Many Kenyans want to do freelance work. But do they really understand it?
Here’s an opinion from someone in it for the last 6 years
Let’s travel back in time to Monday, July of 2017. That was my first day as a full-time freelance writer. 👨🏻💻
I vividly remember sitting down at the wooden chair we converted to table in my apartment, staring at my laptop screen, and thinking, “So…what the heck do I do now?” 🤷🏻♂️
Fast forward six whole years, and I’m still at this freelancing thing. And you know what? I’m thrilled to say that it’s gone pretty well for me so far.
I’ve worked with amazing clients. I’ve had my name published places I assumed were just pipe dreams…
I have yet to decide if the past six years have crawled or flown by. In some ways, that moment of panic at my kitchen table feels like yesterday. In other ways, it feels like a different lifetime.
Either way, I know I’ve learned a ton—most of it the hard way. So, in honor of my sixth freelance-iversary, I thought I’d spell out six lessons from my own journey.
If you’re just starting out yourself (and maybe currently at your own kitchen table?), I hope they provide some advice and encouragement. 👍
1. There’s no such thing as an overnight success story – It only seems like there is because you aren’t seeing all of the blood, sweat, and tears (oh, so many tears) that went into scoring those wins.
2. “making it” involves a whole lot of hard work (and a little bit of luck) – freelancing, just like any other business requires a lot of elbow grease. 💪
I worked tirelessly to get my business up and running. There were early mornings, late nights, and entire weekends spent blurry-eyed in front of my computer screen. 🫠
There’s only so much of your own freelance journey you can control. Sometimes the universe has other plans for you.
3. boundaries are your best friend – Freelancing isn’t a career path that people readily understand.
It’s not quite as obvious as being a teacher or a doctor or any other profession that’s widely known and accepted. 😬
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve answered the, “So…like, what do you actually do?” question from my friends, family, and everybody in between. 🫣
Since people don’t quite grasp the intricacies of the freelance lifestyle, it’s important that you set boundaries with them and help them understand that you do, indeed, work.
Nope, just because you’re home doesn’t mean that you’re available to wait for their gen repair guy to show up at 2PM on a Wednesday. 😂
You’re working. Setting those expectations and reaching a common understanding can be more difficult than you think tho but worth it.
4. community is way better than competition – When I first started freelancing, I assumed this career path was competitive and cutthroat. In some ways, that’s true. 🌚
You are up against other freelancers to land the clients and projects you really want. But here’s something that might surprise you: Other freelancers have been my greatest source of not only encouragement but also new clients.🥳
5. highs and lows are inevitable – Do you want to know how many times I’ve been convinced that my freelance business was crashing and burning
Approximately 10,739. Seriously, it’s a concern I have on almost a weekly basis. Freelancing is a rollercoaster ride, and you’re going to experience your fair share of dips. 📈
I’ve been rejected by opportunities that I thought were in the bag. 🤓
I’ve wondered where my next paycheck was going to come from. But, on the flip side of that, I’ve also scored major accomplishments that made me burst with pride.
Freelancing requires a healthy amount of persistence. You need to be willing to grip the handlebars, grit your teeth, and hold on tight for the ride. 😬
You can’t hit the eject button the moment you experience the first dip—it’s just all part of the process.
6. money truly isn’t everything – When you’re a freelancer, you don’t have a lot of the same success metrics that you have in a traditional job. 🤗
There’s no clear path for advancement. There are no regular performance reviews from your manager.
There’s no promise of an upcoming promotion. That makes it way too easy to view income as your only success indicator.
Trust me, I’ve fallen into this trap. I assumed that the more I earned, the more “successful” I was. Set some non-financial goals and milestones for your freelance career. 😎
Learn a new skill. Achieve a better work-life balance. Land a dream client. Identify something important to you so you can feel a sense of achievement for something outside of your income.👍
Freelancing has been a constant learning process. I’m six years in, and I’m still learning.
Some days I feel like I have it all figured out, and other days I’m convinced I have no earthly clue what I’m doing. 🙂
The latter are way more common than I care to admit.
But, even so, I love being a freelancer and I’m so glad I took that leap of faith exactly six years ago.🎊🍾
So here’s to six years (and hopefully many more) 🥂
Well well well
Related Posts