Shortlist: Digital Freelancer of The Year – Digital Women Awards

The Digital Freelancer of The Year Award recognises and celebrates women who are working independently and flexibly, often carrying out more than one specialism. Many freelancers also seek out their own clients and fund self learning. Freelancers are often highly skilled and work along side corporate teams and smaller businesses. Freelancers collectively add a significant amount of money to our economy.

Here are your finalists:

Carolyn Strand – C J Strand Cyber Hype

Carolyn has identified that small business owners struggle to get honest, fair and experienced advice on anything associated with online business.

C J Strand Cyber Hype picked up the baton to provide business owners with clear information and advice to help them make informed technology, business and marketing decisions. This business is earnest in its support of small and local businesses to be profitable and successful and offers lots of free advice

Carolyn Strand is the Founder and Managing Director of C J Strand Ltd, The Useful Shop and C J Strand Cyber Hype. Since starting her business in 2001 she has been and warrior of the digital world, an evangelist of digital technologies for small business and an advocate for women in business. Always ready to support entrepreneurs and small business owners, she’s a reliable source of business and technology advice and support, helping established business owners and start-ups to expand their businesses and navigate the ‘digital jungle’ with clarity and success. Carolyn lives in Angmering, West Sussex where she is involved in many local and community organisations, supporting interests from helping local families in need to theatre and the arts. She is a proud mum of her son Aengus, who is 13 and has grown up with a business loving mum!

Katie Thompson – Katie Lingo

My clients have called me “the most generous freelancer they’ve ever worked with” and regularly comment on how much time I save them in subbing. This is my main goal – not just to produce great content, but to be that helping hand that saves people time. I’ve worked in magazines, in PR and in agencies, so I understand where the bottlenecks are. Who wants to spend hours writing meta descriptions? Nobody, that’s who. That’s where Katie Lingo comes in.

I’m Katie, and I’m here to take on the content tasks that are too daunting for you and your teams. Providing a unique mix of journalistic and digital marketing experience, I can provide content for a wealth of different mediums, all on-time, on-brand and with a smile.

When you work with me, you’ll have round the clock access to new ideas, quick changes and high-quality content. I believe in getting to know all my customers personally and really understanding a brand to ensure its marketing has the maximum effect. I’m happy to help with blogs, magazine features, press releases, email campaigns, proofreading and anything else related to the written word. Whoever you are and wherever you are, you can guarantee your brand will be represented in the best light possible when you work with Katie Lingo.

Carly Stringer – Keystone Virtual

After ten years of experience in the communications industry, working for a Global PR agency, I launched Keystone Virtual and my freelance career in February 2017. This was born out of a desire to have the freedom to work with clients and on projects that I’m passionate about and can provide real value to while creating a more flexible work style around my young children.

Over the three years I have been in business my offering has evolved from general admin/digital marketing support, to specialising in social media and now Facebook/Instagram advertising as a response to a need from my clients/the enquiries I receive as well as my own personal interests and skill set.

Carly Stringer is a Facebook Blueprint certified media buying professional with over 10 years’ experience in the communications industry. She works with independent e-commerce businesses to help them increase their visibility and sales through Facebook and Instagram advertising. Her experience spans brands in the clothing, accessories, wedding and gifting sectors.

Sarah Johnson – Flourish Retail

It (being freelance) means I can do what I love, help small businesses grow and be flexible around two daughters, and as Flourish has grown I have been able to offer that flexibility to another previous member of my team who supports me on projects.

My clients are anyone from a mum who has started creating at her kitchen table, all the way through to more established brands and I’ve been lucky enough to work with brands like Scamp & Dude and Astrid & Miyu over the last year.

With almost two decades’ experience in the world of merchandising, from high street names to online retail giant ASOS, Sarah Johnson created Flourish Retail, merchandising support for small businesses which is flexible, affordable and helps small businesses to thrive.

Clare Reeves – Clare Reeves Voiceovers

Not only do I use digital marketing tools, my work involves my skills in digital audio recording and production to meet client needs. I set out to build a fairly traditional freelance voiceover career but now harness the tech in my home studio to enable me to work efficiently – without the need to travel to London studios very much. Digital tech is used throughout my workflow and I also use it playfully to create sound art pieces. I humanise digital tech and digital marketing by using my human voice to enable others to communicate via digital more effectively – which is going to be the future of coms in a more digital world.

Clare was born in Torquay, Devon. After training in theatre and media, Clare worked for the BBC for a number of years- as a Radio Presenter, sound engineer, TV Channel Director and within BBC training. Clare founded her Voiceover business in 2011, her background in broadcasting – from both sides of the microphone – gives her a real competitive edge in the voiceover world where she brings her unique knowledge of the world of broadcasting to everything she does. Clare’s Voiceover clients include Facebook, Hyundai, Booking.com, National Geographic and Clearblue.

Clare is passionate about creative communication, which is why she loves what she does – specialising in turning words on a page into audio that gets her clients noticed and understood perfectly by their audience. Clare’s love of creating sound art in her digital studio has lead her to launching a new business with a partner. Limitless XR will enable people to use their mobile phones to experience 360 degree spatial audio not only in museums and heritage attractions but anywhere.. creating immersive experiences that are triggered by location. 2020 sees Clare and her partner developing the prototype and partnerships.

Amy Louise Kolsteren – Mooie Fee Photography

Mooie Fee Photography is all about building confidence and helping people show their true selves. In particular, I set out to change the corporate world and add a bit of weirdness! Corporate photography doesn’t have to be boring, and I love being able to showcase a company’s uniqueness through the visuals Mooie Fee Photography provides.

Amy from Mooie Fee Photography has been a professional photographer for 6 years and has the aim to change the face of corporate photography. She’s passionate about helping build confidence and showing the real people behind businesses. 

Sian Meades-Williams – Freelance Writing Jobs

I’m founder and editor of Freelance Writing Jobs, a weekly newsletter service that curates the best paying freelance gigs and calls for pitches from editors. It’s read by over 15,600 subscribers each week and it’s the only jobs platform in the UK that’s solely dedicated to freelance writers.

I have over a decade of experience as a freelance writer, and I host coaching workshops and pitch advice sessions for freelancers. I’m also writing a book about freelance writing called The Pyjama Myth: The Freelance Writer’s Survival Guide, and I’ve recently joined the IPSE as their digital freelance agony aunt.

I’m founder and editor of Freelance Writing Jobs, a weekly newsletter service that curates the best paying freelance gigs and calls for pitches from editors. It’s read by over 15,600 subscribers each week and it’s the only jobs platform in the UK that’s solely dedicated to freelance writers.

I have over a decade of experience as a freelance writer, and I host coaching workshops and pitch advice sessions for freelancers. I’m also writing a book about freelance writing called The Pyjama Myth: The Freelance Writer’s Survival Guide, and I’ve recently joined the IPSE as their digital freelance agony aunt.

Congratulations to these incredible Digital Freelancers!

Join us on the 9th March in London as we celebrate international women’s day and the work women are doing in digital and business.