Hi guys! I am curious about some of the reasons someone would become a freelance. For instance, the first idea that comes to my mind is being our own boss.
In my case, the worst experience I had with a boss, who was actually a woman, was that she wanted to set up my priorities in life; work over family (a baby). First I thought that was something ânormalâ , since she was a business woman with 2 grown up kids, but then I realized that this was not what I wanted in my life, and I had to set limits first, and then separate paths.
What is your worst situation with a former boss, or even a client? Maybe we could share here how you sorted out the issue!
Hi Cristina, For me, the lack of appreciation and micromanagement pushed me to seek independence. Freelancing offers the freedom to choose who I work with and how I manage my time. Itâs empowering to be in control of my own career path.
In my case the main reason was family. My child has serious ADHD, that requires lotâs of therapies and flexibility, something that no employer would tolerate (experienced as well, the moment when you realize that the âopen door policyâ is just a fancy lie).
Your story really resonated with me, and it reminded me of my first work experience as an intern, which was equally traumatic. My boss, who was also a woman, had serious issues. I still remember one particular episode: one day, after putting my colleague under pressure for hours, my colleague asked if she could go to the bathroom. The response, loud and in front of everyone, was: âLet her go to the bathroom, otherwise sheâll wet herself.â In that moment, I realized I never wanted to work for her.
A week before the end of the internship, I decided to tell her that I wouldnât be continuing, but I made myself available to finish all the ongoing work, even if it meant working overtime (which, of course, wasnât paid). The result? She called the employment lawyer to terminate my contract immediately.
That was just my first experience, and although Iâve had others with both good and less-than-good bosses, in 2023 I finally made the decision to become a freelancer. And you know what? I couldnât have made a better choice!
Thanks for sharing your story, it made me feel less alone on my journey. Iâd be curious to know how youâve dealt with other challenges in your freelance path!
Iâve been fortunate to have great bosses throughout my career, so itâs disheartening to hear that these kinds of situations happen.
As for my experience, I used to work in a corporate job and hadnât seriously thought about freelancing until I met my current boyfriend. He had a full-time job and also freelanced, advising several startups on finance, financial modeling, and related areas. We collaborated on a few projects, and I really enjoyed the new perspective that working with startups brought, so I just continued
I think that if it were more love in the world it wouldnât be that much rude, unflexible and unkind people.
I am happy that you have found your way of operating and that it works for you, via freelancing
From that experience, that was actually quite recent, I have worked a lot in my mental health and I have tried to listen myself over what the others think that I should do. Rising my own voice and do the things I really want to, valuing my own priorities. I can say that this has been a liberating feeling and that I feel really connected with myself and happy
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and happy