This Freelance Insights interview features NLP coach and wedding photographer Anna Dunleavy.

Anna’s Instagram feed is a combination of gorgeous photos (what more would you expect from a professional photographer), savvy business (and life) tips, and insightful IGTV videos. If you want to run your freelance business in a more mindful way, I highly recommend giving Anna a follow.

And if you feel like you could use some help getting clear on your own version of success and setting goals that feel aligned with your long-term vision, click the button further down this page to sign up for Anna’s free online Purposeful Goal Planning Workshop. It’s available to watch on demand, so if you don’t have time to watch at the moment, save the link somewhere and come back to it in a quiet period.

How do you describe what you do for work?

I’m a certified NLP coach, which means that I help women in business navigate their self-limiting beliefs so that they can step into their power and create businesses they’re excited about. I run the Fearless Hustle Collective - a monthly meet-up group for creative women in business in the Nottingham area. I’m also a wedding photographer, and this is how my journey into self-employment started.

What's your favourite thing about working freelance?

Mostly I think it’s the freedom that it provides. For a long time, I was stuck in the expectation that I should be working a certain number of hours each day, at certain times of day. I’m slowly letting that go, and I’m allowing myself to enjoy the freedom that being self-employed brings. The fact that I’m in charge - that I get to decide the direction of where my business is headed, and that I have the flexibility to change if I decide that something isn’t working any more - that’s really exciting too.

Where do you usually work from?

Most days, I work from my home office/spare bedroom. I worked from home in my previous job, and it actually suits me and my lifestyle really well. It means that I’m always here for school drop-offs and pick-ups, which is important to me. I recently also joined a co-working club, because I felt a little stuck in my routine of sitting at the desk all day and rarely getting up. The co-working means that I get to chat to other freelancers who understand what it’s like to run your own business.

What does a normal working day look like for you?

I’m actually trying to switch my routine up a little and introduce a habit of meditating before I turn the computer on. I have a habit of just getting straight down to work, and I want to change that. Most mornings, it’s answering e-mails and then from there each day varies a little. I might be editing a photoshoot, prepping content for a podcast episode, or creating content for Instagram. Once the wedding season kicks off, a lot of my time is spent on wedding work.

What one tip would you give other freelancers about running a freelance business?

Drown out the noise. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in comparison and what everyone else is telling you you need to be doing - that can feel really overwhelming at times. Try to focus on you and your business - what everyone else is doing is much less important.

Free resource

If you feel like you could use some help getting clear on your own version of success and setting goals that feel aligned with your long-term vision, check out Anna's free Purposeful Goal Planning Workshop.

Connect with Anna

Email: hello@annadunleavy.com

Website: www.annadunleavy.com/

Instagram: @anna_dunleavy

Pinterest: Anna Dunleavy Business Mindset Coach