5 Things I Learned After Joining the Gig Economy

A year ago today, I made a bold public declaration: I declared my independence from the traditional workforce and entered the gig economy full-time.

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DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE || That’s the bold declaration I made, with respect to my career, a year ago today. I’ve been working since the age of 18. (Or 2009.) I’ve taken non-paying internships, jobs, and other opportunities. I had job stability and terrible job experiences. I’ve succeeded, failed, struggled, hustled, and wanted to quit altogether. No matter the hurdles I’ve encountered, I’ve never stopped moving forward. (No card is ever stacked against you, so don’t ever complain.) More importantly, I’ve learned and affirmed my belief that hard work pays off; so I overcame my fear to take some risks. In an ever-changing economy, flexibility and independence are becoming the new normal—especially among my generation, aka Millennials. Many of us believe in the power of free markets. We want fulfilling careers. We want client work that is satisfying yet impactful. We want to make a difference. I personally want to see my values in action—whether in politics, the outdoor industry, small business, or veterans causes. I declared my independence because I’m confident that’s my chosen path. I’d rather make people happy, help them grow, and see them succeed than work for people who don’t appreciate my work ethic, don’t care about putting their principles into action, fail to modernize, nor appreciate the skills you can contribute to a particular industry. If an employer can’t appreciate your contributions, they aren’t worth your time. Period. Find employers or clients who value your time and the value of a dollar. Is it easy to go on your own? Heck no. I’ve had to polish my existing skill set and learn more things. I’ve invested in tools to make me more adept as a media strategist, a storyteller, and a business owner. Will you declare YOUR independence? Comment below 👇🏻 _ #girlboss #selfemployed #freelancelife #motivationmonday #smallbusiness #blessed #dcliving #millennialpreneur #entrepreneur #youngentrepreneur #consultinglife #mediastrategy #hustlehard #crushit #millennialentrepreneur #declareyourindependence #independent #growyourinfluence #solopreneur #gigeconomy

A post shared by Gabriella Hoffman (@gabriella_hoffman) on Nov 14, 2017 at 6:04am PST

I’ve been a “solopreneur” since July 2016, but kept this secret for a few months. I wasn’t going to launch my business haphazardly or in a botched manner. I wanted everything to be smooth and my practices honest. Lo and behold, revisiting my public launch a year later, I have no qualms entering the gig economy full-time.

Those who go on their own are a lot happier, even if they aren’t making as much money to begin with. (Studies back this up.) The gig economy supports the disruption of conventional work environments, making it easier for Americans—especially Millennials—to launch their own businesses. In fact, the gig economy will soon comprise 50% of the American workforce. Is this an easy endeavor to take on? Not exactly. If you lack the stamina, drive, existing brand, principles, or network to tap into, launching your business and subsequently succeeding will be very hard. However, it’s not impossible to go on your own. If I can do it, you most certainly can do it too!

In honor of the first anniversary of this milestone announcement, here are five tips from yours truly on how to succeed as a solopreneur:

Build up your personal brand honestly

There’s a difference between a healthy self-promotion and blatant narcissism. You want to be in the former category, not the later. Don’t simply promote your business with nothing to back it. Offer some tips and resources. (I did that for a few months with #MarketingMonday videos.) Showcase your authority on a subject. Highlight events or trainings you participate in. When you’re hustling, people will notice and want to learn more. If your brand isn’t developed or if you’re fishing for endorsements or attention, you will have a hard time attracting new leads online. Authentic personal branding is key. Key takeaway? Don’t be fake and don’t be shy to showcase your talents.

Learn and pick up new skills

Over the last 16 months, I’ve spent countless hours polishing my existing skills and learning a handful of new ones. I’ve learned the basics of several Creative Cloud programs — Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, for example — in this time. I’m not an expert on these programs yet, but I at least have the basics down. And I yearn to become more competent in these niche areas. I take classes on Lynda (owned by LinkedIn) and watch YouTube tutorials at times. Whether free or subscription based, you will need to invest time (and some money) to learn new skills. Learning is key to becoming a better business owner, so don’t be stubborn or think you know everything. You don’t!

Don’t be afraid to say “No” 

If you decide to become a freelancer or solopreneur, many people will assume you’re working for free. (I addressed this here in a recent blog post.) Freelance means having the freedom to work, not offering services free of charge. Given this position freelancers are in, we have the ability to accept or deny proposals that aren’t mutually agreeable. In fact, you should be saying “no” most of the time. Someone isn’t willing to compensate you for time spent working? A company is hesitant to update or polish its brand? An organization has a bad rap or poor reputation in its industry? Just say no and move on. Saying “no” will eventually lead to you saying “yes.” It’s daunting, but trust me—there are clients out there who want to cooperate with solopreneurs, offer fair compensation, and make their brands better.

Back your work up with a contract

There’s nothing more important that a strong client-contractor relationship—especially when backed up by a contract. To operate in a professional manner, you need to lay out your work scope for clients and have assurances to protect your work. This agreement must be mutually-agreed upon with respect to tasks completed and payment. Most importantly, all work-related terms must be clearly laid out. A contract is a formal document that validates your work and binds you with a client by carrying immense weight—whether or not you’re a sole proprietor, LLC, whatever. If one party or the other breaks the contract, this document awards you protections, especially if the terms and conditions are explicit with respect to protections. If someone is unwilling to sign a contract to work with you, consider other clients.

Have fun

The old adage goes, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This is quite true. Being self-employed should be enjoyable and rewarding—although it’s mixed with its inherent challenges. You must love what you’re doing or the services you’re offering to be fulfilled in this sector of the economy. Why go into a profession and not like it? To make money? To become Insta-famous? NO.  We think out-of-the-box. We’re highly ambitious. We’re creatives. And yes, we’re generally younger than our counterparts. Those who partake in the gig economy are enjoying their careers more—employing honest storytelling doing what we love and loving what we do. I love my line of work, and I especially love seeing my clients happy, fulfilled, and accomplished. Equipping clients with the right technologies, tools, and strategies to succeed and grow their brands gives me great satisfaction. This is the feeling you should have too. Hard work doesn’t have to be daunting—it can and should be fun!

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