We're Taking You Next-Level

My freelance career started how a lot of things in my life start.

As a mistake.

Or lemme call it a happy accident.

Picture it:

2018, I’m fresh out of high school with the world as my oyster.

I often say 2018 was the best year of my life because I enjoyed nearly complete independence and suffered nearly zero responsibility.

2016 is a close second, but I was in boarding school, which takes some points off.

Anyway, back to ’18.

A church friend, CF, introduced me to “Hames,” an older academic writing honcho who helmed an agency of writers with some skill and even more desire to work minimum wage.

I only deserved Hames’ ear because I told CF I enjoyed writing. I meant fun little personal articles and college essays. I had never written an academic paper—unless you count those bulky History responses as papers, which I would, but that’s just me being disingenuous.

Nonetheless, Hames allowed me to join his agency. We’d write various papers for Western students who couldn’t be bothered to do it themselves.

I forget what the pay was now… Probably something stupid like 250 bob ($2) a page (250 words). But in my never-earned-a-cent-before, I-don’t-have-bills-to-pay, I-live-in-Kenya mind, I was rolling in it.

Hames even offered to format the papers while I focused on the content and learned the ropes.

For the most part, he was a good first “boss,” even when he was doing that creepy thing many men can’t seem to stop themselves from doing: flirting with subordinates.

Any road, we worked together for about two years. I can’t remember what severed that relationship. It must’ve been me starting uni or increasingly growing frustrated with his oft-unreasonable perfection standards.

What I remember clearly is that he didn’t pay me for my last submission, a short paper about climate or whatever tf.

He asked me to do some revisions. and I did so judiciously. Still, he held on to my 10 bucks like it was the custom fee he needed to collect his beloved car from the port of Mombasa.

As annoyed as I was, I didn’t want to argue with him about such a trivial amount, so I let it and him go, and that was the end of that.

I’d love to discuss the rest of my work experience in similar detail, but that’s not the purpose of this email.

The purpose of this email is to introduce you to my free freelancing cohort, so let’s go there instead.

I really could’ve used a freelancing cohort during my time with Hames to help me iron out a few critical creases in my strategy:

1. Stacking additional skills

2. Abandoning complacency

3. Investing in self-education and mentorship

4. Seeing this “side hustle” of mine as a business

5. Seeking a higher position with time and experience

6. Standing up for myself when he’d occasionally bully/sexualize me

7. Proactively looking for better, more challenging opportunities for career advancement

8. Realizing that contributing to the global plagiarism trade wasn’t a sustainable way to position myself in the market

Among many other mistakes I can only see now in hindsight.

I want to help five fortuitous freelancers—younger mes, if you will—solve these problems and more with my cohort.

It doesn’t matter if you’re currently working a 9-5, in school, have a physical products business, or already dipped your toes into the freelance pool. I can help you take your freelancing to the next level.

The proof is in the pudding:

Since breaking up with Hames five years ago, I’ve scaled my freelance business to 200,000 KES/month. And that’s just the beginning—or, like, the middle of the beginning.

Remember that I’ve been in school for a huge chunk of those five years.

• Where would I have been if I wasn’t?

• If I had a future me holding my hand through the journey?

• If I went all in from the beginning — mentally, physically, monetarily?

Let me use you as a glimpse at who that Hope would be.

$1.5K monthly may not seem like a whole lot, but where I’m from, these are life-changing numbers. I know because they’ve actually changed my life.

Through freelancing, I’ve been able to:

• Let my creative impulses shine through in my work.

• Work when, how, where, and for whom I want.

• Forget what day of the week it is.

• Learn as I earn (in USD!!!).

• Avoid dreary commutes.

And many other benefits we can talk about once you sign up to be my first experience replicating or even quadrupling my process and product.

This inaugural program spans four months, starting Monday, 1st April, 2024.

What to expect from the Freeing Right cohort

1. Personalized mentorship: Experience one-on-one sessions tailored to your specific needs, goals, and challenges.

2. Group sessions: Engage in dynamic group sessions with a select group of five freelancers, fostering collaboration, learning, and growth among peers a few steps within your current position.

3. Skill development: Hone your freelancing skills under expert guidance, whether in writing, graphic design, coding, marketing, or any other specialized area.

4. Insider insights: Gain valuable insights into the freelancing industry, including emerging trends, best practices, and insider tips for success.

5. Portfolio feedback: Receive constructive feedback on your portfolio, resume, or freelancing profile to showcase your work effectively to potential clients.

6. Networking opportunities: Connect with fellow freelancers at different stages of their careers, forming valuable professional relationships and potential collaborations.

7. Time management strategies: Learn effective time management techniques to juggle multiple projects and easily meet deadlines.

8. Financial guidance: Get expert advice on pricing strategies, invoicing, and financial management to maximize your earnings as a freelancer.

9. Emotional support: Receive encouragement, motivation, and support to overcome obstacles and stay resilient on your freelancing journey

10. Access to resources: Enjoy a curated selection of online courses, tools, and resources to enhance your skills further and address your most pressing issues.

Why Choose Freeing Right

1. Guidance from a seasoned expert: Led by an industry veteran with over 6 years of successful freelancing experience, the cohort offers mentorship and advice from an independent worker who’s navigated the ups and downs of the freelance world firsthand.

2. Proven strategies: While I’ve never hosted a cohort-type mentorship program, I’ve helped numerous freelancers start and advance their businesses. You’ll read more about that in next Saturday’s newsletter. I’m also on a continuous teaching and learning journey via my Twitter and LinkedIn. Those communities have been fun to engage with, but a cohort is 100* more personalized and effective.

3. Exclusive access to a groundbreaking program: As the first of its kind, the cohort offers a unique and innovative approach to freelancing mentorship. Joining our inaugural cohort means being part of a groundbreaking initiative revolutionizing how freelancers learn, grow, and succeed in today’s competitive market.

Sound good?

I’ll respond within two business days if your application is successful.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, 29TH MARCH, 2024

Again, Freeing Right is ABSOLUTELY FREE.

(But it won’t always be.)

And you can leave whenever you feel it’s no longer serving you.

(No hard feelings.)

If you have questions that haven’t been addressed, reply to this email or email me, and I’ll get back to you pronto.

Can’t wait to hear from and work with you! :)

Keep Freeing Right,

Hope. ☆