When I began writing, so many gigs rejected my works, even on fiverr I did so many jobs without getting paid because I wasn't an established writer. It was really rampant, the world rejected amateurs forgetting that professional were once amateurs who had the opportunity and people who were willing to believe on them. In all honesty Hive was that opportunity that allowed me to develop Into the food writer I am. Hive wasn't a source of income alone, it was a stepping stone through and a learning curve it was providing me the means and helped me mature at the same time.
As for financial freedom, to me it's being able to have different streams of income that even if you didn't have to work you're definitely covered to live comfortably