant Ryan Scollon
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While working in his first job at a small agency, Ryan started a website. He didn’t think much of it. Until its local SEO started bringing him leads...
Marketing Consultant Nadine Campbell
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Already established in her marketing career, Nadine went freelance in order to ‘stretch’ herself professionally. And stretch she has!Her natural n...
Writer Momina Asif
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Momina realised traditional office life didn’t fit with taking care of her mental health. Sh'e’d go freelance and be a better boss to herself.Havi...
Web Developer Stephen Adams
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen wasn’t looking to go freelance, but when redundancy came 10 years ago, he took on a contract for a few months. And here is all those years l...
Sound Designer David Jeffers
09 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2011, taking a family holiday from his job as a Ford engineer, changed David’s life forever. An accident on the beach left him paralysed from th...
Writer Nick Parker
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The small agency Nick had joined had become a big agency. He’d become part of the leadership team. HR. Management. Meetings. He missed doing the ‘...
Brand & Web Designer Fungi Dube
17 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fungi left university as a scientist. But it was her experiments with Photoshop that had unexpected results. She now wanted to be a designer.Whilst wo...
Illustrator Levi Jacobs
10 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Levi left art school with no job, but worse, no love of art.Eventually he started creating and experimenting. Finding his style, he also found an art ...
Graphic Designer Frankie Tortora
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over 10 years ago Frankie crowd funded her training as a graphic designer. It’s fair to say she doesn’t look at problems the same way everyone doe...
Photographer & Creative Director Bal Bhatla
26 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bal loved his job in advertising, but posting on Instagram as ‘Mr Whisper’ changed the course of his career, leading him to work not only for hims...
Write & PR Consultant Michelle Garrett
19 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Although Michelle had a brief fling living the nine to five life in Silicon Valley, there was no chance of her resisting being her own boss.Starting o...
Designer & Illustrator Andi Best
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After graduating with a degree in illustration, Andi moved back to his hometown.Renting an odd-shaped office with no windows might not have given him ...
Email Strategist & Copywriter Nikki Elbaz
05 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After being made redundant from her New York agency job, Nikki thought she’d go to Israel for a year and freelance as a copywriter. If it didn’t w...
Web Designer and Developer Ryan Gittings
29 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan started freelancing still in his teens, mentored by his first (and only) boss.Intriguingly, for SEO purposes he has both a freelancer website and...
Brand & Squarespace Website Designer Krishna Solanki
22 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Krishna was always freelance on the side of other jobs, eventually going full self-employed in 2019.Now with the support of a mentor, a community and ...
Brand & Web Designer Micah Woods
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Micah is a pandemic freelancer.A year after losing his job and starting out, he redesigned his ‘OK Micah’ website to be full of his personality an...
Eco Copywriter Estelle Hakner
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Estelle has created a freelance business that is good for her and the planet.Focussing on her green values (some might say ‘ecopreneur’ 😬🌎 b...
Designer & Illustrator Iancu Barbarasa
27 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Iancu moved from a successful branding career as an employee in Romania to being a freelancer in London.1200 miles. Smoothed over by 600 emails. Not ...
Conversion Copywriter Diane Wiredu
20 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Diane has learned and change a lot in a short space of time of being freelance. Or being the 'business owner’ of ‘Lion Words’. By my taking tim...
Illustrator and Arts Educator Fredde Lanka
13 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Creating posters for queer club nights, meant the work of Fredde Lanka (AKA Fredrik Andersson) was plastered all over London and that brought him more...
Photographer Tianna J Williams
06 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tianna was working as a midwife. Photography was a self-taught hobby.But having a family of her own meant she wanted flexibility that midwifery simpl...
Health Copywriter Louise Shanahan
27 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Straight out of university Louise wanted to travel and start her career. Instead she had to start treatment for a major health scare.On the mend, she ...
Graphic Designer & Consultant Greg Bunbury
20 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It was when Greg planted the flag of his values that things changed.Instead of chasing jobs as ‘anyone’, he became ‘someone’ - someone people ...
Creative Director & Designer Raydene Hansen
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After years of working her freelance life from 6pm-1am alongside other jobs, Raydene’s now gone full-time freelance. Working for herself. But not by...
Visual Storyteller Ashwin Chacko
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Ashwin moved from India to Ireland, it was more than just his surroundings that changed.At first he took any design work he could get. Then he de...
Illustrator & Animator Lo Harris
28 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you work for a news organisation you're not allowed to let your personal thoughts out in your work. So when 2020 happened - the pandemic, George ...
Digital Marketer Claire Gallagher
21 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Claire moved from Ireland to France in 2009 she started picking up freelance work with the expat community.Since then she’s been on an even big...
Filmmaker & Digital Artist Wayne Sables
14 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After years as professional dancer, Wayne started to make moves in a new direction.He picked up a camera and taught himself filmmaking. At first shoot...
Reel Relationships - Voiceover Tim Odofin
07 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Odofin always wanted to work in the media, but his day job was in local government. For years he would do voiceovers on the side of his job, ofte...
No Competition - Social Media Strategist Suz Bird
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From South Africa, to Scotland and now to your ears. This is the story of Suz Bird.Being made redundant, going through a separation, moving house, par...
You are more capable than you think - Writer & Editor Afoma Umesi
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Afoma trained to be a doctor. Yes, an actual medical doctor. So how did she end up worrying more about the health of her business than of patients?Hea...
LinkedIn-lingual - Copywriter Vic Giménez
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vic realised he didn’t just want to be a Spanish copywriter. He knew his strength was in being bilingual.He also knew other freelancers were using L...
Every client is a learning experience - Illustrator Kendyll Hillegas
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chronic pain had left Kendyll unable to work. Stuck at home, depressed, her sister gave her a watercolour set, saying ‘If Henri Matisse can paint fr...
Seize the moment - Web Developer Tom Hirst
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom began freelancing right out of university after realising that the suit-and-tie life wasn’t for him. 12 years on, he’s built a strong and succ...
Exploring the potential - Art Director Erica Yunwook Choi
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Erica was born in Korea, where she studied and worked before moving to London in 2010 to complete a masters degree. After that, Erica stayed in the UK...
Connection and belonging - Speaker and Facilitator Kat Vellos
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kat freelanced on the side of her design jobs for years, with work coming in via word of mouth referrals from her large, local community. After design...
Creative freedom - Designer Marco Inve
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Marco moved from Italy to London in 2015, ready for a big reset in his life and career. He quickly found a job in design but he wasn’t happy with th...
Human-centred freelancing - Brand Designer Nela Dunato
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nela Dunato is an artist, designer, and writer from Rijeka, Croatia. She likes to have fingers in 'many pies’, but equally has to balance the challe...
Putting in the work - Designer Oladimeji Ajegbile
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Oladimeji studied architecture but soon realised he wanted to make his own thing. Not a building or a structure, but a creative business that would fr...
Being deliberate - Writer and Editor Melanie Padgett Powers
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mel’s freelance story began when she walked away from a job that she hated. She had a big network of contacts in her industry, and so she emailed th...
Spreading optimism - Artist and Graphic Designer June Mineyama-Smithson
16 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
June’s been freelance since 2008 when she left her full-time role in London in pursuit of creative freedom. Today, she’s on a mission to inject op...