Where top independent consultants level up their businesses

Join the professional network of accomplished independent operators building self-employed careers.

1

Make progress with advice from seasoned mentors

Master consulting with proven best practices

Get practical guidance through step-by-step playbooks, events, and templates made by top independents.

2

Supercharge your networkof fellow consultants

Quality referrals and collaborators at your fingertips

Build your network of referrals and collaborators. Be a part of a team again.

3

Get insider knowledge from experts and peers

Authentic intelligence for your freelancing questions

Get on demand advice for the things you need help with today from a spam-free network of members who know their stuff.

Explore the membership
Marketers
Writers
Marketers
Journalists
Illustrators
Brand Strategists
Creative Directors
Marketers
CMOs
Product Leads
Brand Strategists
Consultants
Strategists
Digital Strategists
Operators
Videographers
Marketers
Photographers
Editors
Photographers
Photographers
Developers
Developers
Developers
Copywriters
CFOs
Growth Strategists
Brand Strategists
People Operations
Marketers
Operators
Designers
Biz Ops
Content Strategists
CMOs
Consultants
Agency Owners
Product Managers
Developers
Journalists
Editors

Meet work friends, collaborators, and referrals

Marcy Chu
Digital Designer
Raptive, Flowium, CUPSHE
Isabel Haque
Talent / People Strategist
Great Team Partners, Block, Clara
Peter DeMarzio
Fractional People Leader and Ops Advisor
Nylas, Dote, Masterclass
Sarah Light
Senior Strategist, Researcher, and Marketing Consultant
Ten6, FIG, David&Goliath
Andrew Humphries
Online Education Consultant
Masterclass, Stanford, Themis
Ashley Jefferson
Product Leader and Strategist
JPMorgan, Onbench, Prudential
Brian Sun
Lifecycle Marketing Consultant & Trainer
Ottomate, Titan, Opendoor
Evan Kubitschek
Revenue Ops for B2B SaaS Shops
Revenue Ronin, Emmie Collective, Pendo.io
Tash Doherty
Analytics Consultant and Author
Postmates, Vox, Novelist
Fernando Franco
Creative Producer and LX Designer
Wavetable, Kemik, Hunter 11
Aubry Parks-Fried
Brand Developer
Buzzfeed, Sittercity, ATTN:
Brandy Cerne
Brand Strategist
Shake Shack, Sofar Sounds, Groove
Matthew Fenton
Fractional CMO/CSO
Winning Solo, Three Deuce, Farley & Sathers
Erich Funke
Creative Lead
NineLives, Mazda, Saatchi & Saatichi
Grace Garey
Leadership and Wellness Coach
Watsi, Meso, Kiva
Katherine Ma
Fractional COO
Uber, Deloitte, Plinga
Jamie Cox
Brand Strategist and Designer
Strange Salt, Blueline, Green Apple Strategy
Ashley Simpo
Writer and Editor
CRWNMAG, BET, iHeartMedia
Austin Church
Fractional CMO and Freelance Mentor
Canvas, Moxie, Freelance Cake
Wudan Yan
Journalist and Executive Producer
Nautilus, Nature
Our members have worked at:

Company perks, for independents

Members unlock access to discounts towards 200+ tools you use every day
+250 More!

Advance your career,
without the 9-5

"Pollen has been invaluable for me. The learnings, the community, the 1:1 introductions, and the skill sets available, are perfect. I’ve been able to create custom teams based on project needs."
Erich - Creative Lead
”The community is filled with people that help me validate strategies, exchange feedback, and feel supported.”
Dylan - Content Strategist
“Becoming a Pollen member has unlocked more in my business and myself than I could ever imagine.”
Melissa - Marketer, Editor, and Writer
“Being a member has directly resulted in new high-quality and well-paying clients. They've made a very intentional online space that gives me energy and doesn't bog me down.”
Rachel - Journalist

Wudan Yan

Writing and Podcasting

Wudan Yan is an award-winning journalist, podcast producer, and entrepreneur based in Seattle. She is the co-founder and CEO of The Writers' Co-op, a learning academy and online community for freelance creatives.

Mike Vardy

Productivity

Mike Vardy is a productivity strategist, time management expert, and creator of the popular productivity site Productivityist.com. With over a decade of experience in the field, Mike has helped thousands of people worldwide optimize their productivity, creativity, and focus.

Austin Church

Brand and Business

Austin is a a brand consultant, writer, and freelance coach who helps freelancers get the best clients, make more money, and enjoy their freedom. Austin's goal is to help 1,000,000 freelancers make $100,000.

Kaitlyn Arford

Writing and Pitching

Kaitlyn is an award-winning freelance journalist who writes about pets and the people who love them. In between deadlines she shares resources and opportunities with freelancers. Learn more at kaitlynarford.com.

Kevon Cheung

Social Media

Kevon Cheung is an entrepreneur, author, and Build in Public coach. He founded Public Lab to help entrepreneurs cultivate a community around their work. Through actively showing his work-in-progress in public on Twitter, he built a voice and a business with tens of thousands of raving friends and fans.

Jenni Gritters

Mindset and Business

Jenni is a writer and business coach. She was originally trained as a journalist. Now, she coaches small business owners in the creative space, primarily freelancers and soloprenuers. Jenni is obsessed with building sustainable businesses that allow you to be a human first.

Matthew Fenton

Branding

Matthew Fenton has been an independent brand strategy consultant since 1997. He’s served brands like Fidelity Investments, Wrigley and Valvoline, and well as a number of challenger brands and niche leaders. He's also the founder of Winning Solo, where he shares what he’s learned about freelance longevity, balance and success.

Zulie Rane

Content and Blogging

Zulie Rane is a content creator, blogger, vlogger, and cat mom. She helps beginner writers make a living by writing about what they love. Whether it’s nabbing your first client, starting a blog, or finally figuring out SEO, she’s here to help.

Erin Booth

Productivity and Virtual Assistants

Erin is a virtual assistant and VA coach. She has helped over 35,000 students grow their own virtual assistant business through her one-on-one coaching, as well as her online courses. When Erin is not working, you'll find her on the hunt for the world's best cup of coffee.

Jamie Cox

Brand Strategy

Jamie is on a mission to make brands less boring. As a brand strategist and designer, she works with solopreneurs, founders, and entrepreneurs to help them identify their target audiences, size up their competition, and reenergize their businesses.

Dana Miranda

Finance

Dana is a financial educator, writer, author and founder of Healthy Rich, a platform for inclusive, budget-free financial education. She works with financial educators, coaches and advisors who want to question the status quo and have broader conversations about money with clients.

Michelle Jackson

Finance

Michelle is a multi-passionate content creator that creates content across personal finance, the outdoors, online brand building and the romance space. There is a common thread that weaves its way through all of the work that she does; a focus on access, equity and policy.

Natasha Tynes

Journalist

Natasha Tynes is a Jordanian-American author based in Washington, DC. She regularly contributes to several publications and her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Esquire, Aljazeera, among others. She hosts the podcast “Read and Write with Natasha,” where she discusses the art of writing and publishing.

Whitney Popa

Communications

Whitney is a professional communicator with over fifteen years of experience in writing, public relations, influencer marketing, and digital + social media. She has represented Xbox, Nordstrom, and Amazon.

Maya Kosoff

Newsletters

Maya Kosoff is a content strategist, writer and editor based in New York City. In her day job she is the Director of Content for Company Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm, and she has freelanced for six years.

Ashley Simpo

Writing and Editing

Ashley is a freelance writer, children's book author and editor. Her work has been published by Essence, Huffington Post, Insider, Shondaland and Parents Magazine, and she has been profiled and featured in Marie Claire, Self, and The New York Times. Ashley has spent the last five years advising and mentoring new writers seeking to establish sustainable careers.

Treyton DeVore

Finance

Treyton is a creative entrepreneur, freelancer, and financial advisor. He was named a Top 100 Financial Advisor by Investopedia and has been featured in Morning Brew, Nerdwallet, and Marketwatch.

Stefan Palios

Entrepreneurship and Marketing

Stefan started freelancing by accident but fell in love with the ability to help multiple clients simultaneously and work independently. Half a decade later, he still maintains a roster of clients and also shares his experiences to help other freelancers build economic autonomy.

Ashley R. Cummings

Content Marketing

Since 2011, Ashley has been on her own as a freelance writer, developing a comprehensive understanding of content marketing, an even stronger command of the language, and a desire to help my clients crush their content marketing goals. Her work has appeared on sites like Insider, LinkedIn, Uber, Shopify, Salesforce, Hashtagpaid, and more.

We’re here for every stage of your independent career

1. Exploring

1. Exploring

1. Exploring

You’re curious but aren’t sure about the first steps in getting started. Hear real stories, set prices, build a website, and find your first client.

2. Committing

2. Committing

2. Commiting

This is the beginning of a beautiful self-employed career. Set up your benefits package, create contracts, source clients efficiently, and meet freelancer friends.

3. Establishing

3. Establishing

3. Establishing

You’ve learned the basics, now you’re ready to dive in deeper. Nail your sales discovery calls, get new clients through referrals, and develop healthy work life balance.

4. Scaling

4. Scaling

4. Scaling

It’s grow time. Hire a virtual assistant, collaborate with other members, get inbound leads, and set up your tech stack and automations.

5. Diversifying

5. Diversifying

5. Diversifying

Explore new revenue lines by launching a product, finding the right content channel, or creating a course. Learn and get inspiration from other members.

6. Sustaining

6. Sustaining

6. Sustaining

You’re in this for the long haul. Get insight into planning for retirement, acquiring other companies, accessing capital, and exploring your moonshot ideas.

Authentic intelligence to grow your business

Get New Clients Through Referrals

Stefan Palios
Sales & Marketing
7/10

Diversify Your Revenue Streams

Jenni Gritters
Sales & Marketing
1/12

Automate Your Taxes, Savings, and Investments

Treyton Devore
Sales & Marketing, Communication
4/12

Build a Freelancing Business Plan

Wudan Yan
Sales & Marketing, Communication
4/12

Get New Clients Through Referrals

Stefan Palios
Sales & Marketing
7/10

Diversify Your Revenue Streams

Jenni Gritters
Sales & Marketing
1/12

Set Your Hourly Rate

Pollen
Sales & Marketing, Communication
3/5

Write a Substack Newsletter

Maya Kosoff
Sales & Marketing, Communication
2/4

Maximize Your Productivity

Mike Vardy
Operations
4/12

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

Pollen
Sales & Marketing, Communication
4/12

Write a Substack Newsletter

Maya Kosoff
Sales & Marketing, Communication
2/4

Hourly Rates, Retainers, and Project Based Pricing

Pollen
Sales & Marketing, Communication
3/5

Become a Pollen
Member in 3 steps

Submit your application
1
Schedule your interview
2
Join the community
3
Pollen is tax deductible as a professional development expense
$100
/ month
Save 15% with an annual plan
Apply
Pollen is tax deductible as a professional development expense
$100
/ month
You're saving 15% with an annual plan
Apply