Owning your age as a freelancer: The Wrinkly Writer - Mary Cameron

Owning your age as a freelancer: The Wrinkly Writer - Mary Cameron

Author: Steve Folland April 21, 2024 Duration: 44:49
Aged 58 Mary found herself staring ageism in the face. Full time work wasn’t coming her way. And she realised perhaps she didn’t want it to. Maybe it was time for a change. With age comes experience. A stack of it in writing, even if she didn’t know what a copywriter was. Loads of it in managing projects. Dealing with people. Giving and taking feedback… Aged 68 Mary finds herself staring at the face of The Wrinkly Writer. Owning that age with pride. 10 years of successfully freelancing with people who love working with her. Mentoring new writers. Switching Australia for life in France. Prioritising health in mind and body alongside the work that she loves. You get the sense Mary is only just getting started.

Stepping away from the traditional career path to work for yourself is a journey filled with unique highs and lows. Being Freelance, hosted by Steve Folland, delves into that reality through candid conversations with those who are living it. Each episode is built around a freelancer's personal story, moving from their first tentative steps to the ongoing challenges and triumphs of running a solo business. You'll hear authentic discussions about finding clients, setting boundaries, managing finances, and coping with the isolation that can sometimes accompany the freedom. This isn't about theoretical business models; it's the practical, often messy, human experience of building a livelihood from your own skills. Steve guides these conversations with empathy, drawing out insights that are both reassuring and actionable. The podcast serves as a regular reminder that the questions and doubts you face are shared by others navigating the same waters. Tuning in provides a sense of connection and a wealth of hard-earned wisdom, whether you're just considering the leap or are a seasoned veteran looking to refine your craft. It’s a resource that acknowledges the tough days while celebrating the incredible rewards of designing your own working life.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

Being Freelance
Podcast Episodes
Graphic Designer & Illustrator Itzel Islas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
Overworked as an in-house designer, Itzel Islas turned to Instagram as a creative outlet and visual diary. Not realising it would soon turn her days into a colourful freelance business. Rooted in her Mexican culture, she…
Slow Down - Lineo's Intentional Freelancing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:46
When burnout hit, Lineo Kakole turned to her 16-year-old self for work-life balance answers. Now she works fewer hours, tracks how she feels as well as what she does, and has built a freelance business that fits her life…
Surgeries, Grief, & a Six-Figure Business - Jess Bruno [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:15
When Jess Bruno left a corporate job to manage her chronic illness, she didn’t even know freelancing was an option. A £25 call — suggested by her mum — changed everything. Since then, she’s built a six-figure freelancer…
No Suit, No Broccoli: Escaping Corporate Life with André Spiteri [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:11
He was tired of the suit. The shaving. The being the grown up in the room telling people to eat their business broccoli. So André ditched his corporate law job in Malta, moved to London with no plan, and built a freelanc…
20 years freelancing as Ben The Illustrator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:00
As Ben O'Brien marks 20 years freelancing as ‘Ben The Illustrator’, it’s time to find out how it's going. Since he was first on the podcast in 2018 a lot has happened for his freelancer business. Covid took away all his…
Your Handy Dandy Brandy Gal: Hollie Arnett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:34
New Zealand-based brand strategist and coach Hollie Arnett shares how she built two creative businesses, found her freelancing niche (then pivoted, multiple times), and kept showing up even through setbacks. Hollie's suc…
Collaborating, Not Competing - Jerel Ramsey’s Freelancer Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:01
Jerel, a freelance creative director from Trinidad and Tobago, shares how he turned his passion for design into Sola, a purpose-driven agency he runs with his wife. In a saturated market, they've built a business rooted…
Communications Specialist Dee Primett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:32
Freelance communications specialist Dee Primett shares how she went from writing blog posts around her kids to running a thriving healthcare and tech content business. After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2022, Dee reshape…
Using Creative Skills For Good - Conservation Illustrator Styngvi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:43
Icelandic artist Stefán Yngvi Pétursson, also known as Styngvi, shares his journey from working in an ad agency to becoming a freelance conservation illustrator. Inspired by shocking pollution during a trip to Indonesia,…