Being Freelance

Bouncing back — Photographer and Videographer Charlie Budd

09 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie started taking photos when he was 8 years old, but it wasn't until he fell and broke his back in 2017 that his current freelance journey began...

Getting ahead - Graphic Designer Aaron Draplin

28 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From designing for his buddies to speaking at events all over the world, Aaron’s been riding the freelance wave for more than two decades now, and i...

Crafting a business - Brand and Web Designer Salma Sheriff

21 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Salma made her first $3 online by selling a digital planner on Etsy. As she worked to grow that product-based business, Salma fell in love with design...

Weathering the storms - Photographer Adrian Best

14 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When his wife became ill and his employer wouldn’t offer paid leave, Adrian gave up his job to care for her and their two young sons. And that’s w...

Don't stop believing - Podcast Producer Vic Turnbull

07 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Her background is in marketing and fundraising but Vic knows that she was born to be a radio superstar. She stopped working for “The Man” in 2017 ...

Creativity is self-care - Brand Designer Hope Meng

28 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hope woke up one day to realise that she hadn’t accomplished even half of the things she’d envisioned for her career. Motivated to recover from th...

Blagging and learning - Web Designer Andy Clarke

21 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1998 Andy gave up a comfortable position — “£35,000 a year to answer the phone about three times a week” — to start his own thing as a fre...

Designing and diversifying - Web Designer Karmen Kendrick

14 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Karmen was selling hair extensions online when she first got into web design. After designing a site for her own business, she began building on her s...

Fieldtrip freedom - Brand Consultant and Coach Austin L. Church

07 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Austin wants to be the dad who goes on all the field trips. The dad who’s around so much, the kids get sick of him. He’s been self-employed for 12...

Creative confidence - Commercial Artist Murugiah

31 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After spending seven years studying architecture, Sharm Murugiah realised he didn’t want to be an architect. He wanted to be an artist instead. And ...

Snowballing success - Email Strategist and Conversion Copywriter Liz Painter

24 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Liz had been working as a newspaper journalist for two years when she began helping her husband set up his freelance photography business. With her ow...

Build processes to delegate - Freelance Web Designer and Strategist John D. Saunders

29 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

 This episode is kindly supported by With Jack!With Jack help keep you in business by supporting you financially or legally if you have problems with...

When working for free makes sense - Photographer Alexandra Cameron

22 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alex studied film at university but soon found that the immediacy of photography suited her better. She worked part-time on the side for years while b...

From CVs in Soho to CEO - Director and Editor Chiraag Parmar

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Chiraag got his start in TV after handing out CVs around Soho in London. He landed an entry-level job as a runner and was soon promoted to assistant e...

The art of business - Lettering Artist Shelly Kim

08 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Working in insurance and ready for a change, Shelly gave it all up after her fiancé encouraged her to find something she’d love doing.She began to ...

Building up a buffer - Copywriter Graeme Piper

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Graeme made the decision to go freelance, he changed his mindset completely and started saving every spare penny he had. He stayed in a full-time...

Bake it till you make it! - Illustrator Tom Hovey

25 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For Tom, the guy behind the illustrations on the Great British Bake Off, freelance life was years in the making. After studying illustration at univer...

Focus on where you’re going - Graphic Designer Innocent K Boateng

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Innocent began developing his graphic design skills when he was working in a printing press during high school. He’d watch and learn from a colleagu...

The Yorkshire Tea break that didn't end - PR Consultant Sharon Davis

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sharon has always known that she wanted to do her own thing. Her freelance journey began back in 2010 when she was in her mid-twenties, restless and r...

Hourly billing is nuts! - Business Coach Jonathan Stark

04 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For Jonathan, who was a software developer before he became a business coach, freelance life began after an epiphany. While working with a team as an ...

Learning to say no - Branding Expert Bhavini Lakhani

27 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bhavini didn't want to be freelance. When she came back from maternity,  her role was no longer available and so she had a choice: retrain or take vo...

Bonus episode: Live Q&A with John Espirian (LinkedIn, content marketing and personal branding)

16 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Previous podcast guest John Espirian (friend of the show), joined us for a Live Q&A in the Being Freelance community in May.John is widely known for h...

Survival skills - Copywriter and Author Sarah Townsend

19 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah’s been freelance for more than twenty years now and she says it’s taken her “a damn long time” to get to where she is. She’s gone from...

Add value first - Content Marketer Ross Simmonds

12 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ross started freelancing on the side of a full-time agency job back in 2013. Fast-forward to today and he’s running his own agency that employs over...

The power of choice - Cultural Consultant Marge Ainsley

05 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After she hit the ten-year mark in her freelance career, Marge took a step back to reassess. She hired a business coach and began reflecting on her va...

An appetite for adventure - Photographer and Videographer Steve Zavitz

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Steve began learning his craft in 2008 and took it professional in 2011. His ambition, back then, was to build a name for himself as an action sports ...

What do I want my days to look like? - UI/UX Design Consultant Rafal Tomal

21 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rafal taught himself design and started freelancing around his schoolwork at age 16. When he moved from Poland to the United States at 18, and with ze...

Nothing is a mistake - Email Conversion Strategist Eman Ismail

14 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eman was working as a production assistant at a local TV station when she realised she wanted to write. She began applying for jobs while at the same ...

Finding my own clients - Graphic Designer Christian Tait

07 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Christian spent the best part of two decades working in agencies before eventually going freelance. He’d had a couple of trial runs before but this ...

Freelance to be free - Art Director and Graphic Designer Lina Forsgren

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lina spent a year working at an agency before going to design college. When she did, the agency offered her a first freelance client - the United Nati...

A frugal mindset - Action Sports Photographer and Creative Director Reuben Krabbe

24 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Reuben left the life of full-time employment behind when he jumped in a van and started chasing athletes around. He’d graduated from photography sch...

Me vs. Me - Graphic Designer and Illustrator Kingsley Nebechi

17 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Kingsley landed a job as a creative director, he learned the business skills he’d need to make full-time freelancing work the next time around....

Profit first - Ghostwriter and Book Coach Helen Pollock

10 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 mak...

Building a business on reputation - Digital Marketing Consultant Paul Sutton

03 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Documenting the process - Data Visualisation Designer Nadieh Bremer

26 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

A wandering journey - Graphic Designer and Web Designer Iain Cameron

29 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

A marathon, not a race - Motion Designer Hashmukh Kerai

22 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Silicon Valley and standup comedy - Copywriter Sara DeForest

15 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Be a good craftsman - Audio Producer Matthew Walker

08 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 immedia...

Putting in the non-billable hours - Brand Strategist and Educator Melinda Livsey

01 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Chr...

Don’t let frustration stop you - Illustrator James White (Signalnoise)

23 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Self-care Wednesdays - Web Designer Diane Laidlaw

16 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 we...

Own your job title - Copywriter and Content Marketer Rose Crompton

09 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rose is on her second run being freelance after things didn’t work out the first time around. After realising she’d underestimated the amount of w...

There is no magic formula - Illustrator Ruud Hendriks

02 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ruud launched an illustration studio straight of university in the Netherlands with his then-girlfriend. It started well but the work didn’t keep co...

Go with your gut - Lettering Artist Julia Broughton

26 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Julia spent 8 years designing greetings cards in-house at Hallmark and Moonpig before she was “forced into freelancing”. Turning away on-the-side ...

Relentlessly helpful - Technical Copywriter and LinkedIn Nerd John Espirian

19 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

John’s freelance career began in 2009 after he was made redundant from his role as a software tester. Struggling to get an interview, let alone a jo...

Being a geek about what you do - Email Developer Anne Tomlin

12 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Anne got into web development in 2010 and eventually found that coding for email was her sweet spot. She worked in permanent roles for years while fre...

BONUS - Live Q&As with Holly June Smith and Andrew & Pete

05 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Being Freelance returns on Sunday 12th January with our first guest of season 10, but for now, a bonus episode with Holly June Smith and Andrew and Pe...

BONUS: An episode of the Doing It For The Kids podcast

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know Steve Folland from Being Freelance also co-hosts another podcast for freelancing parents? It's with Frankie Tortora from the Doing It For...

LIVE 200th Episode - Graphic Designer Kieron Lewis

15 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for the 200th episode of the Being Freelance podcast. Recorded live at the Underpinned Freelancer's Christmas Party in London. Sharing his s...

What is it you really want to do? - Children's Picture Book Author and Illustrator Maddie Frost

08 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When she was burnt out from teaching and stuck in a funk, Maddie’s husband asked her “What is it you really want to do?” Suddenly it became clea...

Work always comes - Designer Ketan Mistry

01 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ketan left his full-time role as a graphic designer with 2 or 3 freelance clients lined up. Within a couple of years he had enough work to hire a seco...

Will work for chicken - Composer and sound designer Joe Basile

24 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Joe’s been making music forever, but his first real-world project came during an internship he took after leaving school. He freelanced on the side ...

Take each day as it comes - Illustrator Stanley Chow

17 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stanley’s first break came when he was doodling on a bit of paper in the fish and chip shop he worked in. The customer he was serving was an art buy...

Allow the failures. They're the lessons - Brand and Marketing Designer Nik Jones

10 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ready for a career change in her mid-30s, Nik landed an internship with a local design company. She took a risk and went freelance soon after, with on...

When clients grow, you grow - Photographer Ira Giorgetti

03 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When a 20-year-old Ira flew to the UK in search of his biological father, he had no idea a new life awaited him. Ira met his partner on that trip, and...

Curate your career - Motion Designer Hayley Akins

27 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hayley felt trapped working in-house on projects that didn’t inspire her, and although she moved from a sports broadcasting company to work with Goo...

We are the product - Musician Rachel Mason

20 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last 15 years, Rachel’s gone from unhappy administrator to IPSE’s Freelancer of the Year. Rachel teaches 1 on 1, she mentors choirs, she’...

Sink or swim - Designer Evan MacDonald

13 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ready for a change, Seattle-based Evan and his wife bought one-way tickets to Argentina, and Evan went freelance full-time. That’s a sizeable change...

It works until it doesn't - Copywriter Hillary Weiss

06 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“I’m working way too hard for way too little money. How do I fix this?” That’s the question that triggered a series of business model shifts i...

Zig-zagging along - Graphic Designer David Dooley

29 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David developed an array of skills studying multimedia at university in Ireland, and he’d freelanced on the side of full-time gigs for years, as wel...

Making your own rules - Copywriter Robbie King

22 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After working as a creative in an ad agency, where he developed concepts for big brands and worked across a range of media, Robbie was ready for somet...

It's never as difficult as you think it is - Freelance Writer and Editor Sian Meades-Williams

15 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sian started freelancing on the side 12 years ago, with one gig leading to another. When a job came along that was enough to cover rent, she left the ...

That first taste of bacon - Motion Designer Devon Moodley

08 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

He’s now based in Amsterdam, but South African born Devon’s freelance story kicked off in New Zealand, where he worked as a motion designer and vi...

BONUS - Community Q&A with Kate Toon and Paul Jarvis

18 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We've had some amazing Live Q&As in the Being Freelance Community this year. So as a bonus here's just some of the amazing answers Paul Jarvis and...

Say yes and then work it out - Illustrator Melanie Chadwick

28 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When a two-year stint in Hong Kong inspired Mel to pursue illustration, she put her fine art degree to good use and began teaching art workshops to to...

Get started sooner - Copywriter Leif Kendall

21 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Working in a job he didn’t like with a bully for a manager, Leif was desperate for a way out. But, nearing 30 and expecting his first child, he didn...

An umbrella of skills - Experience Designer Stefano Bellucci Sessa

14 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“Be the best boss you ever had,” says Stefano, and he’s trying to live up to that himself. From not letting an employer’s limits hold him back...

Walk the walk - Copywriter Emily Read

07 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After moving from her small island town to the big city of Brisbane, Australia, Emily set her sights on a job as a copywriter. She interviewed for pos...

Don’t get mad, get better - Photographer Storm Santos

30 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After leaving high school in LA, where he was born and raised, Storm toured as a professional musician for five years before transitioning to photogra...

Being Freelance Podcast LIVE at IPSE's National Freelancers Day in London

23 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re LIVE in London at IPSE’s annual event, National Freelancers Day. Steve chats to past IPSE award winners, Iona Bain (Freelancer of...

Protecting my health - Designer Tatiana Mac

16 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After graduating in 2008 during the Great Recession, Tatiana found herself looking for a next step that would make sense financially. Calling on the d...

Moving the needle every day - Lead Generation Strategist Cathy Wassell

09 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cathy only needed 3 days work when she first started out as a freelance social media manager, and she was lucky enough to fill those slots without too...

We are not entrepreneurs - Content Producer Nick Saalfeld

02 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“We don’t become freelancers to sell,” Nick says, “we become freelancers to do.” Nick tried the entrepreneurial route of scaling and managin...

Building authority - Conversion Copywriter Paige Poutiainen

26 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paige got her start on Upwork after moving to Finland for love. Struggling to find work in a country where she didn’t speak the language, Paige jum...

The best way to sell is not to sell - SEO Consultant Steve Morgan

19 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you find clients when you hate sales? Steve’s built his business through networking and word of mouth, and despite being an SEO consultant wi...

Pay what you can - Podcast Producer Steph Colbourn

12 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Finding the right price for your services can be a tough one to crack. We’ve heard about all sorts of pricing models on the podcast before, but Step...

Finding the sweet spot - Designer Tom Ross

05 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you discount the 3 consecutive Saturdays he spent at Waitrose, Tom’s a thoroughbred entrepreneur. He started out knocking on the doors of local b...

BONUS: Being Freelance Podcast LIVE in Manchester!

28 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Here's a bonus episode of the podcast, recorded live with IPSE at a WeWork in Manchester, UK, on 6th March 2019. It features previous guests Kelly Gil...

Discovering myself again - Graphic Designer Lucas Gini

14 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lucas says that setting up on his own was like discovering himself again. Learning to know himself, what his goals are, and how he wants to live his l...

Big juicy clients - Graphic Designer Lyndsey Yates

07 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Watching her partner Mark go freelance with great success, Lyndsey decided to join him. “If he can do it, why not me?", she asked herself. Now ...

There's no nobility in doing it all yourself - Squarespace designer Jared Gold

31 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After leaving college and landing in a job that wasn’t right for him, Jared realised that he didn’t want to spend his whole life working at someth...

Brand first, business second - Storyteller/Illustrator Jae Kutin (The INKtrovert)

24 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jae never imagined she’d pursue a freelance career - or even a creative one, for that matter. After graduating and then missing out on a job she’d...

Take an interest in other humans - Musician Kari Paavola

17 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

He started out where many drummers did in his day; responding to magazine adverts for unpaid work with bands. Over the years, Kari’s built a success...

Always learning - Learning Experience Designer Cath Ellis

10 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When she found herself knocking back freelance opportunities every week, Cath left her full-time job behind to start a business. Her only regret? Not ...

Build decent and expansive relationships - Strategy Consultant Jan Mikulin

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It could be argued that Jan’s doing things differently. He’s not on social media, he’s had long stretches of time out of work, he’s committed ...

The pathway to such a cool life - Data Visualisation Expert Stephanie Evergreen

24 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Stephanie's employers were refusing projects she'd have loved to take on, she set up her own business on the side and began teaching people about...

Setting goals and setting up an agency

17 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After leaving agency life behind in search of autonomy, Alex built up his freelance web design career around a full-time working from home gig. His go...

Launch and learn - Creative Xanthe Berkeley

10 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After walking away from a diverse career to have a family and live abroad, art graduate Xanthe was reluctant to return. Her children had started schoo...

Know your personal value - Web Designer Dave Smyth

03 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dave’s always been freelance. First as a musician while he was studying, and more recently as a web designer working mostly with independent busines...

Sharing the hats - UX Designer Mariana Morris

27 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After leaving agency life behind to go freelance, UX designer Mariana found herself yearning for more. Despite still working from home, she now runs h...

Better, not bigger - Writer Paul Jarvis

20 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After falling into freelance life accidentally in the late nineties, Paul Jarvis has helped to shape the way many freelancers work. He started out des...

Get paid upfront - Professional Know-it-all Kat Molesworth

13 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From spinning tunes in a gold sequined dress as DJ Super Kat, to organising a national conference for people in the blog and creative industries, Kat ...

Location Independent - Copywriter Kelly Dunning

06 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Digital nomad Kelly landed her first freelance writing gig while she was on a working holiday in New Zealand. Broke and struggling to find work locall...

Remember why you started - Illustrator Martha Williams

16 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After studying Graphic Arts at uni and leaning towards the more experimental forms of art, Martha found herself working in an in-house graphic design ...

35 side projects and counting - Documentary Producer Jay Acunzo

09 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

35 side-hustles into a freelance career, with a book, a podcast, and a growing reputation as a keynote speaker, Jay has many strings to his bow. Watch...

Change the way you think - Designer Caitlin McEvoy

02 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Despite working full-time and freelancing on the side, Caitlin’s made a big impact. From being a finalist in IPSE’s Freelancer of the Year Awards ...

Is freelancing child's play? - Kids' App Designer Chris O'Shea

25 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Chris O’Shea first started freelancing straight out of college. After teaching himself web development with a library book, Chris had a phone line i...

“I’ve reached my goal, what’s next?” - Web Developer Jason Resnick

18 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Web developer Jason Resnick had a big life goal. When he started a family, he wanted to be home to see his kid’s first steps and hear their first wo...

Get a mentor, Be a mentor - Art Director Kirsten Murray

11 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How is it episode 150?! But it is. Thanks so much for listening and sharing! Kirsten set herself a goal. To create a better work/travel balance. To se...