‘Before I came across Ruul, I had to forgo a lot of clients because of payment issues. Living in a country where the most popular payment methods don’t work has been a real challenge. There were several instances where potential clients loved my work, but they couldn’t change their payment system for one person.’ says Naume and she tells her experience of working beyond borders from Zimbabwe.
1- Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your work. You can include links to your website/other platforms you use for marketing purposes.
I’m Naume Guveya, a freelance content marketing writer from Zimbabwe. I have been writing for over five years, but I only took everything seriously and decided to become a freelancer in 2018.When I started, I took on any writing job I could find just to test the waters. I have since decided to specialize in content marketing writing. This means I use content to help businesses attract and retain their customers. There are many parts to the customer acquisition and retention journey; thus, I create several content types, including blog posts, pillar posts, SEO content, a bit of web copy, guides, case studies, and white papers. Most of my clients are in the finance, health and wellness, fashion, and digital marketing niches.Besides content marketing writing, I’m also a sustainability blogger. I believe that I have a part to play in the fight against climate change, so I run a sustainability blog. I’m also a contributor to Impakter, a global sustainability platform with a readership of over half a million people.
2- How did you find your first freelance job, and how did you build your client network?
I found my first freelance job through a simple Google search.From there, I searched for companies that needed contributors, and I got accepted by a few. Once I had a couple of bylines, I put up a portfolio, cleaned up my LinkedIn profile, and set up a Twitter account. LinkedIn gave me a fantastic initial boost in building my network, and I also had several people find me via Twitter.
3- You are living in Harare, Zimbabwe. Where are your clients located? Can you tell us a little bit about your 'borderless' working experience?
All my clients are based in Europe, the U.S., and Australia.For me, the most significant merit of working borderless has been the ability to work with clients that understand the value of my work. If I had been limited to working only in Zimbabwe, my freelance journey would probably have ended by now. By being able to transcend borders, I’ve been able to partner with people who understand what I do and are happy to pay a fair price for my services.Working borderless has also given me a digital fluency and cultural intelligence; I didn’t think possible a few years back. The work setup has opened me up to such a diverse group of people, and my network is more robust today because of that.
4- In one sentence, how do you define Ruul?
Ruul is a lifesaver. Literally.Before I came across Ruul, I had to forgo a lot of clients because of payment issues. Living in a country where the most popular payment methods don’t work has been a real challenge. There were several instances where potential clients loved my work, but they couldn’t change their payment system for one person. The ability for my clients to pay me via credit/debit cards has been a game-changer for me.
5- Do you have any suggestions for fresh freelancers? Can you shortly elaborate on what freelancers should do or avoid doing in their journey?
This may sound so obvious, but to the fresh freelancers, I want to say that there are no shortcuts to success. If you’re not willing to put in the work, don’t expect any results.Make it a point to develop your skills, keep on searching for opportunities, and network, network, network. There’s a lot of competition in the freelance writing space, but if you have something to offer, you will get work. It’s up to you to get yourself out there and create opportunities.It’s also important to treat your freelancing as a business. Market your skills the same way you would in any other business setup.The biggest thing I would say to avoid is giving up. The freelancing world requires patience and stamina. Keep on going, and remember never to take rejection personally. It’s all part of the game. Just keep on moving.
