021: How to shape the life you want through your freelance business w/ Tom Davis

42 min • 4 september 2018

As a freelancer, it can be tricky finding the right balance between pleasing your clients and building the work-life balance that is best for you. Tom Davis joins us today to discuss how he has built a business that is fulfilling on both a personal and professional level.

Tom is a freelance motion designer and creator of Loop, an online store full of his own creative resources for other motion designers and an outlet for his passion projects. He’s recently transitioned into working remotely and we talk about that transition, its challenges and advantages.

We also talk about how you can build your business to be truly satisfying on a personal level. Tom offers insights into how to keep your clients happy while staying true to your values and lifestyle.

Do you work remotely? If so, how do you manage your clients’ concerns? Let me know in the comments on the episode page!

In this episode

How having more than one income stream can keep you busy during the lulls of freelance work
Why donating a percentage of your profits to charity is a great thing to do both personally and professionally
The ways in which working while traveling and can feed your productivity while offering a great break from the routine
How you can adjust your rates to encourage clients to allow you to work remotely
The importance of being part of a community while working remotely
How to build client trust and assuage their fears about hiring remote workers

Quotes

“I think ultimately, being freelance when a business takes you on, they are making an investment in you, so if you are donating a percentage [to charity], that is saying this is who I am, and if that adds a plus point on my side, then power to it. Ultimately, as long as we do that good work, that’s the best thing possible.” [13:51]

“It’s definitely tricky [to work remotely] if you haven't worked with an agency before because they’ll usually want you onsite. But as soon as they trust you and know how you work then they are more receptive to remote work.” [28:35]

“You’ve got to try to build the work life that is the best possible one for you. We spend a lot of our time working, so why not try to make that really good.” [39:14]