After spending nearly 20 years in finance and technology, Nigerian entrepreneur Lyn Siawe is using her experience to help freelancers earn more from the skills they already have. Through her startup, Your Work Buddy, she is connecting talented professionals with businesses while encouraging them to see their knowledge as a valuable asset.
The platform was inspired by Siawe’s own career journey. What began as a challenge during her time as a technology consultant at Accenture has grown into a business that helps freelancers find work, build their personal brands, and create new income streams. Today, Your Work Buddy serves professionals in software engineering, coding, design, marketing, sales, writing, and other specialized fields.
Lyn Siawe’s Tech Career Inspired the Creation of Your Work Buddy
Siawe’s idea for Your Work Buddy came from a real workplace experience. While working as a technology consultant at Accenture, she volunteered to create a custom report even though it was not part of her responsibilities.
However, finding the right resources proved difficult. That moment showed her how hard it could be for professionals to quickly access support while trying to improve their skills.
“I remember I had a situation where I had to create a custom report,” Siawe said. “No one asked me, so I volunteered to do it because what I realized is that in the tech world, you have to reinvent yourself to be an asset, to be valuable.”
Instead of seeing the experience as a setback, she recognized a larger problem affecting many professionals. That realization eventually became the foundation for Your Work Buddy.
Your Work Buddy Helps Freelancers Turn Skills Into Income
Your Work Buddy is designed to help freelancers connect directly with businesses looking for specialized talent. The platform brings together professionals in software engineering, coding, design, marketing, sales, writing, and several other industries.
According to Siawe, the platform is about much more than finding freelance jobs. She wants users to build ownership around the expertise they have developed over the years.
“The primary goal is to turn tech expertise into ownership,” Siawe said. “Your knowledge will become your portfolio … and your knowledge will become your assets.”
To increase trust, freelancers verify their identities and employment history before offering services. Clients also pay at the time of booking, while the platform keeps payment records and identity information to help resolve disputes and process refunds when needed.
Flexible Membership Options Give Freelancers More Opportunities
Your Work Buddy offers both free and paid membership plans. The free option allows users to have five client conversations and receive payouts every two weeks.
Meanwhile, the premium membership costs $19.99 per month. Subscribers can contact unlimited clients, request on-demand withdrawals, and sell digital products such as templates, guides, toolkits, and online courses.
Siawe believes professionals should recognize the value of the knowledge they have gained throughout their careers.
“You know your worth. You know how many years you’ve put into building all of these special skills and expertise,” she said. “As long as you understand that your knowledge becomes your asset, you own your space.”
The platform is available through a mobile web app as well as iOS and Android devices.
From Nigeria to Entrepreneurship in the United States
Siawe’s journey began in Nigeria before she moved to the United States at 16 after finishing high school. She later studied economics and finance at the University of Houston and completed her degree at Southern New Hampshire University.
Before launching Your Work Buddy, she founded Ziva’s World, an educational platform that teaches children about important social issues. Over the past 11 years, the brand expanded into children’s books and fragrance products. It also secured a partnership with Walmart, marking another milestone in her entrepreneurial journey.
Today, Your Work Buddy is a bootstrapped company. Even so, Siawe is pursuing investment and grant funding as she works to expand the platform and help even more professionals earn money from their expertise.
