Full transcript of “The 9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Freelancing”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:00 Over 80% of new freelancers end up quitting and going back to their nine-to-five jobs. I'm Evan Fisher. I've been a freelancer for over five years now, and I'm here to share what I wish I knew before I started freelancing so that you don't end up in the 80%, become a successful freelancer and never have to go back to your regular job. First of all, if you're thinking about becoming a freelancer, that is awesome. It is a huge step, but hold your horses right there because there's just more to it than just opening up an account on Upwork or any of the other platforms. Freelancing can be the perfect storm of flexibility, autonomy, and financial success, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows. It demands grit, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Basically. Are you ready for 60 to 80 hours of work every single week?
0:47 Can you deliver world-class work consistently? Are you prepared for the unpredictability of a schedule? Here's a reality check. Not every client who shows interest is gonna hit the hire button. And chasing after them, that's just a waste of valuable time and energy. But don't worry, I've got you covered. In this video, I'm gonna drop some hard-earned truth about the reality of freelancing from my own experience. Now, when I say freelancing, what pops into your mind? Freedom, flexibility, being your own boss. Yes, all of those things are part of the freelance life, but there's so much more to it. Now let me drop a truth bomb here. Freelancing isn't for everyone. It's not just like a one-size-fits-all kind of gig. It's more like a custom-tailored suit, which is perfect for some, but for others it might be a little bit constricting. For some,
1:36 it's a dream come true, but for others it's like a rollercoaster ride that just doesn't stop. So why am I talking about freelancing anyway? Why does it matter? More and more people are diving into freelancing each day. This isn't a trend, it is a revolution, and it's changing the way that we work. Did you know that as of 2021, there were almost 60 million freelancers in the US alone? Yep. You heard that right? And that number is growing, but why such a big move towards freelancing? Simple. The world is changing. The job market's evolving, and traditional 9-to-5 jobs are just losing their charm. Enter freelancing with its promise of flexibility, freedom, and the chance to earn more than you'd ever earn in a 9-to-5 while you're at it.
2:21 Now, don't get me wrong, freelancing is not a magic fix for everyone, and it's definitely not easy money, but if you're willing to put in the work, the sweat, the long hours, and sometimes the tears, it can be life-changing. It can offer opportunities and experiences that you would never find in a typical 9-to-5. So you want to be a freelancer, I hear you, but here's the deal. Freelancing is not a mere job or a career switch. It is a life change. And like any life change, you need to know what you want to get out of it. What are your goals? And I mean clear, specific, written down goals. Do you want to freelance full-time or part-time? What income level do you want to reach? What types of clients are you looking to serve? If you haven't done this yet, then pause this video,
3:07 grab a pen and paper or just open up a new document and write it down. Write down your goals. Seriously, like do this right now. As I mentioned earlier, freelancing is a growing field with platforms like Upwork. You're in the company of around 12 million other freelancers. Sounds like a pretty big number, right? As I mentioned, over 80% of them quit. But the question is: why? The answer? Pretty straightforward. They dive in without clear goals, they get overwhelmed and they find themselves lost in the vast sea of freelancing. Freelancing can be tough, and I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. I put in between 60 and 80 hours per week. Yes, you heard that right? 60 to 80 hours. This is not a typical 9-to-5 gig.
3:52 So if you think that freelancing is just gonna be a breeze and you're just gonna make money, it's gonna be totally easy, then forget it. It's not gonna happen like that. You probably need a reality check, but when you put in the work, there is a payday. So now you're probably wondering, okay Evan, how much can I really make as a freelancer? How much do freelancers make? It really varies. It depends on your skills, the industry that you're in and how much you put into it. Really, there's basically no cap to your earnings potential. You could be making more money than your actual job, but here's the thing: don't expect money to come flowing in just as soon as you start freelancing. You gotta put in the work. And unlike many others, I am a huge proponent of taking training-wheels jobs. For example,
4:39 my first freelance job, it was for $200 for a job that many other people would've been charging over a thousand dollars for, and it paid off because within nine months of starting freelancing, I was earning more than I ever earned in a normal job. But in freelancing, just doing a job isn't enough; You gotta strive for excellence. Excellence is literally the only way. You know, there's a saying that goes good enough is good enough, but when it comes to freelancing, that is bulls***. Mediocre work is never ever going to get you chosen by clients. Mark my words, only excellence wins, and your goal should be to do world-class work consistently. That is how you grow, that is how you succeed. Trust me, your reputation for being the best in your field is incredibly important.
5:26 I remember one time a potential client sent me an email saying, "Hey, can we have a meeting?" And so we had that meeting and this guy tells me, "Hey, listen, the person who introduced me to you, they told me that you are the only person that I need to speak with about this job," and this is on a project worth over 10 grand. He was just like, "Hey, you know, send me your payment details." That, my friends, would never have happened if I had just settled for good-enough work to reach this level of excellence. Just be prepared that you're gonna be working random hours, meeting at different time zones and answering calls at literally one in the morning or 10 o'clock at night. I remember when I was in Spain, when I just started off like I was juggling calls past midnight. Freelancing is not your typical 9-to-5 and treating it as such is just not
6:11 gonna work. Now let's talk about your soon to be bread-and-butter clients. Remember, it's not just about getting the job, it's also about the people who you work with. Now here's a key point that many newcomers often miss. An indication of interest is not a job. Just because a freelance client tells you that they're gonna hire you, it does not mean that it's gonna happen until you get a client. It's gonna be a lot of repetitive stuff. In a normal week, I would be writing like 50 plus proposals. And you know, when I first started, whenever I got a bite from a client, I would just be like jumping for joy. In my early days, literally anybody that came my way, I would basically chase them down to to hire me. I would be spending hours, days, even weeks, just sending them messages, following up with them,
6:58 like planning out projects in my mind. But guess what? They would vanish without ever pressing the hire button. So here is my advice: If you find yourself having to chase someone to hire you, then your effort is probably better spent somewhere else. Do not waste your time. It is not worth it. But once you do get a job, then you've gotta go and do that job. But more importantly, you have to manage your client, which is not easy. Only you can give clients a great experience - and when things go wrong, that is also all on you. No freelance website is going to manage your clients for you. It is your responsibility to keep clients up-to-date, setting the right expectations, communicating on where you're at and making sure that they are happy with your
7:45 work. But when you do a great job, you stand the chance to win an awesome review, which can lead to more jobs. Every five star review that you earn is like getting a lottery ticket. They can significantly boost your reputation and attractiveness to potential clients. But be mindful. Reviews are important, but they are not everything. You might think that having a ton of five star reviews guarantees your success, but that's not always the case. What truly matters is the value that you consistently deliver to clients. And if there's one thing that you need to remember, then let it be this: Avoiding bad clients is more important than finding good ones. Drama is a freelancer's worst enemy. One bad client slows down literally everything. It gets you in a bad headspace,
8:32 which means that you're gonna be less likely to win that next job with the next call that you get on with a client. Your work is going to suffer. Everything is just gonna start to go to hell all at once. It stops your growth. And since we're talking about growth, let's talk about one of the most vital aspects of your freelance journey: Upgrading your skills. Now this part, it's gonna sound like I'm lecturing or like preaching, but trust me, it is just as crucial as finding good clients, if not more important. Remember, as a beginner, learning and upgrading your skills is virtually free. It's like a treasure chest just waiting to be opened. And guess what? You've got access to YTU. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it stands for YouTube University. Yes, you heard that, right? See,
9:18 in the beginning, a lot of what you're gonna learn as a freelancer will likely come from free sources like YouTube. But here's the catch. As you move on up the ladder, the best learning, it's an investment. You need to spend money to make money. It's crucial that you're constantly investing in your skills and knowledge, and that's where advanced courses and training programs come into play. So I know what you're thinking. Courses are expensive and trust me, like I've been there. I remember that the first time I decided to buy a course, like it was over $5,000, I was hesitant. I felt scared and I was like, is this gonna pay off? But I decided to take the leap in the end, I had to stretch my budget. Like I felt bad because I was asking these people like, "Hey, listen, can I split-pay this?" So I felt guilty, but in the end, guess what?
10:07 This course that I signed up for got me over a hundred thousand dollars in projects. It was like one of the best investments that I ever possibly could have made. So it is going to cost you as you go further on into your journey, never underestimate the value of investing in your own skills, especially from people who have been there and done it. It's an investment that keeps on giving, multiplying your earnings exponentially. And if you're an Upwork freelancer who wants to multiply your earnings, then you've gotta get signed up. For my Freelance MVP Academy, I'm gonna talk about it more in a bit, but it's basically a cheat code to winning jobs and making money on Upwork. And it also doesn't cost $5,000. Stick around to the end of the video for a little Easter egg, but for now, we've gotta talk about the most powerful thing in freelancing because up to now
10:52 we've talked about putting in the work, honing your skills, and becoming the best. Now let's talk about the rewards of all that effort, clients just showing up and dropping into your lap. I know it sounds too good to be true, but let me tell you a little story. In the early days when I just started freelancing, like I was obsessed with reviews, even though reviews are worth their weight in gold, I thought that like reviews were the end-all and be-all, but I was wrong. The real game changer was referrals. I worked with a client, I did an awesome job, and she was super happy, so happy in fact that she told me, "I want to be the person who refers you the most business of any one of your clients." And she delivered. So far, she sent me over $150,000 worth of projects. No proposals,
11:42 no competitive bidding, just direct quality clients ready to hire. Here's the thing: no amount of marketing can replicate the trust that is involved in a direct referral. You are not just a freelancer. You are the freelancer that somebody that that person trusts, recommends. This doesn't happen overnight though. You've gotta earn that trust and it starts with doing exceptional work for every single client that you take on. From there, it's just about encouraging those satisfied clients to spread the word. It's as simple as just asking at the end of a project. In my experience, great people tend to know other great people. So if there's anyone in your network who you think is gonna be a great fit with what it is that I do, then just send them my way and I promise I'll take really great care of them.
12:29 Up until now, we've discussed a lot about the practicalities of freelancing from building the world-class skills to creating stellar relationships with your clients. Now let's dive into one of the most important aspects of being a successful freelancer: Taking responsibility for your own success. In the world of freelancing, you are the boss, the employee, the customer service rep, the marketer. You are the entire business. There is no one else that you can just pass the buck to. There is no supervisor to guide you or take the fall if someone goes wrong. You are your own supervisor. You are your own fallback. That means that you need to be proactive in your decisionmaking, continuously develop your skills, manage your time efficiently, and solve the problems that are going to come your way. I know it's super overwhelming for a lot of people,
13:17 but it's also what makes freelancing so rewarding. There's a saying that goes: "You can't steer a parked car." You need to be in motion to be directed towards your goals, so don't wait for opportunities to come knocking. Get out there, make your own opportunities, and take control of your freelancing career. Be intentional as you move toward your goals. Speaking of which, remember how I told you to write down your goals. Now, if you didn't do that, then here's my number one piece of advice for you. You ready? Quit. Just f****** quit right now. Don't worry, you won't be alone. And over 80% of freelancers quit. Remember, being responsible for your own success also means being honest with yourself. Not everyone is cut out for this. If you can't take the advice from one of the highest earning
14:05 freelancers in the world, then acknowledge your own strengths and weaknesses. Action isn't for everyone. Freelancing isn't for everyone. But assuming that you wrote down your goals, now we're gonna move on to the next step. Self-care, it's super overlooked, and yes, I am talking about this because mentally and physically, you have to be in great shape to be a freelancer. A lot of adversity is gonna come your way. And being a freelancer, I'm not gonna lie to you, it's pretty lonely sometimes. There's no colleagues that you can take a break with for coffee, no office parties. There's not team building exercises. It's literally just you sometimes your computer, your workspace, and your clients. And often in our hustle to build up our freelance business, we forget to take care of ourselves. We overwork, we undersleep,
14:51 we neglect our health, and slowly but surely, we start to burn out. Trust me when I say this, burnout is not pretty and is absolutely real. It doesn't just affect your work. It can affect your entire life because remember, you are the most important asset of your freelance business. And if you aren't at your best, then neither is your work. So make sure that you're taking time out for yourself. Exercise, meditate, take a walk in the park, read a book. Whatever it is that you need to do, you gotta relax and recharge regularly. Create a healthy work-life balance for yourself. Don't just let work consume your life. You're a human being, not a work machine. And it is okay to take a break. It's not even just, okay, you gotta do it. As you embark on this exciting freelancing journey,
15:39 remember to look after yourself because only when you're at your best can you actually deliver your best. And if you basically want a cheat code to delivering your best and getting straight to the top together with a community that is gonna help you grow, and also to meet with me on Zoom every month, then sign up for the Freelance MVP Academy. There's a link in the description below, and we're also gonna put a little coupon on screen. Remember, freelancing can be tough, but it's also incredibly rewarding. If you stay dedicated, maintain your professional excellence and take care of yourself, then there's literally no limit to what you can achieve. I believe in you, and I'll see you in the next one right here.
