Being Freelance

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 there a product you can create for 'passive' income? Jamie even makes money out of his uni compositions by listing them as library music keep your showreel punchy, cut up your work and give short snippets of it in a row share your work on social media, just because people might not respond, doesn't mean they're not seeing/hearing it don't be afraid to cold email, but make the emails personal to each company - be persistent despite lack of response don't feel hurt if people reject your work, you know you're good, it's just not what they were after More from Jamie Salisbury Jamie's site Jamie on Twitter Jamie's Soundcloud Useful Links Chris Hollis' chat about getting a TV ad commission 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 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

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 Follow people on Twitter whose work you like/aspire to, you often see behind the scenes glimpses too More from Natalie Smillie Natalie's site Natalie on Twitter Useful Links Twitter Colour Collective Challenge Penny Neville-Lee 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 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

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 could be ‘being freelance’, your location, etc It’s worth renting office space; separates out work/home life, gives meeting room space, puts you amongst other businesses, looks professional Col chose a ‘lifestyle business’: he works 10-3pm or 4pm so he can still get out and live life As well as blogging regularly, Col spent time creating a core piece of ‘pillar’ content marketing. He did a survey or startups and analysed their data ‘Don’t listen to people’ - of course you should listen, but that doesn’t mean you should ‘listen’ to everything they say; this is your life, your business More from Col Skinner Col on Twitter Col's Profoundry business site Col's pillar piece of content marketing Useful Links Free Agent Freelancers' Hub 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 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

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 for opportunities. Be persistent. Really persistent. Enter awards - important reputationally and gives you something to write about when contacting people for opportunities As far as building your reputation online goes… you have to ask - if people like what you do, they’ll be happy to rate you/review you/give you press, etc It's worth building your reputation, your 'personal brand' as it gives extra reasurrance to those hiring you It doesn't matter if you think you're great or not, you have to put your work out in the world, believe you're great, it's up to other people if they like your work or not Collaboration is really important - keep an eye out for people to work with; no man is an island Don’t rely on just a few clients - if two big clients dropped you, could you still pay the bills? Experiment - figure out what it is you like doing and what you're good at Create the work you want to be known for, if you're not being paid to do what you want to do, make it as a side project and get it out there More from Olly Mann Olly on Twitter Olly's site Answer Me This! Modern Mann The Guardian Tech Weekly The Media Podcast Olly on LBC (radio) Useful Links The Bugle Podcast Ewan Spence - Edinburgh Fringe Podcast 'Edinburgh Nights' Olly Newport's Being Freelance Episode Stefanie Posavec'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 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 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

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 rethink your fees? Don't just think about the actual hours you're with a client, what about prep and travel? Could you add screencasts to your blogging mix? It can be quicker and adds your personality Jessica Morgan Listen to her original interview here Bigger organisations have stricter payment terms, you just have to accept them and be prepared Bigger organisations often take longer to give feedback; plan your time so you don't waste it Plan. Short-term, mid and long-term. Even plan what you want to get out of a networking event Enter awards! It's good to look back at what you've done and feels great to be recognised 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 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

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 original interview here optimising your site SEO wise really can help bring in leads don’t feel like you have to impress your peers… aim to impress your clients don’t forget to keep lining up the leads Hear Paul Boag's episode Chris Hollis Hear Chris' original interview here His ‘sudden’ success of doing TV ads has actually been something he’s been plugging away at for years, so if you really believe in something, stick with it! His email marketing strategy is now aimed less at ‘cold’ leads and more at sharing his work with other clients Taking on his first proper employee has freed him up from business tasks that weren’t his strongest role, to concentrate on his creative strengths 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 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

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/details If you’re a creative freelancer you have to be on social, it’s your online portfolio, getting yourself in front of people all around the world and if you’re not being seen, then somebody else will be instead of you Whilst social media is important, it should always direct to your website, so don't neglect that, potential clients will want to see more proof than one instagram picture Your own website is a place to show a fuller body of work and to show it how you want it to be seen, not restricted by the format of whichever social platform Don't worry about the quieter times, use it to recharge; if you're doing good work and you're a decent person it's going to work out Your client relationship is really important. Yes, your work needs to stand up quality wise, but if they don’t enjoy working with you, you won’t be back, so... Don’t be a dick More from Jordan Green Jordan on Instagram Jordan on Twitter Jordan's site Jordan on Facebook 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 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

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 working with big companies, but actually profitable mid-size companies have good budgets but with far less red tape When you have a personal name to your business you feel very small, when you have company name it gives you a brand, a persona, the ability to scale over time “As soon as you figure what you love and what’s profitable and where those two things intersect, stop doing everything else" Joel likes to do work that can be traced back to a tangible outcomes, prove results If you want a client to measure results, help them - show them the tools with which to do it Joel now has a prerequisite: if he can’t use a client in a case study then he doesn’t want to work with them Share your ‘process’, your workflow on your site so clients know how you work; you look like a pro and it answers plenty of questions Working with clients overseas? Joel (in Canada) bills in US Dollars using Stripe, to a UDS bank account - he can then withdraw when the exchange rate is best You’ve got to be good at taking care of your finances; no one else is going to do it for you Have confidence in yourself: your clients are not doing you a favour, you’re doing them a favour by taking them on More from Joel Klettke Joel's site Joel on Twitter Joel's TEDx Talk - The Best Looking Man In The World (video) Useful Links Stripe Ptengine Optimizely Copyhackers Inbound.org 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 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

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 relationships alive. Be helpful routinely, don't wait until you need something from someone to get in touch! As a freelancer you need to figure out what motivates you, what are your values? Remember: whatever goes wrong, things always work out Try meditation: take care of your mind as well as your body Stop comparing yourself to other people - you’re on your own journey More from Jacqui Jacqui on Twittter Jacqui's site Jacqui's blog Brits In The Box Jacqui's post on 6 Reasons Why You Should Or Shouldn't Do Things For Free 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 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

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 communicate; talk a lot about what you do and what you want to do They don't have much marketing budget, instead they use content to pull people to their business as people share it: articles, videos, audio, cartoons They have diversified their income; as well as the linguistic school and services, her illustrations are now available to buy in a range of products from their own shop Don't feel you have to be 'normal' with a regular job, if you're passionate about something go for it, earn a living a from it More from Landysh Online Language Courses from Lingvistov The Lingvistov Shop Lingvistov on Facebook Lingvistov on Twitter 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 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