Nobody Works Alone: Building Your Team as a Freelancer or Consultant • Winning Solo

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A few years ago, I conducted a survey of nearly 100 freelancers in my network.

One question I asked was, “What do you like least about freelancing?”

These were the top three answers:

Business development & self-promotion
Inconsistent cash flow
Isolation

That’s right: After marketing, sales and finance – necessary functions of any business – the next biggest concern among these soloists was the seclusion.

Freelancing Can Lead to Isolation (But It Doesn’t Have To)

Here are some verbatims from that survey:

“I miss working in a team with smart people with diverse skills.”

“It’s often lonely. I don’t feel part of a team, even when working with a client.”

“I miss collaborating, running my work by someone – someone to challenge me or to share the load with.”

Any of that sound familiar? It does to me.

While I often poke fun at offices for being “interruption factories,” I also miss the impromptu conversations with sharp colleagues. And I certainly laugh more often in an office than I do while working at home alone.

When relationships can’t happen organically, they often disappear entirely. Before you know it, you’ve gone a month without talking to a human who’s not a client or a family member. And that ain’t good.

So: We must be proactive about building and preserving relationships. In other words, the following tips require some effort on your part. Like most things in life, you get out what you put in.

Finding Your People & Building Your Team

Here are a few types of relationships that can be valuable for freelancers and consultants:

“Sounding Boards”

This is my term for the short list of people I can turn to when I’m struggling. Most, but not all, are soloists themselves. When we meet in person, wine is often involved.

How did I develop this list? Simple: I asked for help when I needed it. People can be amazingly generous with their time and perspective.

As with any relationship, don’t abuse it by only calling on others when you need something. This is a two-way deal. Be there for them too.

An Accountability Team

An accountability team is a group of people that meets regularly to ensure that members are keeping their promises to themselves. The simple act of making a public promise can make a difference as you progress toward a challenging goal.

I’ve been a part of a few accountability teams over the years. In my experience, the members need not be in the same line of work, but they do need to be committed to both supporting and challenging others. (A little “radical candor” can change your trajectory for the better.)

Some best practices:

Limit participation. If the team is larger than about five or six people, you won’t have time for everyone to get the depth they deserve.
Define purpose, expectations and structure. Do this up front. A few key principles are better than dozens of rules.
Commit to individual goals in writing.
Create a safe space to share progress and challenges.
Move the spotlight. When one member needs extra help, give them more of the floor.

And recognize that accountability teams aren’t designed to last forever. When the team runs its useful course, part ways as friends, and with a standing offer for future support.

Mentors and Coaches

Mentoring and coaching are not precisely the same. Coaching is usually paid, whereas mentoring is not. But they do share some similarities.

A mentor will usually have limited time to share, so respect that fact. If you’re paying a coach, on the other hand, you should expect more from the relationship.

Whether mentor or coach, they’ll have perspective and counsel that can benefit you. (Often in the form of keeping you out of ditches that they fell into.) And the more specific you can be about the problem you’re trying to solve, the better off all parties will be.

Favorite Colleagues and Partners

Some people up your game. Others just lighten the burden of living in this world.

Be the person who reaches out to keep the relationship fresh. One simple way to do this:

Open a spreadsheet.
Make a list of the people you want to keep in touch with.
In one column, identify the date of your last meaningful contact. (Estimate this if needed.)
In the next column, set up a timing on which to reach out – 30, 90, 180 or 365 days.
In the next column, let the spreadsheet calculate the timing of your next outreach.
Once a week, update the spreadsheet with the prior week’s contacts, and reach out to your next 2-3 contacts.

(I’ll have much more to say on keeping your network warm in a future Soloist Sundays.)

Good Friends

There’s more to life than work. We need people in our lives who are interested in what we do, but not exclusively interested in that.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your business is to step away from it. Meet up with a friend and order more sushi than is advisable. Or take in a concert. Laugh yourself silly in the manner unique to decades of friendship. Do anything but talk about work.

Friendships, like plants, wither if they’re not cared for. So be the person who takes the initiative to preserve the ones that matter.

There’s a Turkish proverb: “No road is long with good company.” And since the freelancing road is often very long indeed, help yourself out by proactively building relationships with:

Sounding boards
An accountability team
Mentors and/or coaches
Favorite colleagues and partners
Good friends

Your time is valuable, and I hope I’ve rewarded it. If so, your shares are greatly appreciated, as I try to spread the gospel to as many freelancers as possible.

I have a limited number of slots available for 1-1 coaching. I’m not some guy who’s been freelancing for a minute – I’ve been doing it since 1997, with brands you’ve actually heard of. Click here to find out more about how my coaching services can help you level up.