The Freelancer Life: Adam Wright
Meet Adam…
Meet Adam, a Commercial Specialist for start-up businesses. Having worked for many years in the corporate world, he took the plunge to be his own boss back in 2018 and hasn’t looked back since! Adam’s main focus is helping growing businesses to make sure they have a solid commercial strategy, encompassing a range of areas including business plans, customer value proposition, pricing, go-to-market and segment targeting.
Adam’s been busy working behind the scenes on our business and we can vouch that he’s very good at what he does! We learnt so much from him that we had to have him on board as one of our key Doers! Any clients of start-ups looking for commercial support - Adam is your guy! To welcome him officially into the fold we caught up with him to learn all about his freelancer life.
Why did you first become a freelancer?
Having moved out of London and having had a daughter, I realised the long slog to the office each day was no longer for me. It was a great opportunity to take stock on what was important - family, time, money - and reassess what I wanted the next few years to look like. I’d built up a great contact list and realised that I had a solid network of entrepreneurs and business owners I could tap up for work. This meant a gradual introduction to life as a freelancer was possible, and things built from there.
Share your perks - what do you enjoy most about working for yourself and why?
I think it boils down to being in control. I can map out my week to maximise what I need to do for work, for my family and for me. This doesn’t mean working less, but working smart. It also means I can do the things that used to be difficult in the corporate world...the school run, nipping to the shops when I need to, walking the dog each day. All whilst still delivering more work in a much more efficient way!
Share your struggles - what do you find hardest about working for yourself and why? How have you found ways to combat these parts of working for yourself?
It can become isolating. Luckily I am the sort of person who likes to get their head down and focus, but there are times where you miss the office environment and interacting with people informally throughout the day. Fortunately video conferencing has become the norm in the last couple of years, and shared working environments are now popping up in small towns like where I live. This gives me a lot of options when I need to change the scenery.
What are your top tips for anyone thinking about working for themselves?
For me it was all about having a plan, and then having a back-up plan. Having a really clear understanding of your financial situation and what you need for at least the next 12 months is key. Unless you are really lucky, the first few months will be difficult to generate the kind of income you might have been used to, so you need to ensure your plan has sufficient flex built in. A back-up plan is also super important, as inevitably your plan will go off-course at some point. How else could you generate an income, what costs could you cut, and what could be delayed/changed to give you the breathing room if you need it.
What are your top 3 recommendations - podcasts, books, people to follow, sources of inspiration etc. and why?
To be honest I try and keep work and leisure quite separate, so podcasts and books are really focused on things that relax me rather than being work related. In terms of inspiration… I don’t really get inspired by the obvious Branson’s, Bezos’ and Musk’s of this world. Having worked and interacted with lots of smaller business owners, I find people that have battled hard at growing their own business that is now generating a proper income for them are much more inspirational. Hearing these local stories give me much more of a boost when you see what can be achieved.
“I don’t really get inspired by the obvious Branson’s, Bezos’ and Musk’s of this world. Having worked and interacted with lots of smaller business owners, I find people that have battled hard at growing their own business that is now generating a proper income for them are much more inspirational.”
When and how did you first discover The Doers?
It was word of mouth. Alongside my freelancer work I’ve also been starting my own business, and my business partner’s wife had worked with The Doers and recommended them as a great option to support my new business venture in marketing activities we needed.
What appealed most to you about the Inner Circle?
The Inner Circle is the epitome of the value freelancing can bring to a business. By bringing together the skillsets a business needs, but in a way that delivers experience, flexibility and value, there really is no better way for a business to work with an external agency.
What does collaboration mean to you?
I think it all boils down to being honest and transparent. When a team is on the same page and all focused on the results, what can be delivered can be completely transformative. Working in a structure like the Inner Circle where everyone is an open book and we can all see what we are working on makes it a fantastic thing to be part of.
What do you hope the Inner Circle will bring to the table for you over the next year?
The two big things for me are interesting projects that excite and energise you, and a team that you enjoy working with day-in and day-out. The people the Inner Circle bring to the table tick the second box, and I’ve no doubt more exciting projects are on their way!
What is the best project you’ve worked on since going freelance?
Rather than a specific project, I would say the best thing has been the breadth of different projects. Rather than getting bogged down in the same old things each month, freelancing has meant I’ve worked on an AI development project and a dog food project!
What were you doing this time last year? What have you learnt or how have you changed since then?
Obviously 2020 through to 2021 has been an exceptional period. In many ways being a freelancer in this time has meant less change than many people have experienced. I have a great office set-up at home, I’m used to working autonomously and flexing my time to keep things on track, and i don’t get bogged down in dozens of unnecessary video or phone calls each day. So if anything, the last year has been more of the same but in a really positive way.
