Freelancer Spotlight with Michelle Griczika

Our team chatted with Michelle Griczika to learn about her freelance journey and what helped her be successful on Contra!

I started freelance copywriting in 2020, seeking total control over my work and schedule. Writing has been a lifelong passion, from crafting stories to compiling lists as a kid. It felt natural to turn this into a career. Now, I enjoy using my skills to help businesses articulate their stories and boost their SEO. Seeing the positive impact of my work on their success is truly the most rewarding part.

I discovered Contra thanks to a TikTok by Alex Fasulo, a freelancer I've admired for her success. Motivated by her endorsement, I signed up and was excited to be accepted into their inaugural bootcamp for freelancers. The bootcamp was an excellent way to meet mentors and peers as enthusiastic about freelancing as I am. One of the highlights was certainly meeting Alex on a Zoom call!

Since then, I've tackled various projects through Contra, including writing for the Contrarian blog, creating speeches, and developing educational content. Along the way, I've met some amazing clients and even brought an existing client onto the platform. Contra has been instrumental in streamlining my freelance activities, making managing everything from invoicing to maintaining my portfolio easier.

I've got a few go-to tools that keep everything running smoothly. Contra's portfolio is where I show off my projects and catch the eye of new clients. I use Google Docs for all my writing and team collaborations. Graphite and SEMrush help with brainstorming and optimizing content for search engines. Grammarly keeps my writing clear and error-free. When I write email campaigns for clients, I use Mailchimp. And for anything design-related, Figma is my favorite. It just makes everything look professional.

That is SUCH a hard question! I've had the chance to work on many fun and rewarding projects this year. Writing blogs for Zala Hair Extensions has been a blast, and crafting a keynote speech for a doctor with an incredible story was truly inspiring. My blogs for the Contrarian are particularly meaningful to me because they help others like me navigate freelancing and attract more clients while teaching businesses how to hire freelancers. However, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be writing two children's books set to be published in early 2025 through Lerner Publishing. That project has been a dream come true!

My best advice for new freelancers is to just go for it! If you don't have clients yet, create mock projects to build your portfolio. Staying organized and maintaining strong communication with clients is essential. Make sure your clients feel heard and understood, and walk them through the project process.

When I started, I said yes to everything, which led to a few late nights and stress. I learned the hard way that it's important to set boundaries. Saying no to projects that don't align with your goals is okay. It has helped me find more rewarding work and become a better freelancer.

Working for yourself is amazing, and I hope more people become freelancers to experience the freedom and fulfillment it offers.