Early in my freelance career, I was churning out 10, 15, sometimes 20 articles a week. The pay was low, and the deadlines were beyond stressful. Everything felt replaceable… and I soon found out that I was, too.
I constantly worried about the jobs drying up. Or maybe I only landed them through a stroke of luck in the first place?
I knew if I wanted freelance writing to be a sustainable career, something needed to change.
The answer wasn’t better clients or higher rates (although, spoilers, those followed). It was my mindset.
I needed to stop thinking like a cog in someone else’s machine and start acting like a business owner—because I was one.
That’s when I started to develop a CEO mindset. It’s a mental framework that has allowed me to build a six-figure freelance writing business on my terms over the past eight years.
No, it’s not mindfulness exercises or imagining yourself as an executive in a corner office. It’s also not wearing a tie to work (yuck!)
Here’s what a CEO mindset looks like for successful freelance writers.
You Stop Thinking Like “Just” a Writer
A lot of freelance writers fall into the trap of treating themselves like a commodity. Maybe you’ve done it.
You tie your value to how many words you can produce or how quickly you can turn around an assignment.
Before long, you’re working on tasks constantly, but never working on your business.
A CEO mindset flips that narrative on its head.
It means learning to understand that you aren’t a hired pen, but a strategist. You’re the visionary, the executor, and the engine behind a brand. Your brand.
You deserve respect and a seat at the table. And your pricing should reflect your expertise, not what someone thinks writing “should” cost.
You Redefine What Your Success Is
One of the biggest mental shifts I had to make was letting go of the notion that success meant making more every month or landing high-profile bylines. Sure, I’ve had huge months and clients worthy of name-dropping (hey, Bose 🎧).
But some of the most satisfying work I do doesn’t fall under either umbrella.
Success, from a CEO’s perspective, is about aligning with your goals.
Your business should support your values, lifestyle, and long-term vision for your life. It should not be a constant drain on your mental and physical energy.
The fun part is the definition of success is up to you. Step aside, dictionary!
Maybe it means working a four-day week, every week. Maybe it means writing only about topics that light you up. Perhaps it’s working flexible hours in the evenings when the kids go to bed. Maybe it’s hitting a revenue goal or launching a personal brand.
You get it. The point is: you get to define success.
But you can’t pursue your version of success if you haven’t paused long enough to figure out what it is. CEOs take time to plan.
You Create Systems to Support Sustainability
Most writers who decide to invest in their business for the long-haul quickly learn that doing the work and running a business are two very different jobs. Congrats, you now have two jobs and zero W2s (and still no health insurance).
The only way to manage both successfully is by building systems.
One of my most impactful practices is holding a bi-weekly “CEO Day.” It’s a repeating block on my calendar where I stop writing and focus on my business itself. I review my finances, track leads, check in on my long-term goals, and plan for the next two weeks.
I also use monthly revenue projections to guide my workload and client outreach cadence. This keeps me from operating in the feast-or-famine mode that freelancers are all-too-familiar with.
I don’t have crazy spreadsheets (although I do love a good sheet). I just have simple, streamlined systems that keep me in control.
None of it is flashy. But it works for me. These systems keep my business running smoothly even when I’m knee-deep in client work or when life gets unpredictable.
You Think Like a Team Leader (Even if It’s Just You Right Now)
I haven’t hired a full-time assistant or built a team for my business (yet), but I’ve brought on support when I needed it. And I know many uber-successful freelance writers who wouldn’t have scaled past a certain point without help.
The truth is, you can’t do it all forever. Your business will eventually outgrow the number of hours you have in the week. That’s a good thing! Smile.
Even if you’re not outsourcing today, you can start preparing for it. That means getting clear on what tasks drain your energy or don’t require your specific skill set. Maybe you’re the only one who can turn out a killer case study. But could someone save you time on those introductory LinkedIn messages?
You should also start tightening your systems so they’re easy to hand off later. Remember, you can’t delegate chaos. You can (and should) delegate systems that already work when you run them—you just need to show someone else how to run them too.
That’s how a CEO thinks.
