Wanting to hear experiences from freelance models on how to find paying clients (without charging the photographers)

Wanting to hear people who reached out to designers, brands, etc, and successfully got some kind of paid arrangement or collaboration either before or after a shoot.

Was it extremely challenging? What's the reality of this in 2026? How did you find clients?

Theres a ton of info on this sub about submitting to agencies but not much about successful freelance modeling or providing campaign content for brands.