How Britt started to wow her clients after enrolling in Organize & Automate

How Britt started to wow her clients after enrolling in Organize & Automate

Britt is the lovely brand and website designer behind Branded By Britt.

She's taking over my blog today to tell you about her journey from Etsy shop owner to full-time freelance designer, and how Organize & Automate helped her get there. 

Last month, I had Holly Meyer (one of my other O&A students) on the blog to tell you about her experience. Holly is an established designer with years of experience who still learned a TON from Organize & Automate, whereas Britt is a new business owner who used O&A to help set up her design business the right way. I'm super excited to have Britt tell you her story! 

There are thousands of new or aspiring freelance designers out there who start their business without any systems in place and pay severe consequences for it. 

When you start out without any systems or guidance, business growth is slow and difficult. But when you take the time to invest in your business and learn from established designers before you even start your own business, you start out more professionally and your business has a higher chance of succeeding. 

Read on to learn how Britt used Organize & Automate to kickstart her business!

4 Things That Really Frustrate Clients Who Work with Designers

4 Things That Really Frustrate Clients Who Work with Designers

This week, Kathryn from Savve is taking over the blog to talk about four frustrations clients have with their designers. When I saw what Kathryn wanted to write about, I said a big, fat YES. This is something the design community needs to talk about. 

Sometimes, projects don't go wrong because it's the fault of your clients. Sometimes, it's your fault. But there are things you can do to avoid frustrating your clients. 

Kathryn, take it away!

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Do you ever wish your clients were easier to work with? Do you sometimes get frustrated that they just don’t get it? I do, and I’m betting you do too.

Although I now build websites for clients, not too long ago I used to be a client. And although I like to think I was a pleasure to work with, it’s more likely that I used to frustrate the designers I worked with on a pretty regular basis. 

I worked as a marketer for more than 15 years. In that time, I worked with agencies and freelancers, with designers who were incredibly gifted and some that were decidedly average. 

I want to share with you four things that I found really frustrate clients when they work with designers. 

9 Reasons Why All Freelancers Should Build An Email List

9 Reasons Why All Freelancers Should Build An Email List

These days, the only thing you hear online marketers talking about is growing an email list- and there's a good reason for that. 

The money is in the list. 

If you want your words read, your work seen, and your services and products purchased, an email list is what you need. You can't rely on potential clients to remember to keep visiting your website and perusing your shop. You need to show up consistently in their inbox, proving to them how you're an expert, why they should buy from you, and showing them what they can buy. 

Many freelancers think email marketing is only for product-based businesses. 

I've even heard freelancers say:

  • I don't sell courses so I don't need a list. 
  • I don't sell ebooks so I don't need a list. 
  • I don't have a blog so I definitely don't need a list.

I understand why some freelancers feel that way. 

I think freelancers believe that email marketing is for product-based businesses because:

  • Service-based business owners don't really talk about email marketing
  • Freelancers get most of their clients from referrals, so they don't feel the need to build an email list. 
  • Even when freelancers do build a list, they rarely talk about it because they're busy talking about what their business is actually based on (and rightly so!)

Above all things- even blogging- you need an email list. Email marketing will take your freelance business to new heights. Don't believe me? Here are ten reasons why. 

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5 Things You Should Do Before You Become A Freelance Designer

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5 Things You Should Do Before You Become A Freelance Designer

Remember a while ago when I wrote 5 ugly truths about being a freelance designer?

Well, today's email follows on from that. If you read those truths and thought "I can take that! I can push through those!" then HURRAY- freelancing is the right path for you. (I'm so excited for you!!)

You now know you're cut out to do this freelancing thing. But where do you go from here? How do you get started?

A lot of creatives who want to become freelance designers ask me:

What should be the first thing I do to kickstart my freelance journey?

What should I do before I start freelancing full-time?

How can I prepare to freelance full-time?

How can I give myself the best chance of succeeding at running my own business?

These are the kind of questions I love because it shows me that (A) you're serious about freelancing, and (B) you're SO serious, you want to make sure you have the best possible start.

How Holly Meyer Streamlined Her Design Process (Using Organize & Automate)

How Holly Meyer Streamlined Her Design Process (Using Organize & Automate)

Holly Meyer is the talented brand and web designer behind Holly Meyer Design. 

She enrolled in my course, Organize & Automate,  this Summer and saw SUCH great results from it that I knew I had to turn her experience into a full blog post for you to see. 

Real quick before we dive in: Organize & Automate is my signature video course, made to help web + graphic designers streamline their design process so they can work smarter and faster, not harder. 

Read on to see how O&A helped Holly:

  • Outline & document her design process
  • Impress her clients with her new consultation process
  • Work smarter so she can take on more clients without more stress!

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