Freelancing Dynamics

Freelancing is not freedom. Don’t lie to yourself. Most freelancers never grow they just become their own overworked employee. Sure, you’ll see the posts: “I quit my job to freelance full-time! No boss. Just freedom.” But they won’t post: - Client ghosted after delivery - $800 “still processing” on Payoneer - 2am revision requests - No work lined up next month That’s not freedom. That’s survival. And survival doesn’t scale. 1. Payment collection is broken. Freelancers in regions like Pakistan, Ukraine etc are still playing money ping-pong: You’re doing international work with local tools. Client pays → Upwork holds → Local bank charges + FX losses → By the time it hits your account, you’ve lost time and money. You can’t scale when your money moves slower than your work. The fix isn’t hard. Just inconvenient. - Register a US LLC - Open a modern US Bank account - Open and Link with Stripe, Wise, or PayPal - Start collecting payments like an actual business 2. Your skill is too general. “Graphic designer” “Social media manager” “Website developer” Cool. So are 10,000 others on Fiverr charging $50. When your service is generic, you compete on price. When it’s positioned around outcomes, you can charge for value. 3. No systems, just sprints. Freelancers work in the business. Never on it. → No lead pipeline → No repeatable offer → No SOPs or delegation → No brand, just a profile pic So you end up stuck in feast/famine mode, hustling project to project with no leverage. Renting your time by the hour. And when you stop working? The money stops too. 4. No brand = No demand You post nothing. Your site is outdated or nonexistent. Your LinkedIn is a resume, not a magnet. You need a brand that works while you sleep: - A website with clear positioning and proof - LinkedIn posts that speak to your ideal client’s pain - Showcasing outcomes not deliverables Freelancers who do this right start generating inbound leads with their digital assets They depend less on outreach and bidding wars. More inbound leads wanting to work with you on your terms. 5. They never productize or create systems. Every project is custom. Every call is manual. Every delivery is reinvented. That’s not scalable. Instead: - Build tiered service packages (e.g. $2k Starter, $5k Growth, $10k Retainer) - Create templates, frameworks, SOPs to reduce thinking time - Use Notion or Trello to deliver like a studio, not a solopreneur Clients love clarity. And you reclaim bandwidth. 6. They don’t delegate, they drown. Freelancers think delegation = “I’ll lose quality.” What they forget: you lose capacity if you don’t. → Hire a VA for admin → Use tools like Tally, Zapier, or Notion to automate 30% of your process → Partner with others for overflow and add a margin Freelancing isn’t bad. But it becomes super bad if you get stuck in the comfort & amateur zone. Read this far? Be honest, should I keep going with these long-form rants… or am I just talking to myself in public?

Freelancing was supposed to give you freedom. So why does it feel like you’re working more, earning less, and constantly chasing clients? Most freelancers don’t struggle because they lack skill—they struggle because they’re all over the place. Juggling projects, drowning in emails, hoping for the best. That was me too, until I stopped guessing and started running freelancing like a business. Here’s what actually made a difference for me: I time-block deep work in 90-minute sprints to avoid context-switching. Instead of bouncing between tasks, I batch similar work—client projects in the morning, outreach post-lunch, and learning at night—maximizing focus and efficiency. I reverse-engineer high-paying clients by studying where they hire. Instead of applying blindly, I track hiring trends, analyze premium job boards, and engage with decision-makers on LinkedIn to understand what they value. I systemize client communication to eliminate friction. Templated responses, a Notion dashboard for project tracking, and Calendly for meetings keep my workflow structured and professional. I charge for impact, not hours. A 2,000-word blog might take me five hours, but if it drives $50K in revenue, my pricing reflects that. I bill for outcomes, not effort. I track client profitability and cut the bottom 20% every quarter—prioritizing clients who respect scope and bring the best ROI. Freelancing isn't about grinding harder—it’s about working smarter. The ones who win aren’t the best at their craft; they’re the best at making their work efficient, profitable, and visible. Which one of these practices do you use? And what’s missing in your freelancing system? Let’s compare notes.

Gopal, what does Growth Look like? Over the weekend, a former colleague reached out to me. He was contemplating a career shift to independent consulting and asked me this seemingly simple yet profound question. This question immediately reminded me of a starkly different scenario: my father-in-law's cancer diagnosis, where "growth" had a daunting, negative connotation. Yet, thinking about it further, growth also represents the transformative journey from a tiny seed into a flourishing tree. In corporate life, we often gauge growth by promotions, salary increases, and title changes. However, these milestones don't fully capture the essence of what personal and professional growth can truly encompass. This realization is more evident when comparing the structured corporate ladder to the fluid, dynamic world of freelancing or consulting. For those pondering a shift to freelancing or even those mid-journeys, here’s a more personal, holistic way to plan for sustainable growth: ➡ Define What Growth Means to You: Financial Success: Is boosting your income a priority? 💰 Skill Enhancement: Are you looking to acquire new skills or master new technologies? 💻 Life Balance: Do you need flexibility to meld work with personal life? ⚖️ Purpose and Passion: Are you searching for work that resonates with your values? ❤️ ➡Continuous Learning: The work landscape is perpetually evolving. Staying relevant means committing to lifelong learning, whether through formal courses, self-study, or on-the-job experiences. 📘 ➡Networking is Key: In consulting, your network can define your net worth. Cultivating strong, genuine connections can unlock doors to opportunities that mesh with your vision of growth. 🤝 ➡Embrace Change and Challenges: The freelance path is riddled with highs and lows. Viewing challenges as chances to adapt and excel is crucial for resilience. 🚀 ➡ Personal Branding: As a freelancer, you are your own brand ambassador. A strong personal brand is imperative. 🎤 Planning for growth in a freelancing or consulting career involves a thoughtful blend of personal and professional aspirations. It's about forging a path that isn't just about survival but thriving on your own terms. Unlike the corporate world, there are no set milestones here—instead, you're given a vast canvas to paint your own version of success. So, whether you're at the beginning of your freelancing journey or you're an experienced consultant, remember that you have the power to shape your growth in any direction you desire. How will you define and pursue growth in your freelance career? #growth #personalbrand #lifestories #careershifts

23 Lessons from my 2023 freelance advertising career: 1. “Slow” periods can be the months/years you finally attend to your life in the most life changing ways, IF you know how to use them. 2. Your freelance career will rise to meet your high standards, or fall to meet your low standards. You control more of it than you think. 3. Learn how to manage yourself when you're not working, and panic/stress becomes optional. 4. You can greatly reduce your time on Linkedin, with no effect on your professional life. 5. You can release your “corporate identity.” It’s not real. 6. The more authentically “me” I am, the more secure I feel about my career, which cannot be replicated by anyone else. 7. How much freedom you experience is directly correlated to your ability to work with your emotions. 8. Fulfillment can be found in many ways--not just at work. 9. Wealth is more than earning. It’s about learning how to allocate, spend and hold money. No job can give you that skill. You have to go learn it. 10. If you're looking to a job--freelance or FT--for a sense of security, you are looking in the wrong place. Cultivate inner security. 11. The narrative you subscribe to will be what you experience. The dominant narrative about “the freelance life” is largely negative and disempowering. Opt out. 12. It will never be the “perfect” time to go freelance. The nature of freelancing is about embracing risk, and betting on yourself through it all. 13. The only way to truly learn/grow is to jump in and try. That’s how you get the information you need to move forward. 14. The number one trait of success is a willingness to say, “I’ll find a way.” Those who commit to figuring it out, usually do. 15. Your innate talents/gifts are more than enough to take you to your dreams, but you’ve got to stop waiting for someone else to “discover” them before you believe it. 16. The freedom you want is on the other side of the exact thing you fear. 17. Your next cool project won’t make you happier than you are now. 18. The more responsibility you take for your freelance career, the more joy you unlock. 19. There are healthy workplaces and unhealthy ones. YOU choose which ones you’ll work with. 20. You get to have an amazing career by optimizing it year after year, via learning + honoring your needs and desires. 21. The desires in your heart are not arbitrary. Try letting them lead you. 22. Humans like working with other humans--not corporate personalities. 23. The old resume model is dead. This is a path, not a peak. There is nowhere to get to, except for something that works better for YOU. This year, opt out of the tired "doom & gloom" narrative about the plight of the freelancer. It's only harming you.   If you’re interested in doing freelance from a more empowered place, I invite you to follow @happygohealthyfreelancer on Instagram. It’s where we talk about how to do “career” in a self-honoring way. Freelancers + Would-Be Freelancers: See you there.

Is the rise of generative AI making freelance work more attractive to senior talent? A year ago, we conducted a survey with 500 knowledge workers and uncovered a deep sense of betrayal following massive layoffs in big tech. The sentiment was clear: a growing disillusionment with traditional full-time roles and a burgeoning interest in the flexibility of freelancing. In light of the recent layoffs and the emergence of AI, A.Team revisited this topic in December. Surveying 1,000 knowledge workers, we found that the disillusionment persists and has even intensified: ▶ 64% feel a diminished trust in the stability of full-time jobs post-layoffs. ▶ 61% are hesitant to commit to a single employer, underscoring the tech sector's increasing unpredictability. ▶ A striking 86% are looking for greater control and flexibility in their work schedules than full-time employment can offer. ▶ 73% now see freelance work as more appealing than traditional employment. ▶ And 67% of respondents said that generative AI has made freelance work more lucrative and appealing, allowing them to amplify their productivity and increase earning potential. Where do all these displaced workers go? Our research shows that over half of those laid off are not rushing back into similar full-time roles. In fact, 25% are opting out of full-time employment altogether, choosing the path of freelancing or entrepreneurship. As traditional job models adapt to new realities, we're witnessing the emergence of a dynamic, AI-powered freelance economy. This new landscape offers work that is more personal, flexible, and aligned with the modern worker’s evolving aspirations. Have the recent waves of layoffs influenced you or your team’s views on full-time work? Share your experiences in the comments, and explore the full scope of our research in Fast Company: https://hubs.la/Q02j2sz10 #TheGreatBetrayal

My latest in Forbes, How Freelancing Is Becoming The New Leadership Path: https://lnkd.in/eqCiWDCU Nothing makes me happier than remembering whose most valuable in our space - freelancers. This piece highlights an incredible freelancer while showing an important problem we all need to solve for - enabling a full career lifecycle for freelancers. There’s a beautiful thing about the career path from entry, to management, to executive. Riley Kaminer shows that freelance can have this career progression while staying a freelancer. In Riley's case, he does this through ClearCritical, a freelance network that enables him the execution, leadership, and scale that Executives or Agencies produce at. In his case, rather than individual articles, and rather than doing all the work himself, his freelance network enables him to provide clients a full content department while maintaining the benefits of speed and flexibility that freelancers provide. We’re seeing incredible solutions for this level of freelancing throughout the industry. Platforms like Wripple, CodeMonk, and We Are Rosie are just a few that can spin up freelance teams. Fast growing startups like Upside are monetizing peer to peer referrals. And established startups like Wethos enable freelancers to scale freelance studios, while financial platforms like Collective automate the back office finance and accounting functions that bog down freelancing at scale. We're also seeing companies lean in. Microsoft’s freelance leader Nuri Demirci Lopez recently published the book Leading The Unknown: Strategies for Leading Remote or GIG Teams. Unilever launched an Open2U Talent Community. Salesforce uses a Culture in a Box Process that onboards both employees and freelancers together. Johnson & Johnson has a freelancer portal in their Careers Page, along with "Sponsors" who have a supervisory relationship with freelancers. According to Peter Fasolo, Ph.D., chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Johnson & Johnson, having roles that build a bond between freelancers and J&J prioritizes broader professional development. It’s an exciting time to be building in the freelance economy!

Freelancing in 2025 won’t look anything like what it did in 2024. Are you ready? 1. AI will replace many freelancers (but not the best ones). ↳ If your work can be automated, it will be. The future belongs to those who add creativity and strategy. 2. Subscription-based payments will replace one-off gigs. ↳ More freelancers will move to retainer models, ensuring predictable income instead of constantly chasing projects. 3. Specialization is no longer optional. ↳ Generalists will struggle. Clients want experts who solve specific problems, not jack-of-all-trades. 4. Your network will matter more than your portfolio. ↳ The best-paying gigs won’t come from job boards. They’ll come from people who already trust you. 5. More freelancers will start acting like businesses. ↳ The most successful ones will build systems, hire subcontractors, and scale beyond solo work. 6. Traditional portfolios are dead. ↳ No one cares about a list of jobs. They care about proof of what you can do. Show, don’t tell. 7. The mental health crisis will hit freelancers hard. ↳ No paid leave. No HR support. No clear work-life boundaries. The hustle culture mindset will break people (unless they build routines for balance). 8. Freelancing will stop being a “backup plan. ↳ It’s already happening. More professionals are choosing freelancing over jobs (not because they have to, but because it’s better for them). 9. Charge what you’re worth” is terrible advice. ↳ Clients care about what’s in it for them. Position yourself accordingly. 10. Freelancers who ignore personal branding will fade into obscurity. ↳ If no one knows you exist, they won’t hire you. Simple. 11. The best freelancers won’t be on Upwork or Fiverr. ↳ They’ll be closing deals through referrals, inbound leads, and networking (not competing in a race to the bottom). 12. Client loyalty is a myth. ↳ If you’re not constantly proving your value, they will replace you. Keep evolving. The freelance world is shifting. Fast. What other trends you are seeing around you? Which of these do you agree (or disagree) with? P.S. If this post made you think, hit repost ♻️ so others can weigh in. #freelancing #writing #freelancer #2025

Freelancing is often romanticized as a lifestyle of freedom and flexibility. But the reality is, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Here are 9 harsh truths nobody told me about freelancing: 1. Your income can be feast or famine, with periods of high earnings followed by dry spells. Be prepared to budget carefully and have a financial safety net. 2. You're the CEO, janitor, and everything in between. You'll be responsible for everything from marketing and sales to project management and bookkeeping. 3. Staying motivated and productive can be a challenge. Develop strong time management skills and create a work routine that works for you. 4. Not everyone gets it. Explain to friends and family that freelancing is a real job, even if it doesn't look like a traditional 9-to-5. 5. Not every client will be a good fit, and you'll hear "no" more often than you'd like. Learn to handle rejection gracefully and move on. 6. The line between work and life blurs. Set boundaries and make sure you schedule time for rest and relaxation. 7. You need to be your own biggest advocate. Invest in building your online presence and networking with potential clients . 8. Working solo can be isolating. Join online communities or co-working spaces to connect with other freelancers. 9. Despite the challenges, freelancing can be incredibly rewarding. The freedom, flexibility, and sense of ownership you gain are unmatched. Freelancing is not for everyone, but if you're willing to put in the hard work, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. #freelancer #business #coaches

10 practical freelancing tips that actually lead to long-term growth (And it has worked 100% for me) 1. Position before pitch → Most freelancers rush to pitch before they’re positioned. → Build your online identity like a brand before you send cold messages. → People research you. Be worth finding. 2. Create a ‘freelancing’ origin story → Your why is your weapon. → Most freelancers only talk about what they do and not why they do it. → Write a short story: What made you choose freelancing? → This builds emotional connection and helps potential clients remember you. 3. Screenshots brings trust more than testimonials → Client wins in DMs > polished testimonials. → Start collecting raw proof: WhatsApp, Slack, emails. → Authentic > aesthetic. 4. Create ‘client kits’ → Most freelancers don’t think like businesses. → Design a kit: onboarding doc, SOPs, pricing, delivery timeline. 5. Don’t market like a freelancer. Market like a category → E.g. You’re not a content writer; you’re a conversion partner for SaaS → Rename your role → Rewire how you're seen. 6. Public wins = Private leads → Post your process. → Your before-after results. → Even your thought experiments. → Being “seen working” drives DMs more than being “perfect and silent.” 7. Ask your client what made them choose you → Then use their actual language in your next LinkedIn bio/intro line → No copywriter knows your client like your client. 8. Never negotiate deliverables in DMs → DMs are for intent. Send a “calm confidence” proposal after. → Looks more pro. Makes them 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 before ghosting you. 9. Show proof of personality → People work with humans, not PDFs. → Share your quirks, principles, values. → It builds invisible loyalty even before the first call. 10. Build a ‘Brand Bank’ Start a folder with: → Wins → Failures → Client quotes → Story prompts → Hooks you wrote It’s your personal brand library. Every post = a deposit.