Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

I got a call back for the interview I had last week. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much because I figured I was too expensive for them (they said on the call that I was at the very top end of their budget), but here we are.

I'm also looking forward to some time off the next two weeks. I've been working really hard on client work and The Hello Effect and I really, reallllly could do with a break. We're our own worst enemies when it comes to this right?! Tell me I'm not the only one pls.

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared why you might find yourself starting from zero all the time. Check it out here. And don't forget to give me a follow for regular tips and tricks!

Here's what I've been up to this week work-wise:

👉 I wrote 2 pieces for clients (an influencer marketing tool and Salsify)

👉 I refreshed 2 pieces for Shopify

👉 I did more outreach, LinkedIn posts, and a newsletter for a client

👉 I had a second round interview with a potential client

👉 I held one mentoring session

👉 I guested on a podcast

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~17

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~3

💰 Total revenue this week: £2,475

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Friday Freelance Tip​​ ✨ ​

Earlier this week, I was chatting with a freelancer who's been building out a new service.

She's talented, she knows her stuff, and she was genuinely torn: should she go really specific with who she targets, or keep it broader while she's still figuring things out?

It's a question I've heard so many times and I've wrestled with it myself.

The advice you'll find pretty much everywhere is niche down. Be specific. Be the person who does one thing for one type of client.

And yes, there's absolutely some truth in that. Specialists do tend to command better rates, attract better clients, and spend less time convincing people they're the right fit.

But there's a big but in there.

Most of us are told to choose our niche before we've actually tested it. We're told to sit down, pick an industry, write it into our bio, and commit, even when we have no idea yet whether there's real demand there, whether we'll actually enjoy working with those clients, or whether it fits how we naturally work.

That's a LOT of pressure to put on a decision you don't have enough information to make yet.

What I've noticed instead (for myself and for a lot of freelancers I speak to) is that the niche tends to emerge on its own... if you pay attention.

You start noticing that a certain type of project keeps coming back, or that a particular kind of client is easier to work with, more respectful of your time, quicker to say yes.

That's your niche forming from real life, lived, in-the-moment, true experience.

So when this freelancer asked me what she should do, I said: don't box yourself in just yet.

Start broader... not so broad that you're saying yes to everything and anyone, but open enough that you can actually gather some data on what's working.

Pay attention to who's hiring you and why. Notice which projects light you up and which ones drain you. See where the repeat work comes from.

And then, gradually, let that shape how you position yourself.

I'm not saying you should stay vague forever. I want to be very, very clear about that (after all, my business DID completely change in a good way when I found my "niche").

At some point, you do need to be able to say something specific and compelling about what you do and who you do it for.

But there's a big difference between specificity that's been earned through experience and specificity that's been invented out of thin air because someone simply told you to niche down before you were ready.

This week, we have a B2B comms writer from Australia.

Where are you based? Australia.

How long have you been freelancing? 15 years.

What do you do? B2B comms in the property industry.

What's your revenue? $250k AUD.

This freelancer freelances full time and this was their highest earning year.

How much did you take as a salary?

$135k AUD.

How much did you pay in taxes?

25% corporate tax.

What are your business expenses?

Approx $400/month storage, phone, email, web hosting etc.
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Do you contribute to a pension or invest?

$27,500 for super. I also have high interest savings for a six-figure buffer and invest $4k a month in ETFs. I spend the rest on travel.

Do you have any hot money-management tips?

For three years I have periodically tracked my ‘net worth’ to show how small steps over time can build into something big. It’s been educational and motivating to think about future me.

We need more Freelance Money Diaries entries! I'm forever grateful to anyone who shares their finances with us (you can do it totally anonymously!).

Click the button below to do yours!

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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