I've been a freelance sound recordist for over 12 years, having jumped straight into self-employment right after graduating from university in 2012. Over the years, I’ve experienced the inevitable ups and downs that come with freelancing—such as inconsistent work, managing my own schedule, tracking invoices, and finding time for personal pursuits. Yet, everything shifted into high gear when I became a father in 2021. In this blog, I’ll share the challenges I now face in running a small business as a self-employed dad.
Becoming a Father
In August 2021, my wife and I welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world. At the time, I was regularly working on the TV show BebinTV (Persian Gogglebox) [read my blog about that experience here], along with a few other smaller projects. I knew that balancing a new baby with my freelance career would be a challenge, especially considering the round-the-clock care a newborn requires. Luckily, I had planned to take at least a week or two off work to ensure both my wife and I could fully support our baby and each other during those first crucial weeks.
Being self-employed, I had the flexibility to decide how long I wanted to stay off work. But there’s always a catch—taking time off also meant potentially turning down well-paying gigs. That’s the risk we freelancers constantly face.
After a week or so at home, we decided I would return to work. My wife’s parents, who live nearby, provided immense support during this time—a blessing we truly appreciated, especially after the grueling experience my wife endured during labor. Returning to work felt different; I missed my little boy immensely. Not being with him 24/7 was strange, and even now, that feeling persists, especially after long breaks between jobs or when I’ve been working from home.
Despite how exhausting fatherhood is—especially with an energetic toddler—I find it incredible how much I miss him when I leave for work. This feeling intensifies when I have to stay away for multiple days.
Financial Changes
Parenthood brought significant changes to our financial situation, directly impacting how I approached my freelance business. Suddenly, our expenses grew: there were endless things to buy for the baby, for the house, and for family outings. When our son grew older, nursery fees became our biggest expense. Though we opted for just three half-days a week, it still added hundreds of pounds to our monthly outgoings!
I’ve always been proud of how I manage our finances, but this tested both my wife and me. I had to reassess how much income we needed and where that money would come from. This led to a shift in my approach to work. I could no longer afford to take on as many low-budget projects as I had in the past. Now, I had to value my skills and time more, ensuring that each project brought in sufficient income for our growing family.
Work-Life-Family Balance
Balancing work with personal life is challenging for everyone, but it becomes even more complex when you’re managing a small business and raising a family. There are moments when I have to choose between meeting our financial goals or spending time with my son. It’s heart-wrenching when he says, “Daddy, come play with me,” and I have to leave for a 10-hour workday. The feeling is even worse when I have a full week of bookings, meaning I barely get to see my wife and son at all. When I do, my son is often emotionally dysregulated, likely confused by my extended absence.
These tough decisions are part of being self-employed, which is why setting boundaries and priorities is essential. It’s all too easy to become so consumed by work that you miss out on important family moments, especially in the early years. My approach to managing this balance involves asking myself three questions: Have I earned enough this month? How much quality time have I spent with my son? How is my wife handling things while I’m away?
These decisions are never easy, but discussing them with my wife and family helps us find a solution. Every time a job enquiry comes in, I feel like I’m going through this decision-making process all over again.
Turbulent Times Being Self Employed...
Since the end of 2022, the film and television industry has faced a turbulent period. Many professionals have found themselves out of work, and several production companies have either gone out of business or drastically restructured, affecting countless jobs. It's sad to witness, and unfortunately, as we near the end of 2024, there's still no clear resolution in sight.
I’ve been affected by this downturn as well. Much of my work in factual television has disappeared. While the reasons behind this might be better suited for a separate blog post, the impact on my business, our household income, and my family has been substantial. We’ve had to adjust to these uncertain times, and it's been stressful for me, as the primary breadwinner, to ensure a stable income for our family.
The silver lining, however, is that I’ve been able to spend a lot more time with my son, who is now three years old (as of November 2024). All he wants to do is play and engage in imaginative activities with me, which has been a joy. We’ve created so many cherished memories that I know will last a lifetime.
The Future…
The future is uncertain, especially in the ever-changing world of film and television, but I hope to remain involved as a sound recordist—and who knows, maybe develop my film directing career more too. How this will evolve as my son grows older is hard to predict, but in 2025, he’ll start primary school, which marks the beginning of a whole new chapter in parenthood. It’s wild to think how quickly that milestone has arrived!
As my journey as a father and freelancer continues, I’m sure there will be more challenges and joys ahead. Who knows, maybe I’ll write another blog down the road to reflect on fatherhood once again.
Dan Guest
Sound Recordist
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