The no.1 rule of highly successful freelance projects is to attract happy clients. As a freelancer who has worked on more than a thousand projects with clients on Fiverr and through social media networks, this rule remains the same. Happy clients are more likely to achieve success. Nothing drains your creative energy than an unhappy client. In my years as a freelance writer, I have had the privilege of meeting clients from across the globe. Happy clients have always been my best clients. These are people whose success and excitement about their business or brand was never my responsibility. For a lot of creatives, our pursuit of success becomes numeric to the point that we forget about how the work we do makes us feel on the inside. We take on mental and emotional stress that’s not ours in the first place. Instead, you should always ask this as your project progresses:

Do you feel grounded and present in the work you do?

Does it feel like you are respected and appreciated?

Is there a mutual regard for time and availability?

Business growth in these times requires a huge amount of mental and emotional maturity. We work remotely, communicate via text and email. There will be delays, conflicts, and struggles with language barriers. The ability to regulate in these moments is a critical success factor. Imagine a business owner struggling to launch a small business while working a 9-5 shift and raising three energetic kids. Something is bound to spill over. These are the moments where business requires self-reflection and awareness.

The Happy Client

Happy clients are not looking for anyone to fix their inner turmoil, and they can easily differentiate between the challenges that result from the project versus those that require inner work. Project stress is real, and helping others develop the systems or content they need could be a long-winded journey. As I navigate my own difficult life and experiences, I achieve the best of my work when I meet business owners who take responsibility for their happiness.

This principle applies in every adult relationship. As a creative, happy clients are important to your growth. What does a happy client look like?

1. They are enthusiastic to share.
2. They roll up their sleeves and contribute.
3. They contribute without blame-shifting.
4. They do anything necessary to achieve results.

Even freelancers must have the same approach to the work we do. Owning our insecurities and separating them from the technical work that needs to be done. It is important to navigate freelance projects with patience and maturity because, by definition, they can be long-term and dynamic.

Here are 3 principles I live by as a freelancer:

1. Not every battle is yours to fight.
2. You are in the business of making people feel good or better, but not to fix them.
3. You cannot try to control everyone and make money at the same time.

Serving people gives me pleasure, and that’s why freelancing has worked for me. I have worked with and collaborated with people with a rainbow of temperaments, and that’s a testament to my emotional and social quotient.

I also advocate discipline, commitment to service, and diligence as necessary spices to a creative’s work. Here’s a video in which I dig into that in detail:

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSBk2usXB/

Build Systems and Structure

Finally, I have been at that stage of my business where I didn’t have systems and structure. When you lack these 2 things, you get triggered a lot and communicate through offense.

The more you speak calmly about payments, prices, and invoices, the less likely you are to piss off happy clients who just act, speak, and think differently from you.

Being assertive in life and business doesn’t mean you should always be ready for a fight. It requires you to be collaborative enough to separate real issues from perceived conflicts created by messiness and lack of structure.

Some people think you get hired just because you are skilled.

I know how unskilled I was at some point in my freelance career.

Some clients hired me just because I knew how to make them feel good about their book, brand, or marketing goals. I helped them think more positively and effectively about the task at hand. However, this would have been impossible if these clients themselves were not happy, grounded, and respectable people.

It’s not just about your skill. Sometimes, the energy of a project repels good business.

A question for you: how do you navigate and nurture happiness throughout freelance projects?

For freelance writers and creatives, I provide a rich library of content. Go browse my online collection for helpful resources. Business owners can now find me on Fiverr to work on copywriting, websites, books, and brand projects together.