Miles Everson, CEO of microbusiness job platform MBO Partners, shared his outlook on the freedom of independent workers in a recent episode of Gallup's podcast.

In an episode titled "The Future of Work: Flexibility, Freedom and Control," Gallup's podcast host Mohamed Younis alongside Miles Everson of MBO Partners discussed the individual freedoms independent workers have access to through their work and the personal time that comes with it. Everson, who is the CEO of a jobs platform that connects independent workers with microbusiness owners, shared his positive outlook on independent workers. 

"When you're an independent, you actually can pursue and focus on what your passion is...when you're working for a company, you have input, but the company has a lot more say over what you're going to do than you do yourself," Everson said on the podcast. "As an independent, you get to choose where you spend your time, pursue your passion."

In light of the pandemic, many Americans are making the shift to independent work based on the freedom the roles can bring. One report from Forbes found that 84% of full-time freelancers say their work lets them live the lifestyle they want, compared to 63% of full-time traditional workers, with another 42% saying they would not be able to work a traditional job due to life circumstances.

"Independent gig workers (such as online platform workers and independent contractors) experience high levels of work-life balance, flexibility, autonomy, meaningful feedback and creative freedom. In fact, they score much higher on all these factors compared with traditional workers and other types of gig workers," found a poll from Gallup in 2018. 

A separate report from Pew Research Center in 2021 found that 16% of Americans have earned money through an online gig platform at least once in their lifetime, while 30% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have participated in the gig economy through food or grocery delivery, performing household tasks such as assembling furniture, driving for a ride-hailing service, or something similar.

MBO Partners serves to connect independent professional workers with small businesses that can utilize their skills.