It’s the end of the month, which means we’ll be reviewing new applications to Outside Perspective’s core community. If you’re keen to join our slack, make sure you’ve applied here. We invite a small handful of folk each month.

And this week, we’ve got a newsletter take over from Mark Brownlee - over to you Mark!

Mark Brownlee - Let’s not be corporations

Mark Brownlee is an Ottawa-based strategy leader working with agencies and organizations to help them run better campaigns and grow their brands.

Freelancers have a chance to reshape the world.

How?

By the choices we make over the next several months.

The events of the past year have undeniably changed our lives. People have been
laid off in droves from their permanent jobs. The tether to a stable source of income is broken.

Many of us – be it by forces outside our control or our own choices – have ended
up in places like this: Working for ourselves, be it as freelancers, consultants or
improbable founders.

We’re all facing down a series of challenges. How do we find the money to pay the rent/mortgage? How do we find daily purpose in an industry that seems to not even want us anymore? What does the world of work look like in 10 years, five years, or even – gulp – one year?

The temptation would be to treat our freelance practices as mini corporations. To
try to find the same efficiencies and ruthlessness that dominated our lives in the
corporate world.

In some ways, it would make sense. After all, there must be a reason why
corporations exist like this, right? They are, if nothing else, unforgiving about the
bottom line. And for a lot of us our bank accounts could do with a bit of
ruthlessness.

But that assumes that ruthlessness and profitability are causal and not just
correlated.

Is that actually the case? I’m not so sure.

Because that’s the great thing about the moment we are in. We are no longer tied
to old ways of thinking. We are, whether we like it or not, independent. And
independence means we can make our own choices. We can treat people differently. We can choose (to a certain extent) who we do and don’t work with.

We have a freedom that the bureaucratic hive mind of corporate culture does not.

Of course, we will be tested. It’s easy to think this way when work is coming in.

But what if it isn’t?

What if we get offered a big new contract that doesn’t quite align with this blog post’s plan for remaking the world?

That will be for everyone, on their own, to decide.

But what I do know is this: Most of us have been gifted a chance to remake our relationship to work in our image.

Let’s be sure to make the most of it.

» Connect with Mark in the community, or over on Linkedin.

Mark’s Curiosity Stream

» How I Listen to music by Phil Elvrum – an interesting perspective on the ways we consume music from an American music icon

» Everything is private equity by Hanna Horvath – an inquiry into buying an
overpriced dress shows how private equity is making everything worse

» Full Spectrum Strategy by Zoe Scaman – there is lots of interesting strategy work being done outside the agency world

» Hand Gestures Can Help You Sell. Here’s Why – a small hand for freelancers
trying to convince clients

» On Strategy Showcase interviews the authors of a new book on advertising
effectiveness

» Why Your Clients Should Feel Like Your Only Client by Jason Faber – how to
manage your time as a freelancer to deliver the most value for clients

» Media’s shift from eyeballs to outcomes – WARC looks at how the media
landscape is shifting

» Finding Your Twitter/X Replacement – And Do You Really Need One? By Roslyn Kennery – what’s happening now that the site formerly known as Twitter

» Scientists Figured Out Why Basketball Shoes Are So Squeaky

And from the community…

If you’d like to share a piece of work you’re proud of, something interesting you’ve seen, or get featured in the newsletter, drop me a note, or post in our community slack.

» Is it time to drop the deck? Martin Weiglel on the role of powerpoint in strategy.

» Breaking into Strategy - on finding your route into this world

» Emily Penny on the importance of words on websites.

» The data on the impact events - Thanks Rob

» What WPP’s client data reveals about media spending and buying

» What happens if we turn off our phones? Thanks Ged

» Coverplay - spin up vinyl from the artwork. Thanks Hunter

» London is still a good home for startups

» LBBOnline are hosting a free workshop on finding your next career move on March 3rd

» Plus on the continuing theme of the death of powerpoint, write a pitch.md instead or check out https://faces.app

Opportunities.

A digest of recent gigs found and shared via our community - plus things from our friends and partners. Want to reach 4k+ strategists for your next project? Drop me a note.

Found and Shared:

1. [NL] freelance social content strategist at The Colour Lab
   https://bit.ly/4s87tgL

2. [US] Freelance Social Strategist (Spirits / Bev / Social / Influencer) via Deux Work
   https://bit.ly/4rAgvDG

3. [AU] Freelance Creative Strategist at MIK Studio
   https://bit.ly/4axIa1U

4. [Remote:UK] FTC Strategist for government campaign at M&C Saatchi
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20260223-mcsaatchi.html

5. [UK:London] Freelance Integrated Strategist at digitas
   https://bit.ly/3MLosXc

6. [UK:London] [PERM] creative strategist at Rise & Fall
   https://bit.ly/4cBrHen

7. [Remote] GTM Strategist for launch of consumer brand in travel equipment category at Borromeo
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20260220-borromeo.html

Don’t forget, we share these in real time here:
» Web
» Telegram
» Whatsapp
+ and of course, our slack channel if you’re a community member.

That’s all for this week.
mk✌️