Anne Johnson
Anne Johnson is a Vario Flexible Services consultant based in UK, specialising in the commercial sector. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a lawyer. Initially, it was the appeal of being able to argue for a living that drove her towards a career in law, but though she loves her job, she doesn’t now enjoy arguing! Her training at Rowe &Maw (now Mayer Brown) set her up for a career in private practice, but she left to become a freelancer when she sought a better balance for her work and family lives.
Anne Johnson
Vario Freelancer
My first boss there taught me the value of being someone who could get things off being just issues on paper and done.
So why freelancing? Anne is quite candid when asked why she moved away from private practice and the short answer is family. At the best of times, being a lawyer is a busy career, but Anne was juggling a home life that was just as busy with three children and her husband travelling a lot. One of Anne’s children has right-sided cerebral palsy so needed extra support: add on top another of her children going through a rocky adolescence, Anne decided that she needed to be able to be more emotionally present.
Freelancing wasn’t the first thing that came to mind though. Anne shifted to a three-day working week to make sure she had the extra two days off. However, she found that at times this caused her to work far longer hours on her three working days to make room for her extra days off. She wasn’t always getting what she had hoped for. It was here that freelancing came through for her. Anne was better able to manage her time at work without the internal politics and other unwanted extras that she found came with being in an employed role.
Today, Anne is part of a ground-breaking Managed Legal Service offering provided by Vario to a major international corporation. This has provided an extra dimension to her working life: not only does she feel in control of her workload, but she also has had the opportunity to experience new areas of work for exciting clients.
Anne Johnson
Vario Freelancer
There is such a variety of roles on offer, and you will get the opportunity to experience new areas of work. I don't actually think there is anything to lose.
For legal professionals, it’s important to remember that you are a person who practices law, not necessarily just a lawyer. Working with Vario, Anne has grown to appreciate this more than ever. She is not just a lawyer, she is a wife, mother, daughter, tourist, violinist, cook and home enthusiast: now that she has control over her work-life, she is able to embrace all of these.
Anne Johnson
Vario Freelancer
Moderate adventure travel is a passion. Working freelance has enabled me to go where I like, when I like. No more counting up my remaining days holiday on my fingers.
Her passion for travel in particular has had a profound impact on her children. Her middle daughter is qualified as a safari guide in South Africa and her youngest spent a year studying at the University of Mashhad in northeast Iran after studying Farsi and Arabic at Oxford.
Overall, Anne believes that freelancing with Vario has helped her achieve her goal of being more emotionally present at home. Her experience has also shown her children that a career in law can be a very good thing: her youngest has just finished the law conversion course and her middle child already works for a law firm in Corporate Social Responsibility. Her son hasn’t embarked on a legal career as such, but he does work within the legal team of a major science publisher as an anti-piracy officer . After the 2012 Paralympics he picked up swimming and he went on to win three gold medals for Great Britain at the Cerebral Palsy World Games in 2018. Anne has been able to support him far more than she feels would have been possible had she not made the shift to freelance working.
Anne Johnson
Vario Freelancer
I've loved it, and it has more than met my expectations. I have had the opportunity to work for some very large brands and I've always felt supported by Vario. I've felt part of a family in a way.
Anne’s story is unique, but it is not unusual. If you’re interested in discovering more Vario Stories, then you can do so here.
Family is a driving factor for many people, and it is something we have focused heavily on in our articles this year. If you think that freelancing is for you, please get in touch with us and see what a career with Vario can offer you.