For the middle class in India, jobs have traditionally meant stability and even social approval. A fixed salary, regular hikes, slow but steady growth. But Covid 19 brought about a change that was unprecedented. People could work from home, productivity improved, the market opened up (after shutting down briefly) and there was a huge need for jobs.
It changed the way we thought about work. We could work from home, manage work, manage the household and still spend less energy and time than going to work. This became a boon for women, especially those who were expecting or had had kids.
It allowed them to work from home, be financially independent as well as take care of their kids.
But when the offices reopened, we felt something strange.
Today, many professionals are realizing that what they experienced during those years wasn’t a temporary convenience, it was proof of a different way of working. A way where output mattered more than hours, a location did not define the opportunities a person could get. You could be from a Tier 3 city and still be able to make what an engineer in Metros would be making.
As jobs moved back to rigid structures, long commutes, and fixed expectations, people began questioning the trade-off. Not everyone wanted to give up the autonomy they had briefly tasted. Not everyone wanted their entire livelihood tied to a single employer again. A lot of them did not have a choice as well. With people coming back to work, and with AI, suddenly the job requirements got reduced. The companies called it “fluff” built up during the Covid phase that they were letting go off.
Jobs started feeling less and less stable and more demanding than ever before.
That’s where freelancing and gig work started to feel less like an experiment and more like a logical extension of modern work. It was a way to retain control, stay relevant, and build income on one’s own terms, alongside or beyond a traditional job.
I started seeing this shift up close in 2023.
That year, I began working closely with professionals, ex-corporates who wanted to explore freelancing - People returning after career breaks, women balancing caregiving with their jobs and even employees who wanted a safety net alongside their jobs.
I realized what they needed wasn’t motivation or hustle culture. They needed structure, confidence, and a realistic path to monetising their skills.
That’s how my work in freelance coaching began - helping people build side hustles and freelance careers that fit their lives, timelines, and responsibilities.
In 2024, I faced the same thing - Travelling 2 hours for work and spending 8-9 hours at the office felt extremely tiring. I was already freelancing on the side for the last 12 years, making websites,writing copy, managing social media for people. I decided to put a target of earning 1 lakh per month through freelancing before I quit my job. I reached this milestone in August 2024 and 31st August was my last day at my job :)
As of today, I focus on building personal brands for content creators and companies as a freelancer and support people in building their side hustles and freelancing career.