I have chatted to so many filmmakers, creatives or entrepreneurs who are keen to get out there and make a living off of their passion, but struggle initially when it comes to finding clients who are “willing to pay.”
Using filmmaking as today’s example, it can be difficult in the beginning to figure out your monetary “worth” as a creator – especially with little to no client work experience under your belt.
So, how can one go about this?
What I did…
When I first started out as a solo filmmaker, I actually did free work. I know that can sound super uninviting to an ambitious entrepreneur, but hear me out…
I did one free wedding video for a friend. And from this single experience, I gained four paid wedding jobs. These came from pure exposure. People I had met at the wedding I filmed for free, contacted me afterwards with paid job offers. Beyond the fact that through these I was able to earn money, I was also provided with the opportunity to learn more about filming weddings in particular, which strengthened my skills altogether and led me into an ever-expanding pool of client connections.
My point:
I am not saying you should go and do a bunch of free work! It is also vital to know your worth, have confidence in your abilities and therefore not sell yourself short! But, this takes experience. And time.
What if you are one free job away from finding your feet when it comes to paid client work? Consider it. It worked out pretty well for me. Maybe it can for you too.
Happy Tuesday.
Catch you in the next one!
Joshua 🙂