No freelancer knows when is the right time to get their own business going. Financial and economic crises, pandemics, and other obstacles will always appear to set us back.
But when you love what you do, and you transfer that passion to your clients, success is inevitable.
Meet Jordan Crump, a digital marketing expert who had a lot on her plate in the year 2020. Amid a global pandemic, she was laid off from her full-time job just when she was about to bring a child into the world.
Knowing that getting another corporate job would never bring her the stability she needed, she decided it was time to do something for herself – become her own boss.
Jordan uses her knowledge of social media to help women-owned businesses to gain and increase their online presence.
Join us to find out more about Jordan’s aspirations of becoming a freelancer and working for herself.
Q: Please tell us a little about yourself, your expertise, etc.
A: My name is Jordan Crump, and I am the owner of The Space Social. I started freelancing in 2020 after I was laid off 2 days before having a baby. I am a social media manager and strategist, content creator, and podcast host.
One of my first jobs was at Miss Universe in Las Vegas, doing social media for the makeup sponsor of the pageant. I now work with women-owned businesses helping them grow their brands and social media presence.
Q: Could you please describe your previous work as an employee?
A: I previously did internal marketing for small-medium-sized businesses. I started as a coordinator and worked my way up to the director level. This included tasks like community building, social media, SEO, etc.
Q: What was the point where you decided to become a freelancer?
A: I was in digital marketing for 5 years when I was laid off 2 days before I delivered my son.
I believed that my job was less stable than a corporate job if I could get laid off that close to delivery. At that moment I decided I would become a freelancer.
Q: What are some of the challenges you’re facing as a freelancer?
A: You have to have motivation and determination every day because you have to take accountability for your time. Finding clients at the beginning is hard too! Setting boundaries with clients and yourself is important early on.
Q: Can you offer beginner freelancers any advice?
A: Listen to podcasts of professionals in your industry. They are always willing to give out a lot of free information that will help accelerate your growth.
Q: How do you handle inflation as a freelancer?
A: Like everyone else, raising my prices. If big companies have no problem raising prices, small businesses shouldn’t either. Our “little businesses” have to survive too.
Q: What do you do to get new clients?
A: I am 100% referrals based. Before that, I would tell anyone who asked what I did.
This helped me find clients that loved my passion for what I was doing and wanted to bring that over to their business. Upwork and Facebook groups are other great places to start.
Q: Name one mistake that you made as a freelancer.
A: Taking on clients that had businesses that I didn’t care about because I needed a check. I don’t blame people for doing this, but there can be long-term consequences.
They will refer their friends and eventually you will have a full roster of businesses you don’t feel passionate about. Then you might as well be working in a corporation again.
Q: How can potential clients find you?
You can contact me through my website or reach out on Instagram.
Final Note:
Going through a rough period in your life can only open up doors you never thought existed. Being fired right before giving birth to her child, Jordan gave it her all to help women and their businesses get noticed.
She made it her goal to empower women to work for themselves and grow their businesses confidently.
Being a freelancer is not easy, and finding clients can be demanding, but hard work pays off, and Jordan is proof of that.
As she says, all her clients are from referrals, meaning she has made many clients happy with her work. Being your own boss means you get back as much as you put in, and she did invest herself in her work.
Her advice to new freelancers is to learn from professionals in the industry. Sometimes a fancy degree will not give you the knowledge you can get from someone that is working with a certain matter every day.
Listen to podcasts of experts, get free advice, and use it to your advantage.
And lastly, don’t make the mistake of creating a client list just for the money. Yes, you need to create a stable income for yourself, but if you are going to do something, do it with passion.
Marketing is a competitive and creative process and industry, and if you don’t have passion for your work, you will soon be burned out.