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 […]

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 […]

Don’t want to read 1000’s of words on how to find web design clients? I got you. Here’s a podcast instead: Or if you prefer, there’s a YouTube Video. Ahh, the timeless tale of finding freelance web design clients. It’s a tale as old as time, really. And with that tale comes a certain amount […]

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 […]

Don’t want to read 1000’s of words on where to learn web development for free? Cool…I got a podcast for you. OR you can watch the YouTube Video: These days, there is so much information at your fingertips it’s hard to know where to go when you’re wondering how to learn web development for free […]

Don’t want to read 1000’s of words on career change? Listen to the podcast instead! I was pretty much a full-time musician for about 13 years. To be fair, I was the worship leader of a church. Which is probably a lot different than what you’d think of in the usual sense of a “full-time […]

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, […]

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 […]

Don’t want to read 1000’s of words on how to accomplish freelancing goals? Here’s a podcast! It seems like we start every year with high hopes for making huge progress on accomplishing freelancing goals.  We sign up for new goal setting systems. We read new books and swear to ourselves that this year will be […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

It’s crazy to think that only a few months ago having a remote job wasn’t the norm. Now, almost the entire world is working from home. And, while a remote job as a web designer might be a dream come true, it comes with its fair share of challenges. Being on a remote team makes […]

“How do you have time to work on a web design side hustle?” I get that question a lot. And, I understand where it’s coming from. The older you get the more responsibilities pile on and the less time you have to take up new hobbies or even build skills that make you money. But […]

Don’t want to read 1000’s of words on getting good web design clients even with a tiny portfolio? No worries. Listen to the podcast. Here is the conundrum: good clients are looking for web designers with a strong portfolio before they hire them. But, how do you add to your web design portfolio if no […]

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 […]

Don’t want to read 100’s of words about staying focused working from home with kids? No worries. You can listen to the podcast OR scroll all the way down for the video. It’s that time of year again. Back to school! In a normal world, school starting up brings a bit of relief to working […]

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 […]

Have you ever worked on a web design project and been super proud only to present it to the client and quickly realize what they said they wanted is nowhere near what they actually want? I wish I could say that’s never happened to me ??‍♂️ When a client comes to you it’s very likely […]

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 […]

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 […]

I don’t know about you but writing a resume freaks me out a bit. The idea that the future of your life depends on a small piece of paper is more than just a little bit nerve-racking. AND, as a UX designer, you have to worry about more than your resume. You’ve got to think […]

“Can you really get high-paying clients on Upwork?” That’s a question I’m asked a lot. It’s not always that direct BUT every so often someone will mention something slightly negative about it in passing. It comes in forms of: “Upwork is fine…if you’re just getting started.” Or “If things get slow enough I guess I […]

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. […]

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 […]

Erin Flynn is not your normal freelance web designer. While everyone else is preaching “hustle, grind, kill yourself until you win” Erin is encouraging everyone to slow down and build a business that supports your life RATHER than the other way around. Erin only works two to four hours a day as a freelance web […]

The world is crazy right now. Entire cities are shutting down. Businesses are being bankrupted. All from a virus we call COVID-19. In the wake of what’s happening around the world a lot of people are questioning what their next move is. They just lost their job or their income has drastically decreased. And, some […]

I have to be honest and say I did not think the Coronavirus would affect us as much as it has. I thought everyone was going a bit overboard. But, things kept getting worse. Then last week the CEO of the company I work for sent out a message telling us that we would all […]

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 […]

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 […]

Today I talk about how it all began. My story starts out of tragedy but it doesn’t end there. 6 years ago my wife of 10 years left me. When she did I had to figure out how I could make extra money for me and my 3 daughters as a single dad. Off of […]

There has never been a better time to start a side hustle in a tech-related field. There are so many opportunities out there to find work you can do right from the comfort of your own home. Best thing? You don’t have to have a ton of experience to get started. In fact, you can […]

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 […]

I am so excited to announce that on March 3rd, 2020 I will officially be launching a podcast to go along with selfmadewebdesigner.com! Let me tell ya, I’m excited about this. For months I’ve been quietly working in the background interviewing people that I have looked up to for years. People like: Laurence Bradford of […]

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 […]