First years

The first years don’t have to be so hard!

Learn from my experience and my mistakes to make your life easier in the early days of freelancing.

Which portfolio website is right for you?

I once met a freelance designer who didn’t have a portfolio. This blew my mind. How can a professional creative not have a folio? Was

First years

The top 2023 design trends to follow!!!

None. No trends. Nada. Nix. Nill. Non o’ ‘em. Following trends is following the followers. If you want to make cool stuff, play with your

Creative process

No one knows who The Rock used to be (or about how you mega failed that one time..)

In a random survey (of my friends) it was found that 60% of people don’t know what Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did before he was

First years

How the mentoring programme works

I’ve got a programme that I’ve refined over my years as freelancer It’s helped me at every stage of my career from sidegig freelancer to director It works like this... Happiness More time More money Calm mind That’s the results But what does it actually mean for the freelancers I work with? Growth Systems Audience Basics Basics We can’t build

Creative process

Steal my process for staying in touch with potential clients

Not every person who needs your service is ready to buy It’s your job to be first in their mind when they are But how can you stay in touch without feeling like you’re being pushy? Swipe and I’ll show ya... When you contact them, focus on solving their problem Steal my process Make a list of potential clients you’ve

First years

Manage your ego and learn to be the sidekick

Every hero story needs supporting characters They’re the people the hero couldn’t succeed without Batman has Robin and Alfred Beyoncé had Kelly and Michelle Pharell has N*E*R*D Carol Davers has... well she’s Captain Marvel so... Being a sidekick isn’t an insult, it’s a role you take when you realise you can’t be the hero in every story The truth is

First years

Your identity iceberg explained

Your identity is made up of many things Not all of them can be seen on the surface This is how we all experience each other When we start out in business, these are the things we see and admire about others We see people’s actions, decisions and behaviours and we copy them, hoping they will bring us the same

First years

How I became a £500 per hour designer

When I first started out as a freelancer making money was tough I was inexperienced with a small folio and I didn’t know how to convince people to hire me to design their branding... So I created Startup 101 A basic brand package that covered the main forms of comms for new companies in my area Logo Business card Letterhead

Creative process

How to avoid getting screwed when projects go wrong

Life would be great if it all went to plan... But often times it doesn’t... And in business, if you haven’t planned for a bit of mess You can get screwed! Luckily, planning for a few mistakes is easy to do Swipe and I’ll show you how... +20% That’s it, that’s the secret Plan the project Work out how long

Creative process

Things always take longer than you expect, and that’s okay!

Things always take longer than you thought We all have our own shit going on and work at our own pace. Life gets in the way! So when it does... Go easy on yourself! Decide what you want, keep getting better every day and the life you want will come

First years

8 ways to stay happy in your work

1. Plan days around things you like Every day I make time for things that make me happy. Thing like reading, drinking tea, plyaing my music loud, going out for a walk and talking to my friends give me a boost that helps me stay happy day to day. Even on a bad work day, make time for something you

First years

It’s okay to be a hack

Note every client wants your best work. If they want it, they might not be able to afford it. Sometimes they want a copy of what you've done before, sometiems this is people's whole careers. So when it comes to this situations, my advice... Be a hack. Lower your standards Set your limits Scope creep

First years

Change your payment terms – Free email script

Changing your payment terms can feel scary... Clients have an expectation of when they’ll pay and you don't want to do anything that will make them stop working with you But ask yourself, do you want to be in a relationship that you’re scared to change for fear of what the other person will do? Thought not. So swipe and

First years

So you’re a perfectionist…

Does this sound like you? "I procrastinate because I have high standards and I’m worried I won't meet them" Seems legit. Swipe and let’s test it... List all the things you've ever made Like, ever! Circle the ones you liked Circle the ones that other people liked Circle the ones you made money from Circle the ones you had fun

First years

Charge properly and get more free time

Get back your evenings and weekends by pricing projects properly Lots of freelancers only charge for the time during a project... They don’t count the time before or after the creative part meaning they have a lot of unpaidtime in their week. They have to work long hours just to earn the money they need to have a happy life.

Creative process

Copy my work schedule

Experience has taught me 1. How a work week goes affects my mood 2. The weeks I plan are better than the weeks I don’t 3. If I don’t plan I will forget things and stress about them So to make sure I do everything my biz needs me to do, I have a two week schedule Swipe to see

First years

Six more books that will make you a better freelancer

First years

Tried and tested marketing

Social media will make you believe you don't know how to sell yourself Reels, stories, tic-taks, pinterests? Is it all necessary?? No! Why does every freelancer have to be a frickin’ music video director to sell their work? Marketing is straightforward Not necessarily easy, definitely straightforward. Talk to people Like folks at a perty, find something you can both connect

First years

6 low cost ways to get more work

First years

Managing your emotions

First years

6 things to do before going freelance

First years

6 things I wish I knew at the start

First years

Learn from my first 10 years freelancing

First years

Orwell’s three rules for freelancers

First years

Still haven't found what you're looking for?

If you like this

I have more for you!

I work 1-2-1 with ambitious freelancers to help them gain confidence, growth and control in their business.

What people love the most is that we cover lots of practical stuff that you can easily implement in your business to see rapid and sustainable change.

Interested?

About Orwell

Orwell McGubbins is a designer and Art Director based in Berlin.

He has spent his career working with NGOs, charities, schools and social businesses, supporting people to develop themselves and make the most of life.

Today he continues this work by helping creative freelancers gain the skills and confidence they need to be great at what they do.

He enables people to create the life they want by creating the business they need.

Feel free to contact him on LinkedIn but don’t call without an appointment. He might be socially minded but he’s also a millennial, they hate that.

I am super grateful for the help Orwell has given me, he streamlined my chaotic thinking and been an absolute game changaaaa to my confidence!

I love that he always guides me to the answer of any queries, rather than answering them straight out - it makes learning much more engaging!

This has been the absolute best thing I’ve ever done for my career 💖💖

Working with Orwell has been a life changing experience for me. He's the voice of reason I use with my clients but can't ever give to myself and he's a wicked guide when it comes to overcoming the mental hurdles that pop up.

I can't recommend him enough if you are sick of overworking and being under paid. You deserve to have a life and enjoy your work. Just hire him.

Orwell's mentoring has been invaluable for me in the last few months as I continue to grow my business. He has a wealth of experience to pull from, he's eager to see his students succeed and he's generous with his time.

You're in good hands with this guy.

Orwell has helped me see sense and build confidence in what I'm doing. I knew nothing about pricing, about defining my worth and seeing my value.

He's helped guide me before important pitches and meetings and encourages me to keep going when I'm not feeling the best. I feel more clear in my messaging and the actions I need to take to progress to where I want to be.

He's brilliant!

Mentoring with Orwell has helped me grow my business into areas that I didn't even know about. I’m working fewer days, making more money and scaling at a quick rate. Could not recommend Orwell enough!

Master Yoda with better banter!

Orwell has helped me develop my own marketing plan from an organic approach. I have learnt many valuable lessons from him.

He’s helped me gain confidence in launching my own business and leaving employment forever!

I really enjoyed working with Orwell, he guided us and helped develop our brand and our voice. His understanding, expertise and organisation has left us in a better place.

We now understand the importance of making strategies for various parts of our business and are still carrying on what we were taught.

It was a pleasure to work with Orwell, I really appreciate what he has done for us and know he’ll do the same for others.

How To

Make Money

Freelance mindset

Creative Process

First Years

Self-Care

First years

First years

Still haven't found what you're looking for?

About Orwell