Being Freelance

Hosted by Steve Folland

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Episodes

373

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Freelancing? Being boss of your own life and business can be tough and isolating. But it can also be totally rewarding. Pick up tips, advice and strategies on how to make it as a freelancer, an solopreneur, as the owner of your own independent business - by hearing other creative freelancers share their experience. Hosted by fellow freelancer Steve Folland. Serving the world's self-employed with episodes since 2015. Come join us in the Being Freelance Community - You're not alone being freelance. www.beingfreelance.com/community

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October 19, 2026Episode 37039 min

Networking Can Work! How Andre De Almeida built his freelance business on conversations

Moving from Brazil to London to learn English in 2016, Andre De Almeida didn’t just pick up the language - he picked up the Being Freelance podcast and studied a new way to live and work too! After being made redundant from an in-house role, he used what he’d learned from listening to jump headfirst into full-time freelancing. The key to his growth? In-person networking, vulnerability, and a constant willingness to experiment -from the events he attends to testing titles like CMO vs. Fractional Marketing Manager. In this episode, Andre shares how stepping away from "corporate polish" helped him find his voice, build long-term client relationships, and win through collaboration over competition. And we're not joking when we say he found a friend and a client collaboration on his very first Being Freelance Community event - Mini Golf! You can see him and Cat (and Steve!) in this video of our day. In this episode of the Being Freelance podcast , Andre shares: Vulnerability builds genuine connections: Showing up authentically and admitting when work is slow resonates far more with people than pretending everything is perfect. Positioning makes sales easier: Replacing titles like "CMO" (which sounded out-of-budget) or "Freelancer" with "Fractional Marketing Manager" made prospects immediately understand his availability and offering. Collaboration over competition: Connecting with peers in community spaces doesn’t just bring you friendship and support, it can result in long-term client sharing and referrals. Networking extends beyond the room: In-person networking starts the conversation, but consistent 1-on-1 follow-ups on LinkedIn build the long-term relationship. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

October 12, 2026Episode 36954 min

From Burnout to Balance: Pacing Your Business as a Neurodivergent Freelancer with Celie Nigoumi

Photographer and creative facilitator Celie Nigoumi shares her journey from severe burnout and chronic health challenges after university to building a thriving freelance business that works for her in a way normal employment and fluorescent offices never could. Celie talks about navigating neurodivergence, merging multiple niches into a single authentic personal brand, and using boundary-setting tools like quarterly planning and bi-weekly 'buffer' days to safeguard her well-being. We also get deep into pricing/packages her freelance business, and her About page messaging that spills across her website steeped in her core values - this helps her attract ideal clients while turning away the wrong fit. Topics Covered include: Transitioning from in-house corporate photography to full-time freelancing Managing ADHD, chronic fatigue/ME, and burnout in a self-employed career Merging wedding and personal branding photography into one personal brand Using Instagram, story-led email newsletters, and SEO to generate client leads Establishing clear core values on your website to attract the right clients Hosting community photo walks and collaborating with purpose-led organisations Structuring personal branding packages and conducting discovery calls Using support tools like Toggl and the UK Government's Access to Work scheme Implementing bi-weekly buffer days, quarterly planning, and extended time off How a mentor and community have helped focus her and encourage her forward You can find Celie's website at celienigoumi.com More details on the UK Government's Access to Work scheme : get support if you have a disability or health condition. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

October 5, 2026Episode 36844 min

Embracing The Weird: How Quirky Outreach Built a Copywriting Business with Helen Carrie

What happens when the industry you’ve worked in for a decade gets shut down overnight? In this episode, host Steve Folland chats with Helen Carrie to talk through her complete freelance overhaul when COVID hit. Helen worked in UK television production: traveling the world, interviewing celebrities; before the pandemic brought it all to a stop. Forced to evaluate her skills, she decided to try her hand at writing, starting at the very bottom. Over a five-year gradual transition, Helen phased out TV production and built a thriving, sustainable B2B copywriting business focusing on brand copy, executive ghostwriting, and conversion copy. Keen to keep her skills and clients diverse to protect herself. In this honest, funny, and practical conversation, Helen reveals the exact numbers behind her cold pitch strategy, how being intentionally "weird" on LinkedIn transformed her client base, and why setting boundaries gave her a much better quality of life. In this episode of the Being Freelance podcast , Helen shares: The reality of TV "freelancing" – Why traditional television production contracts often trap self-employed creatives in high-burnout, all-consuming feast-and-famine cycles rather than offering true flexibility. Rebuilding a creative career from scratch – How an industry-wide shutdown forced a 5-year pivot from TV into B2B copywriting, starting with content mills paying fractions of a penny per word. The power of "weird" cold outreach – Why sending highly personalised, quirky connection requests and emails generated a reliable 1% conversion rate to build her client base. Finding your authentic voice on LinkedIn – Moving past corporate posting habits to turn social media into a steady inbound client lead generator. Securing recurring revenue with retainers – Smart strategies for structuring ongoing client work, from fixed monthly project fees to quarterly brand strategy reviews. Beating the "bad boss" mindset – Practical advice for us busy being our own boss, on setting firm boundaries, taking time off, and designing a business around your life instead of your life around your business. Website> B2B Copywriter Helen Carrie JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

August 23, 2026Episode 36732 min

5 Ways AI Could Be Tripping Up Your Freelance Business - Bonus - with lawyer Ingrid Fernandez

AI is already in your freelance business, whether you invited it or not. The usual Being Freelance podcast is on its summer break, but here's a bonus treat for you: a replay of a live LinkedIn session Steve did with lawyer Ingrid Fernandez, part of the Being Freelance community, looking at what AI means for freelancers legally - not "will it take my job" but "how does it change my contracts, my responsibilities, and my relationships with clients?" Ingrid walks through five areas that could be tripping freelancers up: Putting client information into AI - what counts as personal information, why transparency with clients matters, and why your privacy policy needs to name the tools (including AI) that touch client data. Clients handing you AI-generated materials - the IP risk when a client passes over AI-made brand elements, logos or source material without saying so. Using AI in the services you deliver - the reputational and trust risk of client-facing work that's gone through AI without disclosure, and why it's worth putting in your contract. Clients putting your deliverables into AI - what happens to your IP once a client feeds your design, copy, or podcast into their own AI tools to create derivatives. Confidentiality clauses and AI - how modern confidentiality clauses are increasingly naming AI specifically, and why redacting a client's name doesn't necessarily get you off the hook. Ingrid's steer throughout: this isn't about being anti-AI, it's about being transparent, thinking about where you stand, and then getting your contracts to reflect that - so you can stop worrying about it case by case. Find Ingrid at herlegals.com . Catch the full library of Q&A replays in the Being Freelance Community. This was originally a LinkedIn Live - so come find us on LinkedIn: Steve Folland on LinkedIn Being Freelance on LinkedIn Ingrid Fernandez on LinkedIn JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

July 19, 2026Episode 36649 min

The Blogs Became Books... Became Clients - David Airey

David Airey is a freelance graphic designer based in Northern Ireland, self-employed since 2005. He's the author of several best-selling design books including Logo Design Love and Identity Designed - both of which started life as blogs, before turning into books... before turning into a steady stream of client work. In this episode, David talks with us about: Persuading his former employer to be his first freelance client Why his early "business blog" flopped, and how switching to writing about design (not just his own) changed everything Launching logodesignlove.com in 2008, and getting an out-of-the-blue email about a year later from a US publisher that led to his first book deal How that one book grew into four published titles, translated into multiple languages Niching down into logo and identity design after realising it was the part of the job he loved most The costly early lesson of doing design work before securing payment upfront - and how he gets paid now Why he's deliberately kept his business to just himself for 21 years How those same blogs, barely updated these days, still bring in client enquiries years later What makes a good client relationship, and why he pushes back on purely subjective feedback Why he doesn't set long-term goals and prefers to stay focused on the present Find David at: davidairey.com logodesignlove.com and identitydesigned.com JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

July 12, 2026Episode 3653 min

Freelancer BTS - Not rushing on

New full episode coming soon. But in this super short one - Steve Folland explains why he's not publishing a new interview this week. Too often we rush on from one thing to another. But by doing so we don't do justice to the thing we just finished. With the Being Freelance podcast, that can mean not promoting an episode with clips, socials and emails. That doesn't help the podcast, the guest OR the listener who could have benefited. Same in our freelancing businesses. If we don't reflect, get testimonials, build case studies, share... we don't help do justice to the project we just finished. We don't do justice to ourselves, to our client... AND we don't help potential new clients know what we're capable of, so weirdly, we're not helping them either. If you find yourself rushing; pause. Try and build in some buffer to big up your business. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

July 5, 2026Episode 36446 min

Freelancing Through Every Tech Shift Since the 90s - Lisa Emmington

Lisa Emmington is a freelance instructional designer (or as her newly SEO'd website puts it, a training course designer) based near Milton Keynes. She's been freelance almost her entire career, starting out as an IT trainer back when Apple Macs were a mystery box on people's desks, and has reinvented her business every time the market has shifted underneath her - from face to face training, to early e-learning software, to mentoring individual course creators today in the face of AI. In this episode we talk about: How the desire to be freelance came before Lisa knew what she wanted to be freelancing in Spotting the shift from face to face training to e-learning, and moving with it What happened when she and her husband became a limited company for three years, and why it made her invisible in the market Rebuilding visibility from scratch with a social media VA and an SEO overhaul Why "instructional designer" doesn't bring in enquiries, but "training course designer" does Filtering and pacing leads using nothing more high tech than a paper diary The balance between promoting decades of expertise and the very real ageism facing freelancers in their 50s and 60s Her three income streams: templates, done with you mentoring, and done for you course creation Pensions, retirement planning, and why she's planning to keep freelancing well past 67 What 60 actually looks like now, versus what she expected it to look like So much great advice and things to think about in here around change in our careers - brought about by the inevitability of developing tech and age. --- EPISODE SPONSORED BY ECAMM For years people have asked how Being Freelance live shows look so good. Well, this is the secret. Ecamm is a video studio for your Mac. Give anything you do with video, a pro look in real time. Presentations, screen shares, webinars, video calls, demos. Plus livestream/record in landscape & vertical at the same time, perfectly designed for both formats. Try Ecamm for free. Use code BEINGFREELANCE to save 15% on your first payment. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

June 28, 2026Episode 36346 min

Chase the Happiness: Meaningful Freelancing - Filmmaker Zoe East

Zoe East has never had a proper job. A work experience placement at a big TV channel that felt old-fashioned and sexist put her off the traditional route before she'd even graduated, so she went freelance instead and never really looked back. That was over ten years ago. She started with whatever work came along. The niche found her gradually: charities doing meaningful work, heritage and culture projects, things that will matter just as much when someone watches them in ten years' time. This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers: Getting started by networking and taking whatever came along Winning six months of free studio space in a creative co-working community, and why staying there for ten years shaped the career around it Building a niche in charity and heritage filmmaking - and why charity budgets are often better than people assume Putting "win an award" on a vision board in January, and winning by April The adventure filmmaking strand: films about running adventures across Iceland, Tajikistan and Patagonia, and getting into Kendal Mountain Festival and the London Mountain Film Festival Why cold outreach has never worked for her, but word of mouth has - and how sharing only the work she wants more of has quietly shaped her client list Dropping Instagram and going all-in on LinkedIn as the one social platform where her clients actually are Monthly goal-setting sessions with a freelancer friend: yearly goals, monthly focus, and the accountability that comes from having to report back The rate spreadsheet that makes quoting consistent and takes the stress out of pricing decisions Buying almost everything secondhand, having all her kit stolen as her biggest low point, and using a post-COVID grant to buy her first ever brand new camera Moving into the She Who Dares Wins studio with Michelle, and the documentary series and production company they're building together --- EPISODE SPONSORED BY ECAMM For years people have asked how Being Freelance live shows look so good. Well, this is the secret. Ecamm is a video studio for your Mac. Give anything you do with video, a pro look in real time. Presentations, screen shares, webinars, video calls, demos. Plus livestream/record in landscape & vertical at the same time, perfectly designed for both formats. Try Ecamm for free. Use code BEINGFREELANCE to save 15% on your first payment. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

June 21, 2026Episode 36250 min

The Recipe Is Always the Same: Reach Out, Follow Up - Émilie Chen

French creative Émilie Chen had what she calls her dream job: senior designer at The National Theatre in London, working on posters she'd dreamed about since university. Years later though, it had turned sour in the studio, her mental health took a hit, and she gave herself 8 months to start saving money and figure out her next Act. What got her there wasn't a clever strategy. It was people. Co-founding the London chapter of Ladies, Wine & Design gave her the confidence to start asking the freelancers she was meeting, how they'd done it. Someone she cold emailed, handed her a contact sheet of art directors across publishing. And the recipe, she says, never changed: reach out, follow up, and keep doing it even when nothing happens for months. This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers: Co-founding the London chapter of Ladies, Wine & Design - starting with eight women in a theatre lobby - and how it built the confidence to ask near-strangers for advice, and to end up on speaking on stages (that got bigger and bigger over time) Pushing back on a client who wanted her to create pitch work for free - and how that one conversation led to every freelancer being offered a fee from then on Building a niche almost entirely from her old National Theatre colleagues, who took her name with them to new venues Waiting after a talk for the room to empty, then walking up to introduce herself Mailing a physical pack of postcards to The Guardian's creative directors and the years-later payoff Surviving lockdown eleven months into freelancing, when her entire theatre client base vanished overnight, and the online directories that kept her busy until theatres reopened The WhatsApp group of independent theatre poster designers who share contract terms, rates, and overflow work Why the hardest part of freelancing isn't finding clients - it's learning to be a good boss to yourself This episode is available to watch in video on Apple Podcasts , YouTube and Spotify . The generosity of others shines through in this conversation. And how Émilie herself is passing that kindness on. You can hear how important having a community around her has been for Émilie - you can have that kind of thing too - if you’re freelancing solo, come join us in the Being Freelance Community . You’re not alone being freelance. --- EPISODE SPONSORED BY ECAMM For years people have asked how Being Freelance live shows look so good. Well, this is the secret. Ecamm is a video studio for your Mac. Give anything you do with video, a pro look in real time. Presentations, screen shares, webinars, video calls, demos. Plus livestream/record in landscape & vertical at the same time, perfectly designed for both formats. Try Ecamm for free. Use code BEINGFREELANCE to save 15% on your first payment. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .

June 14, 2026Episode 36148 min

Freelancing as an Unpaid Carer - Adrian Ashton

Adrian’s been a successful freelancer for 21 years. But in the past 7, his definition of framing success has changed. For the last seven years, Adrian has also been an unpaid carer for three immediate family members. He talks honestly about what that's meant for his business - the travel he's had to give up, the networking events he can't get to, the inquiries he's had to turn away, and why he deliberately caps how much work he takes on (and how much money he can make). But he also talks about the bigger picture. Seven years ago, he went looking for support and found nothing. Half a million freelancers were in the same boat - and nobody was talking about it. So he stepped up and opened up. In this episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland, we cover: Why Adrian chose to make his caring role a "first date disclosure" with every new client - and how it's actually strengthened client relationships Planning marketing around your worst week, not your best The theory of constraints - and why having less can unlock more creativity and enjoyment His annual impact report: a 20-year habit that's never won him work directly, but keeps him accountable, sane, and focused The impending crisis for the UK as the numbers of freelancers with unpaid caring responsibilities increases How we can make a difference and a change The impact freelancers have in the world - yep, you included This episode is available to watch in video on Apple Podcasts , YouTube and Spotify . Adrian is a member of the Being Freelance Community - come join us, you’re not alone being freelance. Find Adrian at adrianashton.co.uk And his Impact Reports are available too . --- LINKS FOR CARERS MENTIONED IPSE Carers UK Number 18, In The Corner Blog Citizens Advice - Carers Benefits & Financial Support for Carers (UK) --- EPISODE SPONSORED BY ECAMM For years people have asked how Being Freelance live shows look so good. Well, this is the secret. Ecamm is a video studio for your Mac. Give anything you do with video, a pro look in real time. Presentations, screen shares, webinars, video calls, demos. Plus livestream/record in landscape & vertical at the same time, perfectly designed for both formats. Try Ecamm for free. Use code BEINGFREELANCE to save 15% on your first payment. JOIN THE COMMUNITY You're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends). beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU! The Being Freelance course is made for you! Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCH Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on: Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland .