Building gig worker financial resilience

Ilyce Glink, Tribune News Service

Over the last few years, as the world went topsy-turvy, I was able to pivot quickly. I already had the expertise, the contacts and the platform. Within weeks, I was fielding requests for proposals that wouldn't have existed months earlier.

Resilience starts With the Art of the Pivot: Traditional employees often can't pivot this quickly. They're locked into job descriptions, reporting structures and company priorities that might not align with market changes. But, you’re a gig worker, or at least you wanna be one. So, here’s my best advice on how to make this work to your advantage. Keep your skills current: I spend about 15% of my time learning—reading industry reports, taking online courses, attending conferences. It's not billable time, but it's essential.

Maintain relationships: Those loose connections with people across different industries often become your lifeline when you need to pivot. I stay in touch with former colleagues, conference contacts and fellow freelancers even when I don't need anything from them. And I’m not afraid to ask them for consulting or content production work. Test new waters: I regularly take on small projects outside my wheelhouse. They don't pay much, but they give me insight into emerging opportunities.

Building Your Financial Fortress: Here's a hard truth I wish more Americans understood: You can't be resilient — or take advantage of an opportunity — if you're living paycheck to paycheck. Financial stress clouds judgment and limits options. So, building financial resilience is imperative if you’re hoping to make a living as a gig worker and enjoy the freedoms that come along with the lifestyle: The Emergency Fund Plus: Traditional advice says 3-6 months of expenses. Gig workers need 6-12 months because our income is less predictable. I know that sounds impossible when you're getting started, but build it gradually—even $50 a month adds up.

Make Sure You Have Insurance: You don’t want to get sick and find out later that you’re not covered. Be sure you understand what it will take financially to get the kind of coverage you need and plan for that expense. Separate Business and Personal: I have separate accounts for business income and personal expenses. When a big project payment comes in, it doesn't feel like a windfall to spend frivolously — it's business money that needs to cover slow periods.

The Rolling Forecast: I track not just current income, but projected income 3-6 months out. This helps me spot potential cash flow problems early and take action before they become crises. Multiple Payment Methods: Some clients want to pay by check, others by wire transfer, some use payment platforms. Having multiple ways to get paid reduces friction and speeds up cash flow. The Resilient Relationship Portfolio

Financial resilience isn't just about money—it's also about relationships. In traditional employment, your network might be limited to your company or industry. Gig workers build what I call a "relationship portfolio."

The Mentor: Someone who's been through multiple economic cycles and can offer perspective when you're too close to a problem or just need another set of eyes on a proposal. The Peer Group: Other freelancers who understand the unique challenges and can offer practical advice. The Connector: That person who seems to know everyone and makes introductions. Cultivate these relationships carefully.

The Client-Friends: Long-term clients who've become genuine advocates for your work and refer you to others. The Emergency Contact: Someone who can help immediately when things go wrong—whether that's a quick project to bridge a gap or just someone to talk through options.

None of these relationships happen overnight, and they require maintenance. But when crisis hits, this network becomes your safety net.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything: The biggest difference between resilient and fragile workers isn't circumstances—it's mindset. Fragile thinking: "This bad thing happened TO me." Resilient thinking: "This challenging situation is happening, and I have options for how to respond." Fragile thinking: "I need this one client/job/project to work out." Resilient thinking: "This is one opportunity among many I'm pursuing." Fragile thinking: "I don't know what to do." Resilient thinking: "I don't know what to do YET, but I know how to figure it out."

The language you use with yourself matters. I catch myself when I start spiraling and literally reframe the situation out loud. It sounds silly, but it works.

Systems Beat Willpower Every Time: You can't rely on motivation to carry you through tough times. You need systems that work even when you're not at your best.

My resilience systems include: Weekly financial check-ins: Every Friday, I review income, expenses and pipeline. No surprises. Monthly relationship maintenance: First Monday of each month, I reach out to some people in my network just to check in. Quarterly skill audits: What's working? What's not? What do I need to learn next? Annual disaster planning: What would I do if my biggest client disappeared? If my industry changed dramatically? If I had a health crisis?

Having systems means you don't have to make all these decisions in crisis mode when your judgment might be compromised.

The Compound Effect of Small Resilience Habits: Building resilience isn't about making dramatic changes — it's about small, consistent actions that compound over time. (It’s the best kind of advice for personal financial growth, too.) Save $25 a week for your emergency fund. Read one industry article daily. Reach out to one person in your network weekly. Take on one small experimental project quarterly. These habits seem insignificant day to day, but they create exponential returns in your ability to handle whatever comes next.

What Traditional Workers Can Learn: When friends in the corporate world marvel over my gig worker life, I tell them that it’s not that hard to engage in a gig worker life. You start small (i.e. part-time or a one-off) and follow the interest, which will then lead to money. But the time to start building your gig worker resilience muscles is now, while you still have steady income. Develop skills outside your job description. Build relationships outside your company. Save more aggressively. Create multiple income streams, even small ones. Don't wait to be laid off to start thinking like a gig worker. Being entrepreneurial means opening your eyes to something more. The strongest position to be in is having steady employment AND gig worker resilience skills.

Real Financial Security: True financial security doesn't come from having one really good job. It comes from being someone who can create value in multiple ways, for multiple people, across multiple situations. That's what gig workers learn by necessity. That's what everyone needs to learn by choice. The future belongs to people who can adapt quickly, pivot gracefully and bounce back stronger. The good news? These are all learnable skills. Start building your financial resilience muscle today. You'll be glad you did.