Freelance Realities

Observations

I worked in an agency setting for over 9 years. I even worked with freelancers although limitedly. And to say there aren’t stigmas surrounding freelancing is like saying the Hillsboro Baptist crazies are just holding up signs. Suddenly, I found myself one of them. Not a Hillsboro Baptist. A freelancer. And I could see the stigma cloud, dark and smokey, starting to form. *cough cough*

So, it’s been a few years now and here are the things I’ve learned. Now listen closely, agency folks, because some of these things just might change your preexisting opinions about freelancers – at least this freelancer. And maybe learn a little bit about what life on the other side feels like.

1) Not all freelancers are freelancers because they can’t get “real” jobs in advertising. I chose this life. I know. “What the what?” But let’s be honest, agency hours suck, and little kids don’t care if mommy needs to be on a conference call. Downtown. At 5:30. I can write anywhere, anytime. My office hours are awesome. I’m still doing what I love and using the experience I’ve amassed and more importantly, my family doesn’t hate me, and I don’t hate my life.

2) Make peace with the black hole. The black hole is what happens when you send work through and you get no reply back. Nothing. The only sound you hear is doubt creeping like the scary child out of the television set right into your head. Did they get it? Well, if they got it, they must have hated it otherwise they would have said something, right? Or they loved it? Maybe it was perfect. No changes! Sooo we’re good!?! Right? Hello? Bueller? Most times I don’t hear anything unless either the agency or the client didn’t like it. And then it sounds like…”Do you have time to chat about this?” :-\

3) BOD always. I communicate with almost all my clients primarily through email. It’s easier to respond. Faster to get answers. It’s less distracting to my kids yet I can be more engaged with what’s going on. But with every email comes a little black cloud of its very own. A little thing I like to call “implied tone.” And guess who implies this tone – YOU. That’s why I put my happy pants on every time I read an email. Every time. Because the minute you don’t is the minute you read “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page” as “What the heck are you thinking. Explain yourself, ya weirdo.” Which is almost never the case. Almost. Until it is the case, and then well, shit happens.

4) Money, negotiating, rates and paperwork are all a part of the business, and they should be treated as such – business. Sure it can be awkward and tedious. But it’s necessary. So the faster we get down to business, the faster we can all move on and be friends again. The whole good fences philosophy would apply rather beautifully right here.

5) Respect my time, and I will respect yours. If you need greater detail on this topic, your freelancer/client probably already secretly hates you and is actively looking for your replacement.

6) Treat every job as if your reputation is on the line. Because it is. If you really think about it, people use freelancers because they can get what they want, when they want it and, well, that’s it. So if you were referred to someone and blow them off or do a crappy job, guess what? Yeah. Not good. So make sure everything you send out is an accurate representation of who you want to be, and you’ll be fine. Unless who you are is lazy or unorganized. Then you might not be fine.

I am grateful for the experiences I’ve had since stepping out on my own. It’s been scary but empowering and rewarding. Maybe next year, I’ll have more insights and amazing words of wisdom. Until then, this is all I’ve got.

Plain Spoken Farmers

Portfolio
Pretty Please
Small World

Monstanto came to us with a treasure trove of existing photography and the desire to take their brand into a “new space.” Their words, not mine. So we gave their assets new life with plain spoken lines and sentiments straight from the framers themselves. In the end, they loved these ads. Everything about them. And would definitely run them, just not today.

Contribution:
Writer

Playing nice

Observations

Check out the custom stadium background on MLB Game Day. This is exactly what you would see if you were standing at home plate at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Except the sign in center field would say Coca Cola and the outfield boards would be covered with local advertising.

So, who didn’t want to do the legwork to make this happen? To make this look authentic as possible? MLB? Coca Cola? Would it have been worth it to Coke to have their actual sign represented? Do they care? What’s a few hundred thousand impressions to one of the biggest soda companies in the world? Peanuts, probably.

Makes me wonder if Coca Cola was even approached. My guess? No. MLB probably wasn’t looking at this free app as a money making venture otherwise they would have gone to greater lengths to secure the advertising space.

Now, what would have been headsy, was if MLB sold virtual advertising for outfield walls so the image on the screen was unique to the viewing experience. Maybe next year.