Find your community
“The importance of building and cultivating relationships and community cannot be understated,” said Rebecca McClain, a freelance strategist and former CMO of Wieden+Kennedy.
Her approach is to try to do something every day to help someone else make a connection.
“It can be freeing to go out on your own, but also lonely and a big change,” she said. “The people around you will buoy you in all kinds of weather.”
Sorrell has taken that ethos further than most. What started as a holiday dinner for 10 Portland-based freelancers grew into FreelancerCon, a convention and fake awards show, complete with tuxedos and an invite list of over 120 people.
Despite its playfulness, FreelancerCon serves a serious purpose, Sorrel said: when the market gets rocky, knowing people who understand exactly what you’re going through may be the most valuable asset you have.
