Freelance By Design

Protect your (intellectual) property rights. Although it's a common assumption, clients are not automatically entitled to a designer's working files. The client pays for and receives the end product, not the elements that went into creating it. In this episode I cover really good reasons — legally and ethically — for protecting your property rights as an independent creative. I also contrast property rights when you're a freelancer with when you're an employee.

Managing time and being effective in work and personal life lies as much in what we don't do as in what we do. Creating boundaries help you focus and respond to problems and glitches. You can define your boundaries in terms of a don't-do-it list. In this episode I share my don't-do-it list, why having this kind of list is important for your well-being, and some proven ways for respond to interruptions and urgent demands that waste your time and drain your energy.

What do you do when a client does a charge back? Should you discount during a crisis? How do you convince a client to stop demanding junk-drawer design? In this episode I answer 3 questions from freelance designers, share real-life answers by looking at how to solve the problems right now and ways to avoid dealing with them in the future, to help you respond well.

From finding new ways to generate income to reducing expenses and budgeting, these tips are specifically targeted towards creative freelancers who want to maintain momentum in their businesses during a crisis. Take control of what you can control. Hit up the show notes for links to resources.

In addition to your business plan, marketing, website, social media and, of course, portfolio, there are foundational steps you need to take to legitimize your creative enterprise as a real business. In this episode I share 7 things you must do to start your business and ensure long term success.

This isn't about COVID-19. This show is about responding to turbulence and storms, and things beyond our control. I share ways to make the most of this time of trouble, what your top priority should be, how to lean in and apply your creative problem-solving to the situation. You have the ability to thrive in these perilous times.

Use your work to get better work. No matter where you are in your freelance career, your portfolio is your most important marketing tool. In this episode I share pro tips, strategy, and tactics you can start using today to help you level up your creative portfolio to attract your best freelance clients.

The best mindset for developing a relationship with success and maintaining your creative drive is abundance. How you look at the world matters in your attitude, how you think, how others relate to you, and how successful you become as a creative freelancer. Here is a strategy for maintaining your momentum no matter what season you're in — feast or famine.

California's AB5 law — the Opportunity to Work Act — took effect on January 1, 2020. Since its implementation, it's essentially killed the creative economy in California by denying freelancers the right to work as an independent contractor. This is an update about the fallout, response, and gear shifting as a result of the law, why you need to wake up about legislation that affects your livelihood, and what you can do about it.