Stop Romanticizing Freelance Life!!!
What 90% Of Creator Content Doesn't Show You
I built my first 1 lac month as a freelancer while sitting in my pajamas.
I posted the obligatory "I quit my job" LinkedIn update. Got the likes—the comments. The DMs are asking how I did it.
What I didn't post? The night before, I had a full-blown panic attack, wondering if I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life.
Everyone is romanticizing freelancing over the 9-5 these days. You've seen it too. The beach laptop photos. The "I set my own hours" captions. The viral carousels about "escaping the corporate prison."
But here's what those posts don't show you:
The 3 AM anxiety when a client ghosts you.
The tax complications that eat up hours of your week.
The endless hunt for new projects never stops. Ever.
I've lived on both sides. Full-time employee with benefits and structure. Freelancer with freedom and uncertainty.
This isn't another "quit your job and live your best life" post.
This is the truth about what happens when you step off the standard path – and how to actually make freelancing work if you decide to take the leap.
The Freedom Tax: What Those Aesthetic Work-From-Anywhere Posts Don't Tell You
"I'm my own boss now! No more answering to anyone else!"
Sounds amazing, right? It is. Until you realize your new boss is every single client you work with.
Plus, the constant voice in your head reminding you to find more clients.
Plus, the market decides when your services are valuable.
Plus, the adulthood bill that doesn't care if you're having a slow month.
I call this the Freedom Tax. The price you pay for flexibility is permanent uncertainty.
In 2021, I freelanced for a while before flying to the UK. I still remember my first three months of freelancing. I doubled my corporate salary right away. I was on top of the world.
Then I went to the UK, got a 9-5, and the recession hit. I was let go within a day. A DAY!
No severance. No unemployment benefits. No HR department to talk to.
Just me, my laptop, and the sudden realization that I needed to find new income streams fast.
That's when the biggest lesson hit me: the "security" of a 9-5 is an illusion too.
The real answer isn't freelancing OR full-time work. It's building what I now call a Hybrid Career Design.
I bet you all follow Chloe Sinh on Instagram. She recently hit 1Million. And I have been following her since she was laid off by Discord. But she did something I couldn't. While she was working her 9-5, she was a successful content creator on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. I presume her socials were already bringing in enough to cover some of her bills.
Instead of panic, she had options.
Now here’s the thing: Your financial security isn't about your job title. It's about having multiple income streams and marketable skills that no one can take away from you.
The Freelance Reality Roadmap: 5 Steps to Build a Sustainable Independent Career
I've watched dozens of talented people jump into freelancing without a plan. Most of them are back in full-time jobs within a year.
Not because they weren't good enough. Because they weren't prepared.
If you're serious about making freelancing work, here's the roadmap nobody shares on social media:
1. Know Your Numbers Before You Jump
I learned this one the hard way.
"I'll figure it out as I go" is not a financial plan.
Before you quit your job, answer these questions:
What's the minimum you need to earn each month to survive?
How much do you need in savings to cover 6 months of expenses?
How much do you need to set aside for taxes each month?
What will health insurance actually cost you?
Create a separate bank account just for your tax money. Put 30% of every payment in there immediately.
Set up an emergency fund that can cover at least 3 months of expenses before you go all-in on freelancing.
Track every single expense in your business from day one.
These boring money habits will save you when the freedom feels like chaos.
2. Stack Skills Strategically
Being good at one thing isn't enough anymore.
When I started freelancing, I only offered copywriting. Then I realized clients needed a social media strategy, too. So I learned that. Then they asked about marketing & branding. That’s where my master’s helped.
Each new skill let me charge more and offer services that kept clients around longer.
Your skill inventory should include:
Your core service (what you're best at)
2-3 complementary skills that make you more valuable
Basic business skills (proposals, contracts, client management)
Marketing skills to sell yourself
This isn't about being mediocre at many things. It's about being exceptional at one thing with enough knowledge in related areas to be a complete solution.
The freelancers who survive aren't just talented. They're useful in multiple ways.
3. Find Your People Before You Need Them
Freelancing gets lonely fast.
When I left my job, I lost the built-in community of coworkers. No more lunch breaks with friends. No more venting about difficult projects.
Just me, my laptop, and endless cold messages into the void.
The freelancers who succeed build their community intentionally:
Join freelancer communities in your industry
Find an accountability partner who understands your work
Connect with 3-5 freelancers you can refer work to (and who might refer to you)
Schedule regular coffee chats with people doing similar work
I have had conversations that helped me double my income the next month because of a ten-minute chat.
Your network isn't just for emotional support. It's for knowledge, opportunities, and survival.
4. Build Systems Like Your Life Depends On It
In a 9-5, the company creates the systems. As a freelancer, that's your job now.
Without systems, you'll work 24/7 and still feel behind.
Create these right away:
A client onboarding process that sets clear expectations
Templates for common emails, proposals, and deliverables
A time-tracking system that shows where your hours go
A content calendar for your marketing
A clear schedule with designated work hours and boundaries
I wasted my first six months of freelancing "figuring things out as I went."
Now I have templates for everything. What used to take me 2 hours takes 20 minutes.
Systems aren't sexy. But there's a difference between freelancing as a sustainable career versus a burnout speedrun.
5. Plan Your Exit Strategy From Day One
Wait, what? An exit strategy when you're just starting?
Yes. Because freelancing might not be forever.
Ask yourself:
What am I building beyond client work?
Could I create products from my expertise?
Am I building a personal brand that could lead to opportunities?
What skills am I gaining that would make me more valuable in a full-time role?
The most successful freelancers I know don't just chase clients. They build assets.
They create courses. Write books. Build audiences. Develop products.
Because client work can disappear overnight. But assets can generate income for years.
My own exit strategy included building my personal brand on LinkedIn while freelancing. A brand led to speaking opportunities, which led to consulting gigs, which led to better clients.
If I decided to go back to a full-time role tomorrow, that personal brand would make the transition easier. That’s what I think, at least.
Your exit strategy isn't about giving up. It's about creating options.
I'm not telling you not to freelance. Freedom is real. Setting your own schedule is amazing. Picking your projects is incredible.
But go in with your eyes open.
Know that for every beach laptop photo, a hundred late nights are spent figuring out your life.
For every "I make six figures working 4 hours a day" post, there's someone who didn't mention the two years of hustle before they got there.
Freelancing isn't better or worse than a 9-5. It's just different.
The tax you pay for freedom is uncertainty.
The reward of that uncertainty can be a life and career built entirely on your terms.
Is that trade worth it to you?
Only you can answer that question.
But at least now you know what you're signing up for.
To the act of building & becoming,
Twinkle ✨
Thank you for reading this.
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