Six ways to grow your freelance portfolio WITHOUT working for free
The "working for free" debate continues. Last week, I asked the Linkedin hivemind whether creative professionals should work for free. Opinions were mixed, from those staunchly against the notion to those in favour of the longer-term benefits of pro bono work. I summarised the debate in an...
Should creative professionals work for free?
Last week, I asked the Linkedin hivemind - should creatives work for free? Within hours, I was subjected to a flurry of comments from “I’m a huge advocate of working for free” all the way through to “Should anyone work for free?” The reason I asked...
How to write a great sales email
Over 111 billion consumer emails are sent every day. Writing a great sales email that people will actually respond to isn’t easy. Especially when you’ve fallen into the habit of making the same mistakes time and time again… Despite our overpopulated inbox, email is still a very effective...
How to turn one piece of content into ten amazing opportunities
So, you've written a great piece of content. Be it a case study, white paper, blog article or email newsletter. You feel like it gets across what you do, what you're selling, and how you can help your customers. What now? You've used all of your creative...
Why raising awareness of mental health is no longer enough
Back in July, I wrote a post about why we should never stop talking about mental health in the workplace. I wanted people to consider what we can do at work to truly improve the mental health of our colleagues. There's definitely still a long way...
Podcasts I love: mental health, managing work and murder.
It seems like everybody who’s anybody has a podcast these days. Choosing the right podcast isn’t always easy and, when you do, there are about 300 episodes to scroll back through. How do you know it's worth your time and where do you start? Do you listen...
Why we need to stop ‘being good’
Back in 2017, I wrote a slightly preachy article about “being good” inspired by my time working in a corporate office. Not a day would go by without someone declining a biscuit or even milk in their tea because “I’m being good.” I am still very interested in...
TedxNewcastle 2019: thoughts, tears and tunes at this year’s ideas conference
When I bought an Earlybird ticket for TedxNewcastle back in June, I didn’t know what to expect. I figured for £30, a few talks at Gateshead’s beautiful Sage would be worth it, and boy was I right?! Founded by Newcastle-based tech entrepreneur Herb Kim, the independently organised event boasted...
Five tips to make your website more accessible
This is the third in a series of articles for #OctoberWrites. I’m writing every weekday this month sharing content design tips, mental health tidbits and insights into freelance life. In light of the BBC’s recent piece about why so much of the internet is closed off to...
What makes great content design?
This is the third article in a series entitled #OctoberWrites. I’m writing every weekday in October, sharing content and web design tips, mental health thoughts and insights into freelance life. Today’s article is less personal than yesterday’s overshare. In this piece, I’m focusing on content design -...