Episode 19 - The 3 stages of a freelance L&D career

Join us on the Free Spirits of L&D podcast as we explore the world of freelancing in learning and development. In this episode — the final of Season 2 — we talk with Andy Candler, founder of Aprendido and self-styled "plain speaking learning consultant," who brings nearly 40 years of experience in digital learning, agency life, and now freelance consulting to one of our most grounded, honest conversations yet.Andy shares how a company merger, a well-timed redundancy, and a long overdue moment of reflection led him to go it alone — and what the two years since have really looked like. He answers Jules's question from the previous episode on the most valuable lesson a client has ever taught him, and sets a cracking question for our next guest. Along the way, Andy covers why he prefers to fish in different ponds when it comes to conferences, his three-stage model of Learn, Earn and Return, the art of 'co-opetition', why he started charging for the conversations he used to give away for free, and the LinkedIn approach that finally started bringing work through the door. Oh, and he tells us what he charges — with a starting price of one million pounds.Andy also shares the news of his new role as COO of Free Spirits — the community that was there for him from day one of his freelance journey, and one he's been quietly contributing to ever since.Whether you're thinking about making the leap, navigating the rollercoaster of your first year, or looking for a calmer, more considered approach to building a freelance business, this episode is for you.Find Andy on LinkedIn, or visit his website at www.aprendido.co.uk — where you can book a free 30-minute call or a paid hour of his time directly from his calendar.This is the final episode hosted by Mark Gilroy. The podcast will return in the autumn with a new host and fresh guests. Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories across two incredible series.