“You’ll never make real money on Upwork. People only go there for cheap, poor quality work.” Those are the things I was told when I first started building a portfolio on Upwork. And, here we are now I’ve made over $80,000 from Upwork alone. Oh, and don’t forget about all the projects that came as […]

I have a confession to make. I haven’t always had a great Job Success Score on Upwork. In fact, there was a season when my Job Success Score got all the way down to 78%. In Upwork world, that’s the equivalent of a huge sign that says, “Worst Freelancer Ever. Do Not Hire.” But, despite […]

Pricing is scary as a freelance web designer. Ask for too much and you run the risk of losing the project. Price too little and you might get taken advantage of by a client and miss out on some serious “dough.” Before we dive too deep let’s talk about some principles Time-Driven vs. Value-Driven Pricing […]

Most people begin to build a web design side-hustle without thinking much past the “How do I get started?” phase. There are a ton of resources out there all about how to learn web design or development, how to land your first client or build your portfolio. And, all of that is super important to […]

I remember being on the phone with a client that would be my biggest paying customer yet. Here I was talking with an agency from San Francisco looking to outsource some work. The words came out of my mouth with a tiny little quiver and that “yelp” sound you hear from boys who just started […]

If I were to ask you, “what sets apart a really professional freelance web designer from a newbie?” What would you say? Some people might say it’s, “all about the quality of the design!” Others might tout the web designer’s ability to communicate their ideas or hit deadlines. But, none of those things really separate […]

Okay, you’ve decided it’s time to start a web design business. All the signs are pointing to it. You’ve got a decent eye for design maybe a bit of code know how It’s a growing market It’s fairly easy to get into AND, every business/blogger/influencer/whatever needs a website, right? Great! Now what? Start a Web […]

After you’ve had a bit of success as a side-hustler the question that always comes next is, “When is it time to go from side-hustle to full-time?” After all, things are starting to pick up. You’re starting to be a bit more confident in your skills and in your ability to make money with this […]

There’s a lot of fear behind the question, “How do I price my services as a freelance web designer?” I can feel it everyone time someone asks me. And, I get it. In the early days of being a freelance web designer, it feels like most of what you’re doing is just guessing followed up […]

Don’t want to read 1000’s of words on how to recover from mistakes with freelance clients? I got you. Listen to the podcast below OR watch the youtube video. Making mistakes with freelance clients is inevitable. You’ll do your best to keep it from happening, but one day, when you least expect it…WHAM! Out of […]

Don’t want to read a few thousand words on how I got out of debt with web design side hustle? No worries! Listen to the podcast OR check out the video: My wife and I were married in February of 2018. With our marriage came love, joy, excitement and about $30k of debt. And, listen, […]

Jumping into the world of web design can be a bit overwhelming. There are tons of things to learn like design principles and development skills.  And then there are all these different web design tools out there. Some people swear by one tool and then another person comes along and completely contradicts them.  Even if […]

“Should web designers use templates to build their client’s sites?” Honestly, the freelance world is a bit divided on the answer to that question. Ask one person and the answer will be a resound, “YES!” Why wouldn’t you? If a template can get you even half the way there without having to do something from […]

Some times the most inspiring stories come out of disappointment. That certainly was the case with this week’s guest: Jasmine Glasgow. Jasmine had a fairly steady job at her family owned company. Then COVID hit and they had to make cutbacks. Her job was one of the first to go. BUT, instead of going the […]

UX design bootcamps are all the rage these days. People are opting out of the traditional college education route and instead choosing bite size programs that focus entirely on the skill they’re wanting to get hired for. Personally, I think that’s awesome. But, not everyone agrees with me. In fact, there’s a bunch of people […]

When you think of making more income as a web designer you probably think of two ways to do it. You either have to: Charge higher prices OR Take on more projects But, what if there was another option? What if there was a way to make more money without adding a ton more work […]

Making 6 figures as a freelance web designer is kind of like a rite of passage. When I was first introduced to the world of freelancing I was kind of shocked at how freelancers would just openly tell me they made over 6 figures a year without me asking. When I asked a friend about […]

There are probably a lot of reasons why someone would want to become a freelance web designer. There are motivations like being in control of your time, having flexibility in your schedule, or being your own boss. But, one that probably trumps them all is earning more money. That was one of my biggest motivations […]

Freelancing as a web designer is known to have feast or famine seasons. It seems like you either have more work than you can handle or you’re worried about being able to find another client before it’s to late. What if I told you there was something you could put into place today to keep […]

Starting a web design business is a scary thing. There are so many questions! Should you get an LLC license? Is a sole proprietorship okay? What about taxes? How much should I set aside? What if I don’t know how to do something the client asks for? All of those questions can be enough to […]

The frontend development field is constantly changing and advancing in your career is becoming more and more difficult. For one, the sheer amount of people in the industry has gone up drastically. AND, not to mention, what it actually means to be a frontend developer worthy of a tech job is getting more and more […]

Make sure to put people before profit. At the end of the day, that’s what marketing honestly boils down too. It’s a simple idea in theory. But, if you’re honest with yourself, it’s actually a tough idea to practice. “But, Chris!” You say, “Of course I would always put people before profit.” Well, hold on. […]

Selling your services as a web designer comes with its fair share of ethical dilemmas. You want to be honest about your ability but you don’t want to sound like you lack confidence. You want to get paid a good amount but you don’t want to overcharge someone just because you can You want to […]

You can’t have a successful side hustle without having a healthy family. At least not for very long. Most of us like to think that we can compartmentalize different areas of our lives. You’ve probably heard something like this before: “whatever personal issues you have, leave them at the door of your office.” But, the […]

So many freelancers think it takes some secret to find good web design clients. But, in reality, it’s actually pretty simple. Here’s a hint. It has nothing to do with how long you’ve been in business, how many skills you’ve mastered or even whether you’ve got a degree in some related topic. If you want […]

SEO can sometimes seem like a mystical concept. We all know we need it but we can’t quite figure out how to get it. So, we figure the people that are doing well with SEO have some kind of magic formula they’ve concocted and are probably unwilling to share with anyone else. But, thankfully, that’s […]

Forget about making a little bit of extra money on the side. This graphic design freelancer is making enough money to fund a small town in Arkansas. What amazing secret source did she use to find her success? Upwork. That’s right. The place that everyone says is a race to the bottom. The place so […]

Most of us think that starting a side hustle will give us a little extra money to buy things we probably shouldn’t with our normal salary. With the money we earn, we imagine we’ll be able to splurge on a night out or slowly save up for an epic vacation. Not Josh Burns. Josh spends […]

I’ve talked to a lot of freelancers over the years. After a while, a few common issues started to pop up. It turns out a lot of us are struggling with the exact same issues but no one is talking about it with one another! That’s the topic of this week’s episode on the Self-Made […]

One of the first questions that comes to mind after you’ve had a bit of success as a freelance web designer is: “How big can I build this thing?” It’s pretty easy to get sucked into grandiose daydreams of having a full staff of employees, maybe an office, and best of all plenty of money […]

So, many web designers settle for low paying projects. They make excuses as to why they’ll never attract the high paying web design clients they see others get so easily. “I’m just not that good.” “I don’t have an official degree.” “I haven’t been doing this long enough.” All of these excuses keep good web […]

One of the things that web design freelancers struggle with the most is figuring out how to market themselves to potential clients. I know plenty of great web developers who have a hard time breaking into the freelance world because they don’t know how to brand themselves or show potential clients that they’re worth the […]

There are tons of ways to make extra money online these days. You don’t have to go too far before you hear how someone sits around all day just clicking links on a website and earns $100k per year. Not buying it. While there are a lot of fake folks out there trying to sell […]

It’s tough to know how much to charge someone. Especially when you’re first getting started. Charge too much and you run the risk of getting passed up. Charge too little and well, you know…you won’t make as much. And, that really sucks. When I began Self-Made Web Designer I couldn’t keep up with all the […]

Don’t get a degree to be a web developer. Are those fighting words? Good. I hope I can help as many people as possible avoid debt, wasted time and a 4+ year pause in experience in pursuit of a degree they don’t need to be successful. I’m sorry if you got a degree in computer […]

The one objection I hear most often about starting a web design business is the fear of not being able to deliver what you promised to clients or majorly screwing up on something important. Let me put your mind at ease with 6 simple words: “You are going to screw up.” It’s inevitable. It’s going […]