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#16: How to Become a Freelance Designer (on the Side) and Build a Personal Brand with Logo Designer Ian Paget

About the Episode:

In this episode, we’re chatting with Ian Paget, a creative director by day and freelance designer by night—about how to become a freelance designer on the side of your day job and so much more.

Also known as the Logo Geek, Ian’s built an incredible personal brand for himself (including 86,000 Twitter followers) and because of that, he’s been a judge on logo design competitions, he’s been interviewed by BBC’s Radio One, and much more.

Ian now earns an average of $5,000/mo as a freelance designer, taking on mostly logo designs on the side of his day job, and the best part is that 99% of his clients come to him. We’re talking about how he’s managed to make that happen, including his journey starting a blog and growing it into the thousands of monthly readers.

Ian will tell you, choosing to become a freelance designer is the easy part—putting in the work to build your skills and perfect your craft is where the rubber hits the pavement.

However, Ian will also be the first to tell you that learning to become a freelance designer over a matter of just a few short months is a doable goal, especially if you’re taking on side projects that get you paid while building your abilities.

In Today’s Episode, We Talk About:

[02:50] Ian talks about the book that influences and inspires him.
[04:15] The beginning of his career and starting to freelance as the “Logo Geek.”
[10:38] His tactical advice on how to swing a part-time relationship with your full time job.
[13:01] How long he’s been doing graphic design.
[19:10] How he bases value on his projects.
[20:39] His side hustle routine, schedule and how he manages his social media accounts.
[31:01] How he built a Twitter following of more than 86,000, including a ridiculously simple growth hack he used to get 8,000 followers in his first 3 months.
[35:58] Interesting opportunities that came out from his Twitter following.
[44:16] He emphasizes the importance of being active on your social media accounts.
[46:14] His best piece of advice on for anyone looking to start a side hustle.
[47:14] What sacrifices he’s had to make to create enough time for his side hustle.
[48:39] The best investment he’s made for his side hustle.

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Resources Mentioned:

Sean McCabe

Communicate Magazine

Bill Gardner on Twitter

Ryan’s breakdown of the 55 Best Work From Home Jobs

 

Connect with My Guest:

Logo Geek

Ian Paget on Twitter

 

Subscribe, Review, & Share:

If you enjoyed this episode of The Side Hustle Project, I would love your support. Head over to the show on iTunes or in the Apple podcast app and give us a rating please! And as always you can catch every episode on the Apple podcast app, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for tuning in.

In this episode, we're talking to Ian Paget aka Logo Geek, a creative director by day and freelance designer by night about how to become a freelance designer on the side. We cover how he earns $5,000/mo doing logo designs, what it took to get 87,000 Twitter followers, and how he gets his best clients to come to him...

Here’s another image I put together for those of you who love Pinterest, and want to share Ian’s interview about how to become a freelance designer on the side of your day job 😊

How to Become Freelance Designer on the Side of Your Day Job

Hi I'm Ryan Robinson

Blogger, podcaster and recovering side project addict. Head of Content at Close. Join me here, on ryrob.com to learn how to start a blog, make money blogging and grow a profitable side business. Be sure to try my popular free keyword research tool & AI article writer tool, as well. Somehow, I also find time to write for publications like Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Next Web, Business Insider, and more. Let’s chat on Twitter and YouTube about our feelings (and blogging, of course).

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9 replies to “#16: How to Become a Freelance Designer (on the Side) and Build a Personal Brand with Logo Designer Ian Paget”

  1. Hai, Ryan!
    I am a beginner. Now I am on training, determined to join as a graphic designer with your cordial cooperation.

    Reply