Being Freelance

Meet multifaceted designer and illustrator and one-person agency, Andy Hau. Andy shatters the typical freelance mold by sharing his unique journey from architecture to the wide world of design, revealing how a chance encounter with musician Imogen Heap kickstarted his career in a new direction. Andy discusses the challenges of marketing yourself, the evolution of social media in bringing him opportunities, and the importance of speaking to actual humans in the noisy digital age. Andy thinks the human touch distinguishes his work and approach in an era of AI and digital saturation. We also explore how the illustrations of ‘Quinn The Fox’ that Andy created to convey his own emotions have now turned into a successful homeware and print side business.It’s an inspiring and fun conversation filled with practical advice, heartfelt reflections, of goals realised or reworked and a deep dive into what it means to be truly freelance. Even if you don’t realise that’s what you are. Because sometimes ‘you have to be a bit cringe’ to be successful. Whether that be reaching out to people on LinkedIn, or talking about yourself to a popular freelancing podcast.   PODCAST SPONSORThis episode of the Being Freelance podcast is supported by Lulu.Printing your book on-demand, around the world, with you in control. Sound good?- Stand out as an expert- Land new opportunities- Diversify your income- Have the best business card everAnd of course a whole lot more when you write & publish your own book.Your words, your images and you’re in control.Join the millions who have already published with Lulu (a B Corp - hello!) & take your freelance career to the next level.Discover what Lulu could do for your business using this link. 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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Age doesn't matter.Until it does.Until you get the feeling people won't hire you anymore because you're too old.For Mary, she was 58. From New Zealand, but having spent 30 years in Australia in 'normal' full time jobs.Faced with ageism, she realised maybe it wasn't just that the interview panels didn't want her. Maybe she didn't want them anymore either. Maybe it was time for a change. To reinvent herself.Someone suggested being a freelance copywriter. She didn't know what that was. But here are.10 years later. 'The Wrinkly Writer'. Owning, literally as a business owner, her age. Turning it to her advantage.Mary now lives in France. We chat about- building long-term client relationships- turning age to her advantage when business mentor Kate Toon suggested her new working name- continuous learning and passing on to the next generation as a mentor- her relocation to France, working as a freelancer in a different country with many clients overseas- achieving work life balance, prioritising her physical and mental health across the day and weekIt's such a fun conversation. Full of the joy of life and work life.  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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Logo designer James Barnard shares how he transformed his freelance business through niche specialization and social media. He discusses the importance of effective pricing strategies and using CRM tools to attract the right clients. James reveals how content creation on Instagram and TikTok has shaped his success and confidence. He emphasizes time management and the benefits of hiring assistants for creative tasks. The conversation also touches on finding work-life balance and the journey of freelancing while staying engaged with family.

Dan went freelance twice. First for creative freedom. Secondly to free him up for his family.Starting out as a designer for McDonald's but wanted a more varied diet of projects. With a lot of time freelancing in agencies, Dan learnt to stand out, be indispensable and build relationships to expand his chance of finding work. He also flexed himself creatively with illustration side projects (after college tutors said he’d never make a living from drawing!)Adding a unique flair to his freelancer personal brand as 'Rubber Penguin’. Using a business name helped him be remembered and found - useful if you have a common name (Shout out to all the Dan Baileys of the world!). It also let him focus on adding character to his freelancing design work through illustration.When you're a freelancer, you're a business. And whilst Dan's time in agencies helped him with dealing with freelance clients professionally, he still struggled to have confidence in his value, his pricing - what he could charge for projects. Getting to know other freelancers and becoming co-mentors with them gave him a chance to discuss pricing strategies, finally getting that piece of the freelance puzzle in place.For all the talk of fast food, this is a slow burner of a career. Dan has gradually built his reputation within the industry. As a freelancer he's now getting the kind of work he wants to be doing at a price he deserves. Being able to to work around his family in a way that in-house demands would never allow.Happy Meal? No. Happy Freelancer? Yes. 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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

From big cat zookeeper to taming words as a freelance copywriter, Adri's freelancing story starts a little differently. Burnout led to her quitting the zoo before even securing a paying client. A persistence in cold emailing, dealing with rejections that would have made many give up has led to warm relationships and a niche in emails themselves.Adri shares her approach to cold and warm emailing. And discusses the way she pays attention to what in her work gives her energy. Adri appreciates the freedom and flexibility that freelancing offers and talks about how she deliberately chose to work less hours to avoid burnout, even if it meant earning less money.  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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

This time we're off to India to chat to self taught Logo & Brand Identity Designer Blesson Varghese.We cover the importance of networking, 'silent' mentors, balancing work and life, and the challenges faced by freelancers in a society that doesn't yet fully value creative professions. Additionally, Blesson shares insights on his approach to handling clients and projects, and his continual quest for learning in his field  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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Meet VA & Social Media Assistant Erin Buck. Not that she knew what that was 5 years ago.But then, she was happy working in a school. She didn't need to know.But then a twinge in Erin's back turned her world upside down.Nerve damage could left her housebound, watching daytime TV. Instead she propelled herself into an online business world she hadn’t known existed.Erin’s optimism, hard work and ability to figure things out, won out.She has ‘ideas’. Ideas that found her a constant stream of work. That took her into online communities, that then supported her back out into the offline world. Ideas of a future spending winter in the sun. When the real ray of sunshine is her being her true self all along. It’s an inspiring listen. The flexibility of freelancing. Business growth and personal growth going hand in hand. Buck up your ideas. 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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

In this enlightening discussion, social media strategist Andréa Jones, who built her agency by mastering video and podcasts, shares her transformative journey from gig work on Fiverr to thriving in the freelance space. She delves into her experiences with burnout and the vital importance of setting boundaries for mental health. Andréa emphasizes the role of community in growth, as well as the challenges of balancing family life with professional ambitions. Plus, she reflects on evolving client relationships and the joys of building connections through her podcast and social media.

In this episode, Steve catches up with previous guest Rebecca Shipham, a freelance exhibition designer with 13 years of experience. They first spoke for the Being Freelance podcast in October 2015 - you can hear how Rebecca got started by listening to that.Here we are, eight years on - time to hear what happened next, through the challenges and rewards of working directly with clients, her strategies for attracting and maintaining clients, the impact of the pandemic on her business (as exhibitions closed down overnight!), but the positives that emerged from it too.  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 Being Freelance course is made for you!Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership. FREELANCER MERCHGet Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shopLike VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelanceYouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Copywriter Eddie Shleyner shares his journey from blog to full-time freelance work. Topics include growing his newsletter audience, launching courses, maintaining work/life balance, and importance of testimonials. He emphasizes the role of luck in success and offers advice for new freelancers.