For the past 10 years I’ve been working the agency life. I spent the first 5 years in LA working for entertainment and retail clients before I moved down to Orange County and got involved in the world of powersports. I was an interactive agency girl through and through…until January of this year when I realised its time for a change. I went online and found a list of the best jobs which I could perform as a freelancer which is when I read and realised my passion for marketing. As of February I’ve been officially working for myself and diving headfirst into the world of freelance marketing. So consider this post my inner thoughts of a freelancer.

I should preface that I’ve only really been doing the freelance marketing thing for about 3 months now, so I still have a TON to learn, but I definitely feel like I’m starting to get my footing a bit.

So what do I do? I’m a freelance marketer and social media specialist. I work with clients to help them with their marketing needs, and that ranges from brand strategy to content development and executing marketing tactics by being in constant touch with companies like themarketingheaven.com. And while this is probably one of the most challenging things I’ve done ever, it’s also one of the most rewarding. Here are a few thoughts:

• The hustle is real: When I worked at an agency I already had my clients and didn’t need to go find them. This go around, I’ve had to hustle my booty off. This includes lots of emails, research, social networking, calls, etc. Lucky for me I grew up with a dad who was in sales so I already knew a bit about the art of the hustle before I even got started. But boy is it real, and yes, you are always hustling.

• No two days are the same: Some days I work solely from home, some days I’m in meetings, and some days I’m at a coffee shop up the street. As someone who used to thrive on a strict routine, this has definitely been a big change, but I just find myself rolling with it.

• I need human interaction: As much as I love and am grateful to be able to work from home, I realized I do need human interaction as well. I went from an environment full of people to one with just me and my cat. I found by simply changing my environment or being around people (ie: coffee shop) is a great way to keep the creative juices flowing.

• I’m constantly learning new things: This new career path has me learning new things all the time. The newest apps, best ways to gain a social following, what email subject lines are most impactful, etc. It’s challenging and exciting all at once.

Those are just a few of my thoughts in this wild new world of freelancing. Taking the leap from a steady paycheck and leaving an awesome company to do my own thing was hard to do, but I know ultimately it was the best choice for me.

I’m also thinking of starting a freelancer series on the blog so if you have any questions/thoughts/comments please share! Is anyone else out there part of the big crazy world of freelancing?