What steps can you take to build and shape your own personal brand and freelance business? What choices will you have to make to define who you are? In this episode of Career Relaunch, Redd Horrocks, a former circus stage manager turned professional voiceover artist  shares her thoughts on how to choose the right professional pursuits, the importance of saying “no,” and how you can tap into online marketplaces to build your freelance business.  I also share some thoughts on why saying “no” is so important to building your personal brand.

Key Career Insights

1. As a freelancer, feeling like your clients or business could suddenly disappear is a very common feeling.
2. Planning is useful, but you should also stay focused on the present. Don’t look too far ahead. Things can always get better or worse, and it’s not always easy to tell.
3. You don’t have to be hustling all the time. You have to make sure you practice some self-care so you don’t burn out on the business you’re trying to grow. It’s okay to say “no.”

Tweetables to Share

Resources Mentioned

• Although we focused on the importance of saying “no” in this episode, I referred to Episode 4 with Polly Aspinall about the importance of saying yes.
• Redd referred to the online marketplaces Fiverr, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, Upwork, and Voice Bunny, where she markets her voiceover services.
• You can find Redd featured in Business Insider, CNBC, and the Open for Business podcast in this August 2017 episode about “The Future of Work”.
• If you’re interested in learning more about how to make it on a freelance platform like Fiverr, feel free to check out Make Money on Fiverr: 17 Advanced Tips to Optimize & Promote Your Fiverr Gigs.

Listener Challenge