It's been a full 3 months since I left full-time employment to become a freelancer specialising in marketing and communications. Here's why I chose to go freelance, and 8 things I've learned so far.
Why go freelance? (Breaking the burnout)
One of the first things I’ve been asked by lots of people is why I decided to go self-employed, usually accompanied by a comment that I've been very brave to take the leap away from the predictable security of paid employment. My stock response so far has defaulted to responding along the lines of wanting greater flexibility, that I work better on a project-by-project basis and that I'm able to work with a wide variety of interesting and inspirational people (all true BTW). However, if I'm honest, I didn’t have much of a choice about going freelance.
Looking back, I'd been on a cycle of burnout since about 2014. I would jump head first into new roles at some amazing organisations, full of energy and the desire to impress. And then, from 18 months to 3 years into a role, I'd find myself exhausted with nothing left in the tank. And the gaps between each period of burnout got shorter and shorter. Over time this built up into a pattern of low periods, stress, panic attacks, freezing, dizzy spells, countless duvet days and a pattern of self-harm.
Then the pandemic came along and finally broke me, leading to a period off work due to stress. This forced me, like pretty much everyone else during COVID, to re-assess my life which then led to some pretty major changes, leading to me moving back to Worcestershire at the start of 2021 after nearly 20 years away.
This was the bravest and hardest thing I've ever done, and I was lucky to have the understanding and support of my then-employer, friends and family to get me through it. But in January this year, I could feel the burnout cycle again. So I took the only option left to me and made one final change, handing in my notice and setting up my own business.
I've been lucky to hit the ground running and work with a variety of clients on some really interesting and wide-ranging projects – brand launches to promote corporate volunteering, copy and content writing for a client's new website leading to an assessment of their business offer and brand, and working with a founder of a start-up to launch a CIC for a rare disease community (more news to follow next month!).
So, for my first blog post, here are 8 things I've learnt in my first 3 months as a marketing and comms freelancer.
8 things I've learned so far
1. Mondays suck
For some reason, Mondays are bloody awful. Slow to get going, and takes a long time to get into a groove or flow state. Fridays were my admin day, but am now switching it round to get the most out of the days when I'm at my best.
2. Lone, remote working is tough
Working from home when you're not part of a wider team embedded in an organisation is hard. Motivation, inspiration and the social element of being in a shared office space are no longer there. This leads to...
3. Change the environment
To counteract the above, I'm learning how to fully embrace flexible working - using co-working spaces and local cafes if I need a bit of human contact or a buzzy atmosphere. And check-ins and calls with my clients and fellow freelancers can turn a slow day into an awesome one.
4. Flexible working vs the 9-5 routine
I’m still having to re-programme myself to break out of the 9-5, The Mon-Fri mindset is hard to let go of. However, I'm getting better at knowing my energy levels and when to step away, as well as reminding myself of the freedom of being my own boss. Timesheets are beautiful things for this.
5. People still use business cards in 2022
I learnt long ago to avoid networking events where everyone wants to reel off their c.v. to one another without actually taking the time to listen and have a conversation.
But over the past 3 months, I've been to some fab events where the organiser gives space and time to attendees so people can have a proper, meaningful conversation, ask questions and get to know one another. (Props to two community builders for making networking easy - Dan Barker and Elaine Minett-Smith)
Oh, and who knew business cards were still a thing in 2022?
6. I have a great boss
My boss is amazing - talented, well dressed and incredibly good-looking. Plus 2 weeks ago he bought the whole team a pack of Dunkin' Donuts for having such a good week.
Yep, I bought myself a whole pack of doughnuts to thank myself for being awesome. #NotSorry.
Values-based freelancer seeks creative and inspiring people. NSA.
So, looking ahead to the next 3 months, while I continue to work for my awesome clients, I’m going to focus on building local networks in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire – meeting inspiring and creative people across the three counties who want to do good.
My longer-term goal is to build a network of talented, inspiring people in the area who I can collaborate with, learn from and apply my practice, experience and values to spot opportunities to support organisations that want to give back to the community. Whether they're SMEs, start-ups, CICs or not for profits, I'm interested in talking to people who want to do something good and have fun as part of the process.
I'll also be sharpening my SEO and copywriting skills so I can offer some more detailed, specialist skills as well as a broader strategy, campaign management consultancy and delivery for my clients.
So, if you're a local business or not-for-profit based in Worcestershire, Herefordshire or Gloucestershire and are interested in a chat to scope out future opportunities, or if you need some marketing and communications support then get in touch via email, david@david-salmon.co.uk or the form on my website (click the button below).
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