In this informal online talk between Freelancer Club and Ladies, Wine & Design (Southampton), we explore the various experiences and methods of designers & creative freelancers in order to learn from each other and form connections.

Life as a freelancer brings up a lot of very unique challenges that may not crop up as regularly if we were working a normal 9-5 job. Imposter syndrome, burnout and compare & despair frequently impact freelancers. Whilst working for ourselves is incredibly rewarding, these challenges can very easily stop us from achieving all that we envisioned when we made the decision to go freelance.

Hey there mi familia, how the hell are ya? It’s been a while.  Just shy of 2 months ago…I was in a pretty different mindset and this last Freelancer Club piece came pouring out of me.  I was pissed, I was done, I was over it. I had an axe to grind with the bullsh*t us highly-skilled, hardworking freelancers deal with on a daily basis from the snobbery in society that looks down upon us from its ivory-tower. Like a loyal boxing coach, I stood proudly by the freelancer’s corner for yet another fight.  Actually, oh contraire…I put the gloves on and entered the ring myself. This was my fight, and I felt indomitable.

If the pandemic has taught business managers and founders anything, it's that we must learn to trust our teams. COVID has expedited what we in the freelance sector have been predicting for a while. A full reevaluation and restructuring of our workforce to integrate remote working, a better work-life balance and less emphasis on the factory model. Now, as companies settle into a new way of working, have we done enough to incorporate an ethical freelance hiring process into our blended model?

This Masterclass is for freelancers and small business owners who want to learn how to attract more clients using LinkedIn content. People do business with people that they know, like and trust and it’s the role of content that will set you apart from the crowd.

In the world of advertising, we are often surrounded by faceless bodies trying to sell us the hottest new thing. But have you ever stopped to consider the people behind the pictures? While you’d be forgiven for thinking that body part modelling is only for people with pretty feet, well-manicured nails or a face for radio; in reality, there is a wide range of opportunities available for any body part that you’re feeling particularly proud of. If your eyes are the perfect shape for winged eyeliner or you can do a hair flick worthy of a L’Oréal commercial, you’ll likely be snapped up by the beauty industry for their latest advertising campaigns in an instant. From bald heads and belly buttons to eyelashes and earlobes; if you can pose with it, you can model with it.

Do you use video as part of your social media marketing strategy? Would you like to include video as part of your offering to clients?  Video content on Instagram, TikTok, even Facebook, has become essential to generate engagement and the tech we need to produce it is in our pocket.

I’m currently writing this on a stunning Saturday afternoon at a local beer garden — like a true, stereotypical freelancer. Where I go, my laptop comes with me. I'm practically married to it. It simply comes with the territory.  The sun is shining, the birds chirping, the music playing, Mums and Dads keeping their kids in check while discussing mortgages and refinancing of their homes in the current market — all of it, completely out their control and in the hands of the government, banks, and corporate interests. Sure, it's a friendly affair and they are enjoying their 48 hour break from being accountable to their bosses, but there is a certain aura of concern surrounding them. It's as if they are not in control of their own destinies — and they know it.