Why Sam Campbell Traded Fulltime Work for a Freelance Dream

After ten years of working as a software developer, Conestoga College graduate Sam Campbell found herself at a career crossroads. 

The fast-paced, post-pandemic tech job market had started to slow, and Sam’s role was cut in a round of layoffs. She spent eight months searching for a full-time role before seeking the help of a career coach. It was the start of a conversation that would change her path to a destination she hadn’t considered before.

“My career coach worked with me to explore different things. One was teaching. One was being a freelancer,” Sam said.

At the time, Sam had considered returning to school to become a high school teacher. Her career coach suggested she try out teaching first before making the commitment. Sam applied to teach part-time at the college and picked up two contracts. 

As she gave teaching a try, Sam also started to take on freelance projects. While she had the development and design experience, Sam knew she needed to learn how to run a business if she was going to be successful.

“I felt really strong on the technical side and  useless on the business side. I didn't know how to pay taxes, bill people, what bank accounts to get. So I researched programs, and saw an ad for Conestoga Gig Lab, so I applied,” she recalled.

Sam believes in following the process, and Conestoga Gig Lab’s structured 15-week program gave her the chance to focus on one part of freelancing at a time. 

“Gig Lab gives you one thing to focus on every week. It just made it so clear what I should be working on and got rid of the sense of being overwhelmed thinking I had to solve everything all at once,” she said.

In addition to the structure, Sam said the weekly check-ins with her coach were critical to moving her business forward.

“They keep helping you through the process. What stuck out to me definitely was how straightforward some of the things were. Learning how to manage cash flow seems really overwhelming, but once I realized it is just managing money in and money out, I saw how it is just one of many repeatable systems,” Sam said. 

To bring even more structure to her freelancing work, Sam incorporated Pixel Bridges in January 2025. At first, Pixel Bridges was set up for her freelance work, but word-of-mouth quickly spread and the company has grown into a full-service design and development shop.

Today, Pixel Bridges helps small teams and non-technical founders build digital tools that are intuitive, effective, and easy to manage. Sam has built a network of fellow freelancers, many from the Conestoga Gig Lab, that she brings into projects as needed.

“I feel really strong in software engineering and user experience design. I don't feel as strongly about social media and graphic design,” she said. “Now I have people I can use for things like logo design or social media management. I love the idea of supporting local businesses and keeping business local so they’re not going to Fiverr or Upwork.”

Another benefit of the Pixel Bridges structure is supporting other women freelancers.

“We're supporting other local women who are also building their freelancing dreams. I love being able to bring them in to do awesome work,” she said.

Completing the Conestoga Gig Lab program doesn’t mean that your time here ends. Sam said the program is one where you get as much out of it as you put into it. 

“You’re still on the Slack team. You get invites to every event. I can’t hype it up enough,” Sam said.

For Sam, freelancing has given her the freedom to pursue the type of work and clients that align with her values.

“It feels so much more amazing than any 9 to 5,” she said.