Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Bor Klemenc Mencin
In one of the first diary entries, I mentioned helping out a small marketing agency. In the grand scheme of things, this little “side gig” was actually somewhat of a main gig. Well, the main gig as far as time was concerned. Come to think of it, I probably should’ve stressed that earlier, but in my defence, I wasn’t really sure how long we’d keep the arrangement going. It could’ve ended after only a couple of weeks for all I knew. Anyways, I’m going to tell you about it now, so don’t go all Rambo on me just yet…
At the outset, we agreed on a half-time type of deal, meaning I was helping them with their projects about 20 hours per week. It was one of those places with a strong sense of camaraderie and a laid-back attitude. The people who ran it were a lively and friendly bunch with decades of experience in marketing and advertising between them. A few years ago, they quit the corporate rat race and created their own little hotshop, where they could do business sans the unnecessary drama and hassle. As you might imagine, we clicked instantly.
It was a win-win situation: they got an extra pair of hands to help keep things running smoothly and I negotiated a monthly fee that covered my basic expenses and, in case all else failed, made a stringent diet of rice and water less likely. The way I figured it, I needed a couple of months to find enough revenue streams to get the momentum going for an all-out freelance bonanza. On top of that, the people I worked with were genuinely nice, the atmosphere was chill, and the workflow was manageable – somewhat a sanctuary for someone used to the hustle and bustle of one of the most ambitious agencies in the country.
As far as I was concerned, the deal was perfect. It was just enough to make me feel secure as I was taking my first steps down Freelance lane, but kept me on the lookout for other favourable opportunities. There was that and then there was the fear of the procrastination black hole – I didn’t want to start my new career with nothing to do and risk building up a routine of waking up late, playing video games, hanging out and calling it “freelancing”.
Fortunately, the doubts and fears outlined above proved to be unfounded – I was awash with work just weeks into my new career. However, I decided to continue the arrangement I had with the agency because it wasn’t bogging me down and because I wasn’t sure my services would continue to be in demand for the foreseeable future. Besides, coming to the office every day and leaving in a couple of hours to work on other stuff was my idea of a healthy transition period between what I was used to doing and the way I wanted my new life to be.
But all things must come to an end. After pondering it over for a couple of weeks, I decided it’s high time to go full-freelance-mode. With so many tempting opportunities on the table, the arrangement no longer made sense (apart from enjoying the effervescent spirit of the office and its people). It just took up too much of my time – time that could’ve been spent earning more for less and a resource that was becoming increasingly valuable to me.
March provided me with enough evidence of that. I’ve sat on a myriad of meetings, been to a TV shoot and attended a football game as part of a project (VIP section, baby!). A big campaign I’ve been working on ever since I started freelancing finally launched and another one is in the works. I’ve been increasingly sitting down with CMOs across the Slovenian crypto-sphere and talking to agencies looking to collaborate with me (ahem, humblebrag, ahem). It’s been hard to cram 4 hours of office time per day in there, not to mention turning down more and more alluring offers because of that.
Therefore, the end of March marked the end of the transition period from full-time copywriter to a fully-fledged freelancer. I’m grateful to the agency for making this transition smoother and I’m glad to say we’ll continue to work together, albeit less frequently. Spring brings new beginnings (how poetic) and I’ll begin April with new projects in a new place. It’s the first time I’m renting my very own office – well, it’s actually just a desk in a shared office, but still…
Now it really is go big or go home.
Bor Klemenc Mencin is an award-winning creative based in Ljubljana. After spending a good 3 years working as a copywriter at one of the biggest ad agencies in Slovenia, he decided to venture into freelancing. He is currently collaborating with various companies, start-ups and ad agencies in the broader region and beyond, sharing some of his experiences here on Media Marketing. You can find out more about Bor here.