Successful soloism is about 80% mindset and 20% mechanics. I’ve learned from experience that you can get the mechanics right, but still not be thinking right. Much of what holds us back as creatives and independent business owners is our mindset.
Early in my freelance journey I joined a business networking group through my chamber of commerce for the purpose of generating leads and referrals. Networking groups
To be meaningful, design needs to connect on five successive levels of significance…
I recently read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, in which the author, Cal Newport, makes the case for engaging in sdeliberate, uninterrupted
Simply creating graphic assets and promotional materials is not enough to manage your brand. You need a strategy — a plan, method, or series of actions for obtaining a specific goal or result. Here are 7 basic elements to get started.
[themeone_drop_cap letter=”T” color=”accent-color3″ /]he current mantra for creative freelancers, and for any independent business owner, is to create or define a niche and aggressively market
To begin with, social media is not about selling, but about conversations and providing value. Be knowable, likable and trustworthy. To make the most of
Building a business requires connection with people: prospective clients, colleagues, mentors, customers, and sometimes even family members. When we connect, we share information, ideas and
One thing I struggled with in the past as an independent creative is money. I have a lot of experience with the all too common
Pricing your creative services is one of the most-discussed topics among freelancers. There is no one right way to price your creative services — there is no industry
Listening is related to empathy. Empathy is valuing another’s experience, and keeps the designer from creating something that is self-expressive.
A mistake freelance creatives can easily make is to diagnose and strategize with a prospective client before they become an actual client. This often happens
It’s widely acknowledged that there is a direct correlation between reading and success. But it’s not the amount you read, it’s what you read. There’s
If you want to be successful, you need to be influential. Influence can be positive or negative, and everyone has influence. The key for success
Creative thinking requires us to cease from thinking as we always have. This is neither automatic nor easy because we automatically default to doing that which requires the least amount of effort.
I’ll get to it when I’m ready. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of planning to get something done and then putting it off until
10 Best Practices For Building Reputation and Relationships When you accept a client’s project, you need to make it your own. While you’re not creating for
Not every client relationship is a good fit, and it’s just good business to separate.
Let’s begin with the premise that design, illustration and photography are service professions, and that being a professional means you’re in business. You’re making a
We are always marketing. From the quality of our work to how we talk about ourselves, we are constantly sending messages into the public square,
Have you ever gotten involved on a project and then realized that neither the project nor the client is ideal? The project that was going to
Have you made resolutions for the new year? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to change? Where do you see yourself
A mark up, also known as percentage over cost, is one way you can increase your freelance revenue. Marking up is a common business practice,
Productivity is a popular and expansive topic, and it’s also big business. From apps and books on the subject to courses and mastermind groups, tools