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Matt Lepley has been all over the map—a drummer, a web and software developer, photographer and videographer—before landing in the field of motion graphics. Matt talks about his first big-boy, soul-crushing job in healthcare IT, and gives some valuable insight into the art of networking. Spoiler, there is no mystery. Networking just means taking part in a creative community. Oh, dang, did we just give the whole podcast away? You should listen anyway to hear about David’s run-in with a magician society and, in the same incident, Ron Jeremy. Connect with Matt on Instagram at @mattlepley And check out his website at www.mattlepley.com

Carson McMahon is ahead of the game. At the tender age of 12, he’s already thinking about the future and how to bring his ideas into reality. If designing roller coasters doesn’t work out, Carson feels good about his backup plan of designing airplanes. The guys talk process, passion, and the history of Texas.

Want to become a freelance Graphic Designer? Our guest, Melanie Cummings, shares her journey navigating the path to freelancing. Join us as we discuss her movements from a wholly different career into the design world. We’ll cover her passion for Manga, healthcare and all things Batman! Also, fun easter egg: David confuses the 1996 Micheal Keaton masterpiece, Multiplicity with a 2009 rom com featuring Julia Roberts called Duplicity. Oh the fun times we have! Connect with Melanie via instagram: @melanie.r.cummins or on her site: www.melaniercummings.com

Do you love taxes? No. Of course you don’t! But our guest this week does, and that’s a good thing for all of us! Join us as we talk the ins and outs of how to manage your taxes while giggin’. We’ll cover how to pay and manage your payroll and self-employment taxes, common deductions you can take to reduce your tax burden, and benefits of starting your own business vs. the sole proprietor route. Also, Jan throws out her contact information at the end for any of you that need tax help in the future. You can connect with Jan by emailing jan_whitten@bellsouth.net

Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I stop procrastinating?” Of course you haven’t. That’d be way too much work! Join us for another great conversion with Cameron Kennerly as we dive into the topics of getting motivated, getting in the zone and getting shit done.

After 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, Steve Howell started his writing career. Steve has developed writing skills that reach far beyond the run-of-the-mill word slinger. As both a passion and a profession, his ability to craft copy with a feeling of authenticity is unmatched. Join us as we discuss how Steve has navigated the waters of a freelance career.

The sales funnel is one of the most elusive topics for freelancers. Does it even exist? Is it solely a monster that lives in our nightmares? Nope. It's a thing, and it’s really not that scary. Join David and Allen Helms as they chat through how the sales funnel and business development is really just like dating.

How do freelancers motivate themselves to perform in a vacuum? We discuss this topic with Content Workshop team member Corinne Kocher. She provides tips on how to build a system to keep yourself moving toward progress, how to track your time and how to manage those not important and not urgent tasks that hit your desk. Properly managing yourself is a very difficult task, but heck, it beats the alternative–reporting yourself to HR for a performance improvement plan.

Mark Lombardi-Nelson, AKA: Mr. Automation, a gentleman, hug dealer, and problem solver joins us to discuss architecting solutions through automation. Mark shares insights to streamline every aspect of your giggin’ business including: - Documenting your internal systems and weekly actions, - Clarifying steps or actions that are missing, - Identifying repetitive tasks, - Rediscovering the why behind what you do, - And much more. Listen in to hear the rest!

Susan Ishamel from the Content Workshop shares the fundamental steps in the sales process for freelancers and business alike. SPOILER: The most important step is actually asking for the business. Join us as we take you through the buyer’s journey from initial contact with a potential client all the way to closing the deal.

Cameron Kennerly is a seasoned copywriter and gig pro as well as a member of the Content Workshop Team. He chats with us about building a career around his new passion for direct response writing as well as some old standbys like brand awareness copywriting. Cameron also shares a story about how he tried to enter an all-you-can-drink event with a flask, and when he saw Ron Jeremy pick his nose in a Hollywood parking lot.

Do you know the difference between a Brand and Branding? Tony Garcia from Content Workshop enlightens us with what a brand is and what a brand is not. Catch his hot takes about the feeling of a brand, building a brand strategy, typography, and color schemes. There are also a few tidbits buried in this episode for freelancers looking to build their personal brands. Join us to dive in deep!

Do you want to land a gig writing for a digital or print publication? Riley Manning joins us to discuss how he's found success doing just that. Listen in for some quick tips and tricks. And don’t miss our philosophical waxing about ownership of art and how to become immortal.

Should you have your own website? Are portfolio networks like Behance and others worth your time? How does LinkedIn play into how people consume your portfolio? We stole some time with Rob Cole from robecolecreative.com to discuss displaying an online portfolio of your work. Join us as we unravel this topic further!

Welcome to the Giggin’ Podcast! The Podcast derives its name and direction from the ever-pervasive gig economy that many people find themselves navigating today. The show will delve into topics surrounding gigging struggles and successes, provide tips and tricks, and tell the stories of people who have learned to thrive in the gig economy.