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 […]

Don’t want to read nearly 2,000 words about how to be more creative as a web developer? I got you. Here’s a podcast: I talk to so many people all the time who are convinced they are unable to be more creative as a web developer. Most of the time when we see someone that […]

When people first start going down the path of becoming a web designer they begin trying to learn a lot of things about design and development. Things like: Color theory Visual hierarchy HTML & CSS OR JavaScript And, listen, those are super important to understand, practice and get better at. But, after a while, it […]

One of my favorite quotes is from Richard Branson founder of the Virgin Group. He says: “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!” This was my philosophy when I first got started as a web designer […]

Don’t want to read over 3,000 words on how to stand out as a freelancer? Listen to the podcast OR watch the YouTube Video. It’s tough to stand out as a freelancer when there are currently 57 million of us in the US, and that number gets bigger every day. In a lot of ways, […]

No one starts out as a freelancer hoping to one day be mediocre. We are all determined to become a successful freelancer maybe even one of the better freelancers out there in our field. The problem is being TRULY successful as a freelancer isn’t easy. It even feels impossible sometimes. After all, if it were […]

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 […]

Most high school seniors automatically think their next big life decision is choosing which college to go to. They graduate dreaming of the fun they’re about to have from dorm life or fraternities or the general “college experience.” But, not Michael. Michael knew that even if did go to school for computer science he would […]

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 […]

As 2020 begins to wind down we turn our attention to the newly minted 2021 web design trends. Okay, there are probably a lot of things you are glad to see go coming out of 2020. The coronavirus An election year The return of fanny packs And, while there is a lot to celebrate seeing […]

Don’t want to read 1,000s of words on how to make a winning bid on UpWork? I got you. Listen to the podcast instead. Or you can watch the video. If you haven’t figured it out yet, you can’t just create an account on Upwork and sit back as the jobs start rolling in. No! […]

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 […]

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 […]

The creative process is pretty torturous. I don’t say that lightly. I’ve experienced it. When I was a full-time musician I would have an idea for a song that I knew was going to be my big break. I’d pull out my phone record a little bit of it and go to bed. Then, I’d […]

Being unhappy with your job is pretty much a given these days. That’s why everyone posts those stupid memes about how bad Mondays are. A recent study found that over half of all US workers were unhappy with their career. But why are we so content to stay and do work we hate for a […]

Becoming a self-taught web developer is all the rage these days. And, for good reason. With rising cost of traditional universities and a world of educational resources online A LOT of people are opting out of the old model of learning something. I myself DIYed my web development education and I’m a big advocate of […]

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 […]

If you don’t want to read nearly 3,000 words on 5 important things every web designer needs to know, I got you. Here’s a podcast Well, it’s official. Selfmadewebdesigner.com turned 1 year old! ? It’s been a pretty awesome year. I’ve gotten the chance to help a lot of people up their game as web […]

Getting into a UX design career has become incredibly popular lately. It’s almost like a modern day gold rush. As a result, there are a lot of companies capitalizing on the sudden increase in attention toward tech design jobs by creating products people can buy to help them get into those types of careers. One […]

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 […]

The Self-Made Web Designer podcast is pausing until July 7th. There is an important conversation that is happening right now concerning racism and diversity. It’s my heart to give space for that conversation to be fully heard. So, I am pausing for the rest of the month to listen and learn how I can be […]

I got an email this last week. And it wasn’t a fun one: I have to be honest. That was a blow to the gut and it’s even pretty hard to admit that it happened. For the longest time I’ve been a huge advocate of Upwork. I’ve even been featured on some of their advertisements. […]

Getting a job in the tech field is becoming more and more competitive. People are realizing that there are tons of opportunities for jobs in web development, software development, UX design etc. So, it’s much harder to get a job in that space than it was 5 years ago. That’s what we talk about on […]

That’s my son. Dean. A chip off the ole block. At least, I think he is. He’s only 4 weeks old as I write this. He could turn out to be a jerk. Fingers crossed ?? I’M KIDDING! He’s awesome. I love my son…a lot. But, having him after a 7 year stretch from my […]

Not many college students can say they make $120 an hour. But, that’s not the case with Josh Ahles. Josh started freelancing as a web designer only a few short months ago. But, in that time his success has skyrocketed. Here’s the crazy thing, only 8 months ago, Josh was afraid of freelancing as a […]

“I need you to make my website more modern.” I hear that all the time as a freelance web designer. The problem is the phrase “modern web design” is pretty elusive. It’s elusive in the sense that it’s always changing. If you’re not careful your go-to moves for making your web design more modern becomes […]

The holiday season can be a mixed bag. Especially if your the kind that tries to find the absolute perfect gift for the people in your life. Let’s be real. Some people are pretty tough to buy for. A web designer whether newbie or seasoned professional is one of those that are tough to peg. […]

Ever reach a plateau? You know what I mean. That place you get after you’ve been working hard at something and what once was excitement about learning a new thing becomes frustration with how long it’s taking. It feels like you’ve reached your limit BUT believe me you haven’t. I’ve hit a number of roadblocks […]

When I first began my journey as a web designer I had never heard of UX. To be fair, I was pretty secluded from all things tech careers. For the good part of my 20’s I spent the majority of my free time recording music with my band. I knew tons about audio interfaces, DAWs, […]

I love what’s happening in education. Okay, to be fair, there’s a lot I don’t love: I don’t love how high tuition is getting, and I don’t love how many people end up with ridiculously high student loans. Myself included! But, I do love how people are catching on to the fact that you don’t […]

I talk to people almost every day now who tell me they’d love to learn web design they just don’t have enough time! I get it. Life is busy. BUT….(you knew it was coming) You probably have more time than you think you do. I remember the season of life when I didn’t have any […]

I’ve spent a lot of my time going through online courses to learn Web Design. If you haven’t noticed, I like online courses. You can do them anywhere at your own pace. But, I’ve been through some bad ones. There are platforms that set you up for success and platforms that are really just in […]