It starts with a simple phrase:
“Oh, you freelance? That’s cool — what’s your actual job?”
If you’re a freelancer, you’ve probably heard it more times than you’d like to admit. The assumption that freelancing is just a “phase,” a stopgap, or a clever way to earn some side cash — never the main event.
At Forhopp, we think it’s time to retire this outdated mindset. Because freelancing isn’t just a side hustle. It’s a profession. A serious one. A demanding one. A fulfilling one. And yes — a real job.
Why People Still Don’t Take It Seriously
To be fair, freelancing doesn’t come with the usual corporate packaging.
There’s no office to walk into. No manager handing out KPIs. No business card with a title that makes your relatives nod in approval. In many places, you can’t even register as a “freelancer” in a formal sense. So society often places it in the same bucket as “temporary work,” or worse — “unemployment with a laptop.”
The term “side hustle” doesn’t help either. It’s become a buzzword. Something flashy for social media. A romanticized idea of working from the beach for two hours a day and somehow making six figures a month.
But if you’ve ever freelanced, you know that’s not the full picture.
Behind the scenes, it’s more coffee, more rejection, more deadlines, and a lot more tabs open than anyone wants to admit.
Freelancing Requires More — Not Less — Than a Traditional Job
Let’s break this down.
To freelance successfully, you’re not just doing the work you’re skilled at.
You’re also doing all the work around the work.
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You write your own contracts.
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You handle client negotiations.
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You chase down unpaid invoices.
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You file taxes in systems that barely recognize your job exists.
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You upskill constantly because the market changes fast — and if you don’t keep up, you fall behind.
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You juggle different clients with different needs, all expecting your best.
You’re not just a writer or a developer or a designer. You’re the entire company.
And there’s no IT department to fix your internet or HR team to mediate tricky conversations. It’s all you.
That’s not a hustle. That’s a career. A job. A business, even.
It’s Time to Shift the Narrative
We need to be honest about what freelancing really is — and give it the respect it deserves.
It’s not “what you do until you find something stable.”
For many, it is the stable option. It’s the choice that gives them more control over their time, energy, and goals.
It’s not a fallback. It’s a career path people actively choose — and thrive in.
We see freelancers building incredible portfolios, running multi-year retainers, managing cross-border teams, and shaping the future of remote work — often while living in cities far from the usual tech hubs.
They’re not waiting for someone to give them permission.
They’re creating their own systems.
Their own rules.
Their own success.
Freelancing Is the Backbone of the Modern Workforce
Let’s look around.
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Startups are hiring specialists on project terms.
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Big companies are working with fractional executives and consultants.
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Creative industries rely on independent talent more than ever before.
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Even traditional employers are opening “freelancer” roles to meet demands they can’t fill internally.
We’re not heading toward a freelancer economy. We’re already in one.
The platforms just haven’t caught up.
The benefits systems haven’t caught up.
The public perception hasn’t caught up.
But the talent? It’s been here. Working. Building. Growing.
What Needs to Change
To create a healthier, more inclusive future of work, we have to change the way we:
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Talk about freelancing: Drop the “side hustle” language when it’s clearly full-time labor.
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Structure platforms: Less exploitation, more empowerment.
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Build systems: Offer access to benefits, financing, insurance, and legal protections for freelancers.
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Educate clients and institutions: Working with a freelancer should not mean expecting more for less.
We also need to stop asking freelancers, “So, when are you getting a real job?”
They already have one. You’re just not recognizing it for what it is.
A Note to Every Freelancer
If you’re navigating this path — full-time, part-time, quietly, loudly — here’s what we want to say:
- You don’t have to justify your career to anyone.
- You don’t need to explain why you work the way you do.
- You don’t need a fancy title or a corporate logo on your email signature to prove your worth.
Your work is real. Your time is valuable. Your skills are world-class. And your path is valid.
We see you. We’ve been you. And we’re building Forhopp with you in mind — not as a stepping stone, but as a platform that treats freelance work as the profession it is.
Freelancing is not the side of the economy. It’s at the center of it.
Let’s start treating it that way.