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Jan 9 •
Welcome to 'Freelance to Founder'
If you’re new here, welcome! Firstly, thanks so much for joining, I hope you get something out of this community and my journey over the past 15+ years. This is a place to learn, share and grow together! If you have a look at the Classroom tab you'll find the courses. Keep in mind you don't need to 'finish' these by any means, think of them like a working notebook you can dip in and out of. The free course explains the thinking behind the model i've coined 'The Visual Partner' model. The paid course goes deeper into how it works in practice where I'll share the actual numbers, systems, trade-offs, and decisions, from my experience starting my company 'Coastal', that usually stay behind the scenes. Nothing here is designed to push you to scale fast, work more hours, or chase growth for its own sake. The focus is on building something sustainable, calm, and intentional. Take what resonates. Skip what doesn’t, you don’t need to agree with everything for this to be useful, I definitely didn't. If you want to introduce yourself, feel free to share: - What kind of work you do - Where you’re currently feeling stuck (or even where you're killing it!) - What you’re hoping to get from this space Or don’t! that’s fine too :) This is meant to be a quiet, thoughtful place. Glad you’re here, Al
15d •
Why We Spend Money On Ads As A 'Production Company'
One of the things I don’t see talked about enough in the freelance / creative world is advertising your own business. A lot of creatives are happy to spend thousands on new cameras, lenses, lighting or software, but spending money on ads for themselves feels uncomfortable. I used to feel exactly the same way. Over the last few years at Coastal we’ve started treating ads as a core part of the business, not an experiment or a “maybe”. It’s something we plan for every month. In the new YouTube video I just posted inside the course I break down: – how we approach ads as a production company – what we actually spend – why consistency matters more than going viral – and how ads have turned into one of the most reliable lead sources for us It’s not a “get rich quick” thing. Most of the time it’s slow, boring, and a bit uncomfortable at first. But over time it compounds. If you’re freelancing right now and relying purely on referrals or random enquiries, ads can be the lever that starts giving you control over your pipeline. Curious to hear from everyone here: Have you ever run ads for your own creative work?Or does it still feel like something you’re not ready for yet?
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Mar 1 •
Using Your Creative Work Beyond Client Projects
Lately I’ve been thinking about how creative work doesn’t have to end at the client deliverable. Not everything has to be monetised directly. Sometimes it can just extend your world. Merch, prints, small physical products, even passion projects, they might not move the revenue needle straight away, but they can expand your reach, start conversations, attract a different type of client, or connect you with people you wouldn’t normally cross paths with. I’m realising that sometimes the value isn’t in the sale. It’s in the signal. It shows what you care about. What you believe in. What you’d make even if no one commissioned it. Have you ever explored an additional creative avenue outside of client work? Or is that something you’ve been curious about but haven’t acted on yet? I’d love to know what that could look like for you.
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Feb 24 •
Hiring my first employee
Hiring my first proper employee was one of the scariest periods in the business. It didn’t happen overnight. They started project to project, then moved to part-time, then we trialled full-time before finally committing to ongoing full-time. That whole transition took about a year and a half. At the time, I told myself I was being responsible. Measured. Careful. In hindsight, I think I stretched it out too long. It probably slowed our growth more than it protected it. But it was my first real hire, and that weight felt heavy. You go from “I’ll just work harder” to knowing someone else’s income now depends on the decisions you make. Looking back, the hesitation wasn’t about money. It was about fear. If you’re thinking about hiring, what’s actually stopping you? And if you’ve already hired, do you think you moved too fast… or too slow?
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Feb 17 •
Are You Building A Business… Or Just Staying Busy?
Something I’ve been thinking about lately. There was a period where I genuinely believed I was building a business… but really, I was just very good at getting work. I was busy. Projects were coming in. Clients were happy. Money was moving. But everything still depended on me saying yes. Building something is different. It requires decisions that don’t immediately pay off. It means thinking beyond the next job. So I’m curious, where are you right now? Are you building something… or just staying busy? No right answer. Just awareness.
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From freelance content production to building a trusted company. Systems, positioning, and decisions behind building a successful creative business.
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