6 myth-busting lessons from my first year as a solopreneur

Exactly a year ago, I embarked on my new project - Hen's Milk - after 17 years spent in the corporate world, working for P&G and Mattel.

Then, something unexpected started happening…

Several people in corporate roles approached me and asked: "Please, tell me more about it… It's my dream to leave my job and become a freelancer!"

Interesting how some people who probably wouldn't have said this out loud before, suddenly open up when you are "on the other side"!

Personally, I'm glad I started this journey and grateful to have worked with some fantastic clients in my first 12 months. However, I've found that some people who have always been in employment "romanticise" the life of a solopreneur, or think it's a bed of roses.

It's not their fault - there is a plethora of "gurus" out there who (attempt to) make money by selling the dream of easy money, little work and total freedom.

In this article, I'm sharing 6 lessons about life as a solopreneur from the past 12 months

➡️ For those who truly want to make the transition, to help them go into it with both eyes open;

➡️ For those who harbour that dream but aren't quite ready (yet), to make the most of the positive sides of their corporate jobs.

Lesson 1: you don't get to make all the decisions - you need a mental shift

Perhaps, in your corporate job, you are frustrated by having to align so many stakeholders before a decision can be made, and you may think: "If I had my own business, I'd be making all the decisions!"

It's true: as a solopreneur, you decide in autonomy how to conduct your business. For example, the customers you target, the services you offer, or how to market them.

However, when you work with customers as a freelancer, you must remember that you are not the one in charge anymore.

Your job is to share your expertise, solve problems for your client, and make recommendations where appropriate.

You must make a mental shift: from being the one leading from the front, making business decisions, to becoming the indispensable side-kick that you wish you had by your side when you were in a similar position.

Lesson 2: prepare yourself to do unpaid work

People in permanent jobs may look at freelancers' day rates and think: "Wow, that's much more than I make in a day! Must be nice!"

What they don't see is how much time goes into:

⌛Publishing free content (blogs, social media, newsletters…) to promote your services

⌛Networking, online & in real life

⌛Prospecting calls

⌛Admin.

Sure, people in employment are also frustrated by spending time on tasks they don't find enjoyable or rewarding - but knowing that you are working without getting paid requires next-level discipline & determination to remain motivated.

Lesson 3: flexibility is a double-edged sword

One of the reasons people want to move into freelancing is the idea of taking back control of their time.

Personally, I feel I have more flexibility to plan my days (it's much easier to take a few hours off to run an errand), but at the same time, less flexibility to take more than a couple of days off at a time.

What I find most puzzling is how some people in my life who have "regular jobs" assume that I can drop everything at a moment's notice, and they are surprised when I tell them: "I can't meet you tomorrow, I'm working!".

Lesson 4: working while travelling the world is possible, with lots of planning

Location freedom was my top reason for going freelance (in the picture, I am working from gorgeous Montenegro). But this freedom is not unconditional.

Personally, I have chosen to spend about 80% of my time in one location, so I'm far from a full-time digital nomad. I have also made sure to choose a place serviced by two airports, so I can easily travel to customers as required.

Certainly, I know other solopreneurs who made different choices. However, most tend to agree that - at least in the early stages of launching & growing a new business venture - it's best to have a fixed "base", or to move locations no more than every 3-6 months.

When I do travel, my number 1 priority is to ensure I have a reliable Internet connection & a suitable workspace. This means researching carefully and, sometimes, making compromises on the places I want to visit, for example if they are in remote areas.

So yes, location freedom is possible, and it's great - but you need to plan & choose your location(s) wisely to maximise your productivity, if you also want to build a successful business. Reality is definitely quite far from the idea of "working from the beach" that some people have in mind!

Lesson 5: you will have to get very good at handling rejection

As a line manager, I sometimes had to coach members of my Marketing teams to handle rejection. To avoid taking it personally, or jumping to the conclusion that they were dealing with someone rude or lazy.

I remember their eyes wide open in disbelief, the indignant tone of their voices.

"So-and-so hasn't answered my email in a week!"

"That person cancelled our meeting with two minutes' notice, without giving me so much as a reason!"

"I spent hours on that presentation, in the end they made me rush through it and they didn't approve my project!"

Luckily, I spent a few years in Sales at the beginning of my career. Managing relationships with buyers provided a good training ground for handling rejection.

And yet, these were existing customers of a multinational company, who - ultimately - needed to continue doing business with my employer.

When you manage your own business, and even more so when you start something new, prepare for being rejected and ignored - a lot. Even by people that you thought you had a close relationship with, perhaps even a friendship. If you aren't being rejected on a daily basis, you're probably not doing it right!

But there is a silver lining, because for every 10, 100, 1000 "no" there will be a "yes", sometimes when you least expect it. And that will make it all worth it.

Lesson 6: your job title isn't going to open the same doors

As a Digital Marketing & eCommerce director, I used to get invited to more events than I could possibly fit in my diary.

I attended conferences & workshops for free, went to fancy networking dinners, and got the chance to speak at various Digital Marketing & eCommerce conferences around Europe.

If you are in the same position now, don't succumb to the "I'm too busy" syndrome. Instead, make the most of these occasions to sharpen your skills, build your personal brand & expand your network.

If you decide to stay in the corporate world, these experiences will enrich your life and your career. And if you ever decide to make the transition to freelancing - trust me, you will be glad you took the opportunity while you could!

What do you think?

If you are in employment, how do you think freelancing would differ from your experience?

If you are already a freelancer, what else would you add to the list?