Wow, just wow. I know I say this every single month, but I really, really can’t believe October has gone. I’m pretty sure it was all of two days long, right?

Last month was a whirlwind for me both workwise and in my personal life. A lot of things have happened and changed, but I’ll tell you more about this at the end of the post (scroll down if you can’t wait!).

I find these recap posts kind of therapeutic, in that they encourage me to look over the past month (in all its glory and despair) and really figure out what I’ve learnt from it. Because that’s how we grow, right? Learning from our experiences.

Hopefully these recap posts help you, too. Especially if you’re thinking about becoming a freelancer but haven’t quite figured it all out yet. I want to show you that it IS do-able, but also that it’s not all sunshine and roses like some people make out it is.

There are thousands of great things about freelancing, but there are also some bad things too. As long as we learn from these bad things and continue to move forward then we’re on the right track, ey!

Let’s get straight into it.

What I Wrote This Month

This month I wrote tonnes of articles about Barcelona for a client, I wrote a piece about travelling and coffee, I wrote a piece about staying hydrated when you’re on the move, and I wrote a couple of pages of copy about various airports around the world.

In fact, I didn’t do much client work in October. Instead, I was powering on through with those product ideas I had last month. I released my very first Creative City Guide to Paris, which is doing well (don’t forget to grab your copy if you’re heading to the City of Love anytime soon!), and I finished writing module 1 of an upcoming e-course I’m bringing out in the new year.

The e-course will show you how to become a freelance writer in one month through a series of in-depth lessons, tasks, worksheets, and videos. You guys, it’s going to be AWESOME, and I’m so excited to get it finished (still a long way to go yet, though!).

If you’re interested in finding out more about it and putting yourself on the list for first dibs (and discounts) when it’s live, enter your details below!

Things I’ve Learnt About Freelancing This Month

In October I landed two of my best-paying clients. All within the last week. Madness, right?

Want to know how I did it?

I simply increased my prices and went for it. I outlined how my services would bring value to their businesses, and I gave them a price that reflected that.

It’s about confidence, but it’s also about being able to show potential clients how the work you do for them will benefit them ten-fold.

I wish there was some secret strategy I could share with you about landing lucrative clients, but it really is that simple. Once you have a few great case studies under your belt, you can whack them out in pitches and proposals to show you know exactly what you’re doing and that you can provide clients with a service that will absolutely help their business.

Once they realise they need you, they’ll be willing to pay a decent price for you and your work.

It’s a bit like if you’re presented with two cars that are essentially the same, except one is priced at £10,000 and the other is priced at £1,000. You’d immediately question what was wrong with the cheaper car, right?

It’s the same when you’re providing a service. Lucrative clients are suspect of low prices because they think it equals low quality (which is true to a certain extent).

The thing is, though, you have to back it up with excellent work that really does pull in results. If you do that you are killin’ it, my friend, and you can keep on raising those prices (remember, there’s no glass ceiling with freelancing!).

Where Have I Travelled This Month?

Okay guys. This is the bit that I was referring to at the beginning. You know, the changes.

You know I said I was going to be moving back to Spain at the end of September? Well, that’s not happening any more.

A close family member was diagnosed with a terminal illness at the start of summer and so I delayed my flight until the end of October, but then sadly they died and I realised that people are the most important thing in life. So, off the back of that, I decided to stay in the UK and be close to my family during this time and to be around my friends for support.

It’s a huge decision, but it feels like the right one. I’ve been feeling tense and stressed all summer, but I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now.

I’ll still be travelling a lot in the next few months (and years!), but I’ll just be based in the UK. It feels good to say that!

Plans For Next Month

Big, BIG plans. I’m going to continue writing module 2 of the e-course, and I’m going to be bringing out a Creative City Guide to Berlin (that’s kinda been put on the backburner for a few weeks, but I fully plan on powering ahead with it in November).

I’m also looking to lessen my client load but charge more by showing potential clients how much value my services can offer them. I’m already in talks with a number of new clients, so we’ll see how that pans out.

Otherwise I intend to fully bask in my favourite time of year! November is one of my favourite months, and I want to take lots of long walks, eat lots of roasts in country pubs, and do as many Christmassy things as possible!

I’m also going to be branching out onto Periscope (follow me – @WanderfulWorld1 if you’re on there!) and carrying out Webinars. I think they’re so much more personal than YouTube videos and I have so much advice and a lot of ideas to share with you guys about freelancing! So hopefully I’ll see you at one of the sessions (dates TBC!).

Your turn!

What fun stuff have you been getting up to this month, either with work or outside of work? I’d love to hear if you’ve learnt any major lessons or if there’s something you want to celebrate or rant about!