I have always worked as a full-time employee. The only exception was when I interned as an MBA trainee.

I come from an Indian middle-class, service-class family. The belief is to study well and get into a respectable profession and work full-time as an employee with a good company.

Starting a business or going solo as a freelancer did not come naturally to me. In fact, I still have a list of ‘desired companies’ that I want to be associated with.

What made me choose a freelance content career?

1. Flexibility in work schedule and more time for my family

2. Opportunity to work with my choice of clients

3. Growth potential in terms of industry exposure, clients and finances

   
   

Mind you, it takes grit, ambition, hard work, some tears and a lot of internal motivation to be a freelancer.

You are the business. Your business is your client.

What does it take to be a freelance content writer and marketer?

1. Self-discipline

   As a freelancer, you are answerable to only yourself every single day. It is easy to fall into the habit of ‘I can do it later'. The later, as we all know, never arrives.

2. A consistent routine

   Dedicated time for physical exercise and mental relaxation, a good night’s sleep and a nutritious diet. These are often ignored yet critical inputs for a productive day.

3. No

   I want to be able to help everybody around me. That is my nature. But, realistically, it is not doable. To best serve my clients, I have to say no to some who do not meet my financial criteria, work criteria or simply because of lack of time.

   Saying no is hard. It is against my nature. So, if I am not able to write new content for a client at that time, I work with them on content re-purposing strategies. Many times, clients have a repository of great content. Say, an excellent case study or an article that was published some time back on their website, is still relevant and can be re-purposed.

   
   If you are struggling to derive more value from your existing content, I am the expert you call.