Being Freelance

Ben's on a mission to make a difference to global warming and that's what drives his business. He's always taking stock of what he's done and planning his future. He's built a niche video content business serving the construction industry, laid the foundations to a membership site by building a successful podcast and soon aims to build his own house. It seems like planning, investing and hiring other freelancers are the keys to growth. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. You'll also find key takeaway points and useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com Who the hell is Steve Folland? You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone b

Hear how a journalist with a passion for the outdoors and walking made her own route to being an award-winning Outdoor writer. With 18 books under her belt, she shares how she's found herself where she is today and the importance of joining a trade guild to her career, skills and sanity. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. You'll also find key takeaway points and useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com Who the hell is Steve Folland? You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE

Redundancy helped push Mike into a freelance career. Since then he's evolved, learned, focused, launched his own products, developed his own personal brand and formed his own design studio... and yet still regularly questions whether being freelance is right for him. Why? Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. You'll also find key takeaway points and useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com Who the hell is Steve Folland? You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com/community NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!The Bein

You're 17. One of your stop motion films goes viral. A major TV channel calls with a commission. What do you? Start university as planned, or seize the moment and begin a freelance career for some of the biggest brands and broadcasters? For Graham, all of his tiny precise filmic movements led to a sudden leap forward. 4 years on, he's still having huge success. We chat creativity, finance, isolation and becoming a business straight out of school. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. You'll also find key takeaway points and useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com Who the hell is Steve Folland? You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're

London agency life was turning Laura into a zombie. Over long days were filled with meetings and politics instead of being creative. Now, she's carved out a remote freelance career. Out of the rat race, out of the city and into doing the work she loves. Finally, not only could she start her own business, but she could start her family too. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. You'll also find key takeaway points and useful links for this episode. That's beingfreelance.com Who the hell is Steve Folland? You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and make the most of it. Find out more at www.stevefolland.com Track him down on Twitter @sfolland or lay a trail of cake and he'll eventually catch you up. JOIN THE COMMUNITYYou're not alone being freelance. Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).beingfreelance.com

Freelancing has enabled Kelly to work around her family doing something she loves. Starting by selling Wordpress themes on etsy, she now offers an evolving range of branding services in amongst a generous supply of free resources. From Brazil to a noisy New York City, we hear her story. And a few sirens. And planes. Drowned out by passion for her business. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. Key Takeaway Points Kelly began by selling wordpess templates on Etsy, people then started asking her to customise designs She also has a shop on her own site so she can sell under her own brand and without fees Using a company name helps her appear bigger: clients couldn't understand that one person could do design, code... etc - it makes people feel more secure buying from you Kelly creates free resources like cue sheets, work books, templates that she gives away for free when guest posting on other blogs, on social an

From an officer to a gentleman's go-to-freelance photographer. Andy left the army and soon found he had enough orders for capturing images of bespoke, tailor-made products, lifestyle and more. He shares his story on making a name for himself, making face-to-face connections and even making his own magazine to create his dream work. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. Key Takeaway Points When you start freelancing make the most of your existing contacts If you're not using social/online techniques to promote yourself and make connections you're cutting off a potentially lucrative source of work, however... Press the flesh: don't hide behind email, actually meet people, pop in and make a real connection as you show an interest in them and their business Re-evaluate your freelance site every 12-18 months: what's working? what isn't? does your portfolio reflect what you're doing now or want to do? Andy started h

"You have the chance to carve the career of your dreams, so dream!" Amy didn't just settle for regular copywriting gigs. She didn't just settle for speaking/training around the world. She kept 'checking in on herself' and tweaking her career path. Today she regularly hits publish on blogs, videos, podcasts and her own 'scalable' income (rather than passive) online course - alongside the client work she loves. Here Amy shares the lessons she's learned from regularly hitting publish, using content to make her, erm, content. (You kind of have to say that out loud, then it's clever huh?) Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. Key Takeaway Points Focus on the work you like to do Keep 'checking in' on yourself to make sure you're happy and figure out how to evolve Need new skills? Learn them: if there's an area in your trade (for her sales/marketing copy) you'd like to work in, read up and then practice Sk

Rachel's found inspiration, support, friendship and even clients in the communities she's joined online. Be it through courses she's paid for, Twitter or private Facebook groups she's joined (or started!), she's realised you don't have to freelance alone. She shares her story: from finding her niche - the wake up call to her business, to finding herself in hospital - the wake up call to herself. Love learning from other freelancers like this? Check out the website beingfreelance.com, subscribe to the podcast and to the newsletter. Key takeaway points importance of friendships and relationships (including those made online) in supporting you and even referring work be prepared for a quieter period at first when knuckling down to your niche she's happiest when she's doing work that excites her for passionate people she likes (entrepreneurs, not big businesses) Rachel invests in courses to devleop her business skills; as well as tangible ideas, she's inspired by the community that comes with them and eve

After struggling to find work after uni, with a year of bits, bobs and benefits, Kristian finally found the real benefits of a mentor, working for an established freelancer. Now, he balances 2 jobs. One with a full time employer, the other: his freelance career. Kristian's experience of breaking out in to his freelance dream is full of ups and downs. Lots to learn. Oh. And a daredevil cat. Here’s some of the key takeaway points: network with your creative peers, they're not your competition make the most of your location, you're surrounded by potential clients don't be afraid to learn from a more experienced freelancer/business mind stand up for yourself when seeking delayed payment More from Kristian Duffy Kristian on Twitter Kristian's Tumblr Kristians' site Useful links Stanley Chow Pale Blue Dot Kilogramme Fraser Davidson's Being Freelance episode Who the hell is Steve Folland? You know how everyone bangs on about how powerful video and audio content can be? Yeah, well Steve helps businesses make it and

Jamie went from gigging musician to composer for TV, film, games and stage. Here he shares how it's all played out so far: heading back to uni, collaborating over Skype, mangaging his own band, the passive income of library music and how getting his own studio scaled up his work load and kept his home in harmony. Love a music pun. You keeping score? Check out our site for more great guests and join us on Twitter @beingfreelance. Here’s some of the key takeaway points: think you need to go back and study more? Don't be afraid to learn, to get where you want to be don’t say 'no' - say 'yes' and figure out how to do it even as a solo worker, you can still use technology to collaborate with others separate out your home from your work space - doing it made Jamie 4 x more productive keeping home/work space split makes it clear to his young family when he’s at work and when he’s home to be a dad/husband can you diversify your income? Jamie has composing, performing, managing a band, library music is

Hear how Natalie went from the RAF to flying solo as a freelance illustrator. Along the way she's found her niche, an agent and a dog... but it feels like almost not enough hours. Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Natalie found her niche of Children's iullstration naturally, it was just what she found herself alway drawn (pardon the pun) to As an illustrator, getting an agent has meant a contsant stream of work (they do the marketing for you) and consistent money (they chase it for you) The weekly Twitter challenge #colour_collective was a great side project for her: the public nature of it gave her accountability, the social nature created new friends and conversations, the weekly nature meant she consistently added to her portfolio in a way she wouldn't have otherwise Natalie found working from home pretty isolating, often not leaving the house - so she got a dog, now she has to go out (and dog walkers are very sociable) Twitter plays a big part in keeping Natalie sane, it really is social

Col quit agency life to be his own boss. As you'd expect, he's very deliberate about selling himself; he shares his experiences of SEO, content marketing, pay-per-click and even finding media opportunities to get yourself known. Col's also made it a lifestyle business. Rather than taking on every piece of work he can, he restricts his hours, keeps work and home very separate, steering well clear of his old 9-5. Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Col trades as Profoundry - using a company name allowed him to create a brand that could grow, feel professional Form relationships with other freelancers/businesses who can feed into your business On your site, list your services clearly; maybe separate them into a few umbrella headings - streamline them as you find out what works Actively seek media contributions - it helps strengthen Col’s reputation and gets fresh backlinks to your site SEO wise Try out the #journorequest hashtag on Twitter, remember it might not just be for your technical field, it

After a career freelancing behind the scenes in TV, Olly Mann has found himself in the media limelight. Found? Or put himself there? Olly's a writer for major publications, a national radio presenter, TV panelist and part of the podcasting elite. But how did all of these doors open for him? Not without knocking. And then pushing all of Olly Mann through. One half of 'Helen & Olly' from long running, award winning podcast 'Answer Me This', Olly shares his story from making the most of the opportunities of university to making the most of every opportunity that's come his way since and going knocking for a whole lot more. Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Thanks! Here’s some of the key takeaway points: You can’t just think people will find you and your work… you’ve got to tell people Want something? Badger for it. Even now, Olly still goes knocking

After a year of the podcast Being Freelance... what's that 12 months actually been like being freelance for our very first guests? In this, the second of two special end of year episodes, Steve Folland chats to CSS consultant Harry Roberts and illustrator Jessica Morgan. Their challenges, their changes, their epiphanies, their year being freelance. Take a listen and also check out their original episodes, links below. Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app, or scroll down and download from here - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Harry Roberts Check out his original interview here Working with multi-national companies may sound ideal but has its own complications, especially when it comes to being paid How can you modify your workflow to make it more efficient? Is there anything you can have as templates/modules? Ready prepared? Do you need to rethin

After a year of the podcast Being Freelance... what's that 12 months actually been like being freelance for our very first guests? In this, the first of two special end of year episodes, Steve Folland chats to photographer Tom Miles, designer Liz Elcoate and audio producer Chris Hollis. Their challenges, their changes, their epiphanies, their year being freelance. Take a listen and also check out their original episodes, links below. Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app, or scroll down and download from here - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Tom Miles Check out his original interview here break down your bigger goals in to manageable tasks make the most of your work: don’t keep it to yourself, share it on your blog, your social channels Tom worked with a coach to help improve his business Hear Ebonie Allard's episode Liz Elcoate Check out her origina

Without Instagram would Jordan be shooting for some of the coolest fashion brands and bands around? A great mix of passion, talent and social (both media and life) has been the focus of his career. Which begs the question: nowadays, if you're a creative freelancer can you afford not to be 'social'? Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Thanks! Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Jordan posts regularly to social media so that people keep seeing his name, images, style It allows him to carve out his brand; defining the sort of work he wants to be known for He regulalry works on 'test shots' where both he and the model are working for free to expand both their portfolios; to experiment and to be seen doing the work he wants to be seen doing Let your personality come through so people get to know the real you, include behind the scenes photos/videos/d

Canadian copywriter Joel Klettke is focused on results. When it works for his clients it's working for him. This chat has a crazy amount of useful freelance tips in it as Joel shares thoughts on using a personal name vs a company one, what makes his freelance site stand out, how he came to be a TEDx speaker, networking, growing the business... and all of this whilst being the best looking man in the world. Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Thanks! Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Network before you go freelance: it’s much harder to make connections when you’re hungry for work, trying to survive; do it when you’re safely employed The only reason Joel shares his ‘minimum project cost’ on his site is to prevent people contacting him, not to encourage them If you look cheap, you’ll get cheap clients, you'll get cheap work You may dream of worki

Over 25 years of being freelance for acclaimed TV and Live Event exec Jacqui Moore; this is a box-set of experience to binge on. An English woman in New York, she set up Brits In The Box to help others in the industry working overseas. Hear freelance tips on personal marketing, keeping connections alive, finding out what it is you're really after and taking care of yourself along the way. Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Thanks! Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Get a range of experience under your belt early on instead of specialising too soon, it sets you apart Remember her BREAK rules for marketing yourself: B - Busy - Always be busy R - Resume - It’s more than just 2 pieces of paper E - Expertise - know what makes you different A - Accept - be open to other areas and invitations K - Keep in touch authentically Keep your network relationsh

She trained as a Linguist. She worked as a Translator. She dreamt as an Illustrator. Eventually Landysh brought them together: co-founding Lingvistov, a Skype based language service which also allowed her illustrations to speak volumes in shouting about the business, so much so they've now become a product of their own. She shares thoughts on collaborating to expand your ambitions, how to succeed in a business partnership and how they use content marketing to promote their business. Don't forget to subscribe via iTunes and the Podcast app for iPhone etc and also via Stitcher who have an Android app - If you like the podcast, please do leave a review if you get a chance. Thanks! Here’s some of the key takeaway points: Their business was born when a freelance marketplace site changed their conditions to take a bigger percentage of each job; Landysh and her partner decided they'd create their own site instead! Why be at the mercy of someone else? When collaborating with others in business - be open and commu