I'm preparing some materials for one of my coaching clients and thought I'd share with you the idea of the "Freelancer Flywheel" —

— or, how freelancers and independent artists/creatives like me make money online by monetizing our skills. Let's go!

The Freelancer Flywheel Concept

I first heard of the term "flywheel" from the book Good to Great. It's a book about building companies, but this concept applies to freelance writers, too.

Basically, a flywheel is a heavy wheel that takes a TON of energy and effort to turn when you start. But once the flywheel is moving, the momentum speeds up fast and sustains the flywheel, as if by magic. ✨

When people ask me about how I've built a career as a six-figure freelancer, they're observing a flywheel I've spent years building. It looks like magic, but it's not.

Here's the secret: new freelancers' flywheels look like this:

You’ll notice there isn’t any new momentum coming in. A new freelancer has to expend a ton of energy learning their craft, building their portfolio, and when it comes to finding clients, all of their work is based around cold outreach. New freelancers have to actively sell and market their skills to get every single client. But once you've gained experience and a reputation for great work, notice how the arrows reverse:

As an expert freelancer or independent artist/creative, you have a lot of incoming work that's been generated by past efforts. Your reputation compounds, your current clients come back to you, and they refer you to others.

When you're a new freelancer, it's hard to even comprehend what being an expert can look or feel like, which is why transparency is critical.

As an expert, it's important for me to share a look behind the curtain so you can see how this stuff builds. I got into freelance writing because I saw from others that this life was possible (and desirable!), and I try to devote time here to do the same when I'm not keeping up with my own freelance workload.

3 Ways Expert Freelance Writers Grow with the Freelancing Flywheel

You can make the freelancing flywheel work for you and help you grow your business with these 3 tips:

1. Understand that unfinished projects don’t compound. An unfinished website doesn’t make clients want to hire you. An unfinished portfolio doesn’t get you great, high-paying jobs. Finished work, however, compounds: a finished website brings in new writing work, a finished portfolio gets you that dream writing job, and your finished book sells tons of copies and helps you get in the hands of readers who love your work. Finish the work on your plate, whether that’s signing up for a freelance platform or publishing blogs or newsletters that can attract new clients into your orbit. Just. Keep. Finishing.

2. Do it messy. Do it tired. Then do it again, better. Too many freelancers prevent themselves from growing because they’re clutching to the reigns of perfectionism. Finish the imperfect blog post — and then rewrite it later when you have more time or are more skilled! Show up every day to your work and give it your all. If it’s not right the first time, return to it later and do it better. This applies to client work, also: don’t leave things to the day of the deadline. Do it messy earlier: and then let the assignment sit overnight. In the morning, return to it and rewrite it so it’s better. Give projects the space that they deserve, but don’t let procrastination or perfection keep you from making progress.

3. Put in the hard work now so you can have it easy later. If you pick the easy path now, you’ll have a hard time later. So choose your hard: the hard of building a business, or the hard of disappointing your future self? I know what I always pick: the challenging work now so I can enjoy a much easier future.

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