Zoe East has never had a proper job. A work experience placement at a big TV channel that felt old-fashioned and sexist put her off the traditional route before she'd even graduated, so she went freelance instead and never really looked back. That was over ten years ago.

She started with whatever work came along. The niche found her gradually: charities doing meaningful work, heritage and culture projects, things that will matter just as much when someone watches them in ten years' time.

This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers:

Getting started by networking and taking whatever came along
Winning six months of free studio space in a creative co-working community, and why staying there for ten years shaped the career around it
Building a niche in charity and heritage filmmaking - and why charity budgets are often better than people assume
Putting "win an award" on a vision board in January, and winning by April
The adventure filmmaking strand: films about running adventures across Iceland, Tajikistan and Patagonia, and getting into Kendal Mountain Festival and the London Mountain Film Festival
Why cold outreach has never worked for her, but word of mouth has - and how sharing only the work she wants more of has quietly shaped her client list
Dropping Instagram and going all-in on LinkedIn as the one social platform where her clients actually are
Monthly goal-setting sessions with a freelancer friend: yearly goals, monthly focus, and the accountability that comes from having to report back
The rate spreadsheet that makes quoting consistent and takes the stress out of pricing decisions
Buying almost everything secondhand, having all her kit stolen as her biggest low point, and using a post-COVID grant to buy her first ever brand new camera
Moving into the She Who Dares Wins studio with Michelle, and the documentary series and production company they're building together

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Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.