Growing up, I thought my spontaneity, rebelliousness, big energy, and love of starting (but not always finishing) projects were bad qualities. I thought I was inconsistent and all over the place… until I discovered my energy type.

I’m a Manifestor – designed to initiate, work in inconsistent big bursts of energy, and follow my random-but-divine “urges”… And when I look back at the moments that truly set me on my path – the Manifestor flavor was in all of them.

Knowing my HD is also a reason self-employment feels so much better for me. The 9-5 culture totally kills my spirit – but just because I can’t sit at a desk for 8 hours doesn’t mean I won't get a ton done in a week if I’m allowed to do it on my terms.

So – what’s your Human Design, and what’s its practical application at work? I had the total pleasure of connecting with and interviewing , HD expert and former consultant herself – and she gave us a generous deep dive into everything from breaking the 9-5 mindset, busting the myth that consistency is always better, finding clients and opportunities, a comforting reframe on purpose, and beyond!

So pull up your chart in a new tab for reference, and lock in for a massive deep dive from Alexandra about how to use your HD to support your work! And if you want to go deeper, check out her Monetize Your Magic (amazing name!!) program, or book a 1:1 session with her. Mine is next week, I can’t wait!!

⚠️ And one disclaimer before we get into it… Human Design, or any other personality system for that matter, should feel like a fun tool for self-awareness. An invitation to experiment with new ways of being that might feel good for you. But if it ever feels limiting or restrictive – lay it aside! Remember that your potential is unlimited and your nature is ever-evolving.

Enjoy this interview with Alexandra!

🪐 You’re invited to a “Human Design for work” Q&A with Alexandra on 9/16. Upgrade to RSVP, and join the new freelancer community networking slack group (!!)

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✦ In Human Design, everyone has a unique “energy type”… break that down for us!

First of all, I feel the need to emphasize that we require all five types for a society or a team to function at its best. There are no better or worse types. Each one plays an essential (energetic) role.

There are more common types, which means most of our systems, schedules, and definitions of success and productivity tend to favor that majority (Generators and Manifesting Generators). So when you look up your type, please don’t compare, and please don’t resist what you find because a different type sounds more appealing on paper.

HD is meant to be an experiment – not a set of rules. You don’t need to force anything that doesn’t feel natural, OR judge a natural part of you that doesn’t fit into societal norms. Experiment with the information in your chart, and let your body be the gauge of whether something is actually aligned for you.

It’s also just one part of your design. There are so many more layers to dig into that offer far more nuance about how you’re built to work, love, parent, and create.

When you look up your chart, the first thing you’ll see listed is your energy type. Think of it as your operating system. It describes your energetic function and the natural rhythm that supports it.

Here’s how I’d describe each one:

Manifestors: the visionaries, creatives, pioneers, and party-starters. They’re here to set things into motion and challenge the status quo. Manifestors receive divine downloads (we call them “urges”), usually accompanied by an enormous burst of energy. In that moment, they have the capacity to move mountains. But once they’ve informed the people around them, gotten the ball into play, and mobilized others into action, their energy crashes… and the rest that follows is deep and all-encompassing.

Generators: the builders, energizers, and passionate masters of their craft. Generators are here to make things happen and move things forward at a steady, reliable pace. They’re blessed with the potential for consistent energy that seemingly never tires, but that’s only true when they devote their life force to work and people who genuinely light them up. If they get stuck chasing “shoulds,” they’ll eventually lose their stamina and their magnetism.

Manifesting Generators: the dot-connectors and multi-passionate movers and shakers. ManGens are here to show us that life was never meant to be linear and that people were never meant to fit in a box. They feel most alive juggling several things at once and moving fast… skipping steps other people think are mandatory, combining things nobody’s combined before, and questioning hierarchies and processes the world has outgrown. When they’re forced to pick a lane, their engine eventually burns out.

Projectors: the guides, advisors, and efficiency-bringers. Projectors are here to refine. They can’t help but see exactly what could work better, but that insight lands best with people who are ready to hear it and who recognize their genius. Projector energy ebbs and flows throughout the day: they do their best work in short, focused bursts with the distractions shut out, followed by real time alone to recharge and regain perspective.

Reflectors: the mirrors and truth-tellers. Reflectors are here to cut through the noise and offer an honest reflection of the state of the union. They’re deeply intuitive and take on the energy of their surroundings, which means they’re most powerful when fully absorbed in the present moment and surrounded by people and places that feel good. Because it’s genuinely impossible for them not to be influenced by their environment, plenty of alone time (ideally in nature) and waiting a full lunar cycle before any major decision is non-negotiable.

✦ As we break free of a 9-5 society, how do each type’s work styles differ?

Finally, every energy type gets to honor their own rhythm instead of overriding it to fit a norm that doesn’t support it.

Here’s what I predict (and hope) happens:

Manifestors will start working in seasons of high-intensity creative output, followed by seasons of hibernation. Their hours will vary wildly from day to day and week to week, and that’s the point… the more they rest, the more creatively inspired they become. They’ll delegate the grind work so their energy goes toward what actually moves the needle. And they’ll get much better at creating only when they feel truly moved to, instead of forcing output because they think they’re supposed to be consistent.

Generators will keep fairly steady hours, but they’ll become far more selective about what those hours are spent on. Choosing work based on passion and fulfillment rather than pressure to achieve, prove, or meet expectations. They’ll also start sprinkling in the things that fill their cup instead of deprioritizing them until everything else on the list is done – a morning coffee with a friend, a midday workout, logging off early to take their child to the beach and picking things back up after bedtime.

ManGens will quite literally collapse time. They’ll get radically more efficient because they finally get to break the rules about how things are “supposed to” be done and how long something is “supposed to” take. They’ll jump between projects without feeling guilty about leaving something half-done, trusting they’ll circle back when (and if) the excitement returns.

Projectors will condense their work into one 3-4 hour block, or two shorter ones each day. Days will start slower and more thoughtfully, with real recovery built in between every output. No back-to-back calls. Their calendars will look spacious, with open hours to think, notice, and follow a curiosity without needing something to show for it. They’ll build systems, automate what they can, and outsource the busy work to a team or to AI. And they’ll get paid for advising and guiding, not for producing.

Reflectors will start each day by checking in with themselves and their surroundings. They’ll meet their energy where it actually is each morning and organize their work around it – harnessing the momentum on the mornings they wake up lit up, and resting on the mornings they don’t. And they’ll take more breaks to get outside, be alone, and empty out whatever they’ve absorbed.

✦ Everyone’s been told the lie that consistency is better. Who is consistency right for, and wrong for? How do we decondition from it?

In general, Generators and Manifesting Generators have more consistent energy. Projectors, Manifestors, and Reflectors naturally have inconsistent energetic cycles.

Keep in mind this doesn’t mean Generators are more consistent in character or more disciplined. It simply refers to their day-to-day energy levels.

And it’s only one part of the equation. There are several other aspects of your chart that speak to your relationship with consistency as well.

For example, look at the arrows at the very top of your chart (the ones flanking the two triangles). Specifically, the top left arrow.

When that arrow points left, you tend to thrive with a more structured, consistent schedule. When it points right, you benefit from less structure and more flow.

This is where it starts to get nuanced. If you’re a Projector, your energy levels will vary throughout the day – but if your top left arrow points left, you’ll still benefit from a consistent schedule. Work 3-4 hours a day and keep those working hours roughly the same each day. However, if you’re a Projector with that arrow pointing right, you’ll probably prefer to move your working block around depending on the day. Sometimes you’ll work 9-12 and sometimes 12-3.

As for the deconditioning, the belief that consistency is the key to success is deeply ingrained, so it’s usually not something that shifts overnight. But the first step is always to run the experiment.

If you’re a Projector, Manifestor, or Reflector, and/or your top left arrow points right, give yourself permission to let go of your rigid schedule for a week and allow your energy levels to determine when and where you work.

Then notice how your body responds – not your mind. Your mind will resist and produce a million reasons why this will never work. But ask yourself: Does my nervous system feel more at ease? Does the work come more easily, and does it come out better? That’s what to listen for.

✦ How does Human Design see “purpose,” and what points us toward our zone of genius?

Your purpose in Human Design is an energetic frequency – not a job title (!!)

Based on your birth time, date, and place, you were imprinted with a one-of-a-kind combination of gifts, sensitivities, and preferences. That’s what your chart reflects. And your purpose is essentially to embody that frequency, in a way no one else is capable of doing quite like you.

It’s not just at work, either. You’re meant to embody this frequency in how you love, how you parent, how you rest, how you lead.

The good news is that the universe wants you to live out this purpose, so it made sure you have a built-in GPS pre-programmed to that frequency (we refer to this as your “strategy and authority”). It is actively trying to guide you toward exactly where you’re meant to be, doing what you’re meant to be doing, with the people you’re meant to be doing it with.

But the GPS lives in the body, not the mind. And the mind loves to overcomplicate things by demanding that a gut feeling or an emotional wave make logical sense before it’s allowed to count.

In theory, it’s simple: the more you trust the body, the faster and more fully you live out your purpose.

In practice, it’s much harder…because we’re so conditioned to ignore the body and favor the mind. Which is exactly why studying your chart is so useful (!!!) – not because it tells you the exact steps to take to arrive at your purpose, but because it helps you recognize when you’ve found that sweet spot.

When deciphering someone’s purpose, I always look at two things:

Incarnation cross: This describes the literal reason you were incarnated and it’s made up of your four primary gifts. While you have a lot of other gifts, you will never be able to experience true fulfillment or reach your full potential professionally if your work doesn’t allow you to embody these four gates.

Profile lines (really they’re numbers and not “lines”): Each line or number (1-6) represents an archetype and describes how you’re meant to embody your most important gifts. This is your zone of genius: Are you here to be the one who solves the problem, or the one who becomes the example? To experiment your way there through trial and error, or to move quietly through your network?

Two people can share the exact same primary gifts and express them in wildly different ways depending on their profile.

✦ With different strategies and authorities, how can each type find clients and build a business with the most ease?

It all comes back to listening to your body. Everyone is meant to listen to a slightly different part of it, and each part speaks its own language.

Generators & ManGens: Your strategy is to respond, which means you don’t know what or who is aligned until it’s right in front of you. The key is creating or exposing yourself to tangible options (“Launch Strategy A or B” or “Client Profile A, B, or C”) and then paying attention to how your body reacts. As business owners, we are conditioned to make the most “strategic” or “logical” decision — one we can justify to our friends or clients. But it’s actually imperative to keep the mind out of decision-making and trust your gut instead.

If you’re sacral, you’ll know whether something or someone is aligned instantly. You’ll either experience a jolt of (positive) energy that courses through your body in response to the opportunity or individual — this is a YES. Or, you may feel your stomach sink and life force drain… that would be a NO.

If you’re emotional, it takes a little more time for you to arrive at this clarity. Your initial reaction may not always be correct as your emotions require time to settle first. It’s better for you to sleep on big decisions or opportunities and wait until you experience a sense of neutrality before asking the question: which option feels most expansive for my soul AND calming for my nervous system?

Keep in mind, you are most magnetic to the right people when you’re feeling lit up by your own life and work so prioritize that above everything else! I always recommend starting your day with the task that feels most energizing to you instead of the task you want to get out of the way.

Projectors: Your strategy is to “wait for the invitation.” Notice where you feel recognized for the gifts that feel the most effortless and enjoyable to share. Which clients feel the easiest to work with? Which opportunities feel like they play to your strengths? Who is your greatest champion and what do they celebrate you for?

If you don’t feel this anywhere in your business right now, don’t worry. It means you simply need to become better at articulating exactly what you do and how you do it, so the right people can find you. You’re not here to force anything – you’re here to make it so obvious what you have to offer that the right people cannot miss you.

Manifestors: Your best business strategy is to stop filtering your voice and start doing everything your way, unapologetically. Stop shape-shifting into who you think people want you to be. Your aura is selective – designed to attract some people and repel others. That’s OK! If there aren’t a handful of people that can’t stand you, you’re probably not being authentic enough.

Throw out all the playbooks or “best practices” you see floating around on the internet and ask yourself: How can I build my business in the way that gives me the most freedom? What do I feel compelled to say/share, even if it may rub some people the wrong way? If I didn’t care about being “palatable” or fitting in, what would I change?

Reflectors: You become who you spend time with, so choose rooms full of people you admire who also let you work in a way your nervous system can sustain. Pay attention to the people, opportunities, and environments that feel good — where you don’t have to perform to be accepted. And before you sign anything meaningful, give it the month.

✦ Projectors ask me this constantly: how do we reach out to clients if we have to wait for the invitation?

I want to make it clear that the invitation is meant for the big things – the ones that inherently require someone else: a job offer, a collaboration or partnership, a new client.

If you have a brilliant business idea and want to pursue it as a solo-preneur, you do not have to wait for someone to invite you to do that. (Just make sure you’re pursuing it in a way that honors your Projector rhythms, or you’ll burn out getting there!)

You’re absolutely allowed to put yourself out there. What you’re not designed to do is convince, prove, or persuade people to want to work with you or buy your products. Projectors are meant to project their gifts into the world clearly enough that the right people find them.

So describe what you offer with total clarity, make that information impossible to miss, and let people opt in. Lack of clarity is the single biggest thing holding Projectors back. You can absolutely make yourself visible, but if you’re not being clear about what differentiates you, no amount of visibility is going to make you successful.

For example, if you’re a coach, pour your energy into being able to say exactly what you do and how you do it in a way no one else can. Then get this information out into the world through your website, your socials, podcast interviews, and of course your email lists (since these are people who have already opted in).

Finally, the hardest part is not getting attached to who buys. You’re never meant to force a door open with pushy sales tactics. Trust that if you’re visible and clear, the right people will find you when they need you.

✦ What else might my design tell me about how I’m designed to work?

Your chart is an endless treasure trove. Your energy type is the foundation, because it’s the fastest, most tangible way to feel the difference alignment makes – but it’s just the start of your journey.

A few of the other things your design can tell you when it comes to work specifically include:

• Your most important gifts: the specific skills or talents you’re here to contribute.

• Whether you work best alone or with others: and whether you’re built to lead a team, hold space in group-containers, or dive deeper in 1:1 relationships.

• Your individual zones of genius: the places where your particular wiring makes something look effortless that everyone else finds hard.

• The limiting beliefs most likely to hold you back: your undefined centers can predict the exact stories you’re most susceptible to.

• Who your audience is: who will be most impacted by your energy.

• How you’re designed to communicate: whether you’re meant to speak your truth or be an advocate for other people’s truth.

• Your natural leadership style: the kind of authority that is authentic to you, rather than the kind you learned to perform.

• The environment that brings out your best: whether you do your best work in spaces that offer safety, options, inspiration, perspective, or connection.

And that’s before we get into gates, channels, variables, and the rest of it.

You are one-of-a-kind! And you require a one-of-a-kind approach when it comes to contributing your magic to the world. Human Design gives you permission to let go of the generalized strategies and experiment your way to a life and business that feels equal parts easeful, expansive, and on purpose.

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❤ Thanks for reading :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

We take for granted what we already know, and sometimes neglect to share the most basic principles, because we assume they are obvious to everyone.

A few weeks ago, I was throwing around the word “scope” on a Substack live when someone asked a simple and important question in the chat: “Can somebody share what a scope is?” And I realized that a back-to-basics moment was in order. Even if you already know what a “scope of work” is and even create them regularly – there are probably ways that you can uplevel them to win more clients and command higher rates… so that’s what we’re going to get into today!

And if you’re thinking, “but I can just use AI to write my scopes now” – I want to encourage you to do them yourself. I was chatting with a founder who was considering hiring a freelancer she really vibed with on a call, but was completely turned off when she received a proposal that was entirely, obviously ChatGPTed, and riddled with business jargon. Creating a scope of work (SOW) is your first opportunity to show a potential client that:

• You heard their needs and have a plan to execute on them

• You’re going to take a project off their plate (which is delegation and relief that founders are willing to pay for!)

• You’re going to guide them through a streamlined process to get something done, and they don’t have to stress about managing you

• You’re creative, honest, strategic, and thoughtful

• You’re going to be a valuable, contributive member of their team – either for a project or long-term

Sure, use AI to check your spelling mistakes… but don’t outsource this first touch point. Please!!

So, with that in mind, here’s everything I know about creating SOWs, after making at least 100~ of them over the past decade of freelancing, winning marketing, brand strategy, and website projects.

So, what is a scope of work?

I learned how to scope when I was 22, at my first job at a design agency. They offered big, multi-phase projects and charged upwards of $100k for them. I couldn’t even fathom charging, or making, that much on a single project… Until my boss started having me scope the agency’s projects, and I got to look under the hood. The thing was, once I really listed out everything that went into a project – from strategy, project management, design, dev, team members, etc – the rate was naturally on the higher end. And when we shared the final SOW with the client, the investment just made sense.

So many freelancers lose out on money they should be earning, because they don’t proactively consider all the work that goes into a project or role… but that won’t be you!

A scope of work (SOW) is a proposal that gets you and your potential client on the same page. It’s a document deliverable that includes:

• Project goal, or role

• For projects: Project phases, all the tasks that go into each phase, and final deliverables

• For retainers / fractional roles: Ongoing responsibilities and/or monthly deliverables

• Timeline, hourly commitment, team, pricing & payment terms

So many people feel guilty asking for money, but the thing is, there’s nothing to feel guilty about when you clearly outline what you’re going to do, and how much it costs. That’s a natural and appropriate cycle of giving and receiving. When your scope is specific, thoughtfully meets the client’s needs, and explains how you charge, you can feel confident sending your proposal along.

And if you’re stuck in a cycle of low earning – stepping back and re-scoping your projects can actually be the KEY to unlocking more income. I had one gal in a coaching session who was scraping by as a freelancer, and just by re-scoping her projects, she ended up making $12k the next month. It could really be that easy.

✦ Below: 5 steps to creating a strong scope of work, a real proposal of mine from a client who said yes, pricing tips, a template, and what to do if a client asks for a lower rate

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How to create an SOW that clients say YES to

Creating a detailed SOW before you get started with any project is a non-negotiable best practice that ensures you are meeting the client’s needs, and that you have boundaries around your time and contribution. Don’t skip this step, even when you’re doing a project for a friend, or someone you like and trust! Often that’s where boundaries get the most blurry, and having an SOW to check back with will save you and your relationships!

Read more

• Have I messed up my career by only freelancing and never working for a company?

• I’m searching for a fractional role on a team – how do I position myself to hiring managers when I’ve only worked for myself?

• As a projector who needs to “wait for the invitation” – how do I reach out to potential clients?

• A small local bus…

Read more

If you’ve been making excuses about why you can’t do something – Natasha’s boldness and confidence will inspire you to shelve the self-doubt and trust your ability to problem solve as you go. Even when she’s been a beginner in a room full of experts, she knows how to leverage her people skills, find a place where she can shine, and rise to the top! And she has some great advice for how to stay in trust in-between jobs and during seasons of change.

✦ A few things we talked about

• How to identify and use your soft skills (people, listening, confidence) during career pivots - and why having a “zigzag” career isn’t a bad thing!

• How to ask clients the right questions to find a problem only you can solve - especially when you’re new to an industry and everyone around you seems to have more experience

• How to be a “liaison” for clients and help them get projects done, without having to do all the work yourself

• The strategy vs. execution question: “I only want to think, not do”

• How to make sure you leave clients with clear next steps, a hiring or execution plan if you are a strategist so you don’t leave clients stuck

• How to rebrand yourself in front of an audience that followed you for something else (Natasha started with fitness and then pivoted to marketing)

• Using different social platforms for different purposes and why that might serve you

• Turning down good money when it’s not aligned, and trusting the right client will show up once you make space

• If you don’t want to show up online – you need to show up IRL – and how to do so

• Building confidence by going for it before you feel ready, instead of waiting to feel like an expert first

✦ More Wisdom From Natasha

Substack / LinkedIn / Instagram

✦ Tune in tomorrow: Expanding your capacity to receive abundance

When you’ve seen success doing things your way, it’s hard to imagine that letting go might lead to even more growth. Tomorrow I am talking to about how surrender, and letting go of the "how," can multiply your abundance, joy, and sense of self-worth.

Ali is an exited founder, consultant, author, and writer behind New Motives. She’s a true killer in all areas of life, with experience and advice I really respect. Join us tomorrow at 12:45pm PST for a live!

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❤ Thanks for watching :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

Juliette has had an inspiring, non-linear career path: from being the face of BirchBox, to launching direct-to-consumer brands, to heading up content for Love Stories TV. She went freelance in 2020 to prioritize her independence and make more time for self-care. Now she’s a brand & marketing consultant working with founders, entrepreneurs, and artists on their public expression. She’s a total wealth of knowledge – and make sure you listen til the end for some freelance job opportunities!

✦ A few things we talked about

• Being the “face” of a brand vs. building your own thing, and what she’d negotiate differently if she did it again

• Starting a new account vs. posting business content to your existing personal following, and when it makes sense to separate the two

• Taking a deliberate 3-month break between her full-time job and freelancing, instead of lining up a client first

• Her first freelance client: a fractional marketing role for Krista Tippett’s On Being podcast, and how a “3-month thing” turned into a year-long project

• Scoping and pricing: figuring out what a client actually needs (not just what they think they need), and only taking on the pieces you actually want to do

• Referring out the work you don’t want, and why that’s good freelancer karma

• How to “quit” a freelance client: being honest, handing off assets and referrals, and not overcomplicating your exit

• Cold emailing 5 dream brands a week, even without expecting a response, and how that led to landing NARS as a client

✦ More Wisdom From Juliette

Substack / LinkedIn / Instagram

✦ Tune in next week: How to get value-aligned clients & navigate career pivots

So many of the freelancers in my community want to work with wellness, spiritual, and value-aligned brands. So when I met at one of my Q&A sessions, I knew we needed to talk to her next!

She’s gone from fashion to health coaching, to consulting for wellness brands full-time: helping purpose-driven founders turn their expertise into clear, compelling brands.

We’ll be talking about working with clients in the wellness industry, finding value-aligned partnerships, how to navigate career pivots, and how to honor your energy if you have multiple interests or passions!

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✦ More Freelance Resources

• Watch or listen to past Freelance Q&A here

• Become a paid subscriber to join us for 2 freelancer coworking sessions + a live Q&A. RSVP details and dates are in the chat!

• Need help figuring out how to turn your skills into services and monetize them? Or optimize your current freelance business to make more money? Grab my course, How To Go Freelance

“I can confirm I made (almost exactly!) 100x the cost of the course on this project. And I HAVE turned it into a monthly retainer of 10x the course price! Life changing, thank you for your expansion.” – HTGF Student

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❤ Thanks for watching :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

His approach is simple – boldly reach out to people you want to work for, be clear about what you have to offer, and let your portfolio speak for itself. His confidence and embodied sense of “it’s not personal” make him magnetic to new freelance gigs. He also truly embodies creative director on his own time too – he’s always creating something, never just waiting for the next client. His latest concept brand, Olive Garden Compass, started as a joke with friends and turned into a viral product that even made it on CBS news.

A tip from Jason: Check out his grad school’s student portfolio page to get inspiration for your own!

✦ A few things we talked about

• How to define “creative director” when the title means something different everywhere, and how to offer this service to clients

• How to choose your title as a freelancer, and claim one that suits you even if nobody’s ever promoted you to it

• Being an owner, instead of just a doer

• Cold emailing founders, CCOs and CMOs directly – an outreach strategy, and skipping the recruiter middleman

• His exact three-sentence cold email template and go-to subject line: Hi from [your name] (your title)

• Building a portfolio, where to find inspiration, doing spec work to express your talents, and why you might want to check out a portfolio school (check out the VCU Brandcenter)

• The Olive Garden Compass: a joke that went viral, got a cease and desist, and turned into brand deals

• Why the least polished social content performs the best

• Big brushes vs. small details: knowing when to defend a creative choice and when to defer to the client’s preference

• Detaching your rate from your self-worth, and why “no budget” isn’t a rejection of you

✦ More Wisdom From Jason

LinkedIn / Instagram / Portfolio

✦ Tune in next week: From behind the scenes to building for yourself

Next Tuesday 7/14 at 2:00pm PST, I’ll be chatting with . She’s the writer behind , and is a brand & marketing consultant working with founders, entrepreneurs, and artists on their public expression. She and I worked together a million years ago at a startup, reconnected, and became close friends a few years ago.

We’ve both been behind the scenes building brands for others for the past decade, and are now exploring what it means to build something for ourselves. We’ll talk about balancing running a freelance business with personal brand building – and how to tap your network for new opportunities.

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❤ Thanks for watching :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

She also introduced me to the term “portfolio career.” It’s not so different from being a freelancer, just a different way to describe self-employment and the pursuit of many projects at once. But I love the freedom of the term “portfolio career” and how it encourages you to build out different income streams and own a path that’s more multi-hyphenate. We all have so much more to offer than just one job title or skill… I truly believe that this is where the future of work is going!

✦ A few things we talked about

• What a “portfolio career” actually means, and the difference between a single-focus and multi-focus model

• The architect vs. archeologist framework: why you don’t need a niche or a five-year plan to start

• Why sequencing matters: securing your core income stream before chasing the passion project

• Naming your thing after yourself vs. building a separate brand: and how to decide

• Testing offers quietly before you “launch” them

• The tension between writing for your audience’s practical needs vs. writing for your own self-expression

• Outbound vs. inbound: building relationships when you have zero followers

• Why “networking” is really just noticing that everyone around you is a prospect or a connector

• Substack as a portfolio of your thinking, not just a place to build an audience

• Letting go of the moving goalpost: learning to enjoy the process instead of always chasing the next win

✦ More Wisdom From Anna

Substack / Instagram / TikTok / Offerings

✦ Tune in next: Becoming a 6-figure freelance creative director

I’ll spoke with Jason Goldberg about how to build a 6-figure freelance career as a creative director. He transitioned from a traditional advertising agency to self-employment a year ago and has seen crazy success so far working with creative ad agencies like Highdive, Tombras, Publicis & also launching his experimental concept brand Olive Garden Compass – which made CBS’s Gayle King very confused!

He has great advice on putting together a strong portfolio, how to get clients and do effective cold outreach, and how to use your creative projects to capture the attention of prospective clients. He’s my best friend’s awesome fiancé!

Watch Now

❤ Thanks for watching :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

• I’m about to get an NDA sent to me right before we start working, how do I ask them to send it ahead of time so I have time to actually read it?

• This is my first solo/individual client vs. enterprise, do I need to create my own legal document to protect myself?

• What’s the general sentiment on working through agencies …

Read more

We worked together for 5+ years building To Be Magnetic – where she is now the Chief Content Officer + host of the widely loved Expanded Podcast.

✦ A few things we talked about

• What to do if you feel like you have unexpressed potential that needs an outlet

• Our personal journeys showing up online

• Why your nervous system freaks out when you start getting visibility

• Having a niche vs being multi-hypenate – and why each is valuable for different intentions

• The “share from scars, not wounds” rule for authentic content

• Being consistent vs letting go of rigidity, – and why one might be your medicine right now

• Energetically opening your doors for biz and signaling to the universe what you want

• Don’t pressure your platform to pay you before it’s ready

• Learning to share what’s alive inside of you instead of feeling like you have to have it all figured out

✦ More wisdom from Jess

Instagram / Youtube / Substack / Podcast

✦ Tune in next: You don’t need a niche to start! Building a portfolio career & being a multi-hyphenate

Our next guest will be . Genius creator of the portfolio career build method (which I can’t wait to hear about!), startup advisor, mentor & writer behind Anna Macks Stack… We got to meet IRL a few weeks ago at her LA meetup, and she’s just as gracious, smart, and lovely in person as she is on Substack!

Watch Now

❤ Thanks for watching :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

If you're serious about working for yourself and ready to have more freedom (and money!) than you’ve ever had at a full-time job, consider upgrading – it's a business expense :) xx

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Sharing your work online is important for building your business – but how do you do it without turning into a total validation junkie?

I was walking around the reservoir with my friend Rebecca the other day and admitted to her – “Sometimes I feel disgusted by this whole content creation thing.” Like WHAT am I doing? Putting myself out there, asking for the world to judge me? Am I a total validation junkie? Optimizing my posts for another hit of dopamine?! ICK.

I started to feel this way a few months ago when an instagram post of mine went *some-what* viral and some critical comments rolled in. I re-shared this story, and I was feeling great about the engagement and affirmative messages from friends and community… and then… it hit the wild west of the web… Strangers started slicing the details of my personal story apart, and I started to feel stupid…. Why the heck was I putting myself out there for this?! Suddenly, the attention didn’t feel so good anymore. I wanted Instagram to stop pushing the post out.

I was confronted by the question: Am I only happy sharing when I get positive validation?? I wanted to say no, but I was gripped with feelings that said otherwise. And I started to feel really grossed out by myself… and by the entirety of the “content creation” universe we live in.

Read more

Getting clients is a daily practice. A practice of being open with those around you about what you have to offer, of explaining your services in different ways to see what lands, of sharing your perspective so that people can understand how you think, of shooting your shot and offering your services to founders and businesses that you think you can help. And if you’re committed to the practice, it’s impossible to fail.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your livelihood depends on your clients... that’s literally what it means to “give your power away”. Your livelihood depends on you. Your energy, openness, willingness to share, speak up, and offer support. This reframe puts you in the driver’s seat, and it’s the energy that our next 10 freelancers embodied when they got their last client... Enjoy their stories!

And if you have more freelance questions about how to get clients, join us for a live freelancer Q&A on 6/17 and watch past episodes in the Q&A library

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| Copywriter & Messaging Strategist

Subscribe: Double Dutch

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 1 year

✦ How I got my last client: My newest client is a really cool baseball training startup that I landed through a former colleague from Anthropologie.

Backing up: When I first went out on my own, after a layoff last year, I sent emails, LinkedIn messages, and texts to nearly everyone in my sphere.

One of those people was a colleague, Joanna, who I knew loosely through other friends on Anthro’s marketing team. We’d say hello in passing and knew each other peripherally, but never really crossed paths at work. Though she didn’t have any projects at the time, she reached out a few weeks ago, nearly 10 months after I messaged her, with a potential project.

She was building a team for a baseball training startup that needs help getting its brand off the ground. The team we put together is all former Anthro colleagues we’ve kept in touch with and while baseball and fashion might not seem like an obvious match ;), I really believe if you understand how to build a brand, you can really stand something up in any industry.

As an aside, nearly all of my leads have come from former colleagues (staying in touch and on the radar is key!) and Slack groups like Old Girls Club, Re:Brand, and The New HQ.

Don’t be afraid to follow-up either; I constantly have to remind myself that I am not at the forefront of everyone’s mind and checking in or reminding someone of your services is helpful more times than it is annoying!

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Even though I didn’t believe it, it’s true: the more rigid and scarcity-minded you are, the harder it will be to land jobs. Not because your skill set changes when you’re a little looser, but because the passing of time is so different. Anxiety makes time crawl and replies seem like an eternity to land in your inbox.

I KNOW it’s easier said than done. Believe me—I’ve sat on the couch with a pint of ice cream (that I felt guilty buying because I was not making ends meet) more in the past year than you would guess. I’ve stressed about my mortgage and childcare costs and allll of that.

I wasn’t in a position to “just figure it out” for very long; I don’t work just to have something to do—my husband and my financial reality is that I have to work to afford our lifestyle. I was fortunate that we had savings (originally for a house renovation) that we leaned on, but it was—and still is—something I’m very aware of. I need paid work to keep our household and three kids moving forward.

I feel like it’s not talked about often, but I took some low-paying projects just to pay some of the bills. Lots of people will say to not do that, but, like, my electric company isn’t going to decide I deserve a break just because I haven’t found a client who will agree to my regular rate. LOL. I wish!

All that to say: take a walk, work from a coffeeshop, ask a former colleague to lunch. I promise it will be good for you mentally, and just might get a conversation going that will lead to something else.

| Marketing Director & Interior Designer

Subscribe: Slow Home

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: Consulting since 2021

✦ How I got my last client: My last client I got by applying for the full time role, and then I decided to not move forward with the interview process as I didn’t really want a full time job, and I said to their HR team if they are open to hiring me as a consultant I would love to discuss further. They had struggled to fill the role as they needed someone with global experience that can understand the APAC market and US market which exactly aligns with my experience, so it worked out perfectly! I think it also flowed as I was very unattached to the outcome, which is the key for me to manifest. I was ok with not getting this role, but now it’s been over a year with them, and my contract is still going for another year!

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Get clear on your ideal client, don’t settle for toxic clients or expectations if you have in the past. Ask yourself how you can get out of your comfort zone in other areas of your life. I signed up for a 5k to support my best friend (not my normal jam), and as I was signing in on race day, I had a dream brand drop into my inbox (on a Saturday, no less!). And you know what? I ended up turning it down in the end because the expectations and dynamic would have been my old self in my 20s, not where I was heading.

Becca Flores | Influencer Marketing Strategist

Follow: @thebeccaflores

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: Since January 2026

✦ How I got my last client: I created my personal brand on LinkedIn! This platform is a goldmine. I optimized my profile and then positioned myself as a thought leader on that platform and posted about topics in the influencer marketing industry, my POV working in the business, creator tips, etc. Eventually the right people saw and messaged me.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Start posting on LinkedIn! But not just about the services you provide — I’m talking about positioning yourself as a thought leader on that platform so potential clients trust you. And also start adding relevant people in the industry you’re pursuing! I would add like 10 connections a day to fellow influencer marketers and talent managers.

| Executive Coach

Subscribe: Reframed

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: I’ve owned my business since 2023

✦ How I got my last client: I got my last client through Substack. Substack is where at least 50% of my clients find me! I know this might seem meta, but putting my ideas out there in writing, sharing my perspectives on what it takes to be successful, and being direct about how to work with me has brought me the exact type of clients that I want to be working with.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Two things: 1. When I started writing on Substack, I had no idea that it would be where clients found me. I just wanted a creative outlet for my ideas. The more I started sharing my own career stories and stories from my work, it completely shifted how valuable Substack could be for me. I wouldn’t advise everyone to write on Substack, it may not make sense for your business. My advice is to think about your business like a marketer would, define your ideal client, go where they are, talk to them, understand what problems they’re trying to solve and start sharing how your specific expertise is the perfect solution for their problems. And 2. If you’re a service based provider, the book The Four Conversations by Blair Enns really helped me land conversations with potential clients like a seasoned consultant.

| Founder & Designer

Subscribe: Seekerearth + Shop Seeker!

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 12 years

✦ How I got my last client: My last client came to me through a mix of word of mouth, being visible in the right spaces, and having a body of work that speaks for itself.

I’ve been in business for over 12 years, first consulting on product creation and manufacturing, and also building my own brand, Seeker, which is made here in the U.S. Because I’ve been in the game for a long time, a lot of my work comes from people either finding me through some online digging or hearing about me from someone else who knows I can actually execute.

In fashion, especially in manufacturing, I think there’s a certain connective energy around people who can really deliver. So many people have ideas, but the process of bringing a product to life can be daunting, expensive, and time-consuming if you don’t know where to start. What I offer is an end-to-end solution. I help people take the idea out of their head and move it through design, development, factory coordination, timelines, pricing, and execution.

Over the years, I’ve built a trusted system of factory partners, many of whom I’ve worked with for over a decade. Those relationships matter. They allow me to help mediate timelines, problem-solve quickly, and create a product that feels aligned with the client’s vision, while still being realistic around cost and production.

But beyond the practical side, I think clients come from doing good work consistently and putting yourself in spaces where your energy can be felt. I met my last client because I was out in the world, around like-minded people who were building businesses, creating things, and looking for support. I have a unique personal style, and that often opens the door to conversation. When people ask what I do, either they want to make something themselves or they know someone who does.

I think a lot of freelancing is about being open, kind, clear in your self-expression, and confident in what you know. You don’t always have to over-explain or oversell. There’s power in listening, understanding the full scope, and then delivering. For me, the next client usually comes less from talking about what I can do and more from actually doing great work, solving problems, and making the process easier for the people who hire me.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: For someone looking for clients who feels stuck, I always think: each day is a new opportunity to connect with a whole world of people, businesses, and ideas that need support.

When I’m in a funk, honestly, I like to put on my best outfit and get out into the world. I’ll go to a coffee shop I love, enjoy a coffee, have lunch with a friend, or get out in the evening. Put yourself in places where you would naturally want to connect, meet people, and potentially work with them. Energy moves when you move.

Beyond that, you can also get crafty. Do a little recon. Reverse engineer who might work at a company you admire, find a way to email them directly, and show them your work in a way that connects to their vision. Don’t just pitch yourself — be a problem solver. Show them how you can make what they do easier, better, more thoughtful, or more fully realized. Sometimes you have to find the back door, walk through it with care, and place something meaningful on the desk.

Not every door will open, but if you’re doing good work, one of them will. Finesse your approach. Be kind. Be supportive. Be useful. Don’t overshoot the moon, but do show them what you’ve got.

And then, once you’ve done the work, put on your best outfit and go take a walk. Connect with a friend. Let your inner knowing remind you that you did your best that day.

I really believe that if every day you do your best, whatever that looks like, and use that as your barometer, the energetic force of success will find its way back to you in some form. But you have to put yourself in the game to receive anything you desire from it.

| Brand Marketing Consultant

Subscribe: Just a Splash

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: Will be one year in August!

✦ How I got my last client: I’m actually working with a friend on my most recent client! So referral, I guess. My friend does PR specifically in the health tech space, but when she was introduced to a new client who was looking for executive comms (think PR and brand marketing for executives), she knew she needed someone who could help on the personal brand side, and that’s where I came in. My friend leads the charge on most of the traditional press pitching, while I take the lead on things like our client’s narrative on social, in interviews, and award submissions. It’s not always easy to go from friends to coworkers, but it’s been great for us. We see it as a true partnership.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Put yourself out there! Make it KNOWN that you are available for hire and get specific about what you do. Post on LinkedIn, Instagram, Substack, TikTok. Send texts to all your friends and acquaintances. Email everyone. I think getting new clients (or any job really) is a numbers game, so don’t be shy about it. And try out different elevator pitches. Truthfully, I’m a generalist/multi-hyphenate and maybe you are too. I’m not saying you need to discount everything you can do, but when you’re describing what you do to other people (especially those who don’t know you super well), you need to get a little specific about what it is that you do so that they can best keep you in mind. So if you’ve done marketing, but you’ve also done PR, and you’ve also done operations, and you like all three, try out those different narratives and see which one is the most sticky. Then lead with that.

| Designer & Marketing Consultant

Subscribe: Rated L for Lazy

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 2.5 years

✦ How I got my last client: I got my last client by building a relationship over time. Referred (built trust) -> VIP Day (built more trust) -> retainer

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: I would say 1. you need to share more than you’d think that you’re available for work. Lead with a demonstration, so if you’re presenting your work anywhere you need to show what you do for people to understand. 2. I’d reach out to your warm leads first and really think of things like a funnel!

| Photographer

Subscribe: Beyond the Frame

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 10-12 years

✦ How I got my last client: A friend of mine told me to get connected with this particular client so I reached out, mentioned our connection, and planned a meeting with them to talk about what I could bring to their brand. We had a great conversation that was driven by what I felt like I could do to elevate their brand and create intentional lifestyle imagery that would help give them more of a brand identity. Since our initial meeting, I’ve done 4 full lifestyle campaigns for them, as well as several product shoots totaling over $15k in sales.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Don't be afraid to reach out, you never know who is going to be needing your services, even if it seems like they've already got everything figured out. Chances are they don't, or they might want to upgrade or switch up how they've been doing things.

| Brand Designer & Travel Writer

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: A decade but just went full-time and started taking it seriously a year ago

✦ How I got my last client: I post every so often on TikTok, IG, and Substack about the services I offer, but especially about where I think I have a particular niche, which is in helping people launch and design their newsletters on Substack. My last five clients have all found me this way and have wanted these services.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Utilize your network, don't be afraid to ask for help. I've found people always want to help or connect you with someone if they can (it often makes them feel good). And post! People don't know what you can offer them if you don't tell them.

| Creative Consultant

Subscribe: Follow This Train

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 8 years

✦ How I got my last client: Ironically this ties back to Grace! I stopped by a dear friend’s store one weekend when she was hosting a pop up event. I ran into someone that Grace had introduced me to when I was pregnant with my first kid, so… 8 years ago?! We started chatting and just catching up on life. She mentioned an idea for a project and I told her I’d love to hear more about it. We texted and set up a time to talk- we ended up really getting each other’s vision and it turned into a project together. All because I stopped by a pop up event to support another friend!

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: I truly believe that you never know where any conversation can lead. I never go into a conversation anticipating getting work out of it. I am genuinely curious about people and what they’re doing, so I love asking questions. Never be afraid to reach out for a conversation- a small connection can turn into something you never expected.

Need 1:1 freelance or biz coaching? Book office hours!

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❤ Thanks for reading :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my workshop How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

We’ve seen more elephants, giraffes, and zebras than I can count… on game drives, out our tent windows, even by the pool. We visited the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary and watched the baby elephants feed and learned about the Milk Mamas: a group of Samburu women who started their own business supplying goat milk to the sanctuary to feed the orphaned elephants and now support their families (go girls!). And it’s been so much fun connecting with the Samburu people, who live just like their ancestors did thousands of years ago… tho a few of them are on TikTok, haha.

Since I’m mostly offline this week, I’m passing the mic to 10 freelancers to share some inspiring stories about how they got their last client, and their advice for you.

Everyone wants an easy solution for getting clients, but the truth is – something different works for everyone. And beyond tactical advice, cleaning up your mindset, and getting out of desperation mode and into trust is just as important as the action you take. Getting in the flow of client acquisition requires an ongoing commitment to creativity and experimentation, and that’s just a reality of running your own business!

From social media to serendipity, let these stories inspire you that if they can do it, so can you!! This is a monster long letter… but it’s a goldmine of wisdom from a lot of smart people – enjoy!!

| Fractional Marketing Consultant

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 4 years

✦ How I got my last client: It’s actually the craziest story! I had a low period last summer where I was absolutely struggling to find work. It was the first time since I started freelancing that I actually had NO clients for a few months and I did exactly what they tell you not to (spiral, panic, etc)! I did in fact have a meltdown but I started networking like c r a z y. Made LinkedIn my new personality and hit up everyone I’ve ever worked with to catch up. I also met so many amazing new people and caught up with old coworkers I used to love and hadn’t talked to in ages! I became a genuine fan of people I admired on the Internet: liking, reposting, sharing, commenting. Slowly, things started working out. I signed two new contracts (both from referrals) in a week and then a HUGE opportunity that I never could’ve anticipated came from an old coworker that I used to work with. He just became the VP of Marketing at a really cool brand that I’ve known forever! He literally dropped a dream role right in front of me with a retainer rate that I always felt was out of reach… it genuinely felt like it fell out of the sky like a perfect present just for me. But it ONLY happened after I exited panic mode, returned to a sense of trust and ease and stopped desperately grabbing at things that weren’t meant for me. I really had to let go but once I did, I very quickly started making more money (and getting more aligned opportunities) than I ever have before.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Focus on fixing your mindset, it was exactly what was keeping me stuck for so long. I got really diligent about focusing my attention toward what I wanted instead of obsessing over what I didn’t have. You already have everything you need. Trust that and treat your mind like a toddler that constantly needs to be directed to what you want and how capable you are of achieving it, instead of what you don’t want.

| Writer & Owner, Cashmere Street Studios

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 4 years

✦ How I got my last client: I’m very fortunate to run a growing business called Cashmere Street Studios! It’s gone from a consulting practice to an agency, which I did not expect. My growth is driven by inbound leads and industry conversations. My last client came inbound because another client apparently mentioned our work together in a founder Slack group of sorts. I just found this out a few days ago. For me, writing and talking about ShopMy, the changing influencer marketing landscape, my work and my POV on it all has helped the business who need me - find me.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: I went all-in on the work I do now back in November or December of last year, and it was quiet until February of this year. I was nervous! Not gonna lie. But I knew in my gut that brands needed what I was offering, so I was patient, but I also got loud about it. I posted not just my services - but also, my perspective - to Substack, to LinkedIn, and emailed old friends and clients, like, “this is what I do now - and *why.*” One cold outbound lead closed three month later, another came back around five months later! So don’t JUST post like: I do this, I offer that. Share what you’re seeing in your industry and what you think, and where you plug in.

| Brand & Communications Strategist

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 8 months (left corporate after 10+ years in September 2025)

✦ How I got my last client: My most recent project came together because of patience. I first met this client back when I was still thinking about leaving my corporate job. There wasn’t anything to work on at the time, but I kept the relationship warm because something told me the right moment would eventually come.

We reconnected in the fall, and she told me she felt sure there’d be something we could collaborate on in 2026. I followed up a few times in Q1 and didn’t hear back, so I let it breathe. I figured the timing wasn’t right.

Then a few weeks ago, she reached out. She apologized for going quiet, and asked if I wanted to grab coffee to catch up. We were mid-conversation when she realized there was a brand she could use my support on and we agreed to a six-month project on the spot.

It felt like such a win. I’d been nurturing this relationship for a long time (wondering if it would ever turn into something), and the fact that it came back around when I had stopped expecting it to felt like a good reminder that some relationships just require you to play a longer game than you’d planned for.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Reach out to everyone in your network and tell them what you’re doing. It helps to have an overview deck ready so people know exactly what you do and how you can support them. Don’t get discouraged if someone doesn’t convert right away. Keep the relationship warm: grab coffee, check in, stay present. Not because a project will come from it immediately, but so that when an opportunity does come up, you’re the first person they think of. And it’s also okay to ask them to keep you in mind, or pass your name along if they know someone who might need your services.

| Freelance Marketer & Brand Strategist

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: Side hustle for 6 years / fully self-employed for just over 1 year

✦ How I got my last client: Honestly, it happened very serendipitously. A brand marketing opportunity landed in my inbox through a freelancing platform I’m on, and it was exactly the type of work I’d been wanting to do more of. I got on a call with the CEO, liked her immediately, and sent a proposal with one of the highest rates I’ve ever charged. I was nervous, but felt grounded at the same time. I didn’t *need* this new client (actually, I knew I’d need to get rid of an existing client to take this on). We signed about two weeks after the first message, and it’s been a ton of fun so far.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: COLD EMAIL! I’ve gotten a ton of clients by doing this, and it’s been incredibly effective as long as I’ve done my research and am clear on how I can help the brand.

| Growth Marketer

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 7 years

✦ How I got my last client: I posted on LinkedIn about an experience I had at the gym watching another mom work from her computer with her baby. The post went viral (my first viral post ever) and my now client found me and resonated with my authenticity!

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Really getting out there and showing up authentically is the best way. The LinkedIn post is a perfect example of how I posted to praise another working mom and had NO intention of selling my services but a potential client saw and resonated with the story. So share share share!

Jason Goldberg | Creative Director

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 1.5 years

✦ How I got my last client: I got my last client through a cold email to a founder. But just to rewind…

Before freelancing, I had spent the majority of my career at a 20 person agency with almost zero staff turnover. When I left to go freelance, even though I had a good portfolio, I pretty much had zero contacts in the industry. I needed to get my portfolio out there, preferably to agency higher ups instead of recruiters who get applications all day.

I send a lot of cold emails to CEOs, CCOs, and CMOs.

First, I find agencies I want to work for. I look up their C-suite (ideally someone in a creative position) and try to find their emails, whether that’s their personal or work. Sometimes I have to guess. Then I keep my email to them very short, complimenting their agency and linking my portfolio. I never overthink the emails I send because if you build up a good portfolio, nothing else really matters. It’s all a timing and budget issue, not whether you sign off an email with “best” or “cheers”.

This past year and a half, I’m finally building the network I never had when I was with a small agency. And while I am getting clients now reaching out to me, I’ll never stop cold emailing the big dogs.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: In the creative advertising industry, your portfolio is king. If you have a great portfolio, clients will want to hire you. If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself if your portfolio needs a face lift.

Also, post on LinkedIn! Stop being scared of posting! People need to see that you’re available! My advice for a good post: keep your message short, include your website link toward the top of your copy, and add a visual. I still try to post a couple times a year.

| Social Media Manager & Brand Strategist

Subscribe: Online Offline Club

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: 6 years

✦ How I got my last client: I got my last client the way I’ve gotten almost all of my clients in the last 4 years, word of mouth referrals. I think when you do good work, people talk. And since I work mostly with small business owners and solopreneurs, one client can naturally lead to another. In this case, one of my clients reconnected with someone in her network who had recently gotten funding for their startup and needed help with social and strategy, and I was her first call. And because it came through a trusted referral, there was no hard selling on my end. One Zoom call, and by the end of the call they were asking if I could start Monday.

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Start small and make natural connections both online and off. Get involved in spaces you want to be a part of, and actually talk to people. Comment on the instagram and Substack posts, share your thoughts and personality too, not JUST what you do. I’ve gotten clients from old friends, coworkers, past clients, Facebook groups— you name it.

And don’t be afraid to start small. My freelancing career started by just taking on small roles with solopreneurs, and that gave me the confidence to build my skills and share openly about what I offer. Sometimes that’s really all it takes to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

| Startup Advisor, Portfolio Career Mentor & Writer

Subscribe: Anna Mack’s Stack

✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: Almost 7 years

✦ How I got my last client: I’ve largely scaled down my consulting client work over the last year to focus on building more scalable income streams (products and programs), however a large percentage of income comes from 1-1 portfolio career mentoring. 100% of my mentoring enquiries are inbound and 100% of those come through...you guessed it...sharing content online. Interestingly, I’d say that roughly 50% of my mentoring clients come through Substack, 30% through Tiktok, 10% through LinkedIn and 10% through Instagram, although I’ve only really started getting active on the ol’ IG so I’m fairly certain that source is untapped. My last mentoring client was a Vet / Identity Coach living in LA. One of my IG reels popped up on her for-you page and she booked a session 24 hours later. It was a nice reminder for me that even though sometimes posting online feels like you’re posting into the void, it works!!

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Get out of your head and into the world. It’s so easy to find ourselves sitting at the desk and spiraling, wondering where our next conversation or customer is going to come from. But only one thing is for damn sure - they won’t come from inside your head. Go to a local event, reach out to someone on LinkedIn and grab a coffee, host a small networking dinner for people in your field. Get out there, chat to people, talk about who you are and what you do. Incessantly!

| Multi-hypenate Media Professional

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: A little over 1 year

✦ How I got my last client: Someone in my network offered me an exciting fractional role as development director of a nonprofit she runs! I was being open with people around me that I was looking for work, and so she knew I was on the hunt. I was always clear that I wanted something that involved my skillset but was on a journey to find out exactly what. I got together with said individual to co-work, and she asked me if I’d ever considered development. I hadn’t! After she explained the work to me, it became clear that this was a path that aligned well with my skills, I’d receive extensive training to improve on the job, and I’d maintain a lot of control over my schedule (one of the top reasons I went freelance).

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: Be open and honest with people in your network that you are looking for work. I’m new at the intentional freelancer thing, and at times I feel awkward sharing what I do because this isn’t the “normal” way to work. I have found being open and direct with people about my skillset has panned out in offers and referrals that keep compounding.

| Brand Consultant

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✦ How long I’ve been freelancing: About 2 years

✦ How I got my last client: The last project I worked on was from an inbound inquiry from a friend I met a few months ago! We met at an event her brand (Jolie) was hosting last summer, and kept in touch via social and at events when we’d see each other IRL over the year. She told me she really loved the work I was doing with another client on their editorial content, and was wondering if I’d be open to doing something adjacent for her brand. That project snowballed into a website copy refresh, a TV ad, and some other fun stuff. :)

✦ Advice for someone feeling stuck: I firmly believe it’s all about the energy you put out. People can smell desperation in an instant; instead of networking for the purpose of overtly pitching yourself and your skills, have a laid back conversation in which your work naturally comes up. If they’re interested, they’ll inquire, and if they’re not, perhaps they’ll keep it in the back of their mind when they, or a colleague, could use your services. Or, even better case, you’ll make a new friend out of it.

Read this next + listen to our May freelancer Q&A here!

❤ Thanks for reading :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my workshop How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

• I’ve scaled my freelance work into fractional roles, but it still feels like a full-time job. How do you structure your workload so it actually feels manageable?

• What’s the real difference between someone stuck at $3K/month and someone hitting $10K? Skill, pricing, niche - what moves the needle?

• What is brand strat…

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But that’s not what happened at all.

My first few years as a full-time freelancer (brand + marketing) – I was a complete and total workaholic. I said yes to literally every project, and worked or thought about work 24/7. I procrastinated on projects down to minutes before meetings, making me perpetually stressed… I went from having one boss to many (all of my clients)… And I certainly wasn’t working from Bali like the digital nomads on my Pinterest board. I remember going on one yoga retreat to Ireland, and instead of getting the most out of it, I slept the whole time. I didn’t even realize how exhausted I was.

That being said, I was making pretty good money – doubling my previous startup salary – which made quitting my job feel completely justified… but I wasn’t using it to invest in anything fun or life-enriching… and after a few years of this, I started wondering why I was working so hard anyway.

Don’t get me wrong, I am into my work and love running my own business. And I do believe that some up-front hustle is required to create momentum and get the plane off the ground. But after a while, if nothing changes, as the old adage says, you’re not working to live – you’re living to work. And you need to be proactive about designing your life, or you might completely lose the “free” part of freelance.

But today I am writing to you from Iceland! And I was hiking to a beautiful hot spring yesterday, reflecting on my year so far, I realized that I have actually successfully upped my ratio of living-to-working this year. So I wanted to take a moment to talk about life design, and I even put together a little template (linked below) for self-reflection – so that we can work more intentionally, from here on out.

How to design your life

If you run your own business (service-based or otherwise) you have the opportunity to do things differently… but most of us just slip back into that same old 9-5 thing we’re used to. We see the “work week” and the “weekend” as 2 separate things, get the Sunday scaries, force ourselves to stay at the computer even if we’re not motivated, and completely forget that we run the show.

But what if you designed your week to honor your natural energy patterns? Start with some reflection about how you're wired and how you want your weeks to feel. Here's my personal example, plus a life design framework template to fill out for yourself:

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Since I knew my mom was the decision maker, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for her to say yes by making sure what mattered to her was done first.

A decade later, I had my first job, and this skill came back in handy. My boss was detail-oriented and a micro-manager… which drove me crazy. After a few rounds of feedback on projects, I started to figure out exactly what she’d call out, so I made a point to get ahead of it: minded the details, made the changes I knew she’d want, and got meetings on the calendar in advance so I could meet her needs before she had to ask. This made her stop micro-managing me (my need), and it built real trust between us (her need), which made our working relationship start to feel a lot more lateral and collaborative... and it also made me really good at my job.

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I feel confident that if I could get those hiring managers on the phone, I’d know how to get the job. But on paper? I didn’t get my bachelor’s degree anywhere notable, and I’ve never worked for Google. And while I’ve had great success at the companies I’ve worked with, for the most part, they all had more niche, if-you-know-you-know followings.

What I figured out early on was that getting a job (freelance or otherwise) wasn’t really about standing out in the application pool and getting picked from a listing. It was about connecting with business owners, hiring managers, and people with ideas they wanted to execute on: understanding what they needed, and pitching myself as a solution to their actual problems. Most of the jobs I’ve had were created around how I could make a contribution, not around a traditional listing.

Learning how to become an opportunity scout is going to unlock a new dimension of opportunities… so let’s get into it.

✦ Work is everywhere, if you know how to spot it

Even in the worst job markets, people are running businesses and trying to make money. And they need help. Whether it’s a solopreneur, a small business or agency, a startup trying to lift off, a local shop that needs their URL to match their IRL experience, or something more corporate. People need help building things, and being someone who knows how to jump in and actually help makes you hireable.

Sometimes, people don’t even know what they need help with, they just know they’re drowning in to-dos. Those are the moments where making a connection, helping them figure out what’s next, and showing them what you can do gives you a unique opportunity.

So instead of playing the game everyone else is playing (applying for listings at big-name companies they think are cool, or that will add clout to their resume), I’ve always focused on mining my life, my community, my network, and my surroundings for the opportunities sitting right in front of me. I’d encourage you to adopt this mindset too, especially if you’re feeling stuck.

✦ How to stand out against other resources

The difference between getting hired and someone deciding they could just use a cheaper resource to get a job done has everything to do with how strategically you think – and how you showcase the ways your work is informed by understanding your client’s business. For example, one graphic designer just executes, and one thoughtfully considers how their designs drive sales for the business, and explains it when they present their work. The latter is more valuable.

Become an expert in the industry you want to work in. Who’s at the top? What companies just launched? Who works where? How do those businesses run? How would you provide value for them?

Having these insights makes you infinitely more valuable and engaging on potential client calls. Instead of just listing off your services and asking for work, you’re able to have real conversations… ones where you demonstrate your understanding of an industry or business, and exactly how you fit into it.

✦ Start with your warm network

Former clients and coworkers. Friends, family, people in your everyday life. LinkedIn connections you haven’t spoken to in a while. Old bosses, old collaborators, anyone you’ve worked well with.

“Your next client probably already knows you. Make sure they know what you’re doing now!” –

What are the people around you up to? And how can you help them? Do they know what you’re doing and that they could hire you for it?

Even if they’re not your dream client, there is something magnetic about just getting going – applying yourself, helping other people, making the most of your gifts, taking action instead of waiting.

Take them to coffee. Ask what they’re working on. Tell them what you’re up to now. And if they don’t have work for you, they probably know someone who does.

✦ Become an opportunity scout

Getting hired has everything to do with your ability to spot holes that you could fill.

Where can you create work for yourself by identifying where you could improve a business, instead of looking for listings?

Especially in this climate, job listings are limited, flooded, and maybe already filled by the time they reach you. But people still have businesses and still need help running them. Make it your mission to find out who does.

Knowing what you have to offer and how to spot opportunities takes work off your potential client’s plate, and helps you connect with work faster.

People are busy. Be the solution, not another thing they have to figure out.

✦ More Freelance Resources

• For more tips on getting clients, watch my full, free webinar here!

• Become a paid subscriber to join us for 2 freelancer coworking sessions + a live Q&A. RSVP details and dates are in the chat!

• Watch or listen to past Freelance Q&A here

• Need help figuring out how to turn your skills into services and monetize them? Or optimize your current freelance business to make more money? Grab my course, How To Go Freelance

“I can confirm I made (almost exactly!) 100x the cost of the course on this project. And I HAVE turned it into a monthly retainer of 10x the course price! Life changing, thank you for your expansion.” – HTGF Student

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❤ Thanks for reading :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

Listening back, I covered nearly ALL the freelance basics, the 80/20 rule that doubled my income, plus strategies on how to define, design, and stack your services to hit $10k a month… especially if …

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• How to turn your (niche) fulltime job into freelance services?

• What’s your minimum hourly rate: and how do you use it to set your prices?

• How do you ask clients about their budget: and what do you do if they can’t afford your rate?

• How do you track your time: and what do you do with that information?

• How do you set u…

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Actually, 75% of my freelance income over the last 8 years has come from just 5 businesses… and short-term projects are just cherries on top. A lot of you know me from being the Head of Marketing at To Be Magnetic, a fractional role I held for 5+ years.

As a multi-hyphenate creative meets marketer, being able to take on and stack multiple, diverse roles for different clients was actually a huge motivator for going freelance. I’m energized by doing different types of projects, different mediums of creative, marketing, and strategy work. Having to pick one “title” at one company felt sooo boring and stifling to my creativity and potential. If you relate… consider this your permission slip not to niche down.

Think of a fractional role as a part-time job, where you are paid as a consultant (1099) instead of an employee (W-2). You have a title, a job description, monthly deliverables or goals, and work as a team member. You have a critical, ongoing business function that needs to be performed long-term, instead of just one project. You’re just paid before taxes, and take care of them via your own business come tax season. A lot of small businesses and startups would even prefer this: since it’s more expensive for them to set up payroll and benefits, especially in other states.

So when people say to me, “I can’t find any clients, maybe I should just look for a job,” I remind them: it’s pretty much the same thing!! Either way, you’re looking for a job, and the main difference is how you are being paid.

So, how do you figure out the fractional roles you can do? How do you get them? And what are the pros and cons? Here’s everything I know!

✦ What fractional roles can YOU do?

A fractional role could be a holistic role with multiple duties where you own one function of the business, like “Social Media Manager” or “Head of Operations,” or it could be a simple repeatable function, like Payroll Specialist, Email Designer, Bookkeeper, Customer Support Agent, Video Editor, or Special Events Producer.

Here are some examples of how full-time roles break down into more specialized fractional roles:

Graphic Designer = Email Designer, Ad Creative Designer
Accountant = Payroll Specialist, Bookkeeper
Marketing Manager = Email Campaign Manager, SEO Specialist
HR Manager = Recruiter, Onboarding Coordinator

List out your skills and ask Claude to help you come up with fractional roles, related to your skills – that’s a great use of AI IMO.

Knowing what you have to offer, and what jobs you COULD do – will set you up for the moment you find out someone is looking for what you need.

✦ How do you get a fractional role?

Over the years, I’ve had fractional roles like: graphic designer, content producer, podcast producer, social media manager, head of community, head of growth, creative director… all the way to fractional CMO. All of which have sprung up from networking and having conversations with founders, or starting with a small engagement that snowballed into a role, rather than job listings.

When it comes to getting clients, it helps to hone in on a few different types of businesses to focus your outreach efforts. Start with these:

• Warm leads: Make a list of 10 people you could text, where they work, and whether you think those companies would need your services.

• Choose an industry to target: I initially picked indie beauty companies, made a list of them, and sent targeted cold emails based on what I thought they needed (based on their careers page, current staff, and state of their website and marketing materials).

• Look at the “careers” pages on websites: What are people hiring for that you could do fractionally?

• Don’t be afraid of small businesses and startups, especially to start out. Even if someone can only afford a small retainer, you can stack a few and grow into a bigger role as the company grows. I had an $800/month graphic designer role that turned into a $10k+ a month marketing role.

• Update your LinkedIn with a relevant freelance/consulting title so people can find you, and start talking about what you do every day. Make it clear you’re open for business.

• Read this Substack on getting clients and attend my free webinar on 4/29!

✦ Pros & Cons

What’s GOOD

• GREAT for beginner freelancers who are getting comfortable supporting themselves

• Consistent and long-term income

• Opportunity for your role to grow with the company – and to add some solid experience to your resume

• You’re likely on a team, working and learning from other people: this is great for personal and professional growth!

• You can stack other retainers, roles, or projects on top of one solid fractional role to get to big income numbers.

The Challenges

• Boundaries!!! Ok, this is the biggest one. When you have a fractional role that feels like you’re a part of the team, it’s easy to forget your scope and just start working 24/7. Make sure you have a set scope (template) that revolves around hours or specific deliverables before you get started, and STOP when you’ve delivered them each week. It’s on you to manage your time: clients will take everything they can get, and that’s just human nature.

• You will have a “boss” – with a fractional role, you are simply working for someone else, just part-time.

• In my experience, taking a fractional role that is more than 20 hours a week is just a full-time job without benefits. Cap it at 20 hours a week.

• Get comfortable with speaking up if you need to rescope: if you’re constantly going out of scope, you will need to get good at raising your concerns and talking about your scope. Maybe your scope will expand, maybe you will scale back: it’s up to you and your manager. But it’s something to keep aware of.

✦ For me, fractional roles have been totally worth it… but there is always nuance.

I’ve been full-time freelance since 2017 with no income gaps, and I have to thank fractional roles entirely. They’ve given me consistency, and gotten me onto some really great teams. When you’re first starting out, that sense of security matters more than almost anything else.

But fractional roles can also get out of hand. And when they do, they can zap your freedom entirely… which is kind of the whole reason you went freelance in the first place. and I have been talking about this nuance lately, and next month she’s sharing some expectation vs. reality stories from real freelancers on . Make sure to subscribe if this sounds like you!

✦ HTGF Happenings

• Watch the playback from my last webinar on how to get clients

• Watch past freelancer Q&A videos – I had all of them edited for an easier watching or listening experience :)

• Read this essay I wrote on Soft Skills and why they matter more than ever in the age of AI

xx Grace

❤ Thanks for reading :) I’m here to help you on your self-employed journey. To start making money, grab my e-course How to Go Freelance, my NEW $29 Template Library, or book a 1:1 Office Hours session where we can dig into your dreams and goals. Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, for more weekly freelance content.

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