An Alternative Career Path: A Growth Designer’s Solopreneur Guide | Kristina Volchek | Drop 2 Ep. 3

Kristina Volchek is a Senior Product Designer who shares her journey from being a Chief Marketing Officer to a successful solopreneur. The conversation delves into essential skills for designer solopreneurs, the importance of personal branding, strategies for finding clients, and effective pricing techniques.

She emphasizes the significance of time management and the challenges faced in solopreneurship, while also discussing the benefits of building a support network and creating an impactful portfolio. The episode concludes with practical advice for aspiring freelancers and solopreneurs.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Personal Branding and its elements

• What’s in a Solopreneur's Toolkit?

• Creating an Ideal Work-Life Balance

• Time management and how to scale.

• How to Niche Down to Stand Out

Takeaways.

• Freelancing for the first time can be challenging.

• Running a business requires understanding financial management.

• Personal branding is crucial for solopreneurs.

• Clients often find you through your personal brand.

• Questioning pricing can indicate a problematic client.

• Time management is essential for maintaining work-life balance.

• Starting as a generalist can provide valuable experience.

• Networking is a proactive effort that pays off.

• Visual appeal is critical in a designer's portfolio.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Grow Design Podcast

02:24 Christina's Journey: From CMO to Solopreneur

11:17 Essential Skills for Solopreneurs

16:59 Building a Personal Brand as a Solopreneur

25:20 Finding and Landing Clients

34:56 Pricing Strategies for Freelancers

47:33 Time Management Techniques for Solopreneurs

52:15 Challenges Faced in Solopreneurship

57:31 Niche Down or Generalist: Finding Your Path

01:01:13 Building a Support Network

01:07:26 Creating an Effective Portfolio

01:10:54 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Where to find Kristina Volchek:

- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-digital/

- ⁠Website - https://kristi.digital/

Co-hosts: Emmanuel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ IniOluwa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ Production by ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilola-ilesanmi-720baa1b0/ ⁠⁠For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email hello@growthdesigncast.com