Relying on one source of income is a risky career move.
In the latest edition of Career Freelancer, I break down why a portfolio career is actually the safer bet and how real people are using it to protect their income, sanity, and future.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-po...
4. How freelancers act as leaders, not order takers — Selena Rezvani on Quick Leadership www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-fr...
3. Five doable shifts seasoned freelancers are making today to stay booked www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-d...
2. Commit to what doesn't scale: momentum in freelancing comes from unscalable actions www.linkedin.com/pulse/commit...
These are the most popular editions of my newsletter on navigating freelancing as a career-long pursuit. 🧡
1. How to invest wisely in the right career development opportunities www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-in...
Other hard lessons: Overcommitting to unproven opportunities, delaying testimonials, and not mapping my capacity led to burnout and missed leverage.
Here's more nitty-gritty details on the best and worst decisions I've made as a freelancer to date.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-w...
Biggest mistakes:
*Raising my rates too slowly and trying to be “affordable” cost me years of income and confidence.
*Letting my website and service packages lag behind my growth weakened my credibility and diluted my positioning.
More wins:
*Nurturing a few long-term partners created stability without feeling like a full-time job.
*Always doing some business development (even when busy) kept leads warm.
*Building a full life outside work made the business feel meaningful, not just a way to make money.
Best decisions:
*Publishing consistently in public forums → sharpened my thinking, attracted clients, and built a recognizable brand.
*Building a portfolio career → multiple services and income streams = more interesting work and real security.
After 12 years of freelancing, my biggest realization is that a sustainable solo career is built on a series of choices, not a single breakthrough. Here are the best and worst business moves I've made in a decade of self-employment.
Want potential clients to trust you? Earn "reputational currency" in the form of writing, speaking, or teaching.
It signals: I'm the expert. I've done this, and here's proof.
My latest in @inc.com on how solopreneurs can win the trust of potential clients: www.inc.com/brian-honigm...
The conditions today are more ideal than ever for diving into self-employment.
29.8 million solopreneurs are already doing it, and you can too.
In my piece for @inc.com, I discuss why this shift is happening today and how it's easier (not easy) to begin freelancing.
www.inc.com/brian-honigm...
Seasoned freelancers are pros at turning skepticism into trust.
Reframe assumptions and create strong relationships by showing vs. telling others how you show up as a partner.
If you’re looking for more reframes on common myths about freelancers, check out my newsletter.
#freelance #selfemployed
Freelancers get hit with snap judgments: Like that we're cheap labor, order-takers, “unemployable.” It's up to you to position yourself differently and get ahead of it.
In last week's newsletter, I covered the common myths and how to challenge them intentionally. 🧡
www.linkedin.com/pulse/overco...
The age old advice but for freelancers: don’t forget to work ON your business and not just IN your business.
Finally, stop doing everything alone. Use tools to automate, hire freelancers or vendors for specialized work, and lean on your network for support. Stress is part of running a business, but these steps make it sustainable.
Next, set firm boundaries with clients. Be clear about availability, live time, and working hours, and then actually follow those limits yourself. This forces focus on the most important work instead of endless tasks.
Start by adding structure to your workload. Define clear packages, scope, deliverables, and timelines so you can accurately estimate how much work you can handle without overcommitting.
A recent study by Bayes Business School shows daily stress levels rise noticeably when you are self-employed, largely due to long working hours. Left unchecked, this kind of pressure quickly leads to burnout. Here's how to fix this, based on my twelve years of experiencing freelancing.
You'll inevitably have moments where clients aren't coming in like they used to.
A normal problem that arises for almost all freelancers.
Here's how to navigate these slow seasons and turn them around in your favor. 🧡
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-bo...
Freelancing often starts with work that isn’t scalable. That intense effort is often required to break through and establish a practice with staying power.
How do you start earning reputational currency? Read my newsletter, Career Freelancer, for an explanation and examples from other freelancers. 🧡
www.linkedin.com/pulse/win-mo...
*Building an audience with social media, a newsletter, or a podcast.
*Contributing to associations, memberships, or groups.
*Securing media coverage across TV, podcasts, publications, or YouTube.
*Writing for publications (well-known publishers or industry-specific).
*Earning awards and accolades.
*Securing certifications, degrees, training, or regulatory credentials.
*Publishing books on your expertise.
*Showcasing results with recommendations, testimonials, and case studies.
*Landing well-known clients and/or leveraging past employers.
*Teaching at universities and/or e-learning institutions.
*Speaking at events and conferences.
Don’t seek out every type, but aim to earn a mix from the sources you and your clients care about.
My advice is to pick one or two and start executing now, as these can take years and a significant amount of effort to achieve.
What types are there?
None of this is a replacement for earning experience and fine-tuning your expertise, as that’s gained from hands-on exposure to your craft, working in your industry, and learning. Nevertheless, it’s in your best interest to intentionally earn reputational currency.
