Building Your Reputation as a Freelancer
This blog summarizes learnings from The Future is Freelance Forums. These forums are where stakeholders from all levels of the freelance ecosystem (freelancers, agency leaders, coaches, platform CEOs, enterprise leaders, etc.) come together to surface and solve the biggest problems facing independent work. These summaries serve as a place to house our collective wisdom on these topics. As such, I want to credit everyone who attended this forum for these insights.
In our most recent forum, we brought together independent workers, community builders, and platform creators to address a question that underlies everything we do as solo business owners: How do you build your reputation as a freelancer?
The result? A lot of honest conversations about cringing at self-promotion, the power of origin stories, and why authenticity beats trying to be the next Apple.
The Real Definition of Brand
"Brand is what people say when you're not in the room. If they say anything at all."
This quote from our forum captures something most freelancers miss: your brand isn't your logo or website design. It's the mental picture people have of you when your name comes up in conversation.
Think about it this way—when someone mentions your name to a potential client, what do they say? "Oh, you should talk to Sarah. She's really good at..." What comes after that sentence is your brand.
Your Origin Story Is Your Secret Weapon
Your origin story might be more important than your credentials.
Your origin story isn't just about where you worked before—it's about the experiences that shaped how you approach your work today. Maybe it's a previous career that taught you valuable skills, a personal challenge that gave you unique perspective, or even a hobby that influences your professional values.
The key is connecting those experiences to why you do what you do now, not just what you do.
Why origin stories matter:
- They're impossible to copy (no one else has your exact background)
- They give people something memorable to tell others about you
- They explain your "why" without sounding like a sales pitch
- They create genuine connections with people who share similar values
The Three Ways People Actually Build Their Brand
When we asked forum participants how they build their brand, three clear patterns emerged:
1. LinkedIn and Social Media
Almost everyone mentioned LinkedIn, though many admitted they "cringe every single time" they post. The key insight? Stop trying to be someone else online. Or even more controversial, maybe decide that social media isn’t the right way for you to find clients. There’s a balance between pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone and doing something that we intrinsically hate. Above all, know who your clients are and where they find the people they trust. Consider where you typically find people when you need something. Is it LinkedIn? Maybe. Maybe not.
2. Networking and Relationships
The most successful networking occurs when you focus on building genuine human connections rather than superficial “get-to-know-you” chats that are often desperate attempts to land your next contract. (No shade. I know because I’ve been there.)
Forum participants emphasized that meaningful business opportunities often come from casual conversations where you're simply being yourself and showing genuine interest in others. The key is relationship first, business second. This philosophy also means that you’re not just “networking” with potential clients; you should also be building your network with peers and partners.
3. Referrals and Word of Mouth
This was the most mentioned method, and for good reason. As a business of one, you are your work. As opposed to larger businesses, there’s no distancing you from the results. When your work speaks for itself, your clients become your sales team. But here's the catch: you need to give them something memorable to say about you (back to that origin story).
The "Don't Be Apple" Principle
One of the biggest mistakes freelancers make? Trying to market themselves like Fortune 500 companies.
As one participant put it: "I made the mistake of marketing my business like it was a Fortune 500 company before realizing that solo businesses need different strategies."
What this looks like in practice:
- Creating complicated sales funnels when a simple conversation would work better
- Hiding behind corporate language instead of talking like a human
- Focusing on features instead of relationships
- Trying to be everything to everyone
The freelancer approach instead:
- Be yourself, professionally
- Focus on relationships first, business second
- Talk about your mission, not just your services
- Be the right choice for the right people, not everyone
The Intersection That Makes Magic Happen
The most powerful insight from our discussion: your brand works best when three things align:
- Who you are (your personality, values, background)
- What you do (your services and expertise)
- Who you serve (your ideal clients)
When these three things are out of alignment, you feel it. You're constantly trying to be someone you're not, serving people who drain your energy, or doing work that doesn't excite you.
Emily's outdoor content business is a perfect example of alignment. Her personal passion for nature, her content creation skills, and her outdoor industry clients all work together seamlessly. Did that happen overnight? Nope. It was a process of learning from her business along the way and being brave enough to follow her passions.
The Visual Element (Yes, It Matters)
While brand isn't just about design, humans are visual creatures. You don't always need a fancy logo, but you do need to be intentional.
The key? Be yourself. As solo business owners, we are our business. That means that our visual brand should reflect our identity. Do you actually wear T-shirts and yoga pants all day? Stop showing up on LinkedIn in a business suit. A full sleeve of tattoos? Wear it loud and proud.
As Joel said, "Anything that you do creates this mental picture of you. This can be seen as “branding;” the design of my website, my background here on Zoom, what I talk about, my hair, how I dress, all of that contributes to the mental picture that you'll now have of me."
Working for ourselves allows us the freedom to not fit into corporate boxes of what “success” looks like. Your visual brand should reflect who you really are.
The "Virtual Sales Team"
Your professional network is essentially your virtual sales team.
When someone in your network meets a potential client for you, are you giving them the tools they need to "sell" you effectively? Can they easily explain:
- What you do
- Who you're perfect for
- Why someone should choose you
- Your story in a compelling way
If not, you're making their job (helping you) much harder.
The Freelancer Brand We're All Building
Every interaction with a freelancer shapes how the business world views freelancers in general.
As Yurii pointed out, "We all have to build the freelancer brand overall. People don't know what exactly it is and they don't know how to work with us."
This means when you deliver exceptional work, communicate clearly, and act professionally, you're not just building your own reputation—you're making it easier for every freelancer who comes after you.
The Bottom Line
Building a reputation as a freelancer isn't about becoming a master marketer or creating the perfect brand strategy. It's about:
- Being clear on who you are and what you stand for
- Telling your story in a way that connects with the right people
- Doing great work consistently
- Building genuine relationships
- Making it easy for others to understand and refer you
Most importantly, stop trying to be someone else. Your background, personality, and perspective are what make you different from the thousands of other freelancers in your field. Lean into that difference instead of trying to hide it.
The participants who seemed most confident and successful weren't the ones with the perfect elevator pitch or the flashiest LinkedIn presence. They were the ones who had figured out how to be authentically themselves while serving their clients exceptionally well.
Want to join the next conversation? Click here for information on the next Future is Freelance Forum.