Since 1993 Ive been a freelance audio mixer. I've been chased by automation since I got into radio way back when, and it has just caught up. But that's another story. Freelancing is a balancing act. You want to be loyal to your employer, but then there will be that one occasion where you can't work and they hire someone as a back-up freelancer. But soon enough, they start giving the back-up person some of your work to keep them fresh. Suddenly, neither of you has enough work. So you find other work and say no more often. Then you are juggling two or more employers, when you would've been fine with the first one if they'd stayed loyal to you, instead of overreacting and watering down the milk, as it were. The juggling was hard back in LA when I had several clients. I would mix a show in the morning and then double dip at a TV station at night. Good money. But what I learned was that as loyal as I have been (cancelling vacations and airline tickets, dates with friends, Broadway show tickets, what have you), employers don't give a fig. You're only as good as your last "Yes, I can work". If only I had an opportunity to say those words now.
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