Freelance Voices: Ollo.is Freelancers Describe Freelance Life In Brazil

The 10^th edition of freelance voices welcomes freelancers in Brazil, the 8^th largest global economy with a GDP over $2 trillion dollars. To give readers perspective, Brazil places between France and Italy in economic production. Freelancing among Brazil professionals is a relatively recent development but quickly growing. Brazilian freelancers often work with well-known regional platforms like Workana.com and Seeds, global platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and Turing.com, and specialized “vertical” platforms like Kolabtree.com in R&D or Wokiconsulting.com in independent management consulting. One recent Brazilian platform that deserves readers’ attention is Ollo.is. Ollo.is was created in 2020 as a marketplace for Brazilian creatives – independent advertising, design, and communication professionals. It now represents over 2000 freelancers and works with both large enterprises like The United Nations Foundation, and Warner Media, and regional companies like Fast Shop and Domino’s Brazil. Co-founder and CEO Karina Rehavia describes the platform this way:

“We created Ollo with a particular vision in mind: to build a premium, on demand, talent solution provider with a hyper-curated and diverse community of professionals from the advertising, design and communication industries. To date, we have successfully served clients in more than 1300 projects and created work for over 40% of the freelancers in our community. We’re proud to be contributing to the growth of the freelance movement in Brazil and LATAM.”

Here are the voices of Ollo’s Brazilian freelancers:

Kek Toledo, Independent creative director and writer. “I’m able to maintain good freelance career because of my previous full time work experience. It also helped me on the networking side, as many of the opportunities I get as a freelancer come from connections made when I was working full time. Since then, I started to think about my career as a sequence of alternating cycles. I try to work full time for some time and then independently for some time, to the benefit of both.”

Fernanda Borghetti – Freelance cultural insight and strategy. “Being a freelancer is being more connected. I love the diversity of projects and how they sometimes intersect and even influence each other. just like the seasons, the market movement is also alternating, there are periods when I close 6 projects and others when I am idle, when I can enjoy a pile of books.”

Mateus Braga – Independent creative director. “I used to work in big companies where the physical headcount was more important than the creative quality or wellbeing of the employees. In the post-covid era, creative professionals no longer need to be present physically, and companies can hire people wherever they are. So, companies are creating a new kind of professional, the ‘Borderless Creative’. I’m one of those.”

Chris Figueiredo – Journalist. “Even as a child I wanted to write. Looking back, I see that every path I took was towards this goal. Today I feel even more fulfilled as I become an independent professional. In addition to doing what I love, I don’t have to give up other important pillars of my life, such as being close to my mother, my family, and being anywhere, anytime.”

Nicole Maciel Pitelli – BI specialist. “I discovered being my own boss made me a more complete and productive professional. After I became a mother, freelance enabled me to exercise motherhood without abandoning my profession. For me, the biggest difficulty is the first contact with the client where the scope of the project will be discussed. The expectation versus what can be done can generate a lot of anxiety in the client and end up harming the progress of the project.”

Agnes Mirele Lopes – Content strategist. “Brazilian freelancing is like living 50 years in 5! You learn a lot, grow faster, and create an incredible portfolio. One downside to this process, unfortunately, is the uncertainty of the next project. It’s necessary to have great financial planning, and there is not one magical formula for success, only a fundamental base: planning, dedication and desire.”

Bruna Marconi – Graphic designer. “Freelancing gave me freedom of choice: where I live and the clients with whom I work. I have grown a lot, learning how to deal with clients and set limits. I also learned how to manage the “impostor syndrome” voice that sometimes inhabits me. I have more confidence charging the price for my services, knowing its what I deserve. It is a constant growth process and, above all, work I love and with projects I believe in.

Gee Galvão – Photographer. “Life as a freelancer is an adventure! I am able to navigate through projects with a consciousness of their temporality, looking for my best professional performance. As a photographer and visual storyteller, it is possible to delve into various themes and learn a lot from the best of this lifestyle.”

Rebeca Thaís – Screenwriter and video editor. “Freelancing is challenging and exciting. A flexible schedule sometimes allows me to travel during the weekdays, do important courses for my career and develop my own projects. Dealing with the uncertainty of income or with multiple projects can be tricky. It requires organization and patience but it’s worth it and freeing.”

Joana Scarci – Copywriter. “Freelancing was a game changer in my life. It’s amazing the possibility of choosing the projects and get to know incredible people . Now I am more connected with myself, my own creative process and learning a lot. It’s tons of work and not always fun, but worth it.”

Giulia Fangundes – Graphic designer and art director. “Being an independent professional has its many benefits. I can freely connect with other professionals, companies and projects. I see the freelancer life as a great moment and for me it has made a lot of sense. I have learned to respect myself professionally and also separate my life and work.”

Raphael Ferraz – Creative director and designer. “Being a freelancer is being the company owner. You realize that you are the HR person, project manager, producer, and even tax specialist, all at once. But while hard work, it’s an enriching experience. I became a better, well-rounded professional.”

Flávia Nogueira Duarte – Copywriter and planner. “I never thought I would have the discipline to be a freelancer. In 2020, I had to grab opportunities that came along. Today, I have more control of my tasks and I have learned how to be more financially organized. I do miss the security of a full-time job but being a freelancer has way more advantages. I cannot imagine working any other way”

Viva la revolution!