American Matthew Fenton has been working as an independent consultant since 1997, and he also writes the beneficial blog Winning Solo.
A while ago, he summarized his first 25 years of freelancing in a comprehensive article, recapping 25 things he got both very wrong, and mostly right as a freelancer.
In general, he places great emphasis on playing the long game, building a good name, and stresses that he never thought of freelancing as a stopgap, a flight of fancy, or a mere hustle:
“I never take it lightly. 'Fake it ’til you make it' is one of the biggest bits of nonsense foisted upon us by the personal-branding types. Our reputations are at stake. So are our clients’ investments. Experienced people can smell a fake a mile away.”
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