Freelance Flex x Marieta

Hello world! My name is Marieta and I am the owner and sole employee of a film post-production company - Fast Cut Studio. I specialise in remote colour grading and video editing services and I’m incredibly lucky to support clients globally. In my 8 years of industry experience, I’ve had the privilege to work with incredible brands such as NBA, Adobe, Tiffany & Co. and Porsche to name a few. Before spending 2 years in my first full-time job as a video editor in Newcastle upon Tyne, I received my Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Media Production from the University of Sunderland. Now, 8 years later, I’m excited to share the 6 most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my journey as a freelancer and I’m hopeful these will be helpful to you.

1. Focus on building relationships.

We live in a digital landscape where we’re surrounded by ads everywhere. But no matter how many ads you run to promote your freelance business, nothing beats word of mouth. I still get most of my clients through direct referrals from my existing clients. So whenever you get a new client, make sure their experience working with you is amazing. Underpromise and overdeliver. Be flexible and understanding. Make them feel special and heard. If they enjoy working with you, rest assured they’re going to tell their friends and colleagues. And the next time they need someone who provides your service or product, they’ll reach out to you first. The reason why this happens is because people love recommendations. That’s why we read the reviews of restaurants on Google Maps before we even consider visiting them. Or we check the score of a business on TrustPilot to ensure we won’t get scammed or simply be disappointed. So make sure you provide a 5-star service or product and new clients inevitably will come to you.

2. Build an incredible portfolio that is so good, you can’t be ignored.

This is true in a number of fields, not just the filmmaking industry. People need a sense of reassurance in order to be able to trust you with their project. And the way you can provide that is by having a portfolio so strong that it speaks for itself. This is the reason why so many creatives spend their time and energy creating spec work or passion projects so they can build up a portfolio of incredible work to attract new clients. Another great way to show your potential clients you are the person they should trust is by creating case studies. These are a fantastic way to let your existing clients do the talking instead of you. Hearing how your service or product has helped another business achieve their goals, is a testament to your expertise that is hard to beat by anything else.

3. Learn, apply, repeat.

As someone who’s gone through a number of roles throughout my career - from a web designer, video editor, 2D motion graphics animator to a colourist, I’ve learned the importance of continuous learning. I’ve always been curious and keen to find out how things work so spending my time watching YouTube tutorials or taking online courses has always been fun for me. But the part that most people ignore is to actually take action and apply what they’ve learned. If you do this one thing continuously, you’ll be miles ahead of your competition.

Additionally, make sure you spend time learning skills beyond your area of expertise. Personally, I enjoy reading books about productivity, business, sales and psychology. I find that skills such as knowing how to deal with people and run a successful business are far more important than diving into the nitty-gritty technicalities of my job.

4. Build multiple streams of income.

It truly is an achievement to be an in demand freelancer and have your schedule fully booked for weeks ahead. But there is a cap to your earnings if all you do is sell your time for money. Instead, consider building multiple streams of income so the next time a financial crisis or a global pandemic hits and your business is inevitably affected, you’re worry-free because you have more than one stream of income. A few ideas to consider could be to create and sell digital assets. Or you can teach online through online courses, mentorship or 1:1 training sessions. Or why not become the next viral content creator? The market of content creation is still developing for a number of niches and sponsorship deals, ads revenue and affiliate marketing are all fantastic incentives that make content creation a lucrative route to financial freedom that is worth considering.

5. Do not compare yourself to others.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’ and I couldn't agree more. Even though this is still something I personally struggle with, I understand that there are always going to be people who are much better at what I do. But that’s okay. Try to take other people’s success as an incentive and proof that if they did it, then you can too. Understand that everyone has a different starting point in life and some may have unfair advantages compared to you. For example, they could be living in a large city that is a hub for the industry they are in and this, inevitably, is going to provide more opportunities for them. But understand what your unfair advantages are and use them. Don’t let the world of social media where everyone shows their best life fool you and never let it bring you down. Focus on reverse engineering the success of others so you can implement their level of excellence in your work and, eventually, you’ll get there.

6. Be kind.

I cannot reiterate how important being kind to everyone is. And I do not refer just to clients. Quite the opposite. Be kind to your peers. Consider people who offer the same service or product as you do to be your friends or comrades. Extend a helping hand, support their work, share tips that have helped you and you will be surprised how thankful and supportive they will be towards you. If everyone did this, the entire industry would be lifted up and filled with positivity and friendship. Also, you may be surprised to find out that peers you respect and support you would always send work your way. I personally have referred a number of projects to other editors and colourists in my network not only because I admire their work, but I also love the people they are. So never think of your peers as a treat or competition. Take the steps to make them your friends and allies.

I hope you enjoyed reading my top 6 pieces of advice to fellow freelancers. Hopefully, you find these valuable and decide to implement them into your work. I wish you nothing but success and joy in your freelance flex journey!