We asked G., an independent advertiser based in Milan with five years of experience, to walk us through a typical working week. The result has little to do with the cliché and a lot to do with running a self-employed business, with its routines, rigour and pauses.
Monday and Tuesday: planning
"Monday is accounting day. I review the week's bookings, update the calendar, reply to the messages piled up over the weekend. Tuesday morning is usually gym and nutrition: without that, energy does not hold for the rest of the week."
Wednesday and Thursday: main meetings
"These are the busy days. On average two evening appointments, never back-to-back: at least a ninety-minute break between them to reset, freshen up, change. I never work past 2am; the next day I need to be truly present."
Friday: events and dinners
"On Fridays I prefer long meetings — dinners, event escort, sometimes a short weekend. More demanding, more rewarding: the client shows up for real company, not just a meeting."
Saturday: admin
"Morning, I update my profile on SoloPrive: new photos every two weeks, availability, small copy tweaks. Afternoon, I answer messages for the following week and decide which bookings to accept. The least glamorous part of the job and the one that holds everything together."
- Accounting: half an hour every Monday.
- New client screening: Saturday afternoon.
- Photo refresh: a session every six to eight weeks.
- Gym: three times a week, non-negotiable.
Sunday: off
"Sunday is mine. No professional messages, no alarm, no appointments. Dinner with friends, a film, a walk."
This job is sustainable only if you treat it as a job. With hours, rest, limits. Otherwise it burns people out in a year.
Final advice
"To newcomers I always say: be professional, be selective, do not undersell your time. Good clients come to people who show they know how to organise themselves."