Before we begin your story, as a booked out freelance translator, let me tell you mine…

It all started in 1993 when I attended medical school. During a three-month Erasmus as a clinical medical student in France, a professor would pass me snippets from his research papers in French and ask me to translate them into English. That’s when I first got the idea of making a living as a scientific translator.

Having completed my undergraduate training, I then moved on to complete a postgraduate qualification at The University of Bath and then moved to Spain with only minimal translation skills in French and English. I didn’t let this stop me, however.

I soon became fluent in Spanish. I met my wife, had two daughters, and settled down.

Today, I’m a niche translator, editor, proofreader and owner of Jason Willis-Lee Translations, co-owner of Medico Legal Translations and founder of The Entrepreneurial Translator.

I’m a fully qualified member of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI). I’m also active with Elia and BP, and frequently attend and present at industry events and global conferences. In addition to this, I currently enjoy coaching and mentoring those at the start of their translation careers.

Dedicated to continuous professional development, I’m hugely passionate about guiding freelance translators through their own journey as well as helping them to navigate the obstacles that I have previously encountered.