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?

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.