I am curious, is anyone a freelancer in the community space? And if yes, do you enjoy it more than working for a company? What are some pros and cons?
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In full transparency, I took 2 months off as I need to recharge and plan a pivot. I absolutely LOVE freelancing—I’ve been doing it for over 4 years (took a pause and revisited it less than 2 years ago) @emily1.
These are less of pros and cons because it’s super subjective and dependent on the individual.
Instead here are a few things I did differently this time around:
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Connected with industry peers (championed them and asked for insight/support)
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Built-in public: for my 1st year back I did weekly roundups via LinkedIn
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Set my own intentions and goals that fitted me! You will see a lot of Twitter hot takes and I encourage you not to listen to the noise.
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Acknowledging that everyone’s freelance path is different and that’s okay. Take what resonates and leave the rest!
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Be open to pivoting in unconventional ways. I’ve done this in many ways, from having two sector niches to narrowing it down to one. To deciding to apply to full-time work for financial needs so I can be patient with targeting the clients I want.
I recommend that you wet your appetite first! Doing gigs here and there on the side until you build momentum!
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I work in the community consulting space while also running my own community. I enjoy being able to work with a diverse range of brands and businesses but it isn’t particularly stable as marketing is always changing.
Fractional Chief Community Officers is a consideration as well: