How To Start Freelancing

How To Start Freelancing

Author: Alvalyn Lundgren February 2, 2023 Duration: 14:20
The way you'll create a sustainable freelance business is by focusing on the long term, pursuing valuable clients and projects, and systematizing your efforts in marketing and management. 
The first thing to embrace is the fact that you're building a business, not being creative. Mindset is everything. You must stop thinking like a creative and start thinking like the owner of a creative business. In this episode I outline essential steps to take to shift into freelancing full time or part time.

Alvalyn Lundgren guides the conversation on the Freelance Road Trip Podcast, a space built for independent creatives navigating the winding path of running their own practice. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a practical companion for designers, illustrators, and photographers who feel the constant push and pull between their artistic drive and the realities of invoices, clients, and sustainability. Each episode feels like a candid conversation from the passenger seat, tackling how to protect your creative energy while building a business that doesn't burn you out. You'll hear honest discussions about pricing your worth, finding clients who respect your vision, and setting boundaries that allow both your work and your well-being to thrive. The whole point of this podcast is to merge that innate creativity with actionable strategy, moving beyond just getting by to building something genuinely fulfilling. Tune in for a blend of mindset shifts and concrete steps that help you steer your freelance journey with more confidence and clarity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Freelance Road Trip Podcast
Podcast Episodes
There Are No Guarantees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:09
There are myriad courses, programs, and coaches available to help you learn skills to succeed in your freelance business. You have a lot of teachers, coaches, and "gurus" to choose from. Or you can choose none and learn…
How To Negotiate With Clients [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:06
As a freelancer or creativepreneur, negotiating skills are crucial and can make a significant difference in the success of your creative business. In this episode, we'll address the purpose of the negotiation process, ex…
What's the Difference Between Marketing and Branding? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:53
Marketing and branding are related concepts that are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct and have different purposes. Freelance designers create brand assets and identities for their clients, but fewer free…
How To Thrive In Your Creative Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:41
Establishing and managing a business so you can make a living from your creative work — your way — isn't easy and probably not what most of us expected when we started out. With all the competition out there, and now wit…
The Impact Of AI On Your Creative Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:32
AI is disrupting the creative industries in a variety of ways that are both beneficial and detrimental. In this episode we consider both the problems and advantages of using AI as a freelance creative, and propose answer…
How To Sell Expertise When You Don't Have Expertise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:08
Freelancers in general prefer to work with high value clients. An effective way to attract high value clients is to sell expertise, not time. How can you sell creative services if you're just starting and have little or…
Form An LLC For The Right Reasons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:43
If you're a freelance creative who's considering forming an LLC because it will protect you and your clients from worker misclassification under California's AB5 and possible Department of Labor rulings regarding indepen…
Sometimes You Have To Pick Up The Phone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:38
Communication is the foundation of every relationship. This is true in business as it is in one's personal life. In business you want to communicate the right way for the right reasons, and there are certain things you d…
Define Your Own Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:09
This episode begins with an update on AB5 (California) and the independent contractor rule being considered for implementation by the NLRB. Then talk moves into how independent contracting, also known as freelancing, is…
Get Your Pricing Structure In Order [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:59
Pricing our work is one of those difficult areas we deal with, and truly, most of use don't charge enough for what we provide. Freelancers often let the client dictate what they'll pay, or fear asking too much, and end u…