Freelance Jumpstart Podcast
148 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsYou want a successful business, and you are willing to do whatever you can to make sure that happens. There’s a difference between running a business and running a successful business, but where do you begin? There are so many questions, what should you charge for your services? How do you get clients to value your work? How do you market your services? What information should be on your website?
These questions and others are answered on a weekly podcast for those looking to jumpstart their business and get results. If you are an entrepreneur, freelancer or creative looking to use marketing to grow your business, then this show is for you.
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Episodes
Surviving COVID-19 ('Rona)
January 12, 2021 17:12 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBOne day while working remotely I felt like I was getting hot. After taking my temperature I had a fever approaching 102 and after getting a test it was revealed I had the dreaded COVID-19 Coronavirus. Thankfully I was able to recover and I wanted to share my experiences so you can hope to prevent yourself from getting COVID and how to manage your symptoms. *Please note I am not a medical professional and I am not providing any medical advice. If you are feeling ill please seek healthcare*
096: How to Charge 300% – 800% More
October 07, 2020 17:51 - 18.6 MBIn this video, I walk through an example of how I could charge between 300% - 800% higher than the initial price the client wanted to pay. You can do the same in your business.
096: How to Charge 300% - 800% More
October 07, 2020 17:51 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBAre you confused about how to go about pricing for your creative services? Hourly pricing seems to be the go-to method for pricing creative work. I see why it is simple, easy, and understood by all; however, this pricing method significantly undervalues your worth as a creative. How do you determine the true value of a project? Value-based pricing is a method that can help the client understand the impact your work has on their business and allow you to price what is fair to you and the cli...
095: How to Charge a Million Dollars
September 26, 2020 18:03 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBRecently I discovered the reason why Netflix went through the trouble of creating their own custom font. Turns out they paid $1,000,000 for it. However, when you examine this closer there's a blueprint for how creatives can charge a million for their services as well. Sites Mentioned: https://www.daltonmaag.com/studio https://www.similarweb.com/
094: Creating Customer Profiles
September 15, 2020 11:08 - 32 minutes - 30 MBIf you do not know who your audience is you won't know how to talk with them. The key to getting to know your audience is creating customer profiles. Resources Mentioned in this Episode https://www.google.com/ads https://www.google.com/analytics https://uifaces.co/ https://unsplash.com/ https://generated.photos/
093: Position Yourself As A Brand Strategist
September 08, 2020 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBBOOKS The Brand Gap: https://amzn.to/35aDPAx The Business of Expertise: https://amzn.to/2ZiyEuC More Books on Brand Strategy: https://kit.co/nathanallotey/learn-br... / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction 00:46 - What is Strategy? 02:45 - Overcome Imposter Syndrome 03:56 - Teach Everything You Know 05:19 - Write Case Studies 07:08 - Change Your Target Market 09:25 - Don't Offer Strategy First 11:32 - Branding Book Recommendations 12:55 - Conclusion
093: Position Yourself as a Brand Strategist
September 08, 2020 13:00 - 13.3 MBWhat can you do to market and position yourself as a brand strategist? In this episode, we explore 5 things you can do to show your value and begin attracting high-value clients.
092: Selling Strategy
July 07, 2020 06:54 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBBefore creating or designing anything for a client the first and most important step is to set the strategy. When offering a strategy session to a client what are the deliverables that the client can use after the discovery session that will impact their business for years to come? In this episode we walk through some of the deliverables you can offer the client once the strategy session is complete: Roadmap Brand Attributes Brand Voice Prioritizing Goals Customer Profiles Want to sel...
091: Do Black Lives Matter?
June 09, 2020 00:13 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThe recent showings in the news of racism have now awakened the masses to what people of color have been going through for some time. I reflect on the color of my skin and explain what we can do to create lasting change beyond what hashtag is trending. Great websites and resources: https://blackswho.design/ https://peopleofcolorintech.com/ https://www.diversifytech.co/ https://www.blackgirlscode.com/ https://blkcreatives.com/ https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
090: Get Paid to Think (Melinda Livsey)
May 12, 2020 13:00 - 58.9 MBBrand Strategist Melinda Livsey shares her origin story of how she went from design order taker to brand expert. Now she gets paid to think.
90: Get Paid to Think with Melinda Livsey
May 12, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBBrand Strategist Melinda Livsey shares her origin story of how she went from design order taker to brand expert. Now she gets paid upwards of $10,000 per strategy session for her thoughts alone, without doing any design work which requires pushing pixels. Melinda will help you get paid to think. Follow her: Twitter: @melindalivsey_ Instagram: @melindalivsey https://www.marksandmaker.com/
089: How to Stand Out as a Designer
April 29, 2020 13:06 - 8 minutes - 7.46 MBWith so many designers out there and websites where clients can choose the lowest price for design how do you rise above the competition and break free of becoming a design commodity. There are 3 things you can do today to stand out as a designer: 01:28 = Understanding the Creative Process 02:48 = Choose a Complimentary Service 04:42 = Partner with Other Creatives
088: What is Strategy?
April 24, 2020 16:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBStrategy is one of those words you hear thrown out all the time in a meeting but many times it is not clearly defined nor understood by all parties. Learning strategy is the first step in setting yourself apart as a creative professional. I read an article on strategy which had a huge impact on how I think about strategy: http://bit.ly/wtf-strategy
087: The Amazingly Terrible Commercial
April 14, 2020 16:14 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBI've seen this Fiverr commercial popup on my YouTube hundreds of times, however, I noticed a fatal flaw with the commercial and if you learn from this flaw it can be the key to standing out and making more money as a creative.
When a Client Disappears [Traffic Talk]
April 04, 2020 13:00 - 9 minutes - 9.14 MBIn this episode of traffic talk, someone asked a question of what to do when a client they were speaking with on the regular suddenly "disappeared". Should they move on or wait on the client?
086: Turn Panic into Productivity
March 20, 2020 16:43 - 9.23 MBWith all that is going on during this global panic we have been restricted to our homes but what can we do with the time we have and how will it impact our businesses?
086: Panic Into Productivity
March 20, 2020 16:42 - 9 minutes - 9.23 MBWith all that is going on during this global panic we have been restricted to our homes but what can we do with the time we have and how will it impact our businesses? Two main questions from the video: 4:50 = What have you been neglecting in your business? 6:10 = What will you do when the panic is over?
085: My 5 Takeaways from the Futur Pro Group Meetup
March 04, 2020 08:31 - 9 minutes - 9.22 MBI woke up in the morning, and with sleep still in my eyes stumbled to my desktop computer to check any messages that would call for my attention. I saw a new post in the Futur Pro Group, which knocked the sleep out of my eyes and immediately spurred me to look for a flight to Los Angeles. Chris Do, the founder of The Futur, posted an update mentioning that he would host an in-person meet up for networking, teaching, and an opportunity to use their studios to create content. For those una...
085: 5 Takeaways from the Futur Pro Group Meetup
March 04, 2020 08:19 - 9.22 MBI had the rare opportunity to spend the weekend with the team at the Futur in Los Angeles with creative professionals from all over the world.
Quote Given to Client was "Too High" [Traffic Talk]
December 14, 2019 17:39 - 18 minutes - 17 MBIn this episode of traffic talk we look to answer a question about how to answer clients when they say your quote is too high. For more context here is the original question: Recently send out a quote to a prospective client and they said my quote was on the high side? How do I approach this nicely without giving too much discount? Freelancers out there, how do you price your services? I’m a digital marketer. Resources mentioned in this episode: https://nathanallotey.com/resources/10-mu...
Quote Given to Client was “Too High” [Traffic Talk]
December 14, 2019 14:27 - 17.2 MBIn this episode of traffic talk, we look to answer a question about how to answer clients when they say your quote is too high.
084: Be Thankful 2019
November 29, 2019 05:46 - 6 minutes - 6.09 MBAs we enter the holiday season and many people get into goal setting mode, I want to draw your attention to the fact that it is okay to take a moment, reflect not he year and be thankful for what you have thus far. Don’t get so caught up in what YOU WANT that you forget what YOU HAVE. Gratitude and thankfulness make you value your interactions with others and make you overall more appreciative. This video is a remake or update to similar video that I created 4 years ago: https://youtu.be/D...
Should I Let Someone Know They’re My First Client [Traffic Talk]
November 02, 2019 09:32 - 14.6 MBA rookie freelancer has landed their first client and they are debating on whether or not they should let their client know they are the first client they ever had.
Should I Let Someone Know They're My First Client [Traffic Talk]
November 02, 2019 09:30 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBA rookie freelancer has landed their first client and they are debating on whether or not they should let their client know they are the first client they ever had. For context: Should I Let them know they're my first client? An opportunity to freelance recently fell in my lap and I'm not sure what to discuss with my first client. I've read the sidebar when it comes to pricing and scope (still working on it), but I don't want to ask for too much $$$ and underperform and vice versa. I also...
083: How to Position Yourself as an Expert
October 26, 2019 13:06 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBIf you're looking to positioning yourself as an expert there are two core elements that serve as necessities to positioning: pricing and perception. Both must be used in order for any brand to be positioned for high-value clients.
Giving Client Refund. What Wrong Wrong? [Traffic Talk]
September 27, 2019 13:35 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBA videographer agreed to create a video for a client. After viewing the first draft the client wanted to completely start over even though the client signed off on the storyboard. Rather than start from scratch the freelancer refunded the client and wants to know how to prevent this in the future. Question Giving a client a refund, did I do something wrong? Context: I charged a client $1500 for a full day of shooting (4k) and editing, in addition to 3-4 hours of marketing work. He gave m...
082: The Great Chicken Sandwich War
September 13, 2019 13:20 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBRecently the chicken sandwich challenge was a craze that hit social media and the battle between Chick-Fil-A and Popeyes raged on. Looking at this example we see a strong example of marketing versus branding.
Client Organization [Traffic Talk]
September 06, 2019 12:19 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBA freelancer lost a client due to their lack of organization and trying to juggle too many clients at once. They ask about some ways they can improve their organization so this doesn't happen in the future. Project Management Tools: Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/ Asana: https://asana.com/ Trello: https://trello.com/ *All three tools listed above have a free tier available.
081: Marketing vs Branding
September 03, 2019 08:52 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBThere is an age-old debate on which is more important marketing or branding. Those which a marketing background tend to have a bias toward marketing versus designers who tend to have a bias toward branding. The truth is everything comes down to how you define marketing and how you define branding. These two are not in competition with one another but are compliments. There is no way you can implement marketing without branding, and a brand can only grow if it utilizes marketing in the right...
080: The Riches are in the Niches
July 19, 2019 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBHow can you find out the unique audience and skill you can offer clients? Some people call this a niche. Once you combine your hobbies with your past education and an industry-specific problem you will have a unique value you can offer clients.
Advice Over Action? [Traffic Talk]
July 12, 2019 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBSome more context: "I have been speaking with a potential client who is having issues with their website. Their current developer costs a lot of money and when they implement updates functionality of different aspects of the site break. I gave them some bullet points of what’s wrong with the site. I was emailed by someone in upper management asking for a list of things wrong with the site for them to give to their developers to fix. Have you had this happen and how should I respond? I’m n...
079: You Don't Have a Business
July 06, 2019 14:26 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBI was watching a video on YouTube and the person in the video was an animator. They were discussing how they and others with similar channels review animation, movies, comics and sometimes illustrate and animate popular characters. I live in a state of constant anxiety, I could wake up one day and the channel I worked so hard to build has been demonetized. This is our livelihood and how we eat... Here’s the thing: The Platform has the Power You may have built up your channel and provided ...
079: You Don’t Have a Business
July 06, 2019 14:25 - 24.9 MBIf YouTube were to go away today, would you still have a business? If the answer is no, it’s time to look at your business because right now you are at the mercy of YouTube.
My Friend Stole My Ideas and Hired Someone Else [Traffic Talk]
June 01, 2019 18:11 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBEpisode Notes: https://freelancejumpstart.tv/78 In this episode a designer suggested that his friend meet up with him and they strategize how to increase their online presence and create strategy so they can compete online with their competitors. After a verbal agreement the friend took the advice and strategy but then hired another designer who was cheaper. Who's in the right? Productized Consulting: https://nathanallotey.com/tv/064-productized-consulting-with-jane-portman/ Looking to l...
078: 5 Ways to Transform Your Portfolio
May 27, 2019 18:05 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBThe 5 Ways to transform you portfolio are: Copy Other Agencies Show Your Process Add Visual Storytelling Using Mockups Your About Section References in this episode: https://nathanallotey.com/tv/059-freelancer-vs-consultant-vs-agency/ https://nathanallotey.com/tv/067-never-call-yourself-a-freelancer/ https://nathanallotey.com/tv/068-your-job-title-matters-cory-mccabe-interview/ I used to believe if I focused on having great skill that was enough to attract clients. As long as I cou...
077: The Pro and the Pen
May 15, 2019 13:05 - 15 minutes - 21.2 MBDo you feel like you have no creative control when completing projects for clients? Be a professional, not an amateur. Looking to level up in your freelance business? You may need Creative Coaching: http://nathanallotey.com/coaching DISCOUNT CODE: PODCASTFOLLWER Freelance Jumpstart Podcast on iTunes: http://nathanallotey.com/itunesaudio Free Course on How to Double Your Worth: http://respectandvalue.com — Like the content? Donate to the Cause: http://nathanallotey.com/donate
Do Clients Ruin Your Work with Changes? [Traffic Talk]
April 03, 2019 13:17 - 14 minutes - 13.8 MBFor this episode of Traffic Talk we look at the answer the question: My client has taken my beautiful work and ruined it with their suggestions! What can I do? How to Stop Endless Client Feedback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppc7VUswe5w Speak Up for Your Work: https://youtu.be/IZtFFcx5_3w Thanks for the Feedback (Book): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143127136/ — Looking to level up in your freelance business? You may need Creative Coaching: http://nathanallotey.com/coaching...
076: My Goals for the 2019 Year
January 19, 2019 14:26 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBNormally I use January as a planning month but as I plan I wanted to share with you what is on my mind as I move forward in 2019 toward the goals I would like to accomplish.
075: 2018 Year in Review
January 12, 2019 14:23 - 10 minutes - 9.57 MBAs I reflect on the year 2018 I explain what I felt went well, what did not go so well, and assess whether or not my goals were reached.
075: 2018 Year in Review
January 12, 2019 14:07 - 9.57 MBAs I reflect on the year 2018 I explain what I felt went well, what did not go so well, and assess whether or not my goals were reached.
Becoming a Design Leader (Epic Unknown Recap)
December 29, 2018 14:34 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBAs I think back on how 2018 went, I wanted to make mention of a fantastic experience I had in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Epic Unknown is an invitation to explore your roots and the roots of others intimately and uniquely, deep in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. No two trees grow the same. No two stories are identical. It is so easy to be cavalier with the notion of leadership these days. It's a unconference that includes hiking, biking, climbing, and adventures beyond sitting in ...
The Smoky Mountains Experience [Epic Unknown]
December 29, 2018 14:31 - 10.5 MBAs I think back on how 2018 went, I wanted to make mention of a fantastic experience I had in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee at Epic Unknown an unconference about design leadership.
074: The Right Way to Set Goals
December 22, 2018 16:55 - 9.47 MBAs the end of the year comes to a close there will be many people who will focus on setting goals in the new year. The most critical factor in establishing a goal is HOW you define success.
074: Setting SMART Goals
December 22, 2018 14:19 - 10 minutes - 9.47 MBAs the end of the year comes to a close there will be many people who will focus on setting goals in the new year. I want to give you a framework for setting goals first made popular by George T. Doran in 1981. The most critical factor in establishing a goal is HOW you define success. SMART Goal Framework 2:15 = Specific 2:40 = Measurable 3:35 = Actionable (Achievable) 4:36 = Realistic (Relevant) 5:52 = Time Bound 7:07 = Measuring success
073: Three Years On YouTube
December 15, 2018 14:32 - 10.6 MBWithout even realizing it my YouTube channel turned 3 years old in October. In this video I discuss what happened this past year on YouTube and what I plan to do in the future.
073: Three Years on YouTube
December 15, 2018 13:20 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBWithout even realizing it my YouTube channel turned 3 years old in October. In this video I discuss what happened this past year on YouTube and what I plan to do in the future. My 2018 Goals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbBp5z2FDsw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQQAinyRkhg
When to Discuss Pricing Rates [Traffic Talk]
November 17, 2018 14:19 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBFor this episode of traffic talk someone asks when is the best time to begin discussing pricing rates. They have been asked to come up with a mockup with an existing client and are not sure whether or not the client is willing to pay for the mockup.
072: Personal Name or Business Name?
November 10, 2018 15:26 - 11 minutes - 11 MBIn this episode we look at the pros and cons of whether to move forward with your personal name or your business name. Here's a hint the name doesn't matter what you publicly project matters.
Do People Still Buy Art? [Traffic Talk]
November 03, 2018 13:25 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBFor this episode of traffic talk we answer the question: Do people still buy art? I share my unique experience of what I learned in Los Angeles and the fact that art and illustration is as popular as its has ever been but you have to pair your art with a story.
071: The Value of Art
October 28, 2018 03:32 - 10 minutes - 10 MBWhat's the difference between a $30 piece of art and a $30,000 piece of art? This episode of Freelance Jumpstart I cover the main takeaway I learned from visiting agencies and museums while in Los Angeles, CA.