Comment by timparks

Agree with the comments here but in particular 2 things, one go to your network and people who can vouch for your work - ask them for recommendations and contacts. two, build up your web presence / profiles where you can so that people will understand the quality / level of experience you have. not sure you interest in teaching in order to gain leads, but creating a free online course on what you are good at could be a good way to start gaining a following. also, i've spoken with some SF based developer recruiting companies and I think there is a general trend towards working with remote talent, in particular in US cities that are NOT SF, NYC, Boston, etc - places where the cost of living is much more reasonable. best of luck