Six Months Freelance: Five Things I've Learned

Six months ago, I wrote a blog reflecting on my first three days as a freelance charity communications consultant.

At the time, everything felt new. I was setting up systems, writing proposals, navigating discovery calls and getting used to the reality that doing the work and running a business are two very different jobs.

I finished that blog by saying, "For now, I'm exactly where I'm meant to be."

Six months later, I'm pleased to say I still feel the same.

When I started freelancing, I thought I knew what the biggest challenges would be. Looking back, I got some of them right... and some of them completely wrong. The difference is that I now have six months' worth of experience to reflect on.

Looking back, there are plenty of milestones I'm proud of. I've had the privilege of working with eight organisations across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the North East and even Austria. Together we've co-produced communications strategies and plans, delivered training, explored new ideas and tackled all sorts of communications challenges.

I've also matched the salary I was earning in employment, filed my first self-employed tax return, learned to manage my own bookkeeping, developed proposals for future work and, unsurprisingly, drunk what feels like about a million cups of coffee.

Those things are worth celebrating (although perhaps not the coffee consumption).

But when I look back over the last six months, they're not the things that have taught me the most.

Here are five lessons I'm taking into the next six months.

1. Work-life balance takes work

One of the reasons I chose self-employment was to create more flexibility and spend more time with my family.

What I've realised is that leaving employment doesn't automatically create a better work-life balance. Changing jobs doesn't suddenly change habits.

Somewhere along the way, overworking had become my default setting. Without colleagues packing up for the day or a commute marking the end of work, it became all too easy to answer one more email, make one more tweak or squeeze in one last task.

I'm still learning, but I'm getting better at protecting my time.

One surprisingly simple change has made a huge difference: removing my work email from my personal phone.

I won’t lie, at first, that felt uncomfortable. I worried I'd miss an enquiry or that a potential client would think I wasn't responsive enough.

What I'm slowly realising is that most clients aren't looking for someone who's available 24 hours a day. They're looking for someone who understands their organisation, communicates well and delivers quality work.

That's a much healthier expectation for everyone.

As the wonderful Jane Curtis often says, as freelancers we aren't looking for just any client; we're looking for our "right fit clients". The organisations where there is shared understanding, shared values and a genuine partnership.

And I think that applies both ways. The right clients get the best from you, and you get to do your best work when you are working with organisations you connect with.

2. Your own communications matter too

There's a certain irony in being a communications consultant who sometimes puts their own communications at the bottom of the to-do list.

Client work quite rightly comes first, but I've realised my own business deserves the same strategic thinking that I encourage clients to give theirs.

Writing blogs, posting on LinkedIn, updating my website and making time to network aren't distractions from the work, they are a key part of the work.

If I don't make time to tell people what I do, who I help and why it matters, I can't expect them to know.

Like many charities I work with, it's easy to prioritise delivering the service over talking about it.

Both matter.

3. Stay curious

One of the things I love most about this work is that no two weeks are ever the same.

One week I'm learning about refugee-led organisations. The next I'm talking environmental sustainability. Then I'm working with a local charity to develop a communications strategy or delivering training to voluntary organisations.

Every conversation teaches me something.

Communications doesn't stand still because people don't stand still. Our communities change, the wider world changes, technology changes and the way people consume information changes.

I don't think communications professionals need to have all the answers. but I do think we need to stay curious, keep learning and never stop asking questions.

4. Confidence grows over time

Confidence is a funny thing, isn't it.

One of the things I've noticed over the last six months is that confidence doesn't always show up as feeling like you know everything.

Sometimes it's recognising the value in the things you do naturally.

There have been moments where I've thought, "Is this really valuable? This feels obvious. Surely everyone knows this?"

But I've realised that what feels obvious to me is often because I've spent years building up that experience. Understanding audiences, asking the right questions, spotting where messages aren't clear and helping organisations communicate their impact might feel natural now, but that doesn't mean it isn't valuable.

My role isn't to walk into an organisation pretending to have all the answers. It's to listen, understand what's really going on and work alongside people to find the right solutions.

Looking back, confidence hasn't suddenly appeared. It's grown quietly through conversations, relationships, kind feedback and seeing the difference that good communications can make.

I'm not sure that feeling ever completely disappears, and perhaps that's no bad thing. A little self-doubt keeps us curious, keeps us listening and reminds us that we are always learning.

5. People are the best part

Without question, this has been my biggest takeaway.

Every organisation I've worked with has welcomed me into their world and trusted me with their stories.

I've met people doing incredible things in their communities, often with limited time, limited resources and endless determination.

I've learned about organisations, communities and causes that I might never have encountered otherwise.

Being invited to play a small part in that work is a genuine privilege.

It's one of the reasons I chose to specialise in charities and purpose-led organisations, and six months in, I can't imagine doing anything else.

Looking ahead

When I first became freelance, I probably measured success by the number of clients I'd work with or whether I'd earn enough to make it sustainable.

Those things matter, of course, but I've realised success also looks like building relationships based on trust, continuing to learn, enjoying the work you do and still feeling excited about what's around the corner.

To everyone who's trusted me, recommended me, shared my posts, introduced me to someone new or simply cheered me on over the last six months—thank you!

Your support has meant more than you probably realise.

I'm still learning and I hope I always will be.

Here's to the next six months. ☕