This is an ongoing series where we share how a past student has been able to significantly grow their freelance business by applying the concepts they learned from Double Your Freelancing. If you feel your story would be a good fit, share why.
Princess Clemente is a graphic designer who specializes in professional speaker promotion at princessclemente.com
Tell us about yourself – who are you and what do you for fun?
I’m currently a graduate student studying training and development, but most people know me as that person who is at every diversity and social justice event at my university.
When I’m not planning or attending these events, you can find me with my wife searching for the next local restaurant to review. I also enjoy creating minimalist portraits for fun.
What got you into freelancing? Was it what you expected?
Ever since I started working in high school, I have always done some kind of self-employed work on the side.
Whether I was teaching tennis, tutoring – or most recently – doing logo designs for people, I always knew that I wanted the freedom and flexibility of being my own boss. While the scope of my work has evolved in the past seven years, I now freelance because of what I’ve learned in the past few months through Double Your Freelancing.
The way I think about this business has done a 180 since discovering Brennan’s courses, and is honestly beyond what I expected.
I always thought making more money meant packing your week with more working hours, but I quickly learned that instead, I could be packing my hours with more value by finding the right clients.
Tell us about your hardest moment as an entrepreneur to date.
The hardest moment had to be the time that I feared my company would not make it, simply because I was not making enough money to keep it going.
There have been times I felt like giving up, but since signing up for Sell Yourself Online: The Blueprint course and meeting with my Mastermind group, I’m confident that the finances will not be an issue.
On the flip side, what’s been your biggest success so far?
Learning from Brennan and other folks who have had success in his courses has given me the confidence to try new things.
Last week, I pitched and sold my first roadmapping session for a marketing project, and quadrupled my hourly rate!
What were you struggling the most with when you ran into Brennan’s material?
When I ran into Brennan’s material, I doubted my competency and expertise in my industry.
Looking back at it now, it was the main reason I talked myself out of increasing my rates or taking risks that needed to be taken.
What are some specific tactics, strategies, or pieces of advice that have really helped you grow?
Even if it has only been months since discovering Brennan’s materials, I have learned so much. The things that have really helped me grow the most are:
- The use of Socratic questioning to understand what your clients need, and to then guide them into understanding the urgency of solving their problem.
- Value-based pricing!!
- Positioning my business and choosing a niche where I can establish my credibility.
- Finding a way to build an audience through my freelancing that can also serve as an audience for my speaking agency.
What are you most excited about for your business in the next year?
I am excited for my freelancing business princessclemente.com to grow this year, specifically because I now know what it takes to show and deliver value to clients.
I’ve quadrupled my hourly rate in just a few weeks into The Blueprint course. I’m excited to see where I’ll be in the next few months!
Princess Clemente works with professional speakers to enhance their promotion via speaker sheets, custom websites, and advanced marketing. Her work can be seen at princessclemente.com