Creating Your Dream Job
I am somewhat obsessed with Joan Crawford. Mommy Dearest is one of my favorite movies and it’s just about her. I was watching the FX show Feud, which details the relationship between her and Betty Davis and the making of the film Baby Jane, (another must see movie). Joan was upset that she couldn’t get quality scripts and how that would affect her career. She took things into her own hands by finding a book she thought could be an amazing screenplay. Then, she pitched it to a producer and convinced Betty Davis to join her as part of the cast.
When Nothing is Working
I was talking to another creative entrepreneur about how to get clients. She said she wanted to have her services set up more like mine and I told her I actually wanted to change how I have my services listed on my website.
Knowing Your Value
I never regret leaving my position as an Art Director at a Fortune 100 company. However, I do regret how I felt when I left and how I still feel. I appreciate everything I learned there and the friendships I made. However, I wish I had left sooner, before the feeling of being undervalued set in. When you feel this way, it’s definitely time to leave. By that point, you really have nothing left to give, and it just doesn’t make you feel good about yourself or your work.
Are You Struggling to Get on A Schedule as a Freelancer?
When you work for someone else, your life has to fit around your job. The dream is to have a job that fits around your life. It sounds so easy, but it’s hard when you don’t have the boundaries, team, and accountability of an office setting. Instead, you have unfinished laundry, sunny weather, and overwhelming feeling from all the new responsibility.
The key is figuring out how you work best. Use an app like Timely or just write down how you spend your day. Then, you can see how you can be more productive. What time of day do you work best? What items can you sub out? Where do you procrastinate most?
Are You Holding Yourself Back?
One of the most surprising pains in starting and growing your own business is actually yourself. You can have the skill, experience, and desire that it takes to succeed, but if your head isn’t right you will fail. Sounds harsh right? As creative’s we get emotionally attached to our work. Rejection of this work can can cut deep, as it seems like rejection against ourselves. When you work with clients there is no buffer between you and the work. Your business is you, and you have to feel confident, excited and ready to be vulnerable. This is what it takes to share and sell what you have to offer, making your business a success.
My First Month as a Freelancer
When I walked out of my corporate office for the last time I swear the air was clearer, the sun was brighter, and I felt lighter. I had 6 months salary saved, clients, a supportive husband, and no regrets. I had been in talks with Anthropologie(my dream company) for coming on as a freelance web designer and we confirmed my rate via phone while I was vacationing at the beach with my family. It seemed like the perfect start to my new path. I few weeks in I was working away, and enjoying every minute. I got into a routine where I would workout every morning, then work on projects until I picked my daughter up from school at 3:00. No more hour commute, rushing every second to get everything done, and we even lounged by the pool at the YMCA. I thought this was the best decision I had ever made, and I should have done it sooner.
How do you know when you are ready
Have you found yourself dreaming more and more about how life would be if you quit your day job? Do you think about what you could do if you only had the time? How do you know if you are really ready to take the plunge? If readiness for you means preparing for a smooth transition, then you will never be ready. Yes, you can definitely prepare and save yourself some headaches. All you need is a plan. The unexpected will happen, both good and bad, because, you don’t know what you don’t know. I never thought about working for myself until I couldn’t find a better opportunity in the small city I lived in, and I couldn’t sit in my desk one. more. day.