Client Case Study: Creating a Freelance Business that Gives You Room for Flexibility and Rest

Written By Esther Loke

Meet Priscilla, a freelance B2B SaaS content writer who specialises in product-led and comparison articles that sells to marketers and salespeople.

In this case study, we will delve into Priscilla's inspiring journey, how her struggle with agoraphobia (fear of entering open or crowded places; i.e. leaving one’s home) led her to a freelance writing career, getting to choose when and how she wants to work and managing her health while at the same time attracting a steady stream of clients by marketing without video.

Priscilla now works 3-4 hours a day, 4 days a week, is a sought after content writer in her niche and her health is greatly improving!

We’ll share how Priscilla changed her own life and show you what’s possible for you too.

Priscilla and I when we first met for the very first time in October 2017!! We looked like such babies back then!

I’m so proud of how she has grown as a person, writer and business owner.

Six years later: Our most recent meet up in August 2023 with another friend who is also a freelance copywriter :)

 
 

The Client’s Point-of-View

About Priscilla

Hey there, I’m Priscilla! 

3-second pitch: 

I write words to woo people. 

What it really means: 

I write product-led and comparison articles for B2B mar- and salestech companies, so they can rank on the first page of Google, generate organic traffic, and woo their customers.

Connect with Priscilla

My digital office is over at Content Kapow. 

Currently, I’m offering services in blog posts and ebooks—specifically product-led posts like this where you weave in a product in the narrative to show how it solves the reader’s problem and why it’s an irreplaceable solution.

I occasionally engage with industry folks on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Why did you decide to start your business?

What I tell people in networking events:

I’ve always loved writing. I can’t picture myself doing anything else. I love stringing a bunch of words together to engage with readers and compel them to take action.

The *actual* reason:

The reason above is 💯 true, but there’s a deeper layer to why I started my business.

I struggled with agoraphobia—stemmed from years of undiagnosed anxiety and panic disorder—and needed a job where I could work from home.

I could write, so naturally, freelance writing it is. I wrote a bunch of travel, lifestyle, F&B, and beauty articles before pivoting to entrepreneurial stories.

Now I specialise in product-led and comparison articles for B2B SaaS that sells to marketers and salespeople.

What were your initial hesitations around coaching?

“Will I make back the money I invested?”

I wasn’t earning a lot prior to coaching. Sometimes a couple thousands a month. Other months, a hundred bucks. $399 was a significant investment at that time. I went ahead anyway! I was already following your work and had faith in our collaboration.

Why did you ultimately decide to work with a coach?

I didn’t know how to grow my business in my own quiet way.

Back then, I believed that I was only a writer, not a business owner.

I didn’t know how to market my business to attract a steady stream of clients.

Nor did I know my way around onboarding clients, setting rates I’m comfortable with, protecting myself from unscrupulous clients, etc…

That’s when I joined online freelance writing groups. I’d thought, instead of scratching my head, why don’t I join a group of writers who've been there and done that?

It worked in the beginning.

Members were helpful and generous. I even had one member who encouraged me to charge higher!

However, asking questions in community groups can only do so much. Constantly peppering them with an insane amount of questions feels wrong somehow…

And over time, I realized I needed one-on-one support—especially from a local business owner who understands what it’s like to freelance in Singapore. The groups I’d been a part of were mainly based in the US.

When I stumbled on Esther’s profile on Vendeve (another group I joined, lol), and saw that she’s from Singapore, my interest piqued. I checked out Esther’s website and knew I had to work with her.

Your return on investment on our coaching program and thoughts about investing in coaching

At least 229% 🎉🎉🎉

Based on what I spent on the Simply Marketing Collective lifetime membership ($399) and what I’ve earned over the past two years.

I worked hard at internalising the beliefs you taught us (e.g., “small actions, big results”) and reaped the rewards the next few years.

Definitely consider coaching if you need a sounding board and are ready to do the work!

Find a coach on the same wavelength as you, who guides you every step of the way, and holds space for you when self-doubt hits.

You’ll get back your investment very quickly.

What was the biggest difference you experienced in your life because of your business?

Exactly what everyone else says, freedom!

I get to choose when and how I want to work.

Since Q3, I have been working 3-4 hours a day, 4 days a week.

On weeks where I work 5 days, I’ll take two days off for the next. I try not to work long hours due to my chronic neck and backache.

What were the biggest mindset shifts and practices that helped you in your business?

1. I decide what success means to me:

I used to think that I needed to hit 5-figures every month.

Not anymore.

These days, success to me is working with great clients and filling the rest of the pockets of my time with things that bring me joy.

2. I don’t need every year to be better than the previous year

Just because I earned less doesn’t mean it’s a failed year.

3. Small actions, big results!

A glimpse into what a week in the life of your business looks like currently

Warm breakfast is a must. It sets the tone for the day. I spend the rest of my mornings journaling, checking emails, walking around the neighbourhood, and planning for the day.

Then a piping, heart-healthy lunch from 12:00 to 1:30pm. I eat slow 😅

I go for an afternoon walk or do basic strength resistance training from 1:30pm - 2:00pm.

Deep work typically happens around 2:00 pm - 5:15pm. During this time, I focused on researching + outlining, writing, or editing. This is the time I do my best work.

I usually take one day off every week. Sometimes it’s Monday. Other times it’s Friday. Or even Thursdays. It depends on what I’m doing on my off-day. 🙂

If I’m meeting a friend or acquaintance, it’s usually early in the week. If I’m running errands (e.g., picking up something I bought, beauty and medical appointments), attending an event, and enjoying some me-time at a cafe, then it’s almost always Thursday or Friday.

Weekends are strictly for fun stuff! There are some Saturdays when I have to work (rarely), but it’s only when I’m writing a difficult article. Sundays are strictly reserved for families. 🙂

 
 

The Coach’s Point-of-View

How Priscilla took action regularly and took responsibility for her results

Priscilla is an amazing action taker.

I realised that Priscilla took action despite having personal challenges, such as agoraphobia and anxiety.

And I believe how she was able to do so, was that she did it in ways that felt safe for her, even if it may not have been the most “effective” way.

And she took responsibility for her actions and results. She took what she learnt from our coaching and adapted it to her own way, in a way that works for her.

For example, when we first worked together, Priscilla used my cold email strategy to reach out to potential clients.

For an introvert, this was a great strategy to step out of our comfort zone, but in a way that doesn’t make us feel threatened or give us major anxiety.

It definitely felt uncomfortable to a certain degree because we could get rejected or worse case scenario, someone could get mad at us and scold us for sending a cold email.

However, we found that the worst case scenario was that the other party just wouldn’t reply or we might hear a “No, thank you.”.

More importantly, we learn to manage our thoughts and mindset around reaching out to potential clients and managing rejections.

Update from Priscilla about this project:

By taking a day to feel all the feelings and mope around, Priscilla gave herself time to get into a better head space. And when she responded to her client, she could approach the conversation from a place of understanding and hence, started working with them!

My observation and insights on why Priscilla got results

Through small actions which led to big results!

Priscilla took one step at a time. She put one foot in front of the other and slowly made her way forward.

I’m sure she faced many challenges along the way, but she always kept going.

She would send me updates of her wins and how she’s overcome her challenges. And I am so immensely proud of her for the things she accomplished and celebrated over the years!

Why Priscilla is able to attract a steady stream of clients even without video marketing or “consistently” showing up online

Again, I want to emphasise that Priscilla is really great at consistent action.

Consistency doesn’t need to look like doing a specific task or posting every single day.

What consistency looks like for Priscilla is that she’s regularly engaging with her audience and reaching out to past and current clients.

The term “regularly” can even mean once weekly or once monthly or a schedule you set for yourself according to your own pace, energy levels and personal capacity.

Here’s what Priscilla’s marketing strategy looks like, in her own words:

Doing bloody great work consistently. 😛

Kidding, there’s more!

Although the approach above doesn’t hurt.

I mainly do these things:

  • Engage with potential clients and fellow writers on LinkedIn. I focus more on leaving thoughtful comments than writing a new post from scratch.

  • Email! I reply to my dream clients and fellow writers’ email newsletters.

  • Drop them a friendly message that I’m available for projects. I keep it lighthearted.

  • Ask current and past clients if they know anyone looking for writers or if they themselves need help with additional work.

Notice that Priscilla doesn’t do video marketing or any fancy or ”must-have” or in-trend marketing strategies.

There’s also no fixed posting schedule or a rule of having to leave 10 comments a day or engage with 20 “potential” clients a week.

Priscilla’s marketing strategy is to simply connect with her audience and keep in touch with her clients, all through the written word (which Priscilla is an expert in! She’s an amazing wordsmith!).

And obviously, by doing great work for her clients! Because clients are always happy to refer you for doing a great job.

This is a really great example of leveraging your strengths in your marketing.

Monetary vs non-monetary results: Why both matter

In Priscilla’s own words:

“I used to think that I need to hit 5-figures every month. Not anymore. These days, success to me is working with great clients and filling the rest of the pockets of my time with things that bring me joy.”

Creating a business gives you lots of room for flexibility and rest

By putting both her physical and mental health, and rest, as main priorities, Priscilla is able to create a business that provides both a sustainable income and steady stream of clients.

Getting enough rest and keeping herself in good health, allows her to have more energy and mental capacity to continue to do great work for her clients and therefore, help them get results.

As the nature of her work, content writing, is highly dependable on her skills, creativity, and using a lot of brain juice, flexibility and rest are very important factors that help minimise burn out.

Priscilla also has the flexibility to pursue hobbies outside of her business. And thank goodness she has flexibility (!!) because she has a lot of hobbies and interests such as:

  • Reading about feminism, historical fiction, general fiction, and non-fiction (mostly revolves around self-improvement, business, and health). I share bite-sized book reviews at @priscillaandherbooks on Instagram!

  • Watching Korean and Japanese silent vlogs in the early mornings or whenever I need to destress.

  • Writing letters. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, actually. Looking for more pen-pals locally and internationally 😀

  • Watching US sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine Nine, Ghosts, Gilmore Girls, etc.

  • Wandering around libraries, museums, and supermarkets (really)

  • Listening to my favourite tunes on my radio and vinyl record player

  • Spending time with family, friends, and kindred spirits

  • Visiting new cafes. In search of the best chai latte!!

  • Listening to podcasts like Beautiful Stories with Anonymous People and Charlie’s Wellness Toolbox

To summarise, here’s what Priscilla did to create a business that gives her lots of room for flexibility and rest:

  1. Knows exactly what are her strengths (writing) and leverage them in her business

  2. Prioritise her physical and mental health and rest whenever she needs to

  3. Regularly connect with her audience by sharing her insights and thoughts on LinkedIn, and keep in touch with her past and current clients

  4. Keep taking action by adapting and implementing the strategies she learnt, in accordance with her current capacity and energy levels

  5. Manage her thoughts by getting curious, focus on the long-term vision and regularly take small steps to move forward

Creating a business that gives you lots of room for flexibility and rest requires you to embrace the process of unlearning what we were taught are “best practices/expert advice” on building a business VS simply going through the “standard” process of building a business.

And also, understanding how to turn your strengths, personality and experiences into your best business assets.

So you’re not swimming in a never-ending list of “things” to do, but instead, you’re able to focus on a handful of action steps that will get you results. And therefore, giving you more room for flexibility and rest.

Here are the key areas we focus on in our 1:1 Coaching Program:

  • Effectively do marketing without video and sign clients even if you're not a "natural salesperson" or "extrovert".

  • Create your own creative way of building your business that's aligned to your physical and mental capacity and current life situation.

  • Smoothly transition from corporate 9-5 into freelancing and ease into your new normal.

 
Esther Loke
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Client Case Study: Creating a Freelance Business that Replaces Your Full-Time Income