Some great suggestions here about starting your own thing, while you hunt for clients you can establish your reputation by completing bug bounties. If you complete a few bounties for a medium sized company it's easier to sell your services to them since you have already demonstrated your expertise.
I like the hardcore aspect of the current streak system and find it extremely motivating. That said, I do worry about exceptional situations such as if I'm extremely ill or unable to find internet while travelling through developing countries.
I would find it disheartening if I lost a streak due to these circumstances. Perhaps there is a middle ground, where the punishment for missing a day is more extreme than losing a day but less extreme than losing the whole streak. Say losing half your streak or losing a month, or anything that feels quite harsh without disrupting massive streaks due to unfortunate situations.
Appreciate the transparency :)
Building (and failing) in public :D