Jacksonville women learn about freelancing from pro panel

A growing number of Americans are turning to freelancing or contract work instead of traditional work. In 2018, a NPR/Marist poll found that one in five U.S. workers were contractors — and predicted they could make up half of the American workforce within a decade.

So it’s no surprise that an event designed to teach women about what it’s like to freelance drew a crowd of more than 50 to a Jacksonville brewery on a Monday in August.

SPJ Florida partnered with Jacksonville-based Babes Who Hustle to provide a panel discussion between a journalist, a filmmaker, a photographer-slash-embroidery-artist and an event coordinator.

The four spilled everything there is to know about freelancing, from how to handle your finances to how to find work-life balance when you work from your bedroom — as one panelist explained, “I’m not always pants-less!”

They fielded audience questions about their biggest lesson as freelance beginners, and shared how attendees could get their first clients. Members of SPJ Florida were able to share information about the organization and its benefits with attendees, including insurance options for freelancers through membership.

In the end, people walked away with a little more confidence to take the plunge into contract work for themselves.