Where did you grow up, and how did you get into design?
Originally from Adelaide, Australia, which is basically a small town with an identity crisis of a capital city, I grew up as the eldest daughter of two to a family of small business. My dad is a butcher, and my mum was a hairdresser, who after a stint in the family butcher business that lasted a little too long, has gone back to hairdressing, but as a mortuary hairdresser. I personally think it’s because she hated a chatty client, but who am I to judge. All of this is to say I’m a daughter of small business. I grew up on my dad’s motto, “You need to be big enough to serve your customers, but small enough to know them”.
I was always a creative kid. School holidays were basically a game of creative roulette, what will we make today? Would it be calligraphy or cardmaking? Paper mache or watercolour? I always loved the idea I could make something that didn’t exist yesterday. Then, as I grew up, I became low key obsessed with problem solving. It could be the eldest daughter complex, or the early ADHD mind, but the idea that I could solve problems was super enticing to me. Couple that with a creative brain and an entrepreneurial spirit, it’s no wonder I now call myself the Design Superwoman in addition to Pricing Queen (we’ll get into that later.)
Discuss your most notable projects and any awards, recognitions, or exhibitions you’ve been a part of.
A few years back I was the designer behind the Thank You Project, an art piece celebrating the frontline workers during Covid. This got the attention of both local and global publications, from Sydney Morning Herald to 7 News, and even New York Times.
I’ve worked with clients from Melbourne City Council, Cross Yarra Partnership, Australian Open, Red Bull, GoCardless, Xero, Rolex and hundreds more over the 15 years I’ve been a designer.
Share your favourite projects or collaborations and what made them special.
Selfishly, my favourite project to date is one I’ve been building the last 4 years. The Freelancer’s Pantry, my online membership for freelance creatives hungry to make more money from their creative genius and build confidence in what they charge. I am incredibly lucky to say that there are hundreds of freelancers out there who have made a little more from what they do because of something I said, taught or shared. Inside this pantry is almost 100 resources all built to build that confidence around money and charging and asking the question “What could I do if I charged more?”
What do you love the most about the clients you work with?
None of them are the same. As the proud owner of an ADHD brain, I need differentiation and frequent change to keep me interested. In the freelance design side of my business, I really hone in on the Design Superwoman persona and love problem-solving. I have clients who I have solved their website problems. Others who I have solved their packaging problems. Some who I have solved their branding problems. All of them have problems to solve, and people pay to make problems go away.
On the other side, the teaching freelance pricing side, I get to help people make money and build confidence, and that is an incredible feeling. I get a message from a different freelancer almost weekly saying “I read what you wrote, I charged more, and they said yes. I just had to tell you because I knew you’d be proud of me.” It’s like I’m that little voice in their head that helps them make money and I love that.
What advice do you have for newcomers to the field?
Firstly, when building a portfolio, the more you use pictures to tell the story, the less storytelling you’re actually doing. Build case studies instead of portfolio pieces and use the STARTMethod to build it (this is something I teach in my Portfolio Al Dente course).
Then finish it off with a TESTIMONIAL or TRANSFORMATION to really bring home how great you are!
What SITUATION was the client in that led them to choose you to solve their problem?
What was the TASK at hand and show you clearly understand the role you took in the solution.
How did you take ACTION in the process of solving the problem for the client, showing your process.
Show off the RESULT of your hard work, focusing on what the actual results were, not just the outcome.
Remember, when people are viewing your portfolio, they are trying to qualify themselves for your service and if you can take them on a storytelling journey to reach that, you’ll be more likely to land that client.
What is your personal/business mission? Is there something that drives you?
I was always told being a freelancer meant you would never have stability. Never own a car. Never buy a house. Never have financial freedom.
I have been freelancing for 15 years now. I have owned multiple cars. We have a house and an investment property. And I can honestly say I rarely worry about money. My accounts never drop below multiple 4 figures and I know how to use my money as a tool rather than a success metric or milestone.
I want every freelancer to feel this feeling. Because for so long I never thought I would. But I do now, and its absolutely for freelancers.
What inspires your designs?
Did you ever play that alchemy game on the early iPhone? The one where you had different elements and put them together to create new ones? Well that’s how I approach most things creatively. I ask myself “How can we combine the expected and unexpected?” Curiosity fuels most of my work, because if you’re curious you’re not failing, you’re finding out what does and doesn’t work and trying what someone who is too scared to fail wouldn’t.
How did you discover Showit or why do you use it?
I actually have a past Coaching student I helped build her business and her website from a Showit template. I’ll be honest, by the time I was done with it, it looked NOTHING like the template she bought. It was fantastic to jump on our weekly sessions or log in between coaching and see what work had been done and design collaboratively with her. She’s gone on to quadruple her monthly revenue, hire staff, gain national clients and has since rebuilt that website herself, but I was so glad I could teach how simple it could be to take the designer mindset and apply to the Showit platform.
List your absolute favorite podcast, business books, or tool, etc and why?
Podcast would be Unemployed and Afraid with Kim Kerton. She is the gold standard when it comes to podcasting, and a super nice human to collaborate with.
I must admit I start business books but don’t tend to finish them. But in the future, I hope my own book that I’m writing, Creative Pricing Cookbook, will be my favourite as well as others too.
My favourite tool is another shameless plug, it’s my own Pricing Calculator (https://creativebusinesskitchen.com/calculate ). I’ve had over 6000 creatives use this pricing calculator since I built it in 2021 and I think it’s the one tool I wish I had when I started in freelancing.
Last Thoughts
Jasmine writes a weekly newsletter “From the Creative Business Kitchen”, sharing her bites of wisdom and pricing knowledge and helping her readers gain clarity and confidence in the dollars they charge and the genius they serve. Head here to sign up.
Important Links
- Website: https://creativebusinesskitchen.com/
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