Being Freelance

How does a creative side project turn into a decade long freelancing business working with the biggest names in pop culture, like Disney, Pixar, Marvel, DC Comics, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros and Sony Pictures?
All good super-heroes have an origin story. And this interview tells the series of events that took Doaly from working for a company in Birmingham, England, to the front page of comic covers seen all over the world. Signing at Comic-con events. It's quite the transformation.
Tarlochan Doal, AKA Doaly, spent 15 years as a full time in-house web and UX designer. Illustration was the side hustle he did to scratch a creative itch, designing movie posters for films he loved.
Then one Saturday morning, Doaly woke to an email from a movie studio. And his whole script changed.
This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers:
- Why he filled his portfolio with the work he wanted to be hired for, and how design blogs and social media got it in front of the right people
- The passion projects that catapulted his career — including a Wonder Woman piece that sold 1,500 posters in a weekend and let him quit his day job
- Using UX contracting to bridge the financial gap in his first year of full-time freelancing
- Building a garden office to separate work from home - because when you love what you do, you'll work all day and night if you let yourself
- How a random 45-minute conversation at a New York convention led to his first Marvel Comics cover
- Multiple income streams across movies, comics, book covers and advertising - so no single client base can sink you
- The weekly phone calls with a fellow designer that serve as his informal co-mentoring
It's one hell of a story. And you might think - well, I'm not trying to work with Marvel, how will this freelancer's story relate to me? But there's so much relatable freelance advice and business tips to be drawn from his experiences.

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EPISODE SPONSOR
This episode of the Being Freelance podcast is supported by Ecamm.

For years people have asked how Being Freelance live shows look so good. Well, this is the secret.

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

It's a question Steve Folland gets asked a lot: as a freelancer, is it better to have a company name or use your own?

In this compilation episode, Steve digs deep into 11 years of the Being Freelance podcast archive - pulling together voices from guests including brand copywriter Mark Grainger, branding expert Bhavini Lakhani, copywriter Graeme Piper, illustrator Dan Bailey, social media consultant Alison Battisby, marketing agency founder Ross Simmonds, and more - to try and get to the bottom of it once and for all.

Why some freelancers hide behind a business name - and why that's not necessarily a bad thing

How a company name can shift your mindset and make you feel like a proper business

The practical reasons to avoid trading under your own name: spelling, pronunciation, searchability, and standing out in a scrollable world

When a business name helps you work with bigger clients, organisations, and even government

Why your business name should be future-proof - what happens when you pivot away from the service it describes?

The case for using your own name, and why Ross Simmonds says don't underestimate the power of your personal brand

Why in an age of AI, being a visible human is more valuable than ever

How some freelancers make the best of both worlds - with names like Jessi Illustrates, By Hollie Arnett, and Letters By Julia

Of course, there's no single right answer - but Steve rounds things up with his own take on when each approach makes sense.

HEAR THE FULL EPISODES

You can hear the full freelance stories of these guests by checking out their original episodes. 

Simply try these links to open in your podcast app:

- Rebecca Shipham

- Mark Grainger

- Bhavini Lakhani

- Graeme Piper

- Joel Klettke

- Col Skinner

- Dan Bailey
- Alison Battisby
- Mary Cameron

- Louisa Heinrich

- Hollie Arnett

- Ross Simmonds

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

Jessica Hartshorn was trained as an illustrator, but unable to get work as one she went in another direction. Jessica spent the next 16 years working in museums and galleries. But the itch to illustrate never went away.

So she set up a secret Instagram account and started painting again without telling a soul.

Seven years on, she's a successful illustrator, freelancing with museums, galleries, heritage sites and parks across the UK. And her 16 years behind the scenes at the museum? Turned out to be her biggest selling point.

Hear Jessica, AKA Jessi Illustrates, chat with Steve Folland in the episode of the Being Freelance podcast which covers:

Going from a secret Instagram to an being known as the go-to specialist

How 16 years working inside museums became her unique selling point as a freelance illustrator

COVID as an unexpected turning point: when museums couldn't open

Why she goes to museum conferences and networking events (and is often the only illustrator in the room)

Using a printed pricing list not just to give costs, but to give inspiration as to what she could be hired for

Investing £500 a year in her business - and what that's bought over the years, from a videographer to a badge-making machine

Working with a creative mentor to cut out the work that looked good but wasn't worth the time

Co-mentoring with Jo (a graphic designer from the BF community)

Saying no with a standard copy-paste email - and why taking the emotion out of it makes all the difference

Jessica is part of the Being Freelance Community — come and hang out with Steve, Jessica and plenty of friendly freelancers who get what it's like!

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

New episodes with fresh freelancing stories coming very soon.

But as Jess Bruno said on her episode of Being Freelance: "Content can always blood wait".

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.

Charles Commins handed his notice in at his pub management job with no plan and no business. 

His partner gave him one month to figure it out. All he knew was that he wanted to love his job.

Seven and a half years later, he's an award-winning freelance podcast producer whose almost entire client chain traces back to one decision: making a football podcast about Northampton Town.

That podcast would act as his show ground and his playground. Testing and ultimately proving to clients that he should be freelancing for them.

Along the way he's had a succession of word-of-mouth freelancing clients, realised his dream of appearing on BBC Radio, and made all of it work around being there for his family.

This episode of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland covers:

Starting It's All Cobblers To Me as a portfolio piece, and how a Northampton Town fan indirectly led to a four-year retainer

Why and how 90% of his work comes through referrals

The "starting from…" pricing approach: why he won't publish fixed rates, and how he edges prices up with each new client

Work-life balance: from pub late nights to home office, to a new baby derailing everything, to finally getting it to 60/40

The never-ending circle of freelance guilt - working, not working, being with family… there's always something to feel bad about

Co-running MIC's Podcast Club with Vic Turnbull - 1,400 members, monthly virtual meetups, and why running a community full of "competitors" is actually brilliant

Launching The Warrington Scoop, a hyperlocal monthly podcast, as a low-lift way to generate local business leads

Co-mentoring with Amy: how a monthly accountability call became one of his most valuable freelance tools

The biggest challenge: not finding clients, but believing work will come when you're in a trough

Charles is part of the Being Freelance Community - come and hang out with Steve, Charles and plenty of friendly freelancers who get what it's like!

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance. 
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
You're not alone being freelance.
Come and hang out with your BFFs (Being Freelance Friends).
beingfreelance.com/community
 
NEW TO FREELANCING? THERE'S A COURSE FOR YOU!
The Being Freelance course is made for you!
Take the course and you'll also get 6 months FREE community membership.
 
FREELANCER MERCH
Get Being Freelance merchandise at beingfreelance.com/shop
Like VIDEO? - Check out the Being Freelance on:
Instagram - Instagram.com/beingfreelance
YouTube - YouTube.com/SteveFolland

Being Freelance is hosted and created by freelance podcast editor Steve Folland.