Article: Forever Freelancer No. 002 | Caroline Leroux
Forever Freelancer No. 002 | Caroline Leroux
Writing, graphic design, art direction, creative direction. Brittany via Sydney, Paris, London. Now NYC. 25 years freelancing.
There's always a moment, a meeting, a Monday, a very specific email, that made you think "I can't keep doing this." What was yours?
Mine was not a moment, I think I was born that way. Or not generally employable depending on which way you look at it. I have a real problem with hierarchy, corporations in general, and I am nomadic by nature. Freelancing wasn't a choice, it was a solution.
Going into freelancing, what did you think the hardest part would be, and what's the hardest part actually?
I thought the hardest part would be finding "good client" clients and escaping the bread and butter. And guess what, it was. But then a brilliant creative director once told me, you only have the clients you deserve, so...
What's the skill you've had to develop that has absolutely nothing to do with what you actually do, but makes or breaks everything?
Sales pitch. The first reckoning as a freelancer is that first and foremost, if you want to succeed, you have to be a salesperson. If you can't pitch in the room, well…
If you had to pick a GIF to describe the energy of a memorable client?
What's a phrase that instantly tells you a project is about to become complicated?
"Can we hop on a quick call to align?" Nothing about that sentence has ever been quick, and nothing has ever aligned.
What's the most freelancer sentence you've ever typed?
"I'll be back at my desk at 2am."
Tell us the lowest rate you ever accepted. The actual figure. No rounding up for dignity. And what was the justification you told yourself when you said yes?
Find a freelancer who has never worked for free. I am no different. The lowest rate I ever accepted was zero. Luxury fashion brands call it "internships." You learn nothing, you just run around 12 hours a day getting coffees to arseholes hoping they'll notice you and offer you a real job. No one should do it. Mind you, things might have changed and be different here (LOL), it was Paris in the 90s after all.
What would you put on a business card that actually captures what you do?
Jacques of all trades.
What have you gained that would've been difficult to find anywhere else?
The right to start over at any time, anywhere, without asking permission.
Finish the sentence: "Forever Freelancer means…"
"Thick skin but big heart."
Finish the sentence: "Forever Freelancer means…"
"Freedom to choose your direction, your collaborators, and your compromises."