Freelancing is not easy, but it’s a great career path that can offer a lot of options for your design career. I’ll explore what I’ve done over the last 19 years to grow my freelance business, what I’ve done wrong, and the lessons learned. I’ll cover: • How to get business without cold calling • Why social media works – and sometimes doesn’t. • How to get (lousy) clients • How to be a lousy freelancer • How to be a good freelancer • Contracts • Discussing money • Getting paid

1. THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY
OF FREELANCING
Lisa Ghisolf, Gizmo Creative Factory, @gizmodesign

5. WE ARE NOT
FREELANCERS
We are quali
fi
ed independent professionals.

6. “The famous Pablo Picasso was at a party. A woman
recognized him and approached the Master. She asked,
“Will you create a sketch for me?” Picasso agreed, and, as
he pulled out his sketchpad, asked her for a subject. “A bird
in a tree will do,” she responded. So Picasso spent about a
fi
ve minutes doing what Picasso does on the sketchpad.
Finished, he ripped the sketch o
ff
the pad, handed it to the
woman and said, “That will be $10,000.” The woman was
fl
oored. “Ten thousand dollars! Why, it only took you
fi
ve
minutes to draw that sketch!” To which, Picasso replied,
“No, madam. That sketch took me a lifetime.”

7. IMPOSTER SYNDROME

8. DEPRESSION

9. BUILD YOUR SUPPORT
➤ Identify a network of people
you can go to for venting,
referrals, advice, etc.
➤ Find others you can work
with, share work, support
➤ Get help if you need it
➤ Know you’re not alone

10. REALITY CHECK
➤ Don’t spread yourself too thin & don’t
get complacent either
➤ Don’t forget that you don’t have a boss
anymore—you have many
➤ Multitasking is BS
➤ Don’t fall victim to the 80/20 rule—it
de
fi
nitely exists
➤ Save, and get to know your bottom line
intimately
➤ Get out from behind the computer
➤ Shut up about your work/life balance
and just do it!
➤ Value your time—and that of others
➤ Take care of your health—you’re the star

11. HOW TO GET (LOUSY) CLIENTS
➤ Don’t trust your instincts
➤ Be cheap and easy
➤ Spend all your time on their
work, and not on the good
clients
➤ Don’t establish your authority
➤ Pick your battles
➤ You’ll know them by the dread
in opening your email box

12. HOW TO BE A (LOUSY) FREELANCER
➤ Don’t scope your projects
➤ Stay locked in your o
ffi
ce
➤ Agree to everything, have no
opinions
➤ Take responsibility for nothing
➤ Disappear
➤ Slag on your fellow freelancers

13. CONTRACTS
➤ Always, always, always.
➤ Did I say always?

14. DISCUSSING MONEY
➤ Don’t be afraid to stand by
your numbers
➤ Less $ = less functionality,
less design work
➤ Deposits
➤ Publish rates?

15. GETTING PAID
➤ Your contract is your best
friend
➤ Deposits
➤ Reasonable terms
➤ A good lawyer letter w/drafted
motion is worth its weight in
gold... Or your paycheck

16. THANK YOU!
Lisa Ghisolf
Gizmo Creative Factory
@gizmodesign