This is how Donovan Beery made the leap to full time independent work for his own firm.
If you don't already know Donovan, then it's my privilege to introduce you to him here today. Get to know him here:
Before Going Independent:
• What did you do for a job?
Before starting Eleven19, I was the web designer for Union Pacific Railroad. I did that for over two and a half years before following the head of the Web team over to one of their subsidiaries, where I did both print and web design for. Since I was working in-house jobs, where freelancing was not considered a conflict of interest, I started doing some small freelancing projects at night and on the weekends.
• What convinced you to make such a drastic change in your life and career?
At the time I didn't see this change as being as drastic as it probably is. I had been at a technology company during the end of the dot com boom, so the place was changing rapidly. The first few months I was there, it was growing – then the dot com bust. This put me in a situation where I didn't necessarily feel like having a full-time job was what made my career stable. A former co-worker suggested we could start up our own creative shop, and it sounded like a fun and exciting thing to do. Sometimes I find it best to not over-analize these things, and just go where they may take you, so I went.
• What did you worry about that turned out to be totally untrue?
I was worried that I was doing it too soon, and I needed to have the consistent pay that comes with a full-time job to make ends meet. I found out that the amount in my paycheck did not make me happy. Most of the really fun, and best designed work I have done, has been pro-bono. It's not easy making ends meet sometimes, but you eventually get use to the uneven nature of the pay that comes with freelance, contract, or solo work.
• What was the hardest thing about going independent?
I was fortunate to be able to do contract work for my former employer for the first year and a half, and then picked up another twenty hour a week contract for the year after that. Over the next few years I also had some contract jobs I did that helped with the income issues that are important to actually living. The hard part came from having to manage my actual freelance clients when I had to be on-site for over four hours out of every business day. Time management was the hardest part I had. Nobody can make you realize how much time it can take to run a business, because you'd probably never do it if you knew.
• How did you prepare to go independent?
The freelance projects I did from when I was employed helped a lot. First-hand experience with dealing with clients, billing, and being in charge of design projects was very helpful. Staying active in the local AIGA chapter kept me in contact with some very creative people, which was essential, as I needed the energy and creative passion that comes with talking and working with others.
When you left your "job" and went independent:
• What went easier that you expected?
I think it's best to forget how much time some things take, and just be happy to do them. I'm not sure anything went easier then I expected, or even does now. I've been doing this for eight years, and it still takes time and dedication. But really, this is a great profession. We get the opportunity to be creative for a job, and I love that.
• What would you like to have known before you became an independent designer?
To ignore a lot of advice like what I am writing right now. Every business is different, and you can't follow the path of another.
• What positive life change did you experience as a result of going independent?
The flexible scheduling that comes from it allowed me to do a lot of projects that I may not have been able to do otherwise. I was on the AIGA Nebraska board for seven years, and being able to leave work early allowed me the chance to volunteer to pick up most of the speakers at the airport. I learned so much about design from talking directly with them before the events is just one example. I also remember one day that my wife had the day off, and I just ditched work for the afternoon so we could take a walk through the zoo together.
Now that strangers ask you for interviews:
• What would you say to encourage other designers to go independent?
I try more to not discourage them. If it's what you want to do, you seem to find a way.
• What can most small business learn from one of your biggest successes?
Design is an ever-changing field, and it requires constant learning to keep going. Software changes. The way people view websites is constantly changing. Always reserve a decent percentage of your income to spend on items you will need to stay current.
• What can most small business learn from one of your biggest failures?
If you do this long enough, you have a list of failures too countless to mention. Always proofread. Always be honest. And in that, I honestly only did a half-ass job of proofreading this before sending it off.
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