What I've Learned After Two Years of Freelancing

It’s been two years since I started The Write Shop. What most people don’t know is that one of the main catalysts for starting my business was rejection.

I love writing. Writing creatively is something I’ve done since I was a kid, scribbling poems in my journal. Before I switched to Business/Marketing, I was a Journalism major in college. Writing was a big part of almost every job I’ve had. And just before I started The Write Shop, I decided I wanted to be an author.

I did research. I read books about writing (and a lot of books NOT about writing!) I started fleshing out an idea for a novel. I found a small short story contest to enter. I got feedback on my entries from family and friends.

I knew that earning a place in a collection of short stories was a far cry from actually getting a book published, but man, I was excited and so hopeful. I put my heart and soul into the 2 stories I submitted. I waited anxiously to hear if I made the cut - only 25 stories would.

When I got a rejection letter, I was crushed. I didn’t want to talk about it or think about it. Instead, (and honestly without too much thought), I pivoted and decided to put my writing to use elsewhere: I’d start a business as a freelance writer.

Two years later, here are the most important things I’ve learned.

Taking chances is worth it. Starting something new and putting yourself out there is scary. But it’s also exhilarating. There will always be a million reasons NOT to do something - but it’s much more rewarding to take the leap, regardless of the outcome. Today, I certainly wouldn’t advise anyone to start a business without thinking about it much - but it’s not going to go perfectly no matter what you do. You won’t get everything right.

Mistakes have value. I could say that I made a lot of mistakes, especially in my first year of business. I undersold myself. I was too insecure. I took clients that weren’t really a good fit. I focused too much on finding clients behind my screen than meeting people in person. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade any of it. My most difficult clients forced me to narrow the type of work I was willing to take. As a result, I honed my service offering and target market. My great clients helped me see what I am worth and push through my insecurities. Dry spells with very little work made me step outside my introverted comfort zone to seek out new clients. I needed these experiences to grow.

Constant learning is imperative. Like many freelancers or start-ups, I took any work that came to me at first. I quickly found that my skill set was far from perfect. I was so excited to help people that I overlooked how much time and effort I would need to put into learning new things. Now, instead of being flustered by that, I routinely incorporate it into my schedule. I spend a lot of time learning new things that will result in better work for my clients. Be teachable and eager to learn - you don’t know everything already.

Don’t give up if it gets hard. In some ways, starting my business was easy. I didn’t need much money to get started, and I can do my work from anywhere. But it’s also been stressful, overwhelming, time-consuming and difficult. Regardless, you won’t read any story of a successful business owner that says, “Everything was easy and went exactly as planned!” It’s going to be hard.

I’m not where I want to be with my business yet (or my novel, which I am still working on), but that’s OK. Overall, it’s been a tremendous and humbling growth experience that I wouldn’t trade. If you’re considering freelancing or starting a business of your own, I would encourage you to be brave! It’s worth it - even the hard stuff.

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