A Goodbye, Change and Inspiration
A week ago, I said goodbye to an old friend, Borders book store. I walked around the store for hours, browsing and looking for deals but also grieving a little for one of my long time favorite stores, make shift work areas and hang outs. Keep Reading…
Posted in change, Inspiration, Leanring and Inspiration | No Comments »
Should You Ever Work For Free?
This week I read a great article at dellcreativestudio.com on the subject of working for free. This question has come up for myself many times in the past, especially when I was just starting out in web design.
Feeling stuck in the middle of the endless circle of “I can’t find work without experience and a portfolio but I can’t build experience and portfolio until I find work”, doing some free work can seem a lot less painful. Keep Reading…
Tags: business, Freelance, Web Design
Posted in business, job tips, lessons learned, Web Design | 1 Comment »
How To Blow A Great Opportunity
Within the surge of new reality t.v. shows, there is one type I like. I love shows where you get watch other people’s creative process – from idea to execution, the passion and struggle anyone creative goes through and the blood, sweat and tears behind it.
Last night, I was watching a new favorite show on the Sundance Channel called All On The Line.
The episode was a great one – a lesson about letting your ego take the wheel and ending up in a ditch on the side of the road. Keep Reading…
Tags: business, Creativity, Ego, Learning and Inspiration
Posted in continue learning, Creativity, lessons learned | 2 Comments »
The Benefits of Being Self Taught
It’s easy to sometimes wonder what would have been had I realized my passion for technology and design at a younger age and took a more traditional academic route to build my skills. But those thoughts usually creep in on bad days, during a difficult project or when I’m searching for answers or help with some aspect that’s become a challenge.
Most days, I have no problem with the fact that I’m mostly self taught, in fact I’m proud of the fact and at times wonder if this hasn’t actually helped with some of the issues I’ve faced while working. Keep Reading…
Tags: Learning and Inspiration, Web Design
Posted in Design, Freelance, hand coding, Leanring and Inspiration, Technology, Web Design | No Comments »
The Power of Good Communication
I’ve been thinking about communication this month; the different ways people connect and share information, what communication really means and how important it is, whether it’s with co-workers, clients or just chatting online or with friends.
Communication is defined as the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.
All true but I feel it’s really more than this. There is power – not only in our words but in the way we communicate. Keep Reading…
Tags: business, customer service
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Stand and Deliver
Rather unconsciously, at the beginning of the year I decided I was done with the current state of my cluttered, overflowing inbox. My solution – unsubscribe.
It was a little difficult deciding which emails to to get rid of and which to keep. During the last year, I was probably a little overly enthusiastic and subscribed to everyone and anyone interesting or promising, seemingly bursting with with ideas and inspiration. Keep Reading…
Posted in customer service, marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments »
When You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
Maybe you’ve been working on a project from hell, maybe clients are scarce, your steady stream of income suddenly slowed or you’re struggling to make ends meet at all.
Whatever the cause, it happens to everyone sooner or later. Most of the time, you really love what you do and can’t imagine doing anything else. But when things get really tough, that love can start to fade. Struggle and self doubt can creep in and try to set up shop.
So when it feels like things are falling apart and maybe you should just give up, how do you get back that loving feeling for what you do? Keep Reading…
Tags: Freelance, Inspiration
Posted in Freelance, Inspiration, setting goals | No Comments »
Beating Holiday Stress – Just Breathe
How often do you wish for more hours in the day? Beating the clock can seem like an endless challenge. For most of us, feeling overwhelmed and constantly rushed has become an uncomfortable, business as usual.
A long time believer in multi-tasking, I would often be working on one thing and my mind would already be planning the next. It worked to some extent, I often got a lot done.
The problem was, even when I successfully finished all the tasks on my list, I never really felt any relief. What I did feel was hurried, panicked and like I never accomplished enough.
I love the holidays, it’s my favorite time of year. However, added social and family obligations combined with time off from work and the stress of not enough hours can really start to get serious. Keep Reading…
Tags: Christmas, Year End
Posted in Christmas, Down Time, New Years, Uncategorized, Year End | No Comments »
Following Your Gut To Make the Right Decisions
I’ve been reading some really great articles and posts the past few months about finding your niche; learning to be more specific about your business offerings and using that knowledge to find and communicate with your ideal clients.
The thought process behind this is awesome – realizing what you are really good at, what makes you different and what you enjoy most can help you deliver better services that fulfill your customers needs.
But I also feel, at first this concept may seem a little scary because it can cause you to say a word that some of us feel we are never suppose to say.
It can cause you to say “no”. Keep Reading…
Tags: business, Freelance, Learning and Inspiration
Posted in facing fears, Freelance, job tips, lessons learned | No Comments »
How to Rock at Being of Service
I recently had great experiences with some very small businesses (fellow freelance and entrepreneurs really). The people I worked with really impressed me, not just with the service they provided but with the way they provide it.
Because of the great personal service I received, I’m a satisfied customer who will bring them referrals as well as my own repeat business. And isn’t that the slam dunk we all strive for? Because those are the keys to keeping your business alive and constantly growing. Keep Reading…
Tags: business, customer service, Freelance
Posted in customer service, Uncategorized | No Comments »