Introduction
Starting my freelance career marked a pivotal turning point. After stepping back from full-time work, I wanted a flexible path that aligned with my skills and allowed me to travel while developing Project 50 on the side. I set out to find work that would energise me, connect me with interesting people, and open doors to new industries.
This was my first time looking for freelance work to be my sole source of income, so this project was going to be a challenge! This article shares my experiences, the challenges, the lessons learned from landing and growing my freelance work at GALLOS.
Project Motivations
Every decision we make has a trade-off in some way. Work is no different. When deciding your set-up, I always advise clients to look at their wider life goals and where they want to be spending their time, both in and out of work.
Applying this advice to myself, I realised, in this period of my life where I wanted to prioritise health and flexibility, becoming a freelance consultant was the best fit for my wider life goals and risk tolerance at the time:
My intentions going in:
Find energising work: When work truly energises you, you show up more fully in all areas of life. After some restorative time off from my previous job, I reflected deeply on where I found my energy and how I wanted to sustain it going forward.
Psychological stability: Always a saver, I could have taken more time off financially. Yet I missed the routine and structure of work, plus the sense of contributing to a greater purpose. With new intentions, boundaries, and a clear place for work in my identity, I felt ready and actively wanted to work again .
Explore a new industry: After years in startups, I wanted to understand how large companies operate and what makes a startup investable from an investor’s perspective. I knew startups were my long-term fit, loving their fast-paced nature and growth opportunities, so this would boost my value within that setting to help direct what “good” at scale looks like.
Set up a business: A sole trader is the simplest structure. It let me test if running my own (albeit one-person) business matched my expectations and justified the trade-offs. I wanted to validate my assumptions about being self-employed.
Preparation & Research
Preparation
In preparation for starting the job hunt again, the first thing I did was take stock. What were my biggest assets I could bring to my own job hunt?
For me, my top five were:
My network: Having run an online community platform for three years, helping hundreds change careers, I had vast knowledge of industries, sectors, and contacts to explore work styles.
One-on-one connections: As a self-identified digital introvert, I skip mass social media posts but nurture quiet, meaningful engagement with my network. This proved vital for my job hunt.
Creativity: Tailoring outside-the-box applications is something I love. As a career mentor, this helps clients stand out and signal genuine interest.
Curiosity: I sought roles allowing learning and a selfish growth goal alongside getting paid. This distinguished exciting, challenging jobs from those that wouldn’t stretch me.
Tenacity: Job searches rely on numbers alongside quality. Prioritising time, job boards, and steady applications was second nature.
Knowing how to work with yourself saves time and energy. A large component of understanding your next steps is understanding what it is you want from work and what it is you can bring (more on that here)
Research
I then started researching. I reached out to network contacts at admired companies or interesting roles. I checked job platforms like Escape the City (mission-driven companies) and Otter.ai (10 curated job ads weekly to cut overwhelm).
Alongside this, I told friends, family, and contacts I was job hunting, describing the work type and people I wanted help/ be around. Even without exact roles in mind, this sparked opportunities from my existing network.
What happened next
I found my first true freelance role via LinkedIn. Two people I had met through my last company were looking for an events coordinator for the Venture Capital they worked for in London for an upcoming event, with potential to extend.
It fit my goals of working with people I admired and in a company I could learn from. For me understanding VC and getting exposure to cybersecurity, defence and technology experts and leaders across startups and FTSE100 companies with a huge draw and an area I was interested in.
Knowing both of the hiring managers was a huge advantage and allowed me to negotiate my salary and working terms as they had first hand experience of knowing what I was like to work with. In addition, the event was coming up soon so they needed someone who could hit the ground running.
Since I started freelancing with them I've also helped with other marketing and digital projects which has really made me feel part of the team. Alongside this I supported one of their build companies with their launch event and have enjoyed learning more about the industry which evolved into an ongoing contract managing multiple events and internal projects within the venture capital space.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Gaining Confidence
Starting fresh as an external freelancer brought anxiety and unknowns. Handling a major launch event was daunting without full knowledge of previous setups. Support from an internal friend and a successful event gave me confidence in my value, skill set, and communications.
Expanding Freelance Work and Building Stability
Over two years, I shifted from hourly rates to packaged contracts, gained client referrals, and found other freelance opportunities within GALLOS’s network. This financial stability allowed me to pursue business ventures, charitable projects, travelling and my Project 50 initiatives in a sustainable manner. I couldn't be happier.
Skills & Lessons Learned
Mastering client communication and setting clear contract boundaries
Negotiating prices confidently and understanding value beyond cost
Managing time effectively with flexible working hours
Overcoming discomfort around invoicing and money discussions
Balancing client expectations and delivering quality results
Gaining business financial literacy and separating freelance and entrepreneurial roles
Leveraging mentorship and professional communities for growth
Personal Reflection & Next Steps
Freelancing reshaped my career mindset, boosting my confidence and business acumen. It balanced independence with team collaboration and opened doors to new opportunities. Moving forward, I plan to grow my freelance events work into a scalable agency using AI and systems to support creators. Simultaneously, I’ll deepen my mentoring and coaching initiatives, aiming for a balanced 40/60 split between freelancing and business building.
Introduction
Starting my freelance career marked a pivotal turning point. After stepping back from full-time work, I wanted a flexible path that aligned with my skills and allowed me to travel while developing Project 50 on the side. I set out to find work that would energise me, connect me with interesting people, and open doors to new industries.
This was my first time looking for freelance work to be my sole source of income, so this project was going to be a challenge! This article shares my experiences, the challenges, the lessons learned from landing and growing my freelance work at GALLOS.
Project Motivations
Every decision we make has a trade-off in some way. Work is no different. When deciding your set-up, I always advise clients to look at their wider life goals and where they want to be spending their time, both in and out of work.
Applying this advice to myself, I realised, in this period of my life where I wanted to prioritise health and flexibility, becoming a freelance consultant was the best fit for my wider life goals and risk tolerance at the time:
My intentions going in:
Find energising work: When work truly energises you, you show up more fully in all areas of life. After some restorative time off from my previous job, I reflected deeply on where I found my energy and how I wanted to sustain it going forward.
Psychological stability: Always a saver, I could have taken more time off financially. Yet I missed the routine and structure of work, plus the sense of contributing to a greater purpose. With new intentions, boundaries, and a clear place for work in my identity, I felt ready and actively wanted to work again .
Explore a new industry: After years in startups, I wanted to understand how large companies operate and what makes a startup investable from an investor’s perspective. I knew startups were my long-term fit, loving their fast-paced nature and growth opportunities, so this would boost my value within that setting to help direct what “good” at scale looks like.
Set up a business: A sole trader is the simplest structure. It let me test if running my own (albeit one-person) business matched my expectations and justified the trade-offs. I wanted to validate my assumptions about being self-employed.
Preparation & Research
Preparation
In preparation for starting the job hunt again, the first thing I did was take stock. What were my biggest assets I could bring to my own job hunt?
For me, my top five were:
My network: Having run an online community platform for three years, helping hundreds change careers, I had vast knowledge of industries, sectors, and contacts to explore work styles.
One-on-one connections: As a self-identified digital introvert, I skip mass social media posts but nurture quiet, meaningful engagement with my network. This proved vital for my job hunt.
Creativity: Tailoring outside-the-box applications is something I love. As a career mentor, this helps clients stand out and signal genuine interest.
Curiosity: I sought roles allowing learning and a selfish growth goal alongside getting paid. This distinguished exciting, challenging jobs from those that wouldn’t stretch me.
Tenacity: Job searches rely on numbers alongside quality. Prioritising time, job boards, and steady applications was second nature.
Knowing how to work with yourself saves time and energy. A large component of understanding your next steps is understanding what it is you want from work and what it is you can bring (more on that here)
Research
I then started researching. I reached out to network contacts at admired companies or interesting roles. I checked job platforms like Escape the City (mission-driven companies) and Otter.ai (10 curated job ads weekly to cut overwhelm).
Alongside this, I told friends, family, and contacts I was job hunting, describing the work type and people I wanted help/ be around. Even without exact roles in mind, this sparked opportunities from my existing network.
What happened next
I found my first true freelance role via LinkedIn. Two people I had met through my last company were looking for an events coordinator for the Venture Capital they worked for in London for an upcoming event, with potential to extend.
It fit my goals of working with people I admired and in a company I could learn from. For me understanding VC and getting exposure to cybersecurity, defence and technology experts and leaders across startups and FTSE100 companies with a huge draw and an area I was interested in.
Knowing both of the hiring managers was a huge advantage and allowed me to negotiate my salary and working terms as they had first hand experience of knowing what I was like to work with. In addition, the event was coming up soon so they needed someone who could hit the ground running.
Since I started freelancing with them I've also helped with other marketing and digital projects which has really made me feel part of the team. Alongside this I supported one of their build companies with their launch event and have enjoyed learning more about the industry which evolved into an ongoing contract managing multiple events and internal projects within the venture capital space.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Gaining Confidence
Starting fresh as an external freelancer brought anxiety and unknowns. Handling a major launch event was daunting without full knowledge of previous setups. Support from an internal friend and a successful event gave me confidence in my value, skill set, and communications.
Expanding Freelance Work and Building Stability
Over two years, I shifted from hourly rates to packaged contracts, gained client referrals, and found other freelance opportunities within GALLOS’s network. This financial stability allowed me to pursue business ventures, charitable projects, travelling and my Project 50 initiatives in a sustainable manner. I couldn't be happier.
Skills & Lessons Learned
Mastering client communication and setting clear contract boundaries
Negotiating prices confidently and understanding value beyond cost
Managing time effectively with flexible working hours
Overcoming discomfort around invoicing and money discussions
Balancing client expectations and delivering quality results
Gaining business financial literacy and separating freelance and entrepreneurial roles
Leveraging mentorship and professional communities for growth
Personal Reflection & Next Steps
Freelancing reshaped my career mindset, boosting my confidence and business acumen. It balanced independence with team collaboration and opened doors to new opportunities. Moving forward, I plan to grow my freelance events work into a scalable agency using AI and systems to support creators. Simultaneously, I’ll deepen my mentoring and coaching initiatives, aiming for a balanced 40/60 split between freelancing and business building.