The Journey Will Teach You

^04-04-2025

End of January, this year, I left the job that I got in the beginning of that same month. It was not a bad job. I loved the tasks, I hated the leader. I was not intending to leave earlier, I was planning to work there for at least a year. But I couldn't take it anymore, the boss sucked; he was controlling, bad mouthing his employees to other employees, he thought we were stealing his money, he loved unpaid overtime.

I reached my boiling point when he gave me unbelievable stories on payday. I was not ready to go home that day empty handed. I needed the paycheck so bad. But he said there was no money to pay us. And I did not accept that. I left that place at 9 PM, waiting for my paycheck.

I got the paycheck and never looked back. I decided to start freelancing. I paid R200 for Facebook ads. I got the messages, the enquiries, people bought the services. I was selling graphic design and web development.

February, that first month of freelancing was hectic. I took every job, even jobs that we outside my skill and resource set; printing jobs, engraving, clothe branding jobs .e.t.c. These jobs required a lot of travelling and outsourcing which quickly worn me out. I had to change.

I decided to narrow down my services into only design and web dev; the things I can do myself. And with this simple change, things got better. I was travelling less and not outsourcing anything.

It wasn't too late until I realized another problem; There was too much work but little money. I work all day and half the night but where’s the money? Well, I was pricing my services too cheap. I had to take more jobs to compensate low prices. It had to change.

There is also a mistake I was committing; working first and getting paid later. This was a bad Idea. Some clients will change their minds and drop the project I worked on for hours or days. And I just wasted my precious time. Never do creative work unless there is an upfront payment. Whoever carries the money has more power. I had to change that as well. Now I take a 50% deposit upfront.

All this adjustments were taught to me by experience. Everyday the craft and industry of freelancing is teaching me something. And for me grow I have to grasp and adhere to these lessons as much as I can. There is no need for me to resist change. Yes change is hard, but it’s usually for the better.

I did not have to take a class on freelancing. I dove head-first, and now I am better than I were before. Freelancing was very scary to me. Thank God I took the risk. And one thing that will make me better is observing my failures and mistakes then learn from those. Experience is indeed the best teacher.

Whatever you want to do; Just start. You will never be ready. The journey will teach you the right path. The failures will show you the road to success.