Out with the old mistakes, in with the new lessons I’ve learned from it.
Mistakes are proof that you are trying. Here's to growth in 2024.
credit: Lauren Abbazio
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Dear City Girl,
When you’re healing, you are thriving. When it feels like you’re thriving, you are in fact healing. The two are different but the same.
Work lessons from 2023
For the first time in my working career, I fired a client. Normally, I prospect clients on my own and a lot of time and thought goes into it. Things I check for is marketability, does the brand have a story to tell, is the product or service of quality and who is the founder/owner of this business. These are all things I research just from their website and social media posts. I try to research as much as I can online about the founder. My goal is to work with like-minded people (predominantly women) who can explain their business model inside and out and love what they do. This particular client came through a former client, with whom I still have a good relationship with and continue to support her small, growing business. I feel absolutely flattered and blessed that my former client would recommend me, although I wish she gave me a heads up. I have a strong rule of not giving out emails or other info unless I’ve asked permission to do so. That sounds fair, right?
An email comes into my inbox from this small business owner, she explains her purpose for reaching out and that I was recommended by so and so. Before replying back to her I do my due diligence; checking out her website, socials, which all seemed okay, but not great in my book (website could’ve used some updating). Would I have prospected her brand? No, I think your website explains everything about your brand and if that doesn’t get me excited, I stop there. The timing was terrible for me, I had some extra financial expenses that year, and at that point I was prospecting for new business, but nothing panned out the way I wanted it to. So when this email came in, I had to consider if maybe this was a blessing in disguise? How bad can this potential client be if it came from another past client. After some video calls later, I reluctantly signed her, because I needed that extra money.
Money is always the name of the whore.
A few months in, this new client was consistently late on payments and some other inconsistencies that I kept being lenient about since she owned a small business. And then radio silence in regards to very much overdue payments owed to me. I run a pretty tight small ship, especially when it comes to invoicing. Freelancers need to be stern, but of course compassionate, which I have been with other clients (a case by case basis). I am big on communication, if you’re going to delay a payment, tell me and for how long, I count honesty as an important currency.
The radio silence was very high school in my opinion, there was no room for inconvenient tactics. Even though I was desperately seeking an answer and of course money, I remained professional and open to an explanation. When she finally replied and apologized for the payment delay (which would’ve worked wonders four months before her reply), I made a decision.
credit: Caitlin Burns
I no longer wanted to work with her, it wasn’t worth my energy and time. I waited until the overdue invoices were finally paid and emailed her a formal termination of services. Without stating the real reasons why I was letting her go as a client, I gently explained how I was pursuing other projects that would be taking up more time. As soon as I hit send, this big, relaxed sigh came out of me. That feeling when you know you made the right decision, it was stress releasing and I felt like myself again.
The lesson I learned in 2023 was that I choose wholeheartedly the people I work with. Even if it’s through personal or client referrals, I shouldn’t be afraid to say no. And choosing jobs for the money never works for me. This client made half of my year stressful in ways it shouldn’t have been, but the mistake was all mine. In 2024 I am wiser when it comes to sizing people up and listening, trusting my gut on what doesn’t feel right from the beginning. It didn’t feel good to basically fire a client, but it felt great pulling myself out of a bad situation and learning from it.
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From one freelancer to other creative freelancers, we asked a few for their work lessons learned in 2023.
Balncd Design / graphic designer: “I want to leave fear in 2023. The fear of not doing things ‘right’, or the fear of being seen and putting myself out there. I want to get out of my comfort zone in 2024 try new things.” - @balncd.design
Doing You. / visual designer: “It would definitely be that my clients urgency isn’t my emergency. A lot of clients are not organized and they expect you to work on their timeline even when rates/work have already been set! I tend to always help them out at the cost of my own personal time so definitely being more firm with saying NO. “ - @doingyouu
Electric Haze Design Studio / brand & web designer: “2023 was a pivotal year for me in my career. I left my FT job to start my own studio after experiencing a toxic workplace. Allowing men to discount and discredit my skills is something I will NOT be bringing into the new year 💅🏼” - @electrichazedesign
Lauren Abbazio / visual designer & photographer: “Not giving enough time to the development stage of an idea or concept in the creative process. Tight timelines are always a challenge, but if you give enough time to really nail down the idea or concept, that can help the rest of the process go more smoothly, especially in a time crunch.” - @laur.abba
What were your work lessons from this past year? Share in the comments. (currently free)
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5 good things I’m implementing in 2024
I am going to appear like I have my sh!t together. Whether it’s carrying around my material bs in a very good tote, wearing uniform jewelry with every outfit, or just a good lipstick. Sometimes you need exterior armor to guard you while you’re working through it on the inside. By spring, I’ll carry around less, dress lighter and my inner goodness will have blossomed to the outside.
I’m going to stop pretending that watching movies during the day is being lazy, rather it is creative research. Watching a good film is like an afternoon in a museum. You’re being visually inspired and taking in words that came from another creative person, you’re being fed, taking it in, making notes.
Bring reusable cup, bags, take-out box, etc… with me to be (extra) conscious of my part in sustainable practices.
Goodbye bullet journal. I was a bullet journal loyalist for the last 5 years and it is a worthwhile, productive tool and worked for me. But I feel I’ve outgrown it, time to just be a weekly planner person (okay mainly because I love this design friendly planner).
I’m going to take myself out to lunch. Before the pandemic this was a more regular thing, I love and miss sitting at the counter of my favorite diner or in a corner two-top for one, busily occupied with a book, sometimes people watching. 2024 is the year I will be giving back to myself.
Here is to you and the valuable lessons you learned last year. You deserve every good thing coming to you in 2024! Cue Little Simz. 🔮