Why People Fail At Freelancing? We Interviewed A Top-Rated Freelancer And A Beginner

Let’s take it this way: It’s a pleasant morning when suddenly your dopamine rushes in and you jump out of your bed. Why? because you have decided to become a multi-millionaire through freelancing as Alex from Tiktok has given some out-of-the-box 101 tips for you. Then, you set up your new account on Upwork because all the influencing figures on social media are hyping you up and your serotonin level is just hyping up with the game.

After all the struggles of setting up your first-ever Upwork account and putting in your blood and sweat, you wait. Yes, you wait for the dawn when you might end up getting an order but sigh! It’s just you and the clock.

This is yet another day in the life of a freelancer who has just hit the road of freelancing. Believe us when we say that you are doing great and keep on striving because, in the end, you will end up thriving because today we have got a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity for you.

We interviewed a top-rated plus freelancer, Rizwan Momin, and a beginner freelancer, Emily Johnson to make your lives cherished. If you are a struggling freelancer who is just done with the woes of freelancing then don’t worry! This article will help you in understanding why people fail at freelancing.

Table Of Content

Introducing Emily Johnson: The Freelancing Rookie

Emily Johnson is a 28-year-old female who is into the freelancing niche for about 7 months now. Before she started freelancing, she used to work as a marketing coordinator for a small company. She has a profuse experience in digital marketing, content creation, and social media management.

Emily’s Freelance Dreams and Ambitions

When we asked Emily about the reason that convinces her to transition from a full-time job to becoming a freelancer, here is what she mentioned:

“I wanted more flexibility and control over my work-life balance. Freelancing seemed like the perfect opportunity to utilize my skills while having the freedom to choose projects and work on my terms”

Learning the Ropes: Emily’s Journey Of Growth

Thou Emily quit her job but she is very enthusiastic and passionate about exploring the freelancing niche and making the most out of her time. So, we were very curious to know how she has managed to maintain such dedication after leaving her full-time job for a career that might have unpredictable consequences and then she said:

“During my previous job, I realized my passion for marketing and digital content creation. I enjoyed working on creative projects and collaborating with clients to achieve their goals. This passion, coupled with the desire for independence, motivated me to pursue freelancing in the marketing field” 

Indeed, her passion is the real game-changer here!

Never-Ending Hurdles: An Overview On Emily’s Struggles

We know how chaotic things might get when you are spending hours on Upwork bidding for projects and finding the perfect niche that suits your passion but still struggling to get a single order. When we raised this concern, Emily quoted:

“Yes, finding clients and projects has been a consistent challenge. I’ve been tackling this by optimizing my Upwork profile, crafting compelling proposals, and actively networking on professional platforms. Still, I am struggling to find orders on a day-to-day basis” 

Meet Rizwan: The Top-Rated Plus Freelancer

It’s time to meet Mr. Rizwan Momin who has earned the badge of the top-rated plus freelancer. He is in his 30s and entered the freelancing industry after gaining experience as a graphic designer and web developer in digital marketing agencies. After years of working as a freelancer, accomplishing new tasks and satisfying hundreds of clients, he has finally launched his full-service agency “e360Digital”

From Passion to Paycheck: Rizwan’s Journey

There is no doubt in the fact that at one time, Rizwan was also a beginner freelancer, and here is what he has to say regarding his initial phases in the freelancing journey:

“When I started freelancing, one of the biggest challenges was finding clients and establishing credibility. I overcame this by showcasing my skills through a strong portfolio, actively networking, and providing excellent customer service to gain positive reviews and referrals”

Passion opens the door and when it gets fused with dedication and a spark to explore new challenges, then that’s a significant signal for the fact that “The Game Is On!”

When we asked Rizwan about the secret behind his profuse passion, he quoted:

“I was motivated to specialize in my field due to my passion for design and helping businesses establish their brand identity. Becoming a top-rated plus freelancer was a result of consistently delivering high-quality work and providing exceptional customer service was my key focus”

Getting Noticed: Rizwan’s Marketing Magic

When it comes to freelancing, the first and foremost strategy is to get noticed among the diversified swam of freelancers. To get the secret behind Rizwan’s marketing approach, we raise this concern and he responded:

“At the beginning of my freelancing journey, getting noticed was a challenge. However, I focused on optimizing my Upwork profile, crafting personalized proposals, and networking on professional platforms. Additionally, I leveraged social media and reached out to my existing network for referrals and recommendations. Gradually, these efforts helped me gain visibility and attract my initial clients”

Winning Over Clients: Rizwan’s Secret Sauce

When it comes to freelancing, the foremost thing that crosses any mind is the secret sauce that helped top-rated plus freelancers like Rizwan to win clients. At Upwork, the real struggle begins when it comes to hunting clients and finding projects. We were very excited to dig in deep to find out the most exclusive recipe when it comes to retaining clients. You will love the answer that Rizwan has given us:

“Well, my secret sauce for winning over clients includes building a strong personal brand and having an active social media presence. Along with that, crafting tailored proposals that demonstrate a deep understanding of client needs, and delivering exceptional values are some of the key elements of my secret sauce”

He further added: “Through these strategies, I have managed to build long-term relationships, garnered a reputation for excellence, and at the end, positioned myself as a top-rated plus freelancer”

Exposing the Tactics: Comparing Emily’s Approach to Rizwan’s Strategies

At this point, your brain must be struggling with the comparison between Emily’s approach and Rizwan’s strategies. While interviewing both candidates, we were actually super thrilled to dig in deep and compare the tactics utilized by a freelancer who has just started off and a freelancer who is the bearer of a premium badge at Upwork. Let’s do a side-by-side battle aka the battle of comparison and see why people actually fail at freelancing.

Daredevil VS Cautious: Understanding Their Mindsets

Do you know that a prominent factor lies behind having a daredevil mindset and a cautious mindset? Astounding, right? We know. While interviewing our freelancers, we got to know about an extremely interesting factor, THE MINDSET. Emily’s mindset was pretty cautious as in the beginning she was not sure about her expertise at certain extinct as she said:

“As a freelancer, I tend to be cautious in my approach. I analyze each client and project thoroughly, making sure they align with my skills and expertise. While this approach helps me avoid potential mismatches, it sometimes leads to fewer clients as I may miss out on opportunities that require a bit more risk-taking.”

Whereas Rizwan’s mindset was more of a daredevil as he knew about his expertise too well and while answering our questions he mentioned:

“I consider myself a bit of a daredevil when it comes to freelancing. I embrace new challenges and take calculated risks by exploring different industries and expanding my skill set. This mindset has helped me thrive as I am open to diverse projects and have gained a reputation for being adaptable and resourceful.”

This was indeed a great turnover when we got to know that THE MINDSET may be one of the reasons demonstrating why people fail at freelancing.

Trust and Credibility: Rizwan’s Edge

There is no debate on the fact that you can’t win clients unless and until you have built firm trust and credibility through your freelancing profile. It’s like randomly opening an online store and placing an order without proper research about that online store. The chances? Obviously either you will receive the best product one could ever wish for or you will get the product that will continue to haunt your choices for centuries.

When we take reviews about building client trust and credibility, Emily replied:

“Building trust and credibility is a significant challenge I face. While it may take time and perseverance, I believe that by consistently demonstrating my dedication and professionalism, I can gradually earn the trust and credibility needed to gain traction in the competitive freelance market”

On the other hand, when we ask Rizwan about his reviews on building client’s trust and credibility, he quoted:

“Trust and credibility have been the cornerstone of my freelance career. By prioritizing transparency, professionalism, and delivering exceptional value, I have built a strong reputation for reliability and expertise. Clients trust that I will consistently meet their expectations and achieve their goals, giving me a competitive edge and attracting more opportunities in the long run.”

This is one of the boosting statements that have helped us lead to the conclusion that building trust and credibility is the real game-changer.

How To Build Trust & Credibility – Let’s See What Rizwan Has To Say

So, we got to know that trust building and being credible is the key to attracting clients but the question remains stagnant HOW?

We are sure that Rizwan’s answer will clear out the hot mess in your brain. He stated:

“Firstly, I prioritize open and transparent communication with clients, setting clear expectations and delivering on promises. Additionally, I focus on consistently delivering high-quality work, going above and beyond to exceed client expectations. By establishing myself as a reliable and skilled professional, I have been able to build strong client relationships and gain repeat business”

Pitfalls to Avoid: Lessons Every Freelancer Should Learn from Emily’s Experience

Believe us when we say that freelancing is not everyone’s cake but believe us again when we say that the art of freelancing can be hacked when you are following the path of the right strategies and tactics. Learning from your mistakes or learning from anyone else’s mistakes is a great approach when you are trying to grow and refine your abilities.

You are capable of doing wonders. Go and experiment with new things but make sure to understand the fact that mistakes are part of life and a person who has aced those grounds in which you are struggling, had definitely encountered the same situation that you are currently dealing with.

Having said that, let’s learn from Emily’s journey and see where the room for improvement lies:

Emily’s Wins and Lessons: A Candid Evaluation

Human beings are not perfect and we all make mistakes. Similarly, in this 7 months journey of Emily, she quoted:

“One mistake I made was not thoroughly vetting clients and projects before accepting them. I learned the importance of conducting proper due diligence, clarifying expectations, and ensuring a good fit between the client’s requirements and my skills. It’s crucial to assess project feasibility and client communication style to avoid unnecessary stress and unproductive collaborations”

Roadblocks Ahead: Identifying Emily’s Challenges and Solutions

There are many challenges that lie ahead when you first kick start your journey as a freelancer and there is no odd in it because starting is not flowery at all!

According to Emily, “One of the biggest hurdles I face is finding consistent clients and projects, which leads to financial uncertainty. Being a beginner, I also struggle with competing against more established freelancers who have a stronger reputation and experience in the field”

And after this, when we asked Rizwan how he managed to encounter the initial struggles, his reply literally left us in awe as he quoted:

“When I started freelancing, one of the biggest challenges was finding clients and establishing credibility. I overcame this by showcasing my skills through a strong portfolio, actively networking, and providing excellent customer service to gain positive reviews and referrals”

Here you have it! A clear-cut solution.

Raving Reviews: What Others Say About Rizwan’s Success

We’ve compiled an epic collection of screenshots that’ll have you jumping out of your seat. Clients just can’t contain their excitement and admiration for Rizwan’s incredible skills. This automatically proves that Rizwan is not in the game, he has actually clean-sweep it all!

Wrapping It Up!

Freelancing can be a thrilling and challenging journey filled with ups and downs. Our interviews with top-rated plus freelancer Rizwan and beginner freelancer Emily shed light on the different experiences and approaches in the freelancing world.

While Emily navigates the struggles of finding clients and establishing her presence, Rizwan’s secret sauce lies in building a strong personal brand, crafting tailored proposals, and delivering exceptional value to win over clients.

As we explored the comparison between their mindsets, we discovered the significance of a daredevil mindset like Rizwan’s, which embraces new challenges and takes calculated risks, and a cautious mindset like Emily’s, which ensures a careful alignment of skills and projects.

In conclusion, the freelancing path is not without its roadblocks, but with determination, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous growth, you can definitely ace the ground! We hope this article has helped you in understanding Why People Actually Fail At Freelancing!!!

e360DigitalPro

Welcome to e360Digital, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. As a full-service digital agency, we specialize in turning ideas into digital masterpieces. From captivating designs that breathe life into your brand to data-driven strategies that deliver exceptional results, our team of experts is here to the rescue. Prepare to be amazed as e360Digital takes your brand to new dimensions.