Freelance Road Trip Podcast

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.

Different people don't value the same things in the same way. One client may understand the value of your work to their increase and prosperity. Another may simply be looking for the cheapest option. Do you want to win the client by being their cheapest option? In this episode I offer a value-based approach to winning your next client.

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. C...

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 y...

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 prop...

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. I n 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 interru...

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...

Neither speculative nor pro bono work generate income for you. With each, you're working for free. In this episode I compare the concepts of spec and pro bono work, lay out reasons why you should pursue one and entirely avoid the other, and offer a safe approach to accepting and managing pro bono projects.

Not all projects and clients are a good fit, and you can figure that out during the very first conversation you have with a client. Freelancers often approach a prospective client hoping the prospect will like them and want to work with them. What if the tables were turned? In this episode I share about one client discovery meeting where I came away relieved I didn't get the job, and the kinds of...

What do you say to a prospective client who won't commit? How do you manage part-time freelancing and a full-time job? How do you prevents clients from using work they haven't paid for? In this episode, I give practical, easy-to-do answers to three questions from working freelancers at various stages in their careers.

Using written contracts should be routine and a regular part of your creative freelance business. In this episode I deconstruct the four aspects to include in every contract: copyright, legal concerns, the working relationship, and getting paid. This is part 4 of a four-part series on contracts.

The working relationships you have with your clients should be built on a foundation of trust and agreement — written agreement. In this episode (part 3 of a 4-part series about freelance contracts) I describe 4 less-known contracts you will have good use for as a creative freelancer: purchase order, letter of agreement, retainer, and the oral agreement.

In this episode we're continuing the conversation about freelancers and contracts. The work you create is your intellectual property. It's valuable. You work hard to create it. Why would you ever let it go unprotected? Did you know the majority of freelancers don't use written contracts? I present some reasons why they don't, and argue why they should.

If you're a freelancer working with clients, one of the best things you can do is implement a safety net in the form of contracts… especially written ones. That means you need basic knowledge of contracts and also copyright. In this episode (part 1 of a series on the topic) we cover three common types of freelance contracts: limited rights, buyout, and work-for-hire. 

As with cars, your freelance business needs regular tune-ups to ensure optimum performance. If you don't do regular maintenance, you could end up running into costly trouble down the road. In this episode I share my 5-point business tune-up which you can use to keep your freelance business running smoothly.