MY FREELANCING JOURNEY

Have you ever felt like all of your career experiences were building off each other towards some unknown place in the distance? You gain a bit of customer experience and sales from a call center. Then one day, you see an open window, and you’re teetering on the edge with your skillset in hand, trying to decide if it’s time to fly.

That’s exactly what happened to me.

Oh, freelancing! Being professionally independent has been a dream of mine for years. I just don't have the courage because I fear that it won't fly. And it is very recently that I took the first step into becoming a freelancer.

When an organizational shake-up left me with no choice but to perform a role I didn’t want that would also steal my soul, I knew it was time to go. But instead of jumping into a new company right away, I decided to bet on myself. I had no background in freelancing and knew very little about what it entailed. But I believed in myself and knew that my 9 years in sales had prepared me for anything.

To Freelance or not to?

I felt stuck in corporate structures and processes and I was almost never able to work the way I wanted to. After a while, I felt like I slowly resigned and started to become a pale robot fulfilling brainless tasks that did not matter to me. Back then I felt so stuck, I decided to quit my job and to hibernate all I want. Freedom!

But when I returned from my hibernation most of my questions remained unanswered. How can I create a professional lifestyle for myself that supports my needs for a work-life balance, locating independent tasks as well as new exciting projects to work on? At that time freelancing crossed my mind.

First off, I decided I wanted to work on my skills. That´s why I enrolled in Surge Marketplace and take a General Virtual Assistant course. That's when it all makes sense. I know freelancing was made for me. I'm open to the fact that I will be stuck in a routine but in a much more exciting way. After all, freelancing is not just about bringing your laptop to the coffee shop around the corner and working on creative passion projects. We also have bills to pay, a lifestyle to live and a family (or at least ourselves) to feed.

If we have doubts and worries about freelancing. Maybe we just need to ask ourselves, "Is this what I really want"?

Do what makes you happy

The reply was clearer than ever. I love to venture into life and see what is in store for me. I try anything and everything that I find interesting. I never build a "comfort zone" around myself. I'm constantly in search of things that challenge me and help me grow.

Yes, freelancing is about leaving your comfort zone. It´s a jump into the uncertain. An exciting rollercoaster ride. But you can still have a safety net. I decided not to put all bets on one horse. And that's what I'm looking at right now. Since I have a full-time job, I'm looking for a part-time and from there on I will work on different projects building up my skills as well as my portfolio.

So ask yourself. What is it you would like to be doing? If it's freelancing, please feel free to approach me and I will show you how to start freelancing.