If you own a business that affords you the freedom to work from anywhere you choose - you're a lucky one. I'm happy my own business allows me to do just that. As a freelance design brandstress, I enjoy the many days where pajama pants are my work attire, Skype is my office, and my kitchen is my local coffee shop.

The best thing about being a freelancer, I get to meet up in person and network with potential clients in my area. Unfortunately, rocking my favorite pair of pj pants won't make me look like serious business if I walked in for a meeting but there are a few ways I prepare to freelance in style and finesse my way into the heart of a new client. I plan accordingly and tend to keep a few things on hand when it's time to handle business.

TRAVEL COMPACT + LIGHT
This is a major go-to for me. I've had a few meetings where I've had to carry so much stuff to one place I simply could not be about that life. That lugging my laptop bag along with notebooks and presentations was a no no. I recently solved this issue by using an awesome backpack I received from the folks over at Incase. They're a company that designs various protective and mobile products for the everyday creative. I can be somewhat of a tomboy at times so rocking skinny jeans, a chiffon top, and some sneaks is normal for me. I have the ultimate ICON backpack and it's my baby!

• I can legit keep all my freelance biz essentials from my pens, to client folders, a portable power charger, etc. 
• Perfect for those on-the-go creative masterminds or meet ups with new and veteran clients. 
• My Macbook has it's own special, cushy place, so I feel better knowing it's safely secured. 
• The bag is 19 inches tall and I'm a petite 5'3" so having the support in the adjustable and padded straps is a plus! My lovely lady lumps aren't compromised. WINNING! 

Creative Black Wall Street is an inspiring series focusing on the Young, Determined, and Ambitious Hustlepreneurs who are making things happen while building their amazing brands!

Today, we're cruising the streets with multi-talented artist, Melissa. I stumbled upon her Instagram profile some time ago an really enjoyed stalking her page for a wile Her artwork is very original and more than enough to keep anyone creatively satisfied with their art fix.

1. What is Melissa Cook Art and why do you make a creative difference?
A: Melissa Cook Art is a representation of myself and my name. Things that I love and what I like to do. When it comes to portrait drawings, I like to add a twist to it, combining different images into one, drawings things and people that represents me and people I look up to. I feel I can make a creative difference to help inspire others out there that want to draw, I have many people that say they look up to my work and want to be like me. I also have time-lapse videos of my work on my Youtube page.

The great thing about having access to the internet and the vast collection of never-ending streams of websites is that other than a headache from the search results overload, you can come across a few wonderful gems. Almost weekly, I come across a new "She-Boss" to follow and learn from. You may recall my favorite bloggers to follow this year in a previous post who match the vibrant fly of all these awesome women I'll share below.

I wouldn't drop their names if I didn't think they were worth the support. From their witty Instagram accounts, minimal excellence, to their hilarious, yet classically comical humor in their tweets - I'd say even those descriptions should make you go fall in love with them. I already have.


1. Jacque of Jacque of All Trades

• I LOVE me some Jacque! The girl is everything my "build-a-bestie" would be. Stylish, innovative, and determined - she's the epitomy of the IT factor. She's also super funny! I first discovered her via her #YouGrowGirl challenge where she vowed to grow her social media audience organically through networking and relationship building. She is also the creator of the Build A Boutique course where she shares everything you need to know on how to plan, build, and market your own online boutique. 

2. Maya of Maya Elious

• If I had a third alter ego, she would be it for me. Maya is super great at what she does. She helps aspiring business owners build profitable, personal brands under her company BRNDWCH, is the creator of Blogademics, and knows how to rock a fierce, bold lip! 

3. Lindsay of White Oak Creative

• A creative spirit after my own heart. I recently fell in love with her blog and her obvious love of keeping things simple. Minimal is always chic and powerful. If you're in need of an awesome Wordpress genius or premade themes, look no further. Her tutorials and free resources are an even greater reason to stop by and say hello. 

4.  Alisha of TheAlishaNicole

• A powerhouse that is all about helping other creative women turn their passions into profit. Part business coach and part unstoppable creator, she's definitely someone I admire. She currently owns Early August, an online boutique where she offers affordable accessories for the "everyday girl". Her webinar collaboration with Maya Elious on the 5 Strategies For A Successful Product Launch is what got me in the better frame of mind to move forward + launch my own new service for creatives and bloggers. 

5. Kai of CoupDose

• Super fresh to death! Kai is the one woman you should want to know all about. She's offers amazingly authentic content that is strategically created to help you get closer to your dreams of a successful and profitable business. 

6. Kate of Clear Creative Consulting

• Your virtual blogging accountability partner. Kate is someone I recently took a great liking to. She works with bloggers to help them streamline their process to become more successful in the blogosphere. My heart spun into creative lust when I stopped by her website and saw her imagery (that I LOVE!) - she's too awesome for words. 

I ran across a recent newsletter sent out by Nesha of Nesha Designs not long ago where she shared a few things she learned after launching her new Shelancers course. I was inspired and felt that sharing my personal experience of a course I created that failed.

Back in 2013, roughly a year after I started working my design business full time, I put together a course for bloggers who wanted to learn how to design their own blogs from scratch. I figured I had plenty of experience to take the leap into sharing all the things I've learned during my time of building blogs and so forth and wanted others to know how too.

I had never created a course that would require me to be available to an actual "class" so needless to say, yes I was super nervous. I laid out a plan of what I would share, I recorded a few videos, created downloads, and even hosted a giveaway to allow a few people to take the course for free. The launch ended sadly... but I learned a few things that taught me what to do better next time.


A few great things happened though:

• The sign-ups went above my expectations.
• My audience was on point and wanted the info! 
• People were engaged and spreading the word.

4 Things I Learned After My First Course Launch Failed

1. HIRE A GREAT TEAM
This was my very first mistake. Again, I was only a year into running a business so my "recruit" skills weren't super sharp. I hired two interns to help me keep the course afloat, respond to emails, and keep the schedule live!

The problem with them though was they failed to contact me when things got out of control. If someone emailed them about an issue - I was the last to know until it was too late. None of what they did made any sense but it was my own fault for leaving even the small things to them expecting "teamwork".

2. BAD THINGS HAPPEN
I guess I thought I had my life together and that my course would be worthy and great. I didn't have the best "flow" in place. I figured that if I could record trainings in advance and then record more as I went along that it would work out.

Nope. Things happen in real life and in my case - not really factoring in the "what ifs" of life was a fail on my end. Not only that but I had major technical issues throughout the course. No bueno. Needless to say, I'm sure I lost some credibility with a few people who expected more out of me.

3. STREAMLINE EVERYTHING
This is one lesson that has stood out most and allowed me to do the same throughout the process of building my business. I love order and I'm sure order was expected of me. I was super embarrassed when I had to send out emails to my sign ups letting them know things had to be postponed and such. Like... I wanted to just go rock myself in a dark corner.

From this experience, having things in order especially for "bad days" could have saved me so much time. Things will be much better next go 'round.

4. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, TRY AGAIN
It's understood that we fail at many things in order to learn from them. I felt I created a great product but I also learned that sometimes, that's not enough. I didn't allow this failure to hinder me from continuing to excel in my business so since 2013 - I've been working to create an even better course. I'll be sharing more on it in the next few months but I have 100 times more confidence in myself.

Creative Black Wall Street is an inspiring series focusing on the Young, Determined, and Ambitious Hustlepreneurs who are making things happen while building their amazing brands!

Today, we're hitting the virtual streets with Brittany, creative illustrator and graphic designer behind BrittLynn Designs. She's a triple threat that has skills in not just illustration and graphic arts, but also photography. BLH Designs opened for business last year + has already proven to be a business worth watching. I caught wind of her work a few weeks ago on Instagram after she liked one of my photos. Life works in mysterious ways ...indeed. Let's get to know this talented hustlepreneur. 


Q: As a creative, how do you define "hard work"? Is it ever really hard?

Maybe we've all been there and had those clients who seemed super excited to begin working on their projects and in the midst of things, they disappear. In my entire four years of operating my own business, I've only had two clients who abandoned major projects. To this very day, I still couldn't tell you why.

For starters, most people will give the impression that they are super serious about building their brands, online presence, and growing their businesses in the best way possible. On the receiving end of things, you're excited for them, right? I understand things happen in life but what's so hard about making a commitment to something and involve the time of someone else just to waste it? It's not only a huge waste of time, it's pretty dang inconsiderate.

In the beginning stages of starting my business, it took some adjusting my own schedule and work ethic to avoid as many issues as possible, Mostly, so I wouldn't lose to few clients I did have. I've had my share of disappointing my clients with being tardy with deadlines and sometimes crappy tech issues that once cost me a major project. I've since improved my consistency and continue to improve daily.

If you're dealing with clients who were all serious business and ready to dive into working with you but later abandoned ship - here are 3 things you can and should do to handle those situations.

1. HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE
This was one big mistake I had in the beginning. Not that I didn't have a policy, I just completely failed to enforce it. I was the yes girl" back then, I wanted to please everybody just to make a buck. In return, my policies were unread, abused, and misused. One thing to note is that people will indeed be people- if you don't position yourself as an authority who values your time - others will take advantage of that.

Your policies or "terms" to working with you should be clear and concise. It should also outline the fine print where you set boundaries and expectations. At least this way, you would be protected should any issue arise.

Don't allow others to take advantage of your time, energy, or hard work. Like them, you should expect respect as well.
— Neosha G. (@HUNCreative) April 16, 2015

2. GIVE FAIR WARNING
Remember those two clients I mentioned in the beginning of this post? Well one thing they both had in common was that they paid me $400+ in a project advance and literally bounced into thin air within weeks. Maybe they realized they weren't ready to grow within their business. Maybe they just got "too busy" - Either way, follow ups are ideal. After a certain amount of time (in policy) or however, shoot your client an email letting them know 3 major points:

• The amount of time it's been since last communication 
• What you expect from them and why
• A deadline to "get back with you"

3. FIRE THEM
I know this may seem harsh just by the looks but trust me when I say you don't have to mail them a pink slip. If you find that a client is often consistent with their own serious business- it may be time to let them go. Send off an email explaining why you may no longer be a good fit for the things they need. Most times, I find that referring them to someone they would probably work better with helps. This varies though because I despise referring clients to others if I feel the client will waste their time as well.


Don't feel bad for taking matters into your own hands. I find it so uncommon for people to waste money like this for their own goals. Clients who don't value your time can cause great setbacks within your business. A token I've learned from my own experience. Do what you got to do in order to keep the "happy" in what you do.

Oh yes... budgeting. This is often a task that many of us fail in several areas of our lives. For those who like to say they're in business however, having an advertising budget can make all the difference between having success and being somewhere between getting a few sales and going out of business. You want success right? You kind of have to be willing to invest more into your business other than your time and energy.

Let me be honest here, my first year or so running my own business was budget-less. I was a bit stingy when it came to investing into great advertising. Don't get me wrong, I was doing well and got new clients on a regular basis but mostly via referrals of those I had already worked with previously. Come my second year in business I wanted to do better than well. So I tested out a few places to advertise. From black owned biz websites to implementing client thank you gifts (which I sucked at, at first).

Those experiences proved one thing to me... paying for advertising is so WORTH it. I may not have become a millionaire overnight but the results greatly exceeded my investment. I started off with small amounts and increased gradually. Here is how I did it.

1. For every sale or project you gain, take at least $10 of the cost and put it aside for advertising investments.
2. For every $400 I made for example, I would take $100 and put it aside. For every $50, I'd put away at least $20. Trust, that amount goes a long way if you learn to streamline your efforts properly.
3. If you don't make the income from your business just yet, you can start small. $5 may not get you those thousands of Facebook views or click-throughs but it'll get you 33,000 eyes further than than the 6 or 12 views you may normally receive.

"It's always better to have 6 extra eyes than no eyes at all when you want to succeed in your business." #smallbiz #HUCreative
— HasneoUnique (@HUNCreative) February 21, 2015

You can skip a few Starbucks runs.

Avoiding the RedBox wouldn't hurt either.

For those of you who work a 9 to 5 while trying to build your business, taking a percentage of each check you receive and putting it towards your marketing efforts REALLY helps in the long-run so take advantage of Uncle Sam's money for the best.

You can download my Biz Advertising For Your Niche printable here to help you visualize and maintain your marketing efforts within your business. Tweet This if you love it and good luck!!

The first of many creative features here on the DMC blog. I wanted to create a special place to share others I feel many of you should WANT and NEED to know about. Creative Black Wall Street is an inspiring series focusing on the Young, Determined, and Ambitious Hustlepreneurs who are making things happen while building their amazing brands!

Today, we're hitting the virtual streets with Tamara, owner and designer of Baydian, LLC.

Oh the wonderful world of social media photorazzis. Yes, I just randomly came up with that word. With over 300 Million people in the world and 200 million of them actively photobombing on Instagram daily, you're missing out on tons of potential collabs and business if you're not trying to catch a few eyeballs.

I have my reasons, okay. Of course, some people may question how I could possibly run a freelance business where getting a bit unorganized is bound to happen. True enough but for the last few weeks, I've devoted my focus to making things much simpler within my business this year... starting with my space.

Other than making the things around more less cluttered, I've begun simplifying my design process and all the tidbits into it.

Happy New Year! Yes, it may be mid end-January but I've had to really come with a post that would be most beneficial to not just me but others seeking to improve themselves in life and business this year. I've made a few changes within my business thanks to them. Thus, sharing a few super helpful blogs to follow in 2015 that I enjoy most! They all bring their own personalities, creativity, and sense of humor which is why I love them so.

You will too... I KNOW YOU WILL! Believe it. These blogs totally deserve several thousands of readers,comments, and follows. So if you think you'll see The Social Media Examiner or Seth Godin on this list, you're wrong.