Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

It's been an exciting week.

I finally set up some Facebook/Instagram ads, I joined a "fireside" chat with Sarah Greesonbach, Jenni Gritters, and Stacy Corneau (watch it back here), and I launched the new Freelance Magic brand on Instagram.

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared why boundaries are so important for freelancers. See it here.

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

👉 I wrote 4 pieces for clients (including Experlogix, Whop, and Klaviyo)

👉 I refreshed 1 piece for Shopify

👉 I joined a panel discussion with Sarah Greesonbach

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

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

💰 Total revenue this week: £5,000

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Check out my three practical courses that have helped 500+ people get more clients, earn more money, and create better content.

Friday Freelance Tip​​ ✨ ​

I know I say it a lot, but things are tough out there right now.

I say it often because I want you to know you’re not alone.

It’s not you, it’s the market.

I’ve been doing this for 10+ years and the market has had its fair share of ups and downs over that time. It’s easy to get disheartened, but I’ve made it through every single peak and trough so far.

Obviously, it’s hard to see that when you’re in the middle of it.

So, today I want to talk about how we freelancers can ride out fads, trends, and market shitshows.

Firstly, let’s mention the elephant in the room: it’s so easy to get swept up in the doom on LinkedIn.

Yes, it’s hard out there and people are struggling. But there are also people doing very well right now. There’s still work out there, we just have to approach it differently.

I’m noticing a lot of freelancers are still trying to use old ways of landing clients (applying to job boards and cold pitching, to name a few) even though these aren’t working as well anymore.

But there seems to be a sense of reluctance to change. We think “These things worked for me in the past, so why aren’t they working for me now?”.

And that’s where we get stuck.

The great news is, that freelancing is an incredibly flexible business model. It’s usually just us running the show, so we can quickly pivot or adapt to meet changing needs.

When we’re in the midst of the Wild West (which is kinda what it feels like right now), it’s important to think about what actually matters:

• Your skills (which are always valuable)
• Your client relationships (which outlast trends)
• Your ability to adapt (which you’ve proven time and again)
• Your business foundations (which we’re about to fortify)

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And then we need to read the room.

Follow the money trail

• Watch where big companies are investing (I use Crunchbase and Wellfound to track this)
• Notice which skills are in growing demand (have you found new prospects asking for specific services?)
• Track industry-specific budgets and spending patterns (Google “your industry + budget/spending report”)

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​Listen to the right people

• Industry leaders (but not the panic merchants)
• Your actual clients (not random LinkedIn posts)
• Your fellow seasoned freelancers (they’ve seen this movie before)

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​Look for patterns

• Seasonal fluctuations (does your business dip at the same time every year?)
• Economic indicators that affect your clients
• Industry-specific cycles

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Here’s the thing about market fluctuations: they create opportunities for the freelancers who keep their heads.

Look for gaps left by competitors who quit, new needs created by market changes, and problems nobody else is solving.

Story time.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve seen an uptick in the number of prospects asking me to share my personal experiences in pieces.

Instead of churning out SEO posts that AI can do in a heartbeat, I’ve noticed brands are leaning into the human side of content. They want to share unique perspectives, real-life stories, and expert-led ideas.

After getting 3 new inquiries about this kind of thing over the past few months, I decided to shift my positioning to encompass this new need.

And this is my biggest piece of advice: listen. And then listen some more.

It’s easy to panic when everything feels up in the air, but prospects are telling us what they need. Look at what your existing clients are asking for more of. Speak to your target clients to understand how their needs are different this year.

There’s nothing more valuable than getting data straight from the source.

So, book some coffee chats, put out the feelers, and really take a moment to listen over the next two months.

We need more Freelance Money Diaries entries!

I'm in awe of how many people have been open enough to share their freelance finances with us, but to continue the series we need more submissions.

Just a reminder that you can do this anonymously if you prefer :)

I appreciate every single one of you and I want to continue my mission of financial transparency in the freelance world. Can you help?

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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