What Freedom ACTUALLY Looks Like (Plus MORE Success Stories!) 🎉
Writing to you from my bed because illness said "cute plans, but no" and freelancing said "that's totally fine, rest up babe"
🧡 Quick heads up! This was created when FWE was brand new. Since then, we've grown into a thriving beginner freelance community on Skool with multiple courses, trainings, q&a calls, coworking, tools/resources and an incredible group of people just getting started.
You may hear references to "free" in the video — everything now lives inside the community where access begins at just $9/mo or $79/year.
Hey there, freelance friends! 👋
Welcome to this week's training, where I teach practical freelancing skills to beginners to help you create extra income (or eventually replace your job entirely—your choice).
Today's training was supposed to be a video about the next steps after you begin landing your first freelance clients. Instead, you're getting something better: a real-time demonstration of why freelancing might be the best decision you ever make.
Cue me, in my PJs at 2pm on a Tuesday, voice like a chain-smoking frog, surrounded by a fortress of tissues. 🤧
But First, Can We Talk About What Happened OVERNIGHT in Our Beginner Freelance Community!? 🤯
For those new here, I run a program called 10 Days to Paid—a step-by-step course that takes complete beginners from "what would I even offer?" to landing their first freelance clients and 5-star reviews on Upwork.
Last night, I sent a private email to my students celebrating some wins. (If you didn’t get it, here’s a snippet from that email):
River (my guinea pig kiddo): 2 jobs landed, Rising Talent badge, 100% Job Success Score, AND a client wanting ongoing work! 🎉
THEN, I was missing Laurel's sunshine in the chat & peeked at her profile hoping for some good news AND boy, did she deliver! …
Laurel: 100% Job Success Score, Rising Talent badge, FIVE jobs landed with GLOWING client reviews! 🌟 WHAT!?! (Congrats, girl!)
AND THEN, you beautiful humans started dropping SUCCESS BOMBS in the chat:
Matt (returning freelancer): Back to 100% Job Success Score and Rising Talent status using 10 Days to Paid strategies! 🚀
Day: First job landed by proposal #15 with an 8.3% closing rate! (That's AMAZING for month 1!) 📈
PrivacySmurf: Two interviews for niche-specific jobs with NO experience by Day 4! (Before Upwork threw a security tantrum, but they're BACK AT IT!) 💪
Ryan & Shannon: Killing it with their profile setups and ready to gooooo! 🎯
Y'all really said "Let's let Erica spiral for a bit before we drop all this good news at once." The drama! The suspense! My therapist's billable hours! 😂
But then this morning? The wins MULTIPLIED:
Shannon went from setting up her profile this weekend to landing her FIRST job and five star review. The second job she applied for. Using the exact templates from my Upwork course for freelance beginners.
Ryan had ZERO jobs when I went to bed. This morning? THREE JOBS!?
I'M NOT EXAGGERATING.
I'm LITERALLY watching people kick off their freelancing careers and knowing they are potentially changing the entire trajectory of their lives in real-time.
Excuse me while I ugly cry into my Diet Coke. 😭
What Freedom Actually Looks Like (Spoiler: It's Me Right Now) 🛋️
Let me paint you a picture of my weekend:
Thursday: Decided I needed to see my best friend Jana (of almost 30 years!) in Chicago. Hopped on a train. Didn't ask for PTO. Didn't check with a manager. Just... WENT.
Friday: Took the day completely off. No guilt. No "just checking emails quickly." Nothing.
Saturday: Went to a "middle-aged mamas dance party" that ended at 10pm (GENIUS concept) with college friends. Danced like I was 21. Regretted it like I'm 44. Worth EVERY pulled muscle. 🕺
Sunday: Train home, feeling restored and grateful.
Monday night: Sent my freelance students an email to celebrate wins and let them know to expect their Tuesday Training today.
This morning: Woke up feeling like I'd been hit by the Chicago Transit Authority. Full-blown SICK sick. Gravelly voice. Chest congestion. The works. (UPDATE: It was COVID.)
And here's where it gets BEAUTIFUL...
Old Corporate Me would have:
Panicked about calling in 😰
Stressed about what people would think 😟
Probably gone to work anyway 🤒
Made myself sicker 💀
Felt guilty the entire time 😔
Freelance Me:
Handled one urgent client thing (30 minutes) ✅
Responded to some questions from my freelance babies in the community (cuz #priorities) ✅
Decided to write this love letter instead of recording my usual Tuesday Training video and guide ✅
Will spend the afternoon sleeping and watching TikToks guilt-free ✅
Feels ZERO guilt about any of it ✅
AND NOBODY CAN FIRE ME FOR IT. 🎉
Because when you're a freelancer, YOU DON'T NEED PERMISSION to live your life.
And that's the beautiful thing about being your own boss—I can write this training in my PJs, with unwashed hair that's giving very much "electrocuted poodle," while my voice sounds like I've been gargling gravel.
For Those Wondering "But HOW?!" 🤔
Let me break down exactly how I went from:
Healthcare Director making six figures (but dying inside)
Chronic illness making work unbearable
Employer suggesting I "close my door" on bad days
Quitting with no backup plan (do NOT recommend)
(If you’re new to my world, you can get caught up quick here.)
To:
Top 1% freelancer on Upwork
Working 20-30 hours/week
Charging 2-5X my old corporate salary (From $50/hr → $100-$250+/hr)
Retiring my husband after he got laid off
Living the digital nomad life in an RV and traveling full-time
Being with family when they need me
The answer? STRATEGIC freelancing.
Not the "hustle 24/7 until you burn out" kind. The SMART kind, where you:
Start while still employed (if possible)
Build systematically using proven strategies
Price yourself to grow (2-5X your current pay)
Create boundaries that protect your energy
Scale at YOUR pace
The Business Model That Saved My Sanity 🧠
Want to know the secret to my flexibility? It's not magic. It's ✨BOUNDARIES✨ and smart business structure:
My client agreements:
Almost ZERO meetings (we use messaging) 🚫
24-hour response time on business days 📱
No weekends ⛔
Monthly retainers (XX hours for $X,XXX) 💰
Projects due by month's end, not daily deadlines 📅
This means:
I never have to announce I'm taking a day off
I can work when I feel good, rest when I don't
Family emergencies don't require anyone’s approval
My chronic illness no longer impacts my job security or income
I can be spontaneous (dance party, anyone?)
This means when chronic illness flares (like today), when family needs me (like my dad's cancer treatments), or when I just need a mental health day—my income or employment stability doesn't suffer.
Your business should work FOR you, not despite you.
And after DECADES in employee/employer relationships, this freedom feels... wrong at first. Like you're getting away with something.
But you're NOT. You're just finally being treated like an adult with needs and learning it’s OKAY to prioritize yourself and find balance.
Let's Get Crystal Clear About Expectations 🎯
I need to be SUPER honest with you about something...
My story (six-figure freelancer, retired husband, RV life) is not going to be everyone's story. And that's OKAY.
The path to full-time freedom looks wildly different depending on:
How much income you need 💰
Your savings/debt situation 💳
Whether you have another household income 👨👩👧
Your health insurance needs 🏥
Your risk tolerance 📊
About 47 other factors 📝
What I CAN promise: The skills and strategies in 10 Days to Paid WILL help you make extra income. Period. (And it’s FREE-FREE if you’re feeling like this is a pitch to buy something.)
Maybe that's:
$500/month to cover groceries 🛒
$1,000/month to pay off debt faster 💳
$2,000/month to build an emergency fund 🏦
Eventually, enough to consider other options 🚀
The POINT is having options. Having control. Having CHOICE.
Why These Wins Matter (Beyond the Money) 💕
Reading everyone's stories in our community chat is literally giving me life. We've got:
Parents with babies at home who need flexibility 👶
People who've been laid off and need income NOW 📉
Folks dealing with health issues (hi, me too!) 🏥
Humans who just want CONTROL over their time or to get TF out of jobs they hate⏰
THIS. THIS IS WHY I DO THIS.
Not to create another "make millions in your sleep!" scheme. But to help REAL people create REAL flexibility in their REAL lives.
The Mind-Body-Business Connection 🧘♀️
I was reading a study last night (because apparently that's what I do for fun? #NerdsUnite). They found they can predict mental health disorders developing by looking at the BODY first—immune system, cardiovascular system, etc.—long before it shows in the brain.
As someone who has STRUGGLED with:
Endometriosis ✓
PCOS ✓
Fibromyalgia ✓
Chronic pain ✓
AND now a LONG list of mental health struggles after abusing my nervous system for the last 25 years (Anxiety, Double Depression, C-PTSD, Insomnia anyone?) ✓
I can tell you that chronic stress from "DOING THE MOST" is literally killing us. My body rebelling today? It's my early warning system saying "SLOW DOWN, GIRL."
And because I'm freelancing? I can actually LISTEN.
Which brings me to today's impromptu lesson...
This Is Your Tuesday Training (The Written Version) 📝
So here's the deal. I had a whole training planned about the path ahead after you complete 10 Days to Paid. Charts! Strategies! Possibly interpretive dance! (Okay, not that last one.)
But my body said "lol no" and freelancing said "that's totally fine."
So instead, you get:
This raw, honest look at what freedom actually means ✋
Celebration of our community wins 🎉
Permission to build a business that works FOR you 💪
A reminder that flexibility should not be an optional job perk 🌟
The video training will come when my voice doesn't sound like I’m a 70-year old chain smoker. Maybe later this week. Maybe next Tuesday. My body will decide, and my business will adapt.
Because NOTHING in business is actually a crisis.
We are humans FIRST and I’m feeling a strong call to model what that actually looks like for you guys.
Your Permission Slip 📋
Consider this your official permission to:
Build a business around YOUR needs
Say NO to meetings if you hate them
Create boundaries that protect your energy
Take sick days without guilt
Prioritize your wellbeing over arbitrary deadlines
Design your work to fit your life (not vice versa)
Whether that means working at 2am because you're a night owl, taking Wednesdays off for therapy, or building your ENTIRE schedule around school pickup—YOU get to decide.
That's the freedom we're building here with freelancing.
Whether you're freelancing, thinking about it, or just here for the chaotic energy, let this be your reminder:
Your worth isn't tied to your productivity
Rest is NOT laziness (Employer propaganda on aisle 5!)
Your health matters MORE than any deadline or job
You DESERVE a work life that accommodates your LIFE life
Building boundaries isn't selfish
If I can build a six-figure freelance business while managing chronic illness, family crises, AND an inability to function before noon some days... you can build whatever version of freedom YOU need too.
What Happens Next? 🚀
Keep crushing it - Seriously, the wins lately have me SHOOK.
Share your stories & beginner profiles - Tag me so I see them!
Be patient with yourself - This is a marathon, not a sprint
Remember why you started - Freedom > Everything
And if you haven't started 10 Days to Paid yet? Maybe today's the day.
Because somewhere between corporate burnout and dancing in Chicago, I found a life worth living.
And I want that for you too.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with my bed and approximately 47 TikToks with cats wearing costumes. (You’re welcome.) Because I can. 😸
P.S. To everyone who's landed jobs in the last week—I'M SO STINKIN’ PROUD OF YOU I COULD BURST. Keep going. This is just the beginning. 🌟
P.P.S. Yes, I really am writing this in my PJs with hair that defies physics. No, there will not be photos. Some things are better left to imagination. 😂
P.P.P.S. If you're thinking "but I could never work without structure!"—that's fine! Build structure! The point is YOU get to build it, not have it forced upon you. Or if you're thinking "must be nice"—IT IS NICE. And that's the whole point. You deserve nice things too. Like the ability to be sick without panic. Let's work on that together. 💪