Hey there, Hannah here :)

I’m currently based between Guanajuato, Mexico, and New York City. As everyone knows, NYC isn't exactly gentle on the bank account, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have a roommate.

I regularly catch her as she is heading to work at some ungodly hour, and I’m talking 5 or 6 a.m. I'll say something cheerful like, “Have a nice day!” and she'll respond with something like, “Ugh. Kill me now.”

Meanwhile, because I work for myself, my day could involve moseying around the house, taking a walk in the park, having a long bath, grabbing pizza with a friend, recording a few videos, catching up with someone, and generally fitting my work around the rest of my life.

Then, sometime between 6 and 10 p.m., because the 9-to-5 is very much a myth in her case, she comes home. I ask how her day was, and she tells me everyone is stupid and annoying and they’ve given her even more work, and then she either passes out immediately or fills me in on the latest installment of the office drama.

I feel for her, I do, but another part of me wants to shake her and scream, you don't have to keep doing this!!

In her case, she doesn’t want to work for herself, and that is totally fine. I don’t understand it, but plenty of people don’t understand choices I have made either. We all get to build the kind of life that works for us without judgment, right?

But for many - and I mean many - her story is exactly what brings them to me. They are exhausted by the rat race, burned out by workplaces, people, and routines that drain them to no end, and they know they can't keep doing this. They just need to figure out a realistic path out.

Quitting your job to become a freelancer can feel like an enormous, terrifying leap, but it shouldn’t be a leap - that's the misconception. It should be a bridge you diligently build while you still have income coming in.

90 days will not be enough for everyone to replace their salary completely, and I would never suggest handing in your notice without carefully considering your finances and responsibilities. But it is enough time to build your foundations, start looking for and landing clients, and create real evidence that this can work.

Here is the action plan I would follow. The one I really wish my roommate would action.

1. Days 1–30: Build the foundations

Choose a small number of services based on the skills you already have (yes, you have them), rather than the person you think you need to become first. Get clear on the kind of client you can help, the problems you can solve, and how you will explain what you do.

Create a simple professional presence and put together a few examples that demonstrate your abilities, even if you have not yet worked with a paying client. You do not need a perfect website, elaborate branding, or 17 certifications. You need a clear offer and enough confidence to start yapping about it.

2. Days 31–60: Become visible

This is where many people get stuck, because they keep preparing instead of giving anybody the opportunity to hire them.

Start telling people what you do. Reconnect with your network (yes, you have one - it's everyone you know), join relevant communities, attend events, build referral relationships, and show up consistently on one platform where potential clients already spend time.

You can still apply for opportunities, but do not rely exclusively on job boards. Many of the best freelance clients are found through relationships, referrals, communities, and visibility.

I have shared more places people are finding well-paid freelance work in 2026 here:

📚 Read: 10 Places to Find High-Paying Freelance Work in 2026​

3. Days 61–90: Build consistency

By this point, the goal is not to try a completely new strategy every three days. Look at what is creating conversations and do more of it.

Follow up, ask for referrals, improve your offer based on what potential clients are actually asking for, and track the conversations, pitches, and applications you are making each week.

Your first client might come from a job board, a webinar, a former colleague, or someone who has been watching your posts for months. You don't need to predict exactly where they'll come from, but you need to create enough routes for them to find you. We can only thrive in conditions conducive to growth!

Before quitting your job, work out what “ready” means for you. That might mean replacing your full salary, covering your essential expenses, reaching a particular savings goal or securing a few reliable clients. It might mean making enough to move somewhere with a lower cost of living where you can build in peace.

The goal is not to simply quit your job. If it were that easy, everyone would. It's to leave with a business capable of supporting the freedom that you personally are trying to create.

If you're going to commit to this, I would love to hear about it, so hit reply and tell me what your 90-day goal is!

📣 Two upcoming events you won’t want to miss

🔴 Get Clients With Webinars with Simone Vincenzi (and Me!)

We are very excited to welcome Simone Vincenzi for a practical session on how VAs and freelancers can use webinars to get seen, showcase what makes them brilliant, and turn an audience into clients.

Webinars let people experience your expertise before they hire you, making them a powerful way to build trust. A well-executed webinar starts client conversations and positions you as the obvious person to help. Simone will show you how to use them without needing a huge audience. You also won't need a complicated funnel or years of presenting experience. Come as you are! He's truly the best at what he does, and you will not want to miss this!!! From personal experience, I have used Simone's teachings and landed clients over and over with them!

25 August at 1 p.m New York time

​Save your place for Get Clients With Webinars

💡 VIP: An Intimate Group Mastermind with Me

A mastermind session with me is powerful because I do not look at your business in neat little boxes. I listen for the thing underneath the thing, spot the gaps, connect ideas you may not have realized belong together, and pull from 14 years of coaching, marketing, offer creation, and helping tens of thousands of people build freelance and VA businesses.

You might come in thinking you need help with pricing and leave realizing the real issue is positioning. You might think your offer needs more, when it actually needs simplifying. That is where the magic tends to happen. 🪄

The group format makes it even more valuable, because one person’s question often unlocks something for everyone else in the room. This is a powerful room to be in, and all stages of business are welcome, from total beginner to advanced and flying high!

August’s session is capped at 12 people, with only seven spots left, so there is space for proper attention, feedback, and action items for everyone.

17 August at 1 p.m. New York time

VEA member? Enter your member code when booking to access your special rate. Hit reply if you need it.

On that note, I'm off to ask my roommate how work was.

Back soon!

Hannah