This document provides an overview of 4 keys to hacking freelance success: birth, growth, money, and joy. Under birth, it discusses defining your brand and services, determining your market, choosing an identity, and legal structures. Growth includes managing workflow, projects, clients, vendors, and money. Money covers banking, bookkeeping, setting rates, negotiating, taxes, and savings. Joy focuses on work-life balance, goal-setting, and reaching new markets. The overall message is that defining your purpose and brand, along with effective project and financial management, are essential for freelance success.

1. Amy DeLouise @brandbuzz at #GVExpo
4 KEYS TO HACKING FREELANCE

2. Today’s Agenda
4 Components of Success
 BIRTH
 GROWTH
 MONEY
 JOY
2

3. Introductions
First…
 Commercials, Features,
Documentaries
And then…
 Production Co. Executive 15 yrs
And now…
 Writer/Producer
 Author, Speaker and Brand
Strategist
 Paying myself since 1987
3

4. Getting in Touch
 www.twitter.com/brandbuzz
 www.linked.com/in/amydelouise
 www.plus.google.com/+AmyDeLouise
 www.vimeo.com/amydelouise
 www.amydelouise.com
 Slides on the Speaking tab of my website
4

5. BIRTH: Getting Started

6. What’s Your WHY?
 Simon Sinek “Start
with Why” TED talk
https://www.ted.com/t
alks/simon_sinek_how
_great_leaders_inspir
e_action
 The Golden Circle
Why
How
What
6

7. Jot down your WHY
TAKE A MOMENT

8. 8
Defining Your Brand

9. Defining Your Essential Services
 What you’re good at
 What other people need
 What you aspire to do
9

10. Determine Your Market
10
 Broad vs. Deep
 Niche marketing and specialties
 Access to new markets

11. Choose an Identity
 Check online
 Think long term
 Not too cute or “inside
baseball”
11

12. Logos and Taglines
12
 DO
 Capture your vision and values
 Convey what you do
 Choose something that works in vertical and horizontal
lockups
 DON’T
 Need to be overly clever
 Use the same colors and styles as others

13. Choose a Legal Form
 Sole Proprietor
 LLC
 Partnerships
 Subchapter S
 C Corporation
 Consult an attorney
 Protect Assets
 Partner and Funder Relationships
 Affects Banking
 Insurance
 Professional
 Raise Capital
 Account for Expenses
 Employees or Subcontractors
13
Types Why

14. Resources
14
 https://bizcircle.att.com/
 https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-
business/openforum/explore/
 http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/
 https://www.sba.gov/

15. GROWTH

16. Keys to Growth
 Managing Multi-Project Workflow
 Managing Client Expectations
 Managing Vendors
 Managing Your Brand
 Managing Your Money
16

17. Managing Workflow
17
 Build a system that works for you
 Maintaining schedules, assets, feedback, and deadlines
 “Train” your customers/clients to use it
 Be flexible if they have an existing system to use

18. Project Management Tools
 Trello
 https://trello.com/home
 $0-$252/yr
 JIRA
 https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
 $120-$300/yr
 Basecamp
 https://basecamp.com/
 $0-$1188/yr (half off for nonprofits)
 Wipster
 https://wipster.io/
 $250-$12,500/yr
 Vimeo (Pro or Business)
 www.vimeo.com
 $204-600/yr

19. Getting Back to WHY
19

20. Why You Think People Hire You
 Knowledge
 Skills
 Expertise
 Equipment
 Tools
20

21. Why People Actually Hire You
 Attitude
 Problem-Solving
 Communications
 Analysis
 Teamwork
 Good Judgment
21

22. Why People Actually Hire You
22
 Attitude
 Problem-Solving
 Communications
 Analysis
 Teamwork
 Good Judgment
This is Your “Brand Value”

23. Jot down 3 attributes that set you apart—where
you bring brand value.
TAKE A MOMENT

24. Marketing Yourself
 Marketing v. Sales
 Promoting Your Brand
 Networking Do’s and
Don’ts

25. Defining Your Brand
25
3 Keys to a
Successful
Brand
 Storytelling
 Authenticity
 Relationships

26. Your Brand Story
 Your Work
 Demo Reel
 Awards
 Your Style
 What makes you different
 What makes you a great vendor/partner
 But Don’t Forget…
 Work in Progress
 Work by Colleagues
 Thought Leaders You Follow
 Trends and Innovations You Care About

27. Be Authentic
 Your Passions
 Music You Like
 Where You Travel
 Books You Read
 Photos You Take
 People Who Matter to You
 Issues You Care About
27

28. Develop Your Community
 Peers
 Vendors
 Customers
 Prospects
28

29. Peers & Vendors
29
 Competitors but also colleagues
 Referrals when they are overbooked
 Building a team for larger projects
 Hiring your competition as you grow
 Women in Film, TIVA, BCPC, Post Collective

30. Be Generous
 Share across physical
and social networks
 Don’t just talk about
yourself
 Find collaborative
partners who excel
where you don’t
30

31. Be a Friendly Curator
31
Build
relationships
by becoming
a trusted
resource

32. Curate and Share
 How To’s
 Blogs
 Websites
 Videos
 Podcasts
 Infographics
 Trends
 News
 Links
 Lists
 How To’s
32

33. Elevator Pitch
 Succinctly describe what you do, for whom and why
anyone should care
 One size does not fit all
 Use a set of building blocks you can fit together as
appropriate for time and audience

34. Jot down your Elevator Pitch. Be sure it contains
3 key elements of your work—including your
WHY, your HOW.
TAKE A MOMENT

35. Leverage Channels & Networks
 Where is your
community?
 Choose 2-4 key
platforms
 Meet community where
they are
 Modify content for each
platform
35

36. Do’s and Don’ts of Networking
 Introduce yourself
 Hint: Add an interest that
is not work related
 Listen
 Share useful tips and
information
 Only talk about
yourself
 Hand your card out all
the time
 Overshare
36
DO DON’T

37. What Not to Wear
 Be yourself
 Respect environments
 Be aspirational
37

38. QUESTIONS?

39. MONEY
The following examples are from personal experience. I am not a
CPA or attorney. Seek advice from a tax or investing professional.

40. Banking
 Not all banks are made
equal
 How quickly are deposit
funds available?
 Terms for LOC?
 Online banking options?
40

41. Bookkeeping & Billing Tools
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 https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
 https://www.freshbooks.com/
 https://www.paypal.com
 https://www.bill.com/
 https://squareup.com/

42. Setting Your Rate
 Market-Based Pricing
 Supply and demand
 Varies by region
 May vary by season
 Professional
associations
42

43. Setting Your Rate
 Value-Based Pricing
 Your unique skills, tools
or qualities
 Client relationships
 May vary by season
43

44. Setting Your Rate
 I Need This Job Pricing
 Add a new skill or
genre
 Moving to a new area
 Changing categories
 Be careful

45. The Salary Approach
 Target salary $65,000/year after tax
 25% tax bracket $81,250 gross
 FT = 2,000 hrs/year (2 wks off, weekends off)
 $325/day if every day is billable (which it isn’t)
 $406/day if you can bill 80% of your days
 $464/day if you can bill 70% of your days

46. Flat Rates
 Known and defined variables
 Defined time frame
 Convenience for customer
 Simplicity of billing
 What are triggers for overages?
 Get a deposit up front

47. Getting Paid
 What Does “Net 30” Really Mean?
 Understanding organizational financial structures
 Getting a Deposit
 Milestones or Millstones?
 Defining payments in your contract
 Consult an attorney

48. Negotiating
 “Getting to Yes” –
essential book
 Know Your BATNA
 Walking Away From
The Wrong Job/Client
 Embracing
“Intermediate” Projects

49. PAY YOUR TAXES!
 Set aside for quarterly
 Property taxes and
other local taxes
 Use a tax advisor to
calculate an estimate
prior to year end

50. Saving Money
 “Pay Yourself First”
 Automated monthly transfers
 The value of dollar cost averaging
 SEP-IRA
 Reduces taxes at current (higher) rate
 Low fee funds such as Vanguard and Fidelity
 529 Plans for kids’ college
 Many state plans are tax deductible
 I am not a CPA, attorney or investment
advisor—seek advice from a professional.

51. Dollar Cost Averaging
 You lose less when market loses, and can gain more over time
 Lump sum Jan 1 deposit of $10,000 into a stock priced at $100 a share
 Stock declines to $70/share
 30% loss of $3,000
 Quarterly deposits of $2,500 into same stock
 When stock declines, it’s “on sale” so you get more stock (decreased average share price)
 At the end of the year, instead of owning 100 shares valued at $7,000 you own 119.7
shares valued at $8,379
 16% loss of $1,621
 If shares increase in value to $110/share, you now own $13,167 (vs. $11,000)
 22% gain of $2,167 v. only 10% gain of $1,000 with lump sum investment

52. JOY

53. Work Life Balance
 Where You Work
 Setting Goals
 Managing Change
 Cut Yourself a Break,
You’re Self-Employed!

54. Where to Work
 Virtual
 Inexpensive
 Distractions
 No in-house support staff
 Build strategic partnerships

55. Where to Work
 Physical
 Increased overhead
 Can improve focus
 Collaborative space
 More room for gear

56. Where to Work
 Combination
 Use one Location for Meetings
and Gear
 Collaborative partnerships
and vendor relationships
 Use Home Office for Prepro,
Writing, and/or Editing and
Gfx Design
 Reduced overhead and
distractions

57. Goal-Setting
57
Write Down
3 Things
That Will
Have
Happened
by This
Time Next
Year

58. Evolving Your Business
 Better Projects
 Higher Fees
 New Direction
 New Location
 New Interests
58

59. Reaching New Markets
 Leverage Linked In
 Alumni networks
 Community networks
 Interest groups
 Ask for Introductions
 Informational meetings
 Write an article

60. Re-Branding for New Goals
 Referrals from clients and vendors
 Introduce yourself as what you want to be
 Update photos, social networks
 Use keywords
 Be willing to take entry level
 But not too much…it affects your brand
 Each position is a step towards your new goal

61. Wrapping Up

62. Wrapping Up
 Know Your Why
 Identify and Promote Your Brand Value
 Establish Fees, Contracts & Financial Goals
 Build a Work Life Equation That Works for You

63. www.amydelouise.com
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