When success makes you lazy, blame your cognitive bias
A true story about how my business just ground to a halt.
Freelance pricing — in search of the “double thank you”
There’s only one thing that matters: are both sides happy with the exchange?
The Big Lie of "Good, Fast, Cheap"
One of them is never optional, and sometimes you can't even pick two.
The pandemic has torn down the freelance hurdles
What’s holding you back from sprinting your career ahead?
A Great Design Career Starts with Ignoring Money
Money is not a goal, it's a byproduct of success.
Living the Freelance Dream: Cheap Gigs for Bad Clients?
5 quick hacks for failing fast
The power of being an external expert
Why freelance outsiders become critical design saviours.
Forget nightmare clients — this is what dream clients look like
Put down your red flags and recognise valuable partnerships
Why Freelancing Became More Stable Than Employment
COVID-19 has amplified existing trends — uncovering the skeleton of the old, dead, linear career model.
The "Perfect Triangle" approach to defining your niche
A simple formula to find your marketing sweet spot of expertise and reputation.
Designer-PMs Are the Next Unicorns
The best designers are expert project managers and astute business people.
Freelancing Through a Crisis – 8 Rules for Staying Recession-Proof
Here's how I've made my freelance business untouchable by economic downturn.
Passive Income Is a Lie — Build Passion Income Instead
All businesses require work, but you can decide what kind of work and when to do it.
Stop Trying to Create the Next Big Thing
Start small with something you can manage yourself, grow purposefully, and get profitable as quickly as possible.
Stuff I Thought Was Important Just Isn't Anymore
The pandemic lockdown has forced a life & business re-prioritization, and I'm not sure my writing makes the cut.
The Future of Work is Local-Remote
The Coronavirus health scare reminds us that we could have been working better all along.
Why I never quote a fixed price
On creativity, complexity, and fairness in pricing services.
How to Make Money Online With No Skill or Experience
You’re asking the wrong question. Instead, find how to create value.
Why Compromise Is the Great Design Superpower
The more important your work, the more trade-offs you have to make.
How Solo Freelancers Can Land Massive Gigs
I’m a one-person business who attracts agency-sized projects. When you demonstrate reliability, size is no obstacle.
Remote Work Works When You Act “Grown-Up”
Dependable people make good employees, no matter where they’re located.
How I Grew My Freelance Business from $0 to Six Figures
Lessons learned from the ups and downs of building a design business for 18 years.
How to Make Freelance Clients Come to You
Generate qualified inbound leads so you never have to chase freelance work again.
Why Designers Need to Be ‘Specialized Generalists’
Being ‘T-shaped’ will make you more effective and more valuable
How to Build a Recession-Proof Design Business
Is your creative business primed to thrive or wither?
You say “NO” but they come back begging for a “YES”
That’s how you know you’ve *made it* as a freelancer
What kind of freelancer are you?
Your client’s perception is coloured by how seriously you take your business.
When they go cheap and global, double-down on premium and local
Transcend the rat race and let your unicorn shine.
The myth of the full-time freelancer
People believe casual gig work is what the new economy is all about. They’ve forgotten that full-time freelancing has been there all along.
A designer without communication skills is just a pixel pusher
Communication is a core part of our craft — and equally important — it’s a “soft-skill” essential for getting design work done successfully.
Why is pricing design so hard?
The creative process is full of unknowns.
Self-Employed Identity Crisis: Freelancer, Contractor, Consultant, Entrepreneur, or Solopreneur?
What you call yourself matters. Learn the difference, and how to climb to the next level.
How I earned $150K last year from freelance design
Let’s talk about earning more money as a freelancer. I go in-depth into everything I’ve learned from nearly two decades of design & business.
The freelancer’s mental load
When you run your own business, can you afford to have an off switch?
You're probably calculating freelance rates all wrong – follow this strategy instead
How to think in terms of value, not time. Follow this pricing strategy to find your true market rate.
“First-world” freelance problems: I have too much work
Having too many choices can be as stressful as not having enough. Here’s my story about managing high-demand.
The relentless pressure to sell yourself
The gig-economy is creating a mismatch between personal expectation and economic reality.
Build your freelance business on values
Success and money will come if you stick to what you believe in.
You pay me, but I don’t work for you
Who do designers serve?
“Finding your niche” is bullshit
Position yourself as a specialist for each client. You don’t have to pivot your entire business to that niche.
The right way to start freelancing
No gigs sites, no free work, no drowning, no shit!
Are we doing freelance contracts all wrong?
The best contracts are the ones you never have to enforce
Don’t Become a Freelancer
Not everyone is built to run their own business.
What to charge: does value-based pricing live up to the hype?
Demystifying pricing techniques + value pricing implementation tips
Why being ultra-professional instantly makes you a top-tier freelancer
More than mastery of your craft or years of experience, being a trustworthy pro gets you a big step ahead of your competition.
Are you working for cost-clients or value-clients?
Knowing the difference will mean everything to your freelance business.
There is no life-hack for freelance success
Just show up and put in the hard work each day
The best designers are business strategists
The old days of “visual design” are long gone. We need to think much broader & deeper to solve today’s design challenges.
I fell off a freelance cliff, but built a parachute before I hit the ground.
Or, the danger of having too many eggs in one basket, and how to bounce back when that basket disappears.
Professional freelancers don’t do “gigs”
Are you expendable, temporary help, or a valuable long-term business partner?
If your ideal clients aren’t coming to you, go to them.
Don’t passively accept what work comes your way. You can actively bend the direction of your freelance career.
Freelancing ≠ Upwork
Ignore the dangerous advice that you can hit it rich on cheap marketplaces. Your ideal clients don’t live there.
The freelance business growth dilemma
How do you grow beyond yourself, when your success is tied to your personal reputation?
How I earned $15,000 last month from freelance design
Hint: there’s no shortcut. I’ve been working at this for 17 years.