Gabriela is one of the members profiled in our Spring New York City subway campaign. She became a full-time freelancer in 2009, and was profiled in our Spring 2011 NYC subway campaign. You can find out more about her and her services on her website. I have always dreamed about being self employed. Though I had the desire, I never had the guts to quit my job to focus full-time on wardrobe styling. Instead I started Style with Glee as a side business with minimal focus on growing it. When I was set free from my 9 to 5 in late 2009, I said if this is not the universe’s way of pushing me along, I don’t know what is. I’d recommend freelancing only to people who are fearless. I knew that Style with Glee had to be more than a one trick pony, and I expanded my offerings so I could have other streams of income. I became a makeup artist last year, and if it’s quiet on the wardrobe styling front, my special event offerings—like jewelry parties or my Arbonne health and wellness business—are reliable sources of income.  I think of Style with Glee as the “parent company” and my other endeavors fall under its umbrella. There is no typical day for me. It is still a struggle for me to find the balance and structure as each day is a different “beast.” I still feel very new to this lifestyle. Little by little I am adjusting and with tips that I am picking up here and there, I am determined to figure it out! When I have a lean month I handle it by trying not to freak out. I know I could rely on temp work if I needed to. I used to look at people and wonder why they didn’t just work from home. Now I laugh because I can’t believe that I have joined the café culture. My two favorites are Flying Saucer on Atlantic [Avenue in Brooklyn] and Fall Café on Court [Street in Brooklyn]. I grew up in Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn 2 years ago and have turned into the biggest Brooklyn snob. When looking for health insurance, my advice is to ask around to your freelancer friends and other pals who you know used to be employed full-time. If you know anyone who is in HR and employee benefits, that is great too. I personally did all the above and found it very helpful and got tons of help. We are fortunate that in New York City there are a lot of options out there, from lower cost options offered by New York State, to emergency insurance, and of course Freelancers Union. There is something for everyone's budget. - Gabriela