Ever thought about the fear of financial insecurity as a freelancer?
It's like a roller coaster, right? All the predictability of a monthly paycheck is gone, but so is the limit on your earning potential, in either direction. How do I manage my scarcity mindset...
It's like a roller coaster, right? All the predictability of a monthly paycheck is gone, but so is the limit on your earning potential in either direction. Having the lower limit removed can be pretty unsettling; I've been there.
Last year, I was working as a freelance service designer for a couple of companies. I was lucky to hit my revenue goal by September and took a bold leap. I stepped away from my client work at the time to focus on discovering what I truly wanted to do. You're here, reading this, so something must've clicked, right? The focus I wanted to explore was climate adaptation and the resilience space.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. I remember the anxiety creeping in by December, no clients lined up, and just a seedling of an idea for "IMMA." Some mornings, I'd wake up with a knot in my stomach, ready to post on LinkedIn, 'I'm available!'
But I didn't. I chose to bet on myself and I’m using my savings to nurture IMMA.
So, how do I keep my cool?
I weigh my 'invisible savings.' I don't have kids and don't plan to. The average cost of raising a child in Italy is €150k. Seeing these figures, I felt justified to invest a few months and take a ‘maternity leave’ to build IMMA.
I play the long game. While I might not be making money right now, I'm positioning myself in a growing field. I believe in the early bird advantage.
I believe in myself. I have faith that success is within reach if we learn from our mistakes and can make enough money to stay in the game long enough.
I know how it feels. These struggles allow me to connect with others battling money anxiety. I can better support others having been through it myself.
Remember, when money worries creep up on you, you're not alone. We're all figuring things out as we go. 🫶
💌 P. S: I acknowledge my privilege. I know what it feels like when choices are a luxury. I started working at a local grocery shop when I was 12, where one of my duties was cleaning the toilet. For most of my career, I didn’t make a lot of money. But I firmly believe that we can, if we support each other.
Here's to facing our fears and rising stronger, together!
Thanks to Belina and Anna for the money conversations that inspired me to share this.Thanks for reading IMMA Collective! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
How I set-up my account. I automatically put money aside for Tax and for my Emergency Fund aka 'When 💩 happens'.
The shortcut
Want to conquer the blank page anxiety?
Here's the time-saving process I used to write the story above:
Use Otter (free) to record your idea as a voice memo and export the text to your PC.
Put the text into ChatGPT and ask it to: "Distill the main points from this voice memo into a personable, relatable story that will connect with [describe your audience]."
Start editing the output. Make it sound like you, without worrying about length.
Once refined, return to ChatGPT and instruct: “Revise this text for brevity, clarity, and a conversational tone that appeals to [describe specific traits of your audience that are relevant for this text]”.
Edit again and do one final round with ChatGPT, asking it to “Tweak the following text for grammar and clarity only, while retaining its original intent and tone. (Essential for non-native English speakers like me!)
Interesting opportunities for you
Every two weeks, I sift through job boards, Slack groups, Linkedin in search of the most interesting gigs for freelancers in the climate and social impact space. Saving you some hours.
Senior Product Designer - Back Market, refurbished electronics marketplace
Digital Employer Branding Specialist - Lilium, sustainable aviation
What's happening at IMMA?
🎬 A sneak peek at what's happening behind the scenes:
Big thanks to Alina for the insightful brainstorming session on IMMA's first 'paid' product. Talking things through brings clarity.
Admittedly, I've been struggling with sharing updates on LinkedIn and Instagram around IMMA.😓 I'm grappling with the 'why' behind it. I’ve written about my challenges with visibility here.
The self-coaching tool “Are you ready to work for yourself” is almost ready for launch 👀
A special shout-out to Tommaso, Rachel, and Patrick for their constructive feedback and continuous support.
What's happening next?
Next Friday we run our monthly reflection session. If you're seeking some accountability and guidance to review the past month and set future intentions, this is for you.
Join us Friday from 5-6 pm CET or (4-5 BST)
I will be in your inbox again Friday 2n June 👋
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out.
Ciao ciao,
Lilli