When I set out freelancing on the 28th April 2020, it was from a place of necessity. Having lost the job I had lined up (after handing in my notice at my then-current employer), I was for the first time since I began working, unemployed.

Freelancing had always been something I’d wanted to do, but I wanted to get a few more years under my belt of experience in marketing agencies. I had actually been keen to move to a content or copywriter role for some time, but found myself drifting into marketing and account management. While I learnt a lot from those jobs, (and those experiences massively helped me prepare for freelancing more than having a talent for words), taking the freelance leap wasn’t something I expected to do until I was in my late 30s or 40s. Even then, it would only be so I could spend more time on my main hobby of horses.

So jumping into self-employment at 26 was a little earlier than planned, but I was still determined. After all, nowhere would be hiring for a while and I’ve never been one to sit and mope. When I get an idea in my head I have to act on it, I can’t sit around and wait. Decisiveness is one of my strengths, although it can be a pain in the arse when I have to layer on some patience to go with it.

I was pretty scared as well. I needed this to work out, and while I know how to manage a client account and I’m a fairly confident, outgoing person, running my own business meant facing up to possibly my biggest weakness.

Maths.

Numbers are NOT my thing. I like words. Words are fun and floaty and full of potential to do and be anything. Numbers are fixed and rigid. There is only one right answer. There is no room for deliberation.

Faced with the prospect of having to manage things like business expenses, taxes, pensions etc, I did the only thing I could. I put on my big girl pants and did my research. I got some accounting software, I learned about SIPP (that’s pension stuff), how to calculate an accurate day rate, set up a business bank account and email address, got myself registered as a sole trader with HMRC. My business is 100% legitimate in the eyes of the Tax Man (hooray!).

For someone who was positively afraid of numbers, I find myself having to deal with them quite a lot now, and it’s surprisingly okay. My accounts are up to date, and I run my own books with the help of FreeAgent. It’s a lot more than I thought I was capable of. Which is odd, considering I used to handle client accounts and some fairly big budgets at my last job, but the thought of running and managing my own business budget seemed impossible.

With my fear of numbers conquered (mostly), my next task was nabbing some clients. Also tricky, given the climate last year saw a flood of people also taking to the freelance field in hopes of staying working. I was incredibly fortunate (and thanks to some wonderful former colleagues) to get connected with clients and work within a month of going freelance. But that wasn’t the end of it.

I had to get prospecting. When you freelance, even when you’re booked or secure with work, you’re always looking for new opportunities. I had to get used to putting myself out there without it looking too salesy or desperate. That’s a difficult task to balance when you’ve only been doing this a few months and you want people to very much give you the work, please.

I think a combination of producing good work for my clients (not to brag or anything), as well as keeping up with my own blog and regularly engaging on LinkedIn and with recruiters, has helped me build a tiny bit of a reputation among the marketing agencies in the area. I’ve had to graft a fair bit and take the busy days with the slow, the awkward chasing with the immediate bookings, but I’m so pleased with how H.J.Albone Media has shaped up, and I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty proud of myself for persevering with it all.

Maybe the best thing about going freelance, aside from being my own boss and being the one who calls the shots, is how much more time I have for myself. Whether it’s for my health and wellbeing, to spend with my partner, or to put on my muddy boots and frolic around the stables for a few hours, I am so much more relaxed and happy than I was commuting every day.

Looking at pictures of myself from when I was commuting to Birmingham and back from Warwick (a sweet 3-4 hours per day), I look exhausted. I was running on six hours of sleep most days, doing 12 hours door to door. It left me with little time to run errands in the week or do basic things like exercise. I didn’t get much sunlight being stuck in an office all day and less fresh air, thanks to Birmingham’s lovely pollution. I had very little time to help out around the house, which meant weekends were swamped with basic things like cleaning and going to the post office rather than fun things.

(Okay I admit those are pretty first world child-free problems but still, I like to enjoy the free time I have).

Now, I still work (obviously), but the balance is better. On days I’m fully booked, I’m at my desk till 5.30. I get an hour for lunch. I take breaks to wander around my garden and get some fresh air, without feeling guilty or feeling I have to rush back. I get so much more sleep. I can exercise without it being pretty much the only thing I do that evening besides eat dinner and go to bed. I have so much more time to spend with my partner. If I want a half day, or to head off for a few hours to ride or go the gym, I can. I’ve never missed a deadline or let a client down and I plan to keep it that way. Hell, I even cancelled some annual leave so I could take a client job on!

I don’t think it’s healthy to be constantly working all the time. Our brains just aren’t made for it. I know when I’m feeling productive and when it’s just not working. Difference is, now I have the space to step away, go for a walk, go to the gym, and come back when I feel ready rather than being shackled to my desk. I think the work I produce now is a lot better than what I was putting out previously. I have more space to think and create and plan – it just suits my style of working better.

I don’t beat myself up for not constantly reading and researching stuff for work. Nor do I feel the need to fill my time badgering people on social media for work, or churning out forced content for the sake of ‘being present’. I read plenty and keep up my presence as much as I like. When I am able to put forward a genuine, honest version of myself rather than one who is just constantly hustling for work, I think clients can tell the difference.

So for now, I’ll keep freelancing and see where it takes me. As much as I love the freedom, I really miss the office banter and the creative buzz you get in a good workspace. But I’m just happy to finally have a work-life balance that works for me and my clients.

Here’s to another year!