Hit 20 clients this month and freaked out a little

I've been doing the digital nomad thing for about 18 months now, bouncing between hostels in Thailand and coffee shops in Vietnam. Last month I hit 20 clients total for my freelance writing work, which sounds small but it's the most I've ever had at once. Back when I started I was praying for 3 clients to pay my rent, and now I'm juggling 20 different email threads and deadlines. It hit me that I've actually built something that can support this lifestyle without stressing every single month. I'm not saying 20 is huge or anything, but it felt like a real milestone in terms of stability. Has anyone else gotten to a client count that surprised them and had to change how they managed their workflow?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor_robinson1mo ago

Honestly 20 clients sounds like a recipe for burnout to me lol. I've seen too many freelancers brag about hitting those numbers only to crash hard when they realize they're basically working 7 days a week just to keep up with 20 different people's expectations. There's no way you're giving quality work to 20 clients at once, especially bouncing between hostels and coffee shops where WiFi cuts out every 20 minutes. I'd rather have 5 solid clients paying decent rates than 20 that I'm constantly chasing for payment and revisions. You might have built a "stable" thing but stable doesn't always mean smart or sustainable long term.

knight.felix1mo ago

Funny you mention WiFi cutting out... I was in a cafe last month and watched a guy at the next table literally scream at his laptop because the connection dropped right as he was submitting a big file. Barista had to ask him to leave. Still think 20 clients is way too many heads to keep straight, especially when you're hopping places.

jason_lewis31mo ago

Yeah that chasing payments part hits home, had a client ghost me for 3 months once lol.