Before you package yourself as a freelancer, let me give you one solid piece of advice: pick a fight you can actually win.

A few years ago, I found myself sitting in the offices of a credit company called Jijenge Credit. They had contacted me about handling their social media marketing.

At the time, I was mostly working with small businesses and individuals—people who would casually slide into my WhatsApp asking for posters or logos. But this? This was a proper company with serious boardroom vibes.

I walked into that office thinking, Ah, it’s just another digital marketing gig. I had my confidence up—until the questions started rolling in.

Deliverables? ROI projections? Target audience segmentation? Conversion metrics? Did their budget even fit my expertise?

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And then there was the CEO—a dark, serious-looking guy with a stone-cold face, drilling me with questions like he was interrogating a suspect.

That day, I learned a tough lesson:

1. Don’t overrate yourself before you’re ready. Just because you’ve done a few gigs doesn’t mean you can handle high-stakes clients.
2. Make sure your skillset is solid. If you’re offering a service, ensure you actually know what you’re doing. Clients can smell inexperience from a mile away.
3. Plan your approach. If you’re targeting bigger clients, understand what they need, how they measure success, and how your services fit into their business.
4. Build a portfolio that speaks for you. Before walking into any serious meeting, ensure you have proof of past work and results. Otherwise, you’ll just be doing motivational speaking instead of pitching.

I walked out of that meeting knowing I had work to do. I had to refine my services, understand corporate clients better, and build a stronger case for why they should work with me.

So before you step into a game you’re not ready for, ask yourself: Can I actually deliver on what I’m promising? If not, sharpen your skills first.