In this episode, I’m unpacking the Metro article that shared my income as a freelance writer (yes, the one with the headline about me earning £232,000 a year). Divulging those numbers was both terrifying and empowering, and I’m sharing why I said yes to the interview, how it felt to have my business laid out in a national newspaper, and the waves of comments (supportive, skeptical, and everything in between) that followed. I’ll walk you through the assumptions people made about my success, the realities behind those income figures, and what the conversation revealed about freelancing stereotypes, privilege, AI, and the industries we work in. Most importantly, I’ll share the lessons I’ve learned about transparency, resilience, and why I believe we need to talk more openly about success in freelancing. If you’ve ever read someone else’s income breakdown and thought, that could never be me, this episode is especially for you.