You've already put in so much work, but this is just the start. Now you have to become a master juggler, a full-fledged freelancer. I think of it as spinning multiple plates while wearing several different hats all at once. The plates represent all the different projects you’re working on, and the hats are the various roles you have to step into, beyond just being the expert at your craft.
Closing your first deal as a freelancer is a huge milestone. Take a moment to celebrate that win. But before you dive into the work, it's smart to pause and make sure your work environment is actually set up to help you succeed. This is a crucial step when from home.
You’ve landed an interested customer. They liked your proposal enough to schedule a second meeting, and now it’s time to close the deal. But before you walk into that room, there’s a little more homework to do.
This is where the rubber meets the road. It’s that moment you have to switch from passively marketing your new venture to actively selling. For many people just starting a side hustle, the word “selling” can feel a little pushy or uncomfortable. It’s easy to find other things to do, like organizing your files or catching up on admin tasks.
An essential part of is figuring out how to talk about it. This isn't just about what you sell; it's about who you are. The values you hold are just as much a part of your product as your actual skills. You are the brand.
Getting potential customers to pick you is always an uphill battle if you don’t genuinely understand what they want and need. This isn't just about knowing the market you’re in—it’s about adopting a client-first mindset and being able to answer the question, “Why should they choose me?”
How you feel about your work and its place in your life is a huge deal. Before you can build a freelance career that’s both rewarding and exciting, you have to do the internal work of understanding yourself—your boundaries, your needs, and your motivations. When you first , this self-reflection is the most critical step.
To really get what freelancing is about, it helps to see how it stacks up against a traditional job. The single biggest difference? Accountability. As an employee, you answer to your boss. As a freelancer, you answer to yourself. It’s a simple distinction that changes everything about how you work, get paid, and plan your life.
For most of my life, if you’d asked me what peace of mind looked like, I probably would have pictured something cliché, like meditating on a Tibetan mountaintop with the Dalai Lama. I never imagined I’d find it so much closer to home, thanks to a cognitive neuroscientist named David Vago.