18 months…

I had a conversation with a young freelancer friend of mine a few months ago. He just graduated college and moved to a big city. Now he’s getting his career started. 

He gave me a call to ask for some advice. He wanted to know how long he’d have to stick it out before people started respecting him. Before he could make some real money. 

I told him 18 months. 

I told him not to expect to make any serious money until January 2026. I told him to expect to be pushed around, ghosted, and to not really comprehend what works or why it works for about a year and a half. 

Of course, that timeline can be sped up. Some have a natural skill in business. Some have a mentor. Some decide to invest in courses or cohorts to help them make money faster. 

But even with all that, there’s something that can’t be sped up…

Trust. 

Trust takes time to build with clients, especially as a freelancer. Early in your career, people hire you as a band-aid; someone to “patch up a hole in the business real quick.” Clients look for someone who seems like they can fix their problem, and who doesn’t cost too much, and they hire them. 

Assuming the freelancer doesn’t drop the ball, or make things weird, or deliver bad work, they might gain a little trust with their client (keyword: little.) Or they might not. The client will probably just say “thanks!” and get back to work. 

My friend took that news with wide eyes, and an audible gulp. He had daydreamed about making it big on a much quicker timeline. 

The funny thing is, even after 8 years in this freelance game, I understand exactly what he’s going through. Because I’m going through it right now. 

Not with my freelance business, but with my product business. 

I’ve run a service-based freelance business since I graduated college. But only since January of this year have I really focused on selling products (my book, my producing guide, and, most recently, the pitch deck pack.)

I have no idea what I’m doing. 

I try something, and it works. I try it again, and it doesn’t work. And I don’t know why. I don’t understand the difference between the two. 

I feel like I’m back in the early stages of my freelance business again, grinding, trying to make this something real and dependable. Trying to gain trust with my audience, trying to show that I can really help people with my products. 

I’ll give it 18 months before things start to click. 

If you’re reading this, and you’re less than 18 months in…

Don’t quit.