For freelance parents trying to make flexible working work.

Sound like you?
COME ON IN

“This community feels like a ready-made gang of the most helpful and supportive colleagues ever.”

Welcome to DIFTK!

A community. For freelance parents.

Yep, that’s about it.

DIFTK won’t teach you how to become a ‘successful’ freelancer or how to find ‘balance’ (what does that even mean?!). There’s no course. No coaching.

This is about CONNECTION — camaraderie, collaboration, virtual high fives and a lorra, lorra laughs.

A safe corner of the internet to chat about the everyday practicalities of running a business around your kids.

Childcare. Tax. Snacks.

We chat about it all.

Freelance parents chatting at a DIFTK meetup
Remi Harris Testimonial

“As a one-woman business, DIFTK has helped me assemble a dream team of remote-working, parent business owners who help me run my company. These include my VA, accountant, designer, copywriter and coach. Collectively we are enabling each other to have family-friendly careers which is a beautiful thing!”

 

Remi Harris MBE  • Trainer & Business Advisor

From the blog…

Is DIFTK for you?

If you’ve ever shouted “BUT WHAT ABOUT IF YOU HAVE KIDS?!” at a podcast or blog post about being freelance then you’re probably in the right place.

Sure, there’s stuff that is universal(ish) when it comes to being self-employed, but when you throw kids into the mix it really is a whole new ball game.

If you’ve ever worried about how a new baby might impact your business, missed a deadline thanks to a poorly kiddo, or asked your accountant if jammie dodgers are a legit business expense, then I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this community is for you.

As a freelance parent, you’re a part of a very different kind of 4am club – it’s messy, and it’s hard, and it’s brilliant.

Welcome.

“Freelance parents — this podcast will change your life.”

That’s right, there’s a DIFTK podcast and it’s actually quite good. So good in fact, we won *GOLD* Best Business Podcast at the British Podcast Awards 2021.

So if you join, what do you actually get?

Good question.

Connection.

You get to join a crew of brilliant, creative freelance parents. Consider us your new virtual colleagues (scratch that — friends!)

Opportunities.

Find a freelancer or apply for jobs yourself with people who get how you work and the challenges you’re up against.

Visibility.

Allow people to easily find your skills and services via the DIFTK Directory, or list your products in the DIFTK Shop.

Reassurance.

Expecting but not sure what to expect? Join a cosy corner of DIFTK specifically for new and expectant freelance parents.

Focus.

Join a purpose-built community away from the noise, distractions and advertising of the big social media platforms.

Information.

Access dull-as-fuck (but necessary!) information about parental leave and pay, tax-free childcare, pensions, tax and more.

Meetups.

Chat with other freelancers via virtual meetups, IRL ‘mini’ meetups and get first dibs on tickets for our bigger annual events.

Lols.

Share funny shit, celebrate your wins and encourage one another to eat more than a pack of Fruitella for lunch. #goals

Tom Garfield testimonial

“I joined DIFTK when we were expecting our first baby and I hadn’t yet gone full-time freelance — the community gave me the confidence to go for it! They are the most supportive, kind, and welcoming people I’ve ever been involved with. If you’re a freelance parent, DIFTK is a vital community to be part of.”

 

Tom Garfield • Website Producer

Come and hangout with other freelance parents local to you via member-led ‘mini’ meetups and get first dibs on tickets for our bigger annual events.

Our London 2024 meetup has now *SOLD OUT* but there are still tickets available for our Manchester meetup on Saturday 18th May @ Huckletree Ancoats.

Freelance mums chatting at a DIFTK networking event
Freelance parents networking at a DIFTK meetup
Freelance mum with her baby at a DIFTK networking meetup

Photographs by Kassia Karr.

Video by Steve Folland.

You have questions.

I have answers…

How do I join?

You’re in? AMAAAZING.

To join, please fill out this short questionnaire so that we can get to know each other better.

At the end of the form you’ll be sent to a platform called Memberful where you can create your membership and login to the community.

What is Memberful?

Memberful manages, well… your membership!

It’s where you can sign up, cancel or renew.

You’ll also use your Memberful account to log straight into the community on Circle.

What is Circle?

The DIFTK community lives on a platform called Circle — which is basically what would happen if Facebook, Slack and Notion had a baby. It’s private, ad-free, trusted by the likes of Teachable and Adobe, and is a bit ruddy good.

How much does it cost?

DIFTK membership is £14/month or £140 if you sign up for a whole year (that’s two whole months for FREE).

If you’re on parental leave, in your first year of business or just can’t afford to pay full price right now — there’s a lower, no-questions-asked rate of £6/month for 6 months.

Just email community@doingitforthekids.net and we’ll send you the discount code.

Can I cancel my membership?

Of course you can! You can cancel anytime.

Please cancel your membership via Memberful.

Login to your account, go to ‘Subscriptions’ and toggle ‘Auto-Renew’ to the OFF position.

Once cancelled, you’ll still be able to access the community until the end of your billing period.

And if you change your mind and want to stay after all, you can renew your subscription from there too.

I don't live in the UK. Can I join?

The DIFTK Community is very much geared towards UK freelancers.

That means information around tax, parental leave, childcare etc. will be specific to people living here. All meetups are also held in the UK.

BUT! If you live elsewhere and are still keen to come in, please email community@doingitforthekids.net and we can have a chat.

Digital tax rules make life a little complicated now *sigh* but depending on where you live and whether or not you are a registered business, you may be able to join if you want to.

I'm not fully freelance yet. Can I join?

Yep!

Lots of DIFTKers are thinking about freelancing but not yet jumped in. Some do some freelance work alongside a PAYE job but aren’t self-employed full-time…

Whatever stage you’re at, you are very welcome.

Chances are, a DIFTKer has been exactly where you are right now.

Join the community.

I don't have kids yet. Can I join?

We DIFTKers know that the impact of deciding to start a family begins long before you actually have kids in your life.

Perhaps you’re hoping to adopt. Maybe you or your partner have just found out you’re expecting. Or maybe you’re a freelancer thinking about starting a family and looking for support and experience.

If you are compelled to join this space, I trust that it’s the right space for you.

And if you change your mind, you can cancel anytime.

Join the community.

I'm not exactly freelance... but I do run my own business around my kids. Can I join?

While most of us work for clients in a time-for-money kind of a way, DIFTK is full of lots of other types of businesses too. In fact, there’s a dedicated space in the community where people can list the products they sell, for example.

Having said that, DIFTK is most definitely not for MLMs, any kind of pyramid selling or ‘six figure’ chat. There are plenty of other corners of the internet for that sort of thing but I’m afraid this isn’t one of them.

Read our Community Guidelines for more information.

Can I buy membership for someone else as a gift?

Oooh, you are an excellent friend. Yes! You can give a little DIFTK love, and buy a gift of 3 months or 6 months membership for someone else.

All in the information on that and how to buy a gift over here.

Where are face-to-face meetups held?

There are two types of DIFTK meetups — ‘mini’ meetups organised by members and bigger, more ‘networky’ events organised by me.

‘Mini’ meetups happen all over the UK depending on who is keen to get together. We’ve already had ‘mini’ meetups in Stockport, Bath, Nottingham, London, Birmingham, Haslemere… with many more in the works.

In 2023, our bigger meetups (approx 100 people) will be in London and Manchester.

As a member of the community, you will be first to hear about meetup plans as they come together and you’ll also get first dibs on tickets once they go on sale.

Can I bring my kids to meetups?

Hell yes! Babies and pre-schoolers are very much welcome.

All venues are buggy-friendly and talks are kept short and snappy.

If you’re happy to have them with you, we’re happy to have them.

Was it really worth changing the colour of every single dropdown icon on these FAQs??

Fuck. Yes.

I have more questions. Can I email you?

Absolutely! Get in touch community@doingitforthekids.net

“I cannot recommend this newsletter enough!”

When you join DIFTK you’ll also get STUFF IN MY HEAD — a monthly roundup of freelance parent related stuff. Recipes, articles, funny shit on Twitter… it’s all there.

Here’s an example of one of those.

DIFTK Founder Frankie Tortora smiling and eating biscuits
DIFTK Founder Frankie Tortora smiling in a polaroid photograph

Hi 👋 I’m Frankie.

 

Freelance graphic designer, bobble hat wearer and mum to two small people.

I launched DIFTK in 2016 after struggling to meet other parents facing the same challenges as me.

Things like keeping my business relevant while on maternity leave, trying to find flexible and affordable childcare when my income and hours were unreliable, feeding my way through a client call…

YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

And while I’d talk about my work with the (employed) parents I did meet, what I really craved was honest, upfront chat about the realities of freelance life with other parents who truly got it.

Unable to find what I was looking for, I created it myself.

Turns out a lot of other parents were looking for that too! Hiiiiiiii

EJ Trivett testimonial

“Not only did I meet my very first client from within the community, but that translated to over £10k worth of work. There are not many spaces on the internet where I have made such authentic friendships, or felt so safe and free to be a parent in business — warts and all.”

 

EJ Trivett • Coach & Consultant

"There is no other space like DIFTK."

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

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