Freelancing

A dept at navigating today’s social media landscape, technically-savvy young entrepreneurs often network in cyber space as well as in-person to build business careers as independent contractors.

Working primarily as a freelance designer, Nathan Ryan, 23, focuses on print, packaging and branding.
“I do it, firstly, because I really enjoy it, secondly because I think I’m pretty good at it, and third, because it’s proved to be a sustainable business for myself,” Ryan said.

Working as an independent contractor for the past three years has allowed Ryan to support himself financially.

Developing leads and cultivating more business is really dependent on building good relations, Ryan said.

“I don’t cold call. I don’t stalk people on Twitter or Facebook. I don’t scour Craigslist for leads,” Ryan said. “I just try to keep my head down, and focus on doing good work and turning clients into friends.”

Building a solid reputation for good work leads to more business. Ryan believes if you’re known for doing good work, you don’t really have to market yourself; someone else will do that for you.

“In today’s hyper-connected world, there’s no reason not to be your own boss if you can manage it,” Ryan said.

Before stepping into the unpredictable world of freelancing, Ryan worked at Disney’s Consumer Product division in Glendale for a year and a half, and then moved over to another agency in Glendale for a year before taking his first few jobs as a freelancer, he said.

“Once I realized I could make double the money, work really hard, not sleep for a week, and then take the rest of the month off, I was sold,” Ryan said. “It would be very hard for me to go back to a 9-to-5 schedule.”

There are other benefits for Ryan as well.

Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, freelancing allows Ryan the time to work on and run a couple other businesses.
“In addition to my design work, I direct a nonprofit media network called Proxart,” Ryan said.

Proxart, deeply rooted in today’s online and mobile culture, publishes a mobile magazine and weekly radio show in addition to producing a quarterly print magazine. The product contents are dedicated to discovering how environment affects an artist’s creativity.

“And I’ve got it in my head to write a couple books, and I’ve got some other ideas brewing right now too.”