What Gives You The Right To Be A Freelancer

What gives you the right to offer your services as a freelancer? What gives you the right to open up shop as an entrepreneur? Is it skill? A great client list? Stellar reviews or a shiny portfolio? No. The one thing that gives you the right to open up shop is opening up shop. 

It may feel like you don’t belong in this category of freelancers and business builders. You don’t have a business degree, or a pantsuit, or “entrepreneur” in your Instagram bio. You’re just a normal person. Maybe it feels like there are dozens of other people who are more capable and talented than you who should be doing this first. It feels that way because it’s true. There are thousands of people who are more talented than you. 

But you’re the one who opened up shop. You’re the one people can hire today. 

Freelancers and entrepreneurs often feel a sense of imposter syndrome because they aren’t the most talented version of whatever it is they’re doing. But if we take this train of thought to the last stop, we arrive at a world where there are no greasy burger joints, or folk songs, or iPhone photos of friends. Virtually everything you experience in life is a subpar version of what it could be. You don’t complain that the sandwich you’re eating wasn’t prepared by Gordon Ramsey–you’re grateful for it because you were hungry and it was available for you to buy. 

This is the magic: showing up. Being generous enough and bold enough to say, “I can do this for you if you pay me for it.” That’s where the magic begins. The world needs more people like that, rendering services and offering goods for them to purchase. 

There will always be a place to grow, and ways to get better. Start now. You’ll serve people along the path of getting better. In fact, serving people is the best way to get better. 

P.S. If this blog has been encouraging to you, please send it to a friend who would also find it helpful. It helps me out a lot!