Maybe I’m not the right person to give you a definitive answer on how to become a freelancer, but I can certainly tell you how and why I made this decision.

For me, becoming a freelancer has always been a medium- to long-term goal, but I knew that right after university I didn’t yet have the experience or the skills to take that step.

So the first thing to do was to “cut my teeth.”

Thus, first of all, I analyzed myself and tried to understand what my weaknesses and strengths were.

Once I identified my weaknesses, I tried to work on them! How? I tried to be like a sponge and absorb as much as possible from those around me.

I tried to “steal” from those more skilled than me and to improve, refine, and deepen my skills.

Not only by informing myself and getting advice from those with more experience than me, but also by observing, listening, and putting into practice what I had learned, even in initially smaller contexts to test feedback, but above all by making mistakes.

And it is precisely from the less-than-excellent results that I learned what works and what doesn’t, what I needed to improve, and where I already had a solid foundation

And that’s when I realized something very important: to become a freelancer and build something lasting, you first need a solid foundation.

If the foundations of a house are not strong, it collapses at the first storm.

And so I did: I tried to figure out where to start, where I felt most confident; where I felt I had “broad shoulders”.

Did I feel ready to give it all up and become a freelancer? An international career I had built on my own, day after day, with effort — one that had cost me not only time, but also friendships?

Maybe not, but I felt that the right moment had come to become a freelancer. After all, when do we ever really feel fully ready to take an important step?

Per cui mi sono armata di coraggio, strategia e un pizzico di pazzia e dopo oltre 12 anni in ambienti internazionali in cui mi sono occupata di: traduzione, servizio clienti, formazione di agenti per il servizio clienti, coordinamento e creazioni di contenuti per le campagne di marketing ho mollato tutto e mi sono ritrasferita in Italia.

And you might ask: why return to Italy instead of becoming a freelancer while staying in Austria? There could be many answers to this question, but I can only tell you that after a certain age, priorities change — and what seems boring and repetitive at 25 smells like stability and mental well-being at 35.

The hardest part? Naturally, leaving a life built perfectly for me, tearing everything down, and starting over from scratch. All of this can be summed up in a simple phrase: believing in myself and my abilities once again, just like when I had left Italy.

But this time, the goal was the dream of a lifetime: to become a freelancer!

The decision was certainly not easy and yes, I miss Graz sometimes, especially my old apartment, my refuge from the world, but like with people who are not good for us, we must learn to let go of situations that are no longer aligned with our needs!

Moreover, I told myself: Barbara, if you survived bureaucracy in German, you can handle anything!

But above all, I knew what I wanted: to create my own reality, where I could put my experience and skills, acquired with work and effort, at the disposal of those who needed it.

So I said a final goodbye to Graz, dried my tears, and drafted a battle plan!

The first thing to do was to handle all the bureaucratic procedures related to the move from Austria to Italy and believe me, it was definitely challenging.

Almost three months of emails, phone calls and endless passwords to invent.

Then I absolutely wanted to improve my skills in Copywriting, especially to have a marketing foundation that I never had.

So I sent my application to Monica Pirozzi’s Copy Gateway, the only school for copywriters in Italy, and I was accepted.

The result? After about 4 months, I obtained the certificate by working on a real project!

At the same time, I knew I needed an image, a logo, a color, and a shape that would tell about me, so with the help of a professional, I got a face and a voice that translated into: Words with a Purpose.

Words that have a purpose, a goal. Synonymous with agile and direct communication that leaves little room for ‘unnecessary embellishments’ and that sets me apart both inside and outside the world of work.

And last but not least, I absolutely wanted to have my own website in three languages: Italian, German, and English.

And now? Now comes the hardest part: getting known and starting to acquire clients!

And you? How did you start your business? Do you need a clear and agile structure? Do you have lots of content ideas but don’t know how to coordinate them?

Write to me now and let’s get your project started together!