Being Freelance

Charles Commins handed his notice in at his pub management job with no plan and no business. 

His partner gave him one month to figure it out. All he knew was that he wanted to love his job.

Seven and a half years later, he's an award-winning freelance podcast producer whose almost entire client chain traces back to one decision: making a football podcast about Northampton Town.

That podcast would act as his show ground and his playground. Testing and ultimately proving to clients that he should be freelancing for them.

Along the way he's had a succession of word-of-mouth freelancing clients, realised his dream of appearing on BBC Radio, and made all of it work around being there for his family.

This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers:

Starting It's All Cobblers To Me as a portfolio piece, and how a Northampton Town fan indirectly led to a four-year retainer

Why and how 90% of his work comes through referrals

The "starting from…" pricing approach: why he won't publish fixed rates, and how he edges prices up with each new client

Work-life balance: from pub late nights to home office, to a new baby derailing everything, to finally getting it to 60/40

The never-ending circle of freelance guilt - working, not working, being with family… there's always something to feel bad about

Co-running MIC's Podcast Club with Vic Turnbull - 1,400 members, monthly virtual meetups, and why running a community full of "competitors" is actually brilliant

Launching The Warrington Scoop, a hyperlocal monthly podcast, as a low-lift way to generate local business leads

Co-mentoring with Amy: how a monthly accountability call became one of his most valuable freelance tools

The biggest challenge: not finding clients, but believing work will come when you're in a trough

Charles is part of the Being Freelance Community - come and hang out with Steve, Charles and plenty of friendly freelancers who get what it's like!

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

Perryn Ryan didn't set out to become a freelance illustrator. 

After a degree in computer information systems (to keep her parents happy), years in tech,, and a long stint in the fashion industry, she eventually gave herself permission to just... draw stuff she liked. Nothing serious.

Then a stranger with a million followers re-shared her work, the enquiries started flooding in, and a freelance illustration career was born almost overnight.

In this episode of the Being Freelance podcast, Perryn talks about:

How a career in fashion taught her to cost properly - including the "invisible costs" most freelancers miss

What happened when she dived into her first illustration brief without a contract, and what she learned from it

Why she approaches every client relationship as a partnership - but with clear limits on revisions, timelines, and communication

Her surcharge system for clients who insist on net 30 or longer payment terms

How her niche grew organically by simply making what she loved - flowing line art, wellness themes, women-focused brands

Why she's stepped back from Instagram and leans on direct outreach to art directors instead

The Illustrator's Business Journal; her writing project sharing business lessons through storytelling rather than how-to lists

Her four-bank-account system for managing freelance finances without the end-of-year panic

Protecting her creativity with time blocks, no weekends, and Field Trip Fridays

Enjoy a story with a few twists, a couple of false starts, and the reminder that every weird job you've ever had is probably preparing you for something.

 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

Laura Whitehouse didn’t follow the usual path into graphic design.

While studying archaeology and anthropology (told you) at university, she started designing posters for student theatre shows. At first for free, then for £20 here and there (or sometimes just a pint). What began as a creative outlet quickly became the foundation of a freelance career.

Thanks to word of mouth clients and the help of various mentors, she built skills and confidence. 

Until five years on, one of those mentors simply told her: "Just do it".

So she did. She quit. And start freelancing full time

In this episode Laura talks about:

Building a business through word-of-mouth referrals

Gradually increasing her rates after nudges from other freelancers

Showing only certain types of work online to shape perception

Running her one-woman studio Mighty Fine

Why she prefers working with freelancers rather than building an agency

The reality of managing 45 projects at once

Being completely unapologetic about chasing unpaid invoices

Why the financial side of freelancing can be the most stressful part

And the strange phenomenon of people wanting to “just grab a coffee” to pitch startup ideas

Laura also talks about working in film and TV graphics, co-hosting the podcast Opening Credits, and how reading fantasy novels recently helped her switch off from work in the evenings.

It’s a fun and honest conversation about building a freelance business your own way, without necessarily following the usual advice about niches, marketing strategies, or growth.

Sounds like a mighty fine idea.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

In this short compilation episode, Steve revisits conversations from across 11 years of the Being Freelance podcast archive to explore what actually happens when freelancers specialise in a niche. Full of stories of how these freelance creatives found their niche and the impact it had.

You’ll hear:

THE IMPACT OF NICHING

How specialising can make marketing simpler and sales conversations easier

Why expertise can lead to higher-value opportunities

HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE

How to choose a niche based on experience, enjoyment or values

Why your niche doesn’t have to be permanent

Featuring insights and stories from James Barnard, Liz Painter, Katie Chappell, Ayo Abbas, Louise Shanahan, Eman Ismail, Estelle Hakner, Ebonie Allard, Hannah Dossary and Stephen Adams.

Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your positioning years into freelancing, this episode might help you scratch that niche itch.

FULL EPISODES for each guest
James Barnard
Liz Painter
Katie Chappell
Ayo Abbas
Louise Shanahan
Eman Ismail
Estelle Hanker
Ebonie Allard
Hannah Dossary
Stephen Adams
Paul Jarvis Q&A

Hosted by freelance podcast editor and video podcast editor Steve Folland.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

For years, Mark Grainger’s freelance business ticked along nicely.

Referrals. Word of mouth. Repeat clients.

And then… things went quiet.

In this episode, we explore what happens when the reliable stream of freelance work slows down. And what it really takes to respond proactively rather than panic.

Durham-based freelance brand copywriter Mark shares how he:

- Repositioned himself from a company name back to his personal brand

- Niched by service rather than industry

- Started experimenting with LinkedIn outreach

- Refocused on building more durable business foundations

- Leaned into community rather than retreating

Mark is refreshingly honest about the uncomfortable parts of freelancing, especially business development.

“I have a business, but I’m not a businessman.”

We also talk about lifestyle businesses, pricing flexibility, work-life balance, and why it’s vital to acknowledge the harder seasons of self-employment rather than pretending everything’s fine.

If freelancing has felt quieter lately…

If you’ve relied on referrals and now need a Plan B…

Or if you’ve ever felt uncomfortable selling yourself…

This conversation will reassure you - and might just nudge you to get proactive too.

Go say Hi to Mark on LinkedIn!

 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community

NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.

FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.