Leaving your day job to work for yourself is the dream. I don’t know about you, but when I was first getting started I loved hearing inspiring stories and advice from successful freelancers.
If you’re just starting out and you need some encouragement, or you’re looking for the right business idea for you, you’re in luck! I asked 7 freelancers – all in different fields – to share their story on how they got started. Plus they each give their best advice for getting into the business and getting clients.
Advice On Getting Started From 7 Successful Freelancers
Kaleigh Moore – Freelance Writer
When did you start your business?
2013
What do you do?
Freelance writing. I create blog content for SaaS and eCommerce clients.
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
The flexibility! I love creating my own schedule every day, not having to worry about how much time off I have left, and getting to make time for things that are important to me throughout the day (like walking my dog, eating a healthy lunch, exercise, etc.)
How did you get started?
I learned as I went. It started as a side gig and within 6 months was a full-time job opportunity thanks to two retainer clients I had at the time.
Did you take any courses or study in your field?
The only course I’ve ever taken was CreativeClass.co (which I now co-teach!), but otherwise I just read and consumed a lot of the free material available online.
How do you get most of your clients?
Referrals from other happy clients and other freelancers who know my work.
Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
Start making friends in the niche you want to work in. Connections/relationships are everything and lead to new opportunities.
Start making friends in the niche you want to work in. Connections/relationships are everything
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Pssst… Kaleigh has a course on the business side of freelancing that she teaches along with Paul Jarvis. Check it out – CreativeClass.co.
Dani Bruflodt – Freelance Social Media Consultant
When did you start your business?
2009
What do you do for clients?
Social media consulting. I create content and manage social media.
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
That it is fast-paced and always changing!
How did you first get into this work?
It was kind of a matter of ‘right place, right time’. In 2010 I was working at a publishing company, writing for a magazine, and had just recently started my personal blog. This was right when Twitter was taking off in a major way, Facebook was gearing up for business pages, and Pinterest and Instagram were just entering the social media scene. My employer asked me to assist with social media for them, then the magazine I was writing for asked for some help as well. Pretty soon I had a few local businesses and personalities who were looking to me for help managing their accounts!
My background is in History and Museum Studies, so although it seems like quite a departure from what I studied, I see a lot of similarities. I love curating beautiful collections on my client’s feeds, and I love taking big pieces of information and making them easily digestible for the public — much like a museum curator does. As I got more involved in this type of work I continued to expand my skills in photography, graphic design, writing, website development, and of course have learned all the major social media platforms and scheduling/analytical tools. I love YouTube and Skillshare for simple, at-home training.
How do you get most of your clients?
My clients have always been through referral, and I feel fortunate that I’ve worked with all of my full-time social media clients for at least 4 years, most of them 6, 7 or more! Occasionally, I do small consulting projects to help people improve their feeds or oversee a big product launch — and most of those clients also come through referrals from my full-time clients or people I have previously worked with.
What is one trait or skill a person needs to do this job?
Don’t deal well with change? Don’t get into social media. Not a self learner? Probably not the field for you. In social media your work is at the mercy of algorithm changes as well as everything else including holidays, politics, celebrity news, natural disasters. You need to be the type of person who always has their pulse on what is happening and changing so that you can adjust your client’s strategy accordingly, as well keeping up with what is changing on each platform from a technical perspective.
Multi-tasking is important, but adapting well to change and being a self-learner are huge.
Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
I think one of the most important skills for anyone who is self-employed, regardless of industry, is the ability to produce high-quality content for yourself so that you can promote your skills, services, and products. I teach courses on iPhone Photography, and I put all of my tips and advice into a free eBook ‘Mastering iPhone Photography’. It has everything you need to know about capturing great content all by yourself using only your smartphone!
One of the most important skills is the ability to produce high-quality content for yourself
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Psst – Dani also recently launched a podcast all about planning and organizing your life.
Gina Horkey – Freelance Virtual Assistant
When did you start your business?
May, 2014
What do you do?
I started as a virtual assistant, now I’m also a mentor and teacher. We help virtual assistants get HIRED and entrepreneurs find their PERFECT VA to help them grow their businesses!
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
Getting to know other really cool people with really cool businesses. That and the flexibility of working from anywhere and the unlimited income potential. 
How did you first get into this work?
I was in the personal finance field for almost a decade and then stumbled upon freelance writing for the web. I didn’t know it was “a thing,” but decided to give it a go, added VA services a few months later and quit my day job (as the sole breadwinner to our fam of 4!) within 8 mo’s of even looking into it in the first place! Building my biz on the side worked really well for me. 
How do you get most of your clients?
Initially via job boards, social media and cold pitching. Now through referrals.
Instead of focusing on the worst thing that could happen, focus on the best possible outcome
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Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
Instead of focusing on what’s the worst thing that could happen, focus on what’s the best possible outcome of trying this thing!
What is one trait or skill a person needs to do this job?
Stickwithitness!
Check out Gina’s website – and read her in depth guide on becoming a successful virtual assistant here!
Brittany Berger – Freelance Content Marketing Consultant
When did you start your business?
2016
What do you do?
Content marketing consulting. I help clients better use the content they’ve already created through creating strategies and systems for updating, promoting, and repurposing content
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
Getting to help people who are exactly where I was years ago – exhausting themselves creating really great content but getting frustrated with the lack of impact it’s having
How did you first get into this work?
“I didn’t specifically study content marketing, but looking back at my weird combination of majors and minors, it’s perfect that I ended up in marketing communications. It’s like without even hearing of content marketing, I went and found all of the things I’d need to know for it.
I ended up double majoring in mass communication and professional writing, with minors in new media design and journalism. So I learned all these separate fields and skills, but honestly had no idea how they would all fit together. Eventually I had an internship in PR that involved a lot of content, and it slowly morphed into a full-time content marketing job for the company.”
How do you get most of your clients?
Through networking and personal branding – I love doing interviews, guest blogging, joint ventures and collaborations, etc. So over the 8 years I’ve been in content marketing, I’ve definitely gotten out there a time or two and most clients are an indirect result of that.
Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
Make friends. Not contacts, not coaches or mentors, but friends in the same stage of their career as you. Sometimes you need to talk out problems or ideas with someone who’s in the same place as you. Some of my best ideas come from casual convos with business friends.
Be a problem solver. Coming up with creative solutions makes up for a lack of skill in other areas.
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What is one trait or skill a person needs to do this job?
Problem solving – I don’t have many traditional business or entrepreneurship skills, but I’ve always loved a good puzzle or word problem. My ability to geek out over coming up with creative solutions for problems makes up for my lack of skill in a lot of other areas.
Check out Brittany’s website and get her free work book to help you automate your business here.
Chloe Leonard – Freelance Branding & Web Designer
When did you start?
June 2017
What do you do?
Branding + Web Design. I specialize in web design, logos, branding, prints, eBooks, decks, labels, wedding stationary, and social media management.
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
The freedom to create my life however I want and to build my business with no caps. In addition, meeting amazing clients that remind me why I’m doing this.
How did you first get into this work?
Oh man, it’s a long story. I didn’t even know I was really IN my field until maybe a few months ago.
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy for six months, learning about public relations, creative small businesses, art, and philosophy. This sparked my creative muscle again and when I returned to the States, I picked up a new niche out of pure curiosity and boredness: Web Design. In just one week, I taught myself how to build a fully optimized website on Squarespace and WordPress, as well as how to use Photoshop. Slowly but surely, it became my new addiction (and in-lecture distraction).
After graduation, I decided I’d keep my job with Almost 30 podcast, working remotely while I lived at home until I found a full-time job in San Francisco. For months I kept getting rejection after rejection during the interview process. To earn some extra cash and keep my creative muscle growing, I started taking on web/graphic design clients who inquired about me through Almost 30.
With the help of Krista and Lindsey, who insightfully fed me with knowledge and encouragement about growing my own business, I was able to create my own design “side hustle” called Leo Creative. However, I still didn’t have the confidence to live and run a business on my own. So after nine months of “side-hustling”, I got a Community Manager job at a corporate start-up and moved to Los Angeles to be closer to Krista, Lindsey, and my clients. With three jobs – my 9 to 5, the Almost 30 Podcast, and Leo Creative – you can guess, burn out became inevitable.
During the six months at my 9 to 5, my client intake had doubled, my skillsets expanded, and my exhaustion grew. I just couldn’t do it all – working before work, during work, after work, and on weekends. I was being pulled in too many directions, doing a job eight hours a day I didn’t care about with no time to come up for air. One day while I was driving home from work, suddenly a voice that was not my own came into my head and told me I wasn’t going to make it to the end of the year, that this would be the final time I’d work a 9-5 and for anyone but me. I couldn’t have agreed with this message more.
By August of 2018, I decided to quit my full-time start up job of six months and pursue my business and Almost 30 full time. Although it was scary and took a lot of thought and planning financially, I fortunately was able to quit and double what I was making through Leo Creative and Almost 30.
How do you get most of your clients?
Word of mouth = KEY. One good experience with a client could snowball into a whole network of clients. But a lot of my clients also come from Almost 30. They see the work I do for the podcast and reach out.
Overall, building a mentality that you are attracting clients and money everyday is really important. Whether it’s telling yourself “Money flows freely to me” or “I am worthy of my dream clients”, a simple mantra can make all the difference. Because in the end, it’s all about the balance between truly believing that you deserve your clients and making space for those clients to be received.
Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
Work smarter because your worth is not measured by your productivity. It’s measured by your longevity.
Don’t have one skill. The more tricks you have up your sleeve, the more projects you can take on.
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What is one trait or skill a person needs to do this job?
Don’t have one skill. Be multi-faceted. The more tricks you have up your sleeve and can do them WELL, the more projects and jobs you can take on. Plus, different skill sets could mean attracting clients from various industries. In the end, this will build you a strong, widespread network!
Carrie Smith Nicholson – Freelance Online Business Manager
When did you start your business?
I started the services part of the business over 7 years ago (then sold the blog part of it this year)
What do you do?
I’m an Online Business Manager for Virtual Teams. I help project manage small online teams and keep projects on track.
My clients like to call me the “people and project manager”. I specifically work with online entrepreneurs who are drowning in the day-to-day part of scaling their business and are ready for growth! I reduce the overwhelm and help bring long forgotten ideas to life — finally!
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
I looooove working with teams all day, interacting with different types of people, and helping make progress on projects and big ideas! I’m a type “A” personality so I don’t always have the big ideas but I have the time and resources to implement them. I love when clients bring the ideas and I bring the organization so we can both see the ideas come to life!
How did you first get into this work?
I started out with my own blog and business and built my own team of freelancers to help run everything. In the summer of 2017 I decided to let my business run on auto-pilot and mentioned that I wanted to be more of a project manager for other virtual business owners. I had my first client reach out to me within a couple of days and have had a full roster of client work ever since! I am currently in the process of getting my OBM (Online Business Management) certification which has helped me provide even more help for my clients.
How do you get most of your clients?
Nearly all of my client referrals are through word-of-mouth and through the contact form on my website. I only work with 2-3 clients at a time since it takes a lot of strategy and organization to properly manage everything. I like to offer a high level of service so I keep my client roster minimal!
Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
You have to REALLY love working with people and moving at a fast pace everyday! Managing virtual teams is a lot of work but it’s also super rewarding to see an idea come to life and the entire process that it takes to make it happen! You definitely want to make sure you have a decent knowledge of online tools and are able to set your ego aside for the benefit of the whole team.
You have to REALLY love working with people and moving at a fast pace everyday!
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What is one trait or skill a person needs to do this job?
Many of my clients request that I take care of the onboarding and offboarding for freelancers so it’s a bonus if you understand HR responsibilities and how to handle different personalities.
I recommend checking out a book by Tina Forsyth called, Becoming an Online Business Manager! It’s been instrumental in helping me work with clients and build my OBM business.
Locke Hughes – Freelance Writer
When did you start your business?
2017
What do you do?
Freelance writing and content consulting. Mostly, I pitch and write articles for health, wellness, and lifestyle publications, such as Shape, Women’s Health, NBC News, Today Show, Greatist, Real Simple, The Huffington Post, and Thrive Global. I also have worked as a content marketing consultant for health-focused brands and businesses.
What do you love most about being a freelancer?
Well, I love to write, so I’m psyched that I get to write every day and get paid for it! I’m also a very curious person by nature, so I love learning about new topics every day — no two stories are the same.
But I think that my absolute favorite thing is when I hear from readers who reach out and say that my writing inspired them. Usually, these comments stem from personal pieces that I write, so it’s pretty cool that my words and my experiences have meant something to a complete stranger.
How did you first get into this work?
I’d say it was a combination of education as well as real-world experience. I studied English in college and interned for local publications during school. Then I headed to New York City after graduation, where I applied to any and every job I could find. I eventually landed a job at O, The Oprah Magazine, which was an absolute dream come true. Well, when I say “job,” I really mean “paid internship.” But it was a foot in the door!
From there, I became an editorial assistant at Woman’s Day, an assistant editor at Shape.com (where I was promoted to social media editor), and then senior editor at Greatist.com. Eventually, I moved to Atlanta, which is where I went freelance (not a lot of full-time jobs in media there!).
How do you get most of your clients?
Truthfully, most of my work comes from editors who I had existing relationships with when I lived in NYC. When I went freelance, I made sure to list about 10 editors I knew personally who I could pitch — and that’s how I started out.
Since then, my clients have definitely expanded to some people I don’t know personally — but I still make the time to travel to NYC and meet with editors in person to form connections and put a face to a name, which always helps.
Do you have one piece of advice for someone wanting to get into this field of work?
Live in NYC I’m kind of kidding, but that really is how I’m able to do what I do. If you aren’t based in NYC and want to get into freelance writing, meet as many of the editors of local publications as you can!
Also, start a blog or start writing on Medium.com to showcase your writing if you don’t have any clips.
Meet as many of the editors of local publications as you can!
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What is one trait or skill a person needs to do this job?
Inherent & a knack for words
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