Stop Waiting for Clients. Start Making - Charles Commins
Charles Commins handed his notice in at his pub job with no plan except to enjoy whatever came next. His partner gave him one month to figure it out. Seven and a half years later, he's an award-winning freelance podcast producer whose client chain traces back to one decision: making a football podcast about Northampton Town. Along the way he's had a succession of word-of-mouth freelancing clients, realised his dream of appearing on BBC Radio, and made all of it work around being there for his family.
Episode 357 of the Being Freelance podcast, hosted by Steve Folland, Charles Commins, titled "Stop Waiting for Clients. Start Making - Charles Commins" was published on March 22, 2026 and runs 66 minutes.
March 22, 2026 ·66m · Being Freelance
Summary
Charles Commins handed his notice in at his pub job with no plan except to enjoy whatever came next. His partner gave him one month to figure it out. Seven and a half years later, he's an award-winning freelance podcast producer whose client chain traces back to one decision: making a football podcast about Northampton Town. Along the way he's had a succession of word-of-mouth freelancing clients, realised his dream of appearing on BBC Radio, and made all of it work around being there for his family.
Episode Description
Charles Commins handed his notice in at his pub management job with no plan and no business.
His partner gave him one month to figure it out. All he knew was that he wanted to love his job.
Seven and a half years later, he's an award-winning freelance podcast producer whose almost entire client chain traces back to one decision: making a football podcast about Northampton Town.
That podcast would act as his show ground and his playground. Testing and ultimately proving to clients that he should be freelancing for them.
Along the way he's had a succession of word-of-mouth freelancing clients, realised his dream of appearing on BBC Radio, and made all of it work around being there for his family.
This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers:
- Starting It's All Cobblers To Me as a portfolio piece, and how a Northampton Town fan indirectly led to a four-year retainer
- Why and how 90% of his work comes through referrals
- The "starting from…" pricing approach: why he won't publish fixed rates, and how he edges prices up with each new client
- Work-life balance: from pub late nights to home office, to a new baby derailing everything, to finally getting it to 60/40
- The never-ending circle of freelance guilt - working, not working, being with family… there's always something to feel bad about
- Co-running MIC's Podcast Club with Vic Turnbull - 1,400 members, monthly virtual meetups, and why running a community full of "competitors" is actually brilliant
- Launching The Warrington Scoop, a hyperlocal monthly podcast, as a low-lift way to generate local business leads
- Co-mentoring with Amy: how a monthly accountability call became one of his most valuable freelance tools
- The biggest challenge: not finding clients, but believing work will come when you're in a trough
Charles is part of the Being Freelance Community - come and hang out with Steve, Charles and plenty of friendly freelancers who get what it's like!
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