Freelance By Design

So many of us are afraid to talk about money with clients. We're fearful of the reaction we'll get when we state our price for a job. We're fearful the client will get upset, object, and even walk away. Talking money becomes easier and natural when we understand what money actually is and, what it's not. Shift gears in your thinking with these 3 concepts, and watch how your approach changes.

The lie says, "If you build it, they'll show up." The truth is, nothing's going to happen if you build it and let it sit there. No one's looking for you. How do get seen if no one's looking for you? Get yourself in gear and do the work of being found. I share a 3-pronged strategy to help you become obvious to the right clients.

Got creative block? Have you run out of ideas? Where do ideas come from, anyway? How do creativepreneurs and freelancers create on demand? In this episode I share how curiosity, collection and curation inspire creative solutions. You're never at a loss for ideas. You just need to understand and apply the mechanism of creativity and inspiration.

Is freelancing one step away from unemployment? Can you succeed in freelancing with an employee mindset? Do freelancers have as much right to work as employees? Becoming an owner of your freelance business is how to overcome objections and misclassification. In this episode I share 6 reasons freelancers need to shift gears from individual creative to independent business owner.

It's necessary for a self-employed independent creative to turn a profit. Profit motive legitimizes your freelance practice as a business. In this episode I define what profit motive is, why it's important for your success, how to know if you have a profit motive, and what the IRS looks at to determine if you're running a business or pursuing a hobby as a creative.

To attract better clients, position yourself as a high-value creative partner. How you approach a client discovery meeting, how you price, how you approach your process, the risks you're willing to take… all of these, and more, work together to establish your value in the eyes of your client.

A strategy-level discussion about reach, frequency, momentum, and risk as an all around approach in your self-promotion and marketing efforts.

Freelancers have so many options for self-promotion and marketing online. Are local business listings like Yelp, YP.com, Manta and Alignable good for getting more business? It depends. I unpack some pros and cons of signing up with local business directories, share my own story, and number of alternatives that might be better options for you as a freelance designer, photographer, or illustrator. Consistency and frequency are important for your marketing, no matter what platforms you use.

Are you feeling pressured by influencers, businesses, and your clients to stop charging for your creative work during the crisis? In this episode I expand on 3 reasons why giving away your creative services for free is a horrible idea: economy, resiliency, and value. States are beginning to open up. Are you ready? As much as possible, do business as usual. Find creative solutions that will carry you through and set you up up to accelerate when the economy is opened again. Here's how you can respond when others put on the pressure.