One year of Freelancing

Hellooooo!
How have you been?

I’m feeling rested, satisfied, and honestly, just really happy with how the wedding was everything my sister ever imagined.

I barely have any pictures from the event—because, well, organisers don’t get much time for that lol.

Last Friday marked one year of freelancing.

What began as a “let’s see how this goes for two months” kind of experiment has turned into something I couldn’t have imagined.

It’s been a rollercoaster—
Scary when I’d spiral into “what if I never get clients?”
Exhilarating when I hit milestones like earning 1 lakh in a month
And super satisfying when I kept showing up consistently, even when no one was holding me accountable.

I’ve spoken before about how this journey has evolved—about the wins, the failures, the lessons, and the strategy shifts.

But today, I wanted to rewind a bit and talk about everything that led up to this point.

So, how did I get into content writing?

I didn’t take a course. In fact, I had no idea I’d even like writing. I was simply looking for internships during college and signed up on Internshala.

Started applying for roles in social media and content writing—something I had a slight idea about thanks to Saheli Chatterjee’s YouTube videos back in 2020.

Landed a gig. Turned out to be really fun.
Had a great mentor. Wrote 10 articles over 3 months.

I enjoyed the work and started actively seeking more internships. The extra pocket money didn’t hurt either.

By the time I finished my MBA, I had about 1.5 years of content writing experience.

If you're starting out today…

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend paying for a course right away. You can learn everything you need from Google, ChatGPT, or a few solid YouTube videos.

What I do recommend is hands-on experience.
Internships are a great starting point—they give you real projects, real feedback, and a solid foundation.

What happened after college?

I wanted a job in marketing, but like most of us, I ended up in sales. It didn’t feel right.

People kept telling me to try freelancing, but I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to begin. Why would anyone trust me with work?

Internships made sense. Freelancing didn’t. So I ignored it.

Eventually, I got a full-time role as a content writer. The pay was okay-ish, but I genuinely enjoyed the work and learned a lot. Freelancing crossed my mind again, but between deadlines, meetings, and daily exhaustion, it felt impossible to take on anything extra.

So once again, it took a backseat.

When did LinkedIn enter the picture?

I’d been semi-active on LinkedIn since 2023—mostly managing my company’s socials and quietly observing how others showed up online.

I wanted to start posting myself, but kept overthinking.
What would people think?
What would I even talk about?
Would anyone even read it?

So I stalled. But the thought of building a presence never really left.

Then came New Year 2024

I was on my notice period. I’d had enough of corporate. I was done.

I told myself I’d start something of my own—maybe a startup, a content agency, an art shop—anything that didn’t involve Monday morning stand-ups and toxic feedback loops.

Freelancing and showing up on LinkedIn felt like the most realistic first steps.

I’d helped friends build their design agency before, and knew it’s nearly impossible to grow without having an online presence.

So I started from scratch.

Revamped my website, made a cleaner, more intentional portfolio, and updated my LinkedIn profile.

Tried posting a few times in March, but again—doing anything after a 9–5 felt like running on empty. I couldn’t be consistent.

At the same time, I was job hunting (ideally remote, so I could move back home). I did land one in February, but it completely drained me. I quit in 50 days.

April 2024

On April 18th, I quit—with no notice and no plan.

No backup job. No side income.

Just a decision to give freelancing one last serious shot. I told myself:
"You have two months. If you don’t land even one client by June 30, you’ll go back to full-time work. You don’t want to be a burden on your parents."

That gave me clarity.

All I had was:
🕰️ Time
⚡ Energy

I started thinking deeply about my content. Planned LinkedIn posts day and night. Applied to freelance gigs. I was still nervous about outreach and commenting, but I slowly started figuring it out.

And now, 12 months later, we’re here.
Writing this.

Financially, I made ₹6 lakhs in the last 12 months.

You can look at it as a 6 LPA job minus the micromanaging, trauma, begging for leaves, working late nights (unwillingly), and an emotionless boss.

Are you feeling the heat? Need a mountain retreat ASAP.

Ping me if you are planning one soon?

I’ll see you next Friday!

Love,
Nikita