This one question changed how I pitch clients

no gatekeeping here

Hey FF’s,

Can I be honest with you for a minute? Freelancing is wild. Some days you’re riding the high of landing a dream client, and other days you’re staring at your inbox thinking, how did I get myself into all of this? I swear it’s like a rollercoaster, except you built the rollercoaster yourself.

This week, I had one of those classic freelance wins. I landed a client I’d been chasing for months, and you know what made the difference? I stopped overthinking my pitch. Instead of crafting some perfect, polished proposal, I just asked the question I’d been avoiding: “How can I make this project easier for you?” That tiny question sparked a real conversation, not just another generic email that probably got lost in a sea of inboxes. The lesson? When you’re pitching, stop obsessing over “how impressive” you sound and start focusing on the actual problem you’re solving. People respond to clarity, not fluff.

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. I also ran headfirst into a classic freelancer trap: scope creep. A client asked for “just a few tweaks,” and suddenly, I was redesigning the whole project. Oops. My mistake? Not clarifying the boundaries upfront. Now, I always include a small clause in every contract that says: “Additional requests beyond the agreed scope will be quoted separately.” Simple, but it saves so much headache. If you haven’t got something like this in place, I’d highly recommend adding it.

Aside from pitches and scope creep, I’ve also been experimenting with tiny hacks to stay sane. I’ve started “micro-batching” my tasks, 90-minute sprints with short breaks in between, and it’s amazing how much more I get done without feeling drained. And I’ve begun celebrating the tiny wins, too. Did I submit an invoice? Check. Did I finish that draft? Check. These little celebrations may feel small, but they build confidence and momentum.

Honestly, that’s what freelancing comes down to: a series of experiments. You’re allowed to fail, to make mistakes, and to learn along the way. The trick is to notice what works, adjust what doesn’t, and celebrate the wins, no matter how small.

I’d love to hear from you—what’s one “oops” you learned from recently? Hit reply and let me know. Sometimes, just sharing these moments makes the chaos feel a lot more manageable.

Chat soon,
Sara

New gig alert!

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