How To Thrive As A Freelancer (or Sole Practitioner) with Ange Lyons: Part 2 | 064

In part two of Jon's conversation with Ange Lyons they chat about the challenges of freelancing. They discuss dealing with tricky clients, avoiding scope creep, and combating loneliness. They also share practical tips on contracts, invoicing, and handling social isolation. If you're a small business owner in architecture, this episode offers valuable advice to help you build your dream business and enjoy more freedom and fulfillment.
Today's Guest...
Ange Lyons is a brand and marketing graphic designer based in London UK. With over 20 years of experience in the design industry, she has successfully run her business, Lyons Creative, for the past 12 years. Ange specialises in creating marketing designs, brands, magazines and websites, working across both print and digital media. She provides graphic design services to a diverse range of industries, including insurance and finance corporations, publishing houses, charities, and freelancers. This variety ensures that her skillset remains broad and adaptable. Ange is passionate about engaging with people and offering her assistance wherever possible. Her love for colours and fonts is evident in her work, and she delights in sharing this enthusiasm with others.
Episode Highlights...
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Client Challenges and Scope Creep
04:03 Handling Difficult Clients
07:31 Best Practices for Contracts and Invoicing
14:13 Dealing with Social Isolation
21:38 Time Management Tips for Freelancers
27:34 The Power of Newsletters
30:18 Favorite Travel Destinations
32:54 Conclusion and Contact Information
Key Takeaways...
Clear Contracts and Boundaries
Make sure your contracts are clear to avoid misunderstandings with clients. Include what work you’ll do, the difference between revisions and redesigns, and when payments are due. It’s worth getting legal advice or using contract templates from trusted sources. You can also use tools like CRM systems to keep track of contracts and invoices.
Finding Community and Beating Isolation
Freelancing can feel lonely, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. Join online groups, try co-working sessions, or organise meet-ups in your area. Online co-working over Zoom lets you check in with others while you work, helping you stay accountable and feel part of a group. Communities like Architecture Business Club or Being Freelance are great places to start.
Managing Your Time and Staying Productive
Being your own boss means juggling lots of tasks. Try using a Pomodoro timer, setting work hours in a planner, and switching off social media notifications to stay focused. Prioritise your day with a task list, focusing on one big job at a time. Tools that track your time can also help you keep on top of your schedule.
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In The Next Episode...
Next time, Jon chats with copywriter Ellie Senior about PR.
00:00 - Introduction
01:40 - Client Challenges and Scope Creep
04:03 - Handling Difficult Clients
07:31 - Best Practices for Contracts and Invoicing
14:13 - Dealing with Social Isolation
21:38 - Time Management Tips for Freelancers
27:34 - The Power of Newsletters
30:18 - Favorite Travel Destinations
32:54 - Conclusion and Contact Information
What's your biggest challenge as a freelancer or sole practitioner?
Jon Clayton:Dealing with tricky clients.
Jon Clayton:Avoiding scope creep on projects, or maybe it's simply combating the loneliness
Jon Clayton:and isolation of working from home.
Jon Clayton:Being your own boss is not always easy.
Jon Clayton:Thankfully, we've got some practical tips and a few stories that should help you.
Jon Clayton:Uh, in part two of my conversation on freelancing with
Jon Clayton:Angela lions on this episode.
Jon Clayton:Of architecture business club.
Jon Clayton:The weekly podcast for small firm founders who want to build their
Jon Clayton:dream business in architecture and enjoy more freedom, flexibility,
Jon Clayton:and fulfillment in what they do.
Jon Clayton:I'm John Clayton, your host.
Jon Clayton:I know that building an architecture business can feel hard, especially
Jon Clayton:if you're a sole practitioner.
Jon Clayton:The good news is that you don't have to do it alone.
Jon Clayton:In 2024, we launched our membership community to a small group of
Jon Clayton:founding members, including architects, architectural
Jon Clayton:technologists, and interior designers.
Jon Clayton:We meet online each week and occasionally in person to support
Jon Clayton:each other in building our businesses and to have some fun along the way.
Jon Clayton:In 2025, we're opening the doors to a limited number of new members.
Jon Clayton:If you'd like to join this supportive group of like-minded
Jon Clayton:professionals, now's your chance.
Jon Clayton:Just go to architecture, business club.com forward slash waitlist, or click the
Jon Clayton:link in the show notes and enter your details so we can let you know when
Jon Clayton:and how to join this incredible group.
Jon Clayton:And if you have any questions, just email Jon that's, J O
Jon Clayton:n@architecturebusinessclub.com.
Jon Clayton:Now let's continue our conversation about freelancing.
Jon Clayton:Well that's totally different, so that's A redesign, that's total redesign.
Jon Clayton:Oh, but that's a revision.
Jon Clayton:Like, where does it say in the contract that, you know, you said we could
Jon Clayton:have as many changes as we want.
Jon Clayton:And so, and that's where it can get a bit sticky, I
Ange Lyons:Hmm,
Jon Clayton:Have you had that sort of experience, Angie, in graphic design
Jon Clayton:and branding?
Ange Lyons:definitely, Um, I've had it recently with a website actually.
Ange Lyons:Um, and I'd spoken to the client from the beginning saying,
Ange Lyons:Are you sure you want this?
Ange Lyons:Because it wasn't looking like how we spoke when we actually
Ange Lyons:first started the project.
Ange Lyons:And she was like, Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Ange Lyons:And then a few months down the line, it changed and it was a redesign.
Ange Lyons:Hmm.
Ange Lyons:And it's just interesting because it is uncomfortable but it is uncomfortable and
Ange Lyons:I'm not we're all human um I wish I could be more ruthless in some things but I
Ange Lyons:did it and I've included it in the price I've had to reflect that because but it's
Ange Lyons:horrible yeah you see it gave you the ick talking about money it does but at the
Ange Lyons:end of the day I won't go into Sainsbury's and say I'm just gonna take that pineapple
Ange Lyons:um I'll pay you When I can, or, you know, you want your money, don't you?
Ange Lyons:They want their money.
Ange Lyons:So, um, it's the same with business and small, you know, being a
Ange Lyons:freelancer, you've got to, you've got to, you've got to list out
Ange Lyons:what you're going to give them.
Ange Lyons:And even if it isn't, when you say revisions, list out
Ange Lyons:what that revision entails.
Ange Lyons:This is like, this is what, this will be, Um, I don't know what the word
Ange Lyons:would be, say a tweak or a change to what we've decided on the first round.
Ange Lyons:A redesign is something completely different.
Ange Lyons:Um, and if you're not happy with that, maybe we need to have another sit
Ange Lyons:down and discuss, um, payment options.
Ange Lyons:Cause I know also with some clients, they might not be
Ange Lyons:able to have it all in one go.
Ange Lyons:Maybe discuss payment options.
Ange Lyons:It's still going to happen.
Ange Lyons:I'll still do it for you, but let's break it down into smaller payment plans.
Ange Lyons:You know,
Ange Lyons:so, um, so give them some options.
Ange Lyons:So there's always options, but if they still say, well, I'm not doing
Ange Lyons:it, I don't want that anymore.
Ange Lyons:If you're going to break the contract, you break the contract, but make sure
Ange Lyons:you get paid for what you've done.
Ange Lyons:And if you can get paid up front, get the rest of it,
Ange Lyons:because they signed the contract.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, it's so tricky.
Jon Clayton:I
Ange Lyons:It's hard
Jon Clayton:had my fingers burnt with a client and They basically they said
Jon Clayton:they already had some really specific ideas that they wanted for the renovation
Jon Clayton:and extension of their home They they wouldn't share them Because this was
Jon Clayton:really strange because normally it's quite a collaborative process with my clients.
Jon Clayton:So and I, I mean, I don't really do much kind of architectural design work these
Jon Clayton:days, but when I used to it's, it's been very much like client centric approach
Jon Clayton:where we work together, but they were like, well, we want to see your ideas.
Jon Clayton:We don't want, so they were like, we want you to basically, you know, this is kind
Jon Clayton:of, The rooms and spaces were after, but we want to see your ideas and inspiration.
Jon Clayton:That's what we're paying for.
Jon Clayton:And a normal circumstances, it should have rung alarm bells.
Jon Clayton:We did ring alarm bells, but the way that the, the opportunity to
Jon Clayton:come about was through a, another company that I was hoping to foster.
Jon Clayton:A long term working relationship with so I basically was like well, okay I'm feeling
Jon Clayton:that this might be a bit of a prickly client, but i'll i'll work with it and
Jon Clayton:we'll see where it goes Anyway, because there might be some other work that comes
Jon Clayton:off the back of it And I really should have listened to my guts because they were
Jon Clayton:a nightmare to work with I put my heart and soul into a design that I basically
Jon Clayton:Met all of the points on their brief and they took one look at it and were like No
Jon Clayton:we don't like it, that's not what we want.
Jon Clayton:So we want you to just read all of the work you've done throw it in
Jon Clayton:the bin and can you just now, here's our sketches that we wouldn't show
Jon Clayton:you before we now want you to now produce all of the 3D model based on
Jon Clayton:these sketches that we already had.
Jon Clayton:Can you just do that?
Jon Clayton:And because it wasn't, because I hadn't made it crystal clear in the
Jon Clayton:onboarding with that client to say to them, actually, the way I normally
Jon Clayton:work is, it's a collaboration.
Jon Clayton:And you do realize that if you just leave me to go down this, come up
Jon Clayton:with this design completely on my own, that if you don't like it, it will
Jon Clayton:be fully chargeable for anything else because I didn't have that awkward
Jon Clayton:conversation with them at the beginning.
Jon Clayton:I was in an awkward position because they were like You said we'd get revisions.
Jon Clayton:This is a revision.
Jon Clayton:Well, you know, we, we, we just want you to, make these changes.
Jon Clayton:And so I, I, in the end, I got really stressed about it.
Jon Clayton:And then I decided that to just take a hit on it.
Jon Clayton:And I did the same.
Jon Clayton:I was like, and then after that, I was like, right.
Ange Lyons:But
Jon Clayton:going to make sure that that's, you know, robust now moving
Jon Clayton:forward.
Ange Lyons:I think both of us, in both those cases, we learnt from
Ange Lyons:it and we've put things in place to learn from that experience.
Ange Lyons:And again, it's tricky being by yourself and not having, you know,
Ange Lyons:we've got so many hats in our business, just having that one.
Ange Lyons:It's like, we're not legal people either.
Ange Lyons:So now we've learned how to deal with a legal contract to say, this is
Ange Lyons:the, this is the project and this is what's going to be in the projects.
Ange Lyons:And if you do X, Y, Z, you're going to get charged that.
Ange Lyons:So, but again, we both learnt from that.
Jon Clayton:it's not mattered how clear I've thought.
Jon Clayton:Something was like a contract or an agreement like you can always improve
Jon Clayton:upon it and make it even clearer, you know Which actually that sort of nicely
Jon Clayton:segues on to a follow up question.
Jon Clayton:I was going to ask around Do you have any thoughts on sort of best
Jon Clayton:practices around things like handling?
Jon Clayton:Invoicing and contracts so that we can avoid some of these pitfalls
Jon Clayton:that we've just been talking about.
Ange Lyons:I would say invest if you can.
Ange Lyons:Invest in contracts that you can either pay for or get someone, a
Ange Lyons:legal person to have a look over it.
Ange Lyons:And there are, um, solicitors that just deal with freelancers
Ange Lyons:and smaller businesses that will look at their contracts.
Ange Lyons:There are actually also freelancers and independent companies
Ange Lyons:that just deal with that too.
Ange Lyons:So I'd definitely say get contracts in place and not just
Ange Lyons:get it's get them templated.
Ange Lyons:So have a contract for each.
Ange Lyons:part of your business that you think you're offering a service to.
Ange Lyons:So for example, I offer, I've got a contract for brand and website.
Ange Lyons:I've got one for brand.
Ange Lyons:I've got one for marketing services.
Ange Lyons:So in between all of those, and there might be one that's a bit
Ange Lyons:ad hoc, where I'll just pull bits of the other contracts.
Ange Lyons:But you put out, the basis is pretty much the same.
Ange Lyons:I suppose the foundation is pretty much the same.
Ange Lyons:But then you just actually build up what you're actually
Ange Lyons:going to deliver to that client.
Ange Lyons:And so.
Ange Lyons:Again, going back to that website that I got done over with the redesign.
Ange Lyons:Um, I've put in place where you decide upon this date, and then you pay me the
Ange Lyons:next part of my invoice on this date, and then we decide again on this part, and
Ange Lyons:then you pay another part of the invoice.
Ange Lyons:So that is all spaced out, and we know where we're going from the
Ange Lyons:beginning, and we break it down.
Ange Lyons:Um, I do that in a system.
Ange Lyons:I know a lot of people have CRM systems.
Ange Lyons:Um, some people don't.
Ange Lyons:You don't have to have a CRM system.
Ange Lyons:But that's one thing I did invest in this year.
Ange Lyons:It was, um, Moxi.
Ange Lyons:It's a CRM system.
Ange Lyons:And I get different templates in there.
Ange Lyons:And also do my timings in there.
Ange Lyons:I put my onboarding in there.
Ange Lyons:I have onboarding forms, offboarding forms.
Ange Lyons:Um, I don't do my invoices in there.
Ange Lyons:Because I've got it all in another software.
Ange Lyons:So, yeah.
Ange Lyons:Um, in FreeAgent and I'll do my invoicing in FreeAgent and then I'll um, but
Ange Lyons:then they'll kind of, not talk to, I've not got them to talk, you can do it
Ange Lyons:through Zapier but I've not got them to.
Ange Lyons:I'm, I'm fine enough to know that that's where my invoices, my invoices are and
Ange Lyons:this is where my contracts and forms are.
Ange Lyons:So at the beginning I, Again, I looked online.
Ange Lyons:I got contracts online and people sell them templates, um, they
Ange Lyons:could be legal contracts or you can invest in a legal person to go
Ange Lyons:over your contracts while you can.
Jon Clayton:the contracts, depending on what it is specifically
Jon Clayton:that you do within architecture.
Jon Clayton:So, um, some of the professional institutes have some contracts
Jon Clayton:that their members can use.
Jon Clayton:So if they're a member of, um, if they're an architect and they're a
Jon Clayton:member of the RIBA, that they do have some contracts that people can, can use.
Jon Clayton:And actually they do do some documents that.
Jon Clayton:you can, you can purchase from them.
Jon Clayton:Uh, so even if you're a consultant, you're not an architect, but you
Jon Clayton:work within architecture, you can still use some of their paperwork.
Jon Clayton:My, um, the professional organization that I'm in, CIAT, they also
Jon Clayton:have some templated documents that their members can use.
Jon Clayton:I'm not sure about some of the other organizations cause we've got, there's
Jon Clayton:various, like for surveyors, there's the RICS, you've got CIOB, um, there's
Jon Clayton:I'm sure that each of those institutes probably has some kind of templates
Jon Clayton:or contracts that people could use as a starting point, but your advice and
Jon Clayton:suggestion about finding somebody, a freelancer or a solicitor, somebody
Jon Clayton:to look over it, because as good as those documents are that we can get
Jon Clayton:from those institutes, they're not always a perfect fit for people.
Jon Clayton:Your particular business and the packages and services that you offer.
Jon Clayton:So I'd, um, previously used a combination.
Jon Clayton:I'd used a contract that I'd got from CIAT, which they call their
Jon Clayton:conditions of engagement, I think for like domestic clients, which is like
Jon Clayton:people doing home renovation projects.
Jon Clayton:But then also I'd used.
Jon Clayton:A letter contract.
Jon Clayton:So I'd sort of set out a template, which was a standard letter, which
Jon Clayton:went into the T's and C's in a bit more detail, which then that kind
Jon Clayton:of like had developed over time.
Jon Clayton:Um,
Ange Lyons:I know this, um, more so around, uh, architects, um, based
Ange Lyons:podcasts, but there's also, um, IPSE, um, and there's also that's IPSE
Ange Lyons:and there's also FSB and they're all good, um, um, I suppose organizations
Ange Lyons:that help with small businesses.
Ange Lyons:So there's the FSB is the Federation of Small Businesses.
Ange Lyons:And I know that they also offer, if you pay for their membership, they
Ange Lyons:also offer legal advice, um, especially when you're writing contracts.
Ange Lyons:So if there's any problems with your contracts, um, I don't know if I'm
Ange Lyons:allowed to mention it because, um, I'll just ask, I'll let you know.
Ange Lyons:If there's any problems with people not paying contracts, um, or invoices, there's
Ange Lyons:a solicitor's called Thomas Higgins.
Ange Lyons:They're solicitors, they're proper legit.
Ange Lyons:Engage with them.
Ange Lyons:If someone's still not paying you, say for example, after three
Ange Lyons:months, contact Thomas Higgins, set up an account with them.
Ange Lyons:They will send out a letter of payment to the company.
Ange Lyons:And normally, people, when they get this letter, because it looks very official,
Ange Lyons:um, and it is official, they will pay up.
Ange Lyons:Because they don't want to be taken to court.
Ange Lyons:And to engage with Thomas Higgins, it is 25.
Jon Clayton:Oh, wow.
Jon Clayton:That's really good.
Jon Clayton:Yeah.
Ange Lyons:So, somebody, again, Sophie, I think, Sophie,
Ange Lyons:yeah, she told me about them.
Ange Lyons:Um, but pretty much most of my clients have paid.
Ange Lyons:But, this is only in the jurisdiction of the UK.
Jon Clayton:Right.
Ange Lyons:I've had a client that's based in the Channel Islands and
Ange Lyons:they've not paid me and Thomas Higgins said, oh, we can't help you.
Jon Clayton:Oh, no.
Ange Lyons:know it's annoying, but um, um, but yeah, if you're
Ange Lyons:having any problems not getting paid, I'd say Thomas Higgins legal
Ange Lyons:wise is a good place to start.
Jon Clayton:That sounds good.
Jon Clayton:We also, um, I've got another recommendation for listeners that we
Jon Clayton:did an episode earlier in the year.
Jon Clayton:Um, I can't remember which number, but it was, the guest was Rhonda Jackson
Jon Clayton:and we talked specifically about fee recovery and about how to go about
Jon Clayton:recovering fees if clients hadn't paid.
Jon Clayton:So if you are struggling, um, you might want to, go and check out that
Jon Clayton:podcast episode as well because there's some useful insights in there about
Jon Clayton:specifically about recovering fees from clients that haven't paid and
Jon Clayton:actually some preventative measures you can take, to make sure that they pay
Jon Clayton:in the first place and you don't kind of have to, um, to go down that road.
Jon Clayton:and something else that can be a challenge for freelancers is the social isolation.
Jon Clayton:It can feel quite isolating, especially, you know, if you're
Jon Clayton:working on your own at home.
Jon Clayton:I wondered if we could just talk about that for a moment and to discuss like,
Jon Clayton:if you've got any suggestions for how we can, how we can approach that.
Jon Clayton:Because I've certainly experienced it over the years.
Ange Lyons:Yeah, I say him.
Ange Lyons:It's hard because you are working from home.
Ange Lyons:Unless you engage, I think, in certain communities, you
Ange Lyons:will still be by yourself.
Ange Lyons:And that's, you know, that's, I suppose that's a fact.
Ange Lyons:But if you start engaging with them, as I said before, locally,
Ange Lyons:that's the best place to start.
Ange Lyons:You could even like take yourself down to a local co working space.
Ange Lyons:They're great places for meeting other, most, do you know what they are going
Ange Lyons:to be small businesses there pretty much most of the time because if they're in
Ange Lyons:a full time office they're going to be in their full time office with their
Ange Lyons:colleagues, they're not really going to be in a co working space but, well they
Ange Lyons:might be, but the majority of people in there are people of us that are
Ange Lyons:freelancers, have their own business, I'd say take yourself off to one of those.
Ange Lyons:If you can't, if there's nothing near you and you don't feel quite ready
Ange Lyons:for that, there's online communities.
Ange Lyons:I'm part of the Be In Freelance community.
Ange Lyons:We often have co working sessions on Fridays together.
Ange Lyons:And then there might be an in person meetup.
Ange Lyons:There's also, I know there's a few portals online where you can, um, It's
Ange Lyons:weird because when you, I don't know if people know about this, but when you
Ange Lyons:co work online, you're on a Zoom call in a room with maybe 20 other, could
Ange Lyons:be 5, could be 20 other freelancers, say what you want to achieve during the
Ange Lyons:session, um, and then start working.
Ange Lyons:And, um, I know when I told this, I told this to Emma Jones actually,
Ange Lyons:she's part of Enterprise Nation.
Ange Lyons:Actually, that's another really great organisation for freelancers to check out.
Ange Lyons:They've got lots of lunch and learns on there.
Ange Lyons:Um, so it's Enterprise Nation.
Ange Lyons:So, um, I met Emma Jones, I was telling her about it this year and
Ange Lyons:she was like, co working online?
Ange Lyons:I don't quite understand.
Ange Lyons:I was like, yeah, we're just literally on a Zoom call and we're working and
Ange Lyons:then we check in with each other about 45 minutes in and then we'll have a chat
Ange Lyons:and then go back and work and then, you know, Do another session 45 minutes and
Ange Lyons:then be off on our days, but you've made a connection there with people online
Ange Lyons:Another one that another Organization I work with is freelancer magazine
Ange Lyons:and we do online co worker sessions.
Ange Lyons:I'm a host of one of them we always like make people feel
Ange Lyons:welcome and Everyone's just on a, you know, just on the same level.
Ange Lyons:Everyone's just like working by themselves.
Ange Lyons:No one's got no, you know, no frontal ears and graces.
Ange Lyons:And do you know what the best thing out of that is like collaboration.
Ange Lyons:Someone might find out that somebody else is down the road for them and
Ange Lyons:they won't meet up for a coffee.
Ange Lyons:It's so, it does happen.
Ange Lyons:Somebody might say, oh, I need a copywriter.
Ange Lyons:Oh, I know that copywriter's in that group.
Ange Lyons:Let me pass on these details.
Ange Lyons:So it's just, it's, you know, Again, that networking of just turning up and
Ange Lyons:I've had freelancers come after the session and said, Oh my gosh, I didn't
Ange Lyons:realise it was going to be like that.
Ange Lyons:Thank you so much.
Ange Lyons:And it's just, I know that's the one thing about meeting people
Ange Lyons:is that some people just feel quite scared or nervous about it.
Ange Lyons:Um, I try to welcome everybody.
Ange Lyons:Well, I do try to welcome them.
Ange Lyons:I do welcome everybody.
Ange Lyons:Um, But, pretty much everyone's in the same boat, so don't worry about it,
Ange Lyons:don't, try not to overthink it too much.
Ange Lyons:Just come and say hi, and if that's all you say, that's good.
Ange Lyons:If you just want to say hi, just say hi to somebody, um, but you're
Ange Lyons:starting, and then you'll build on that.
Ange Lyons:Um, what else around, loneliness, do you know what I offer, um, um,
Ange Lyons:sometimes I offer Zoom cuppers.
Ange Lyons:Um, and that's free, just if someone wants to come and say hello to me.
Ange Lyons:I've got it on um, um, on my, on my Moxie site.
Ange Lyons:I've built that in.
Ange Lyons:So people can book in um, 15 minutes just to have a Zoom cuppa, um.
Jon Clayton:Oh, that's nice.
Ange Lyons:It's just sometimes you just, if you're by yourself, you just
Ange Lyons:might wanna chat, 15 minutes, just chat.
Ange Lyons:And then go about your day.
Jon Clayton:Well, I think otherwise you can end up sort of stuck in your own head.
Jon Clayton:And, um, I think that's the thing, isn't it?
Jon Clayton:That sometimes just having the opportunity to just have a quick chat with somebody
Jon Clayton:and sort of get out of your own head and maybe bounce a couple of ideas
Jon Clayton:around and it can be really, really
Jon Clayton:helpful.
Jon Clayton:Remember, don't forget to join the wait list for our membership community,
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Ange Lyons:And, um, I know there's, um, other groups that are, oh gosh, which one?
Ange Lyons:Um, Bonnie, she does.
Ange Lyons:Um, she, she doesn't really advertise it as much, but it's there if you want it.
Ange Lyons:There's, she's a copywriter and she set up, um, zoom groups for,
Ange Lyons:um, I think it's called bombs.
Ange Lyons:Bonnie Bonds.
Ange Lyons:Pos , hard to say.
Ange Lyons:Bugs Pubs.
Ange Lyons:And they're, um, set by the Pomodoro timer.
Ange Lyons:So we do actually work on a timer and do work together.
Ange Lyons:And then again, you meet people in those groups, so you don't
Ange Lyons:even need to leave your home or your office or wherever you are.
Ange Lyons:You can meet them, um, online.
Jon Clayton:That's a good thing actually that, um, I mean particularly the online
Jon Clayton:co working thing that we might be a lot of listeners thinking like what like
Jon Clayton:you just You just meet on zoom and then you go off and do your own work and
Jon Clayton:like, it's a bit strange, you know, you might not kind of get the head around
Jon Clayton:it, but it does really work really well.
Jon Clayton:As you say, there is the opportunity to connect with people, but also it's, um, if
Jon Clayton:you struggle with Getting round to doing things or maybe if there's a task that you
Jon Clayton:want to work on your business for an hour or so and you've been procrastinating and
Jon Clayton:getting interrupted when that's scheduled on your calendar and it's like I'm going
Jon Clayton:to that co working session and I'm going to work on that thing that I've not been
Jon Clayton:getting around to doing it's a great way to help keep you accountable and to
Jon Clayton:get things done and even that the simple thing of just turning your camera on and
Jon Clayton:being part of a zoom room and just saying.
Jon Clayton:I'm going to work on this thing.
Jon Clayton:See you in an hour and a half.
Jon Clayton:uh, it can really help get things done.
Ange Lyons:Yeah.
Ange Lyons:Definitely.
Ange Lyons:Definitely.
Ange Lyons:Um, and as you said, it's the accountability.
Ange Lyons:And when I do my sessions, I always say to people, put it in the chat if you
Ange Lyons:want me to check in on you, because I don't want to put anyone on the spot.
Ange Lyons:But I always say, so if you want accountability.
Ange Lyons:Put it in the chat.
Ange Lyons:And I always say to them, and don't go on LinkedIn, or Instagram
Ange Lyons:and start looking at cute cats.
Ange Lyons:Um, we're here to work
Jon Clayton:Do, do go on LinkedIn to market your business
Jon Clayton:effectively, but not right now.
Ange Lyons:but not right now.
Ange Lyons:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Jon Clayton:Do it later.
Ange Lyons:Do it later.
Ange Lyons:If or if that's, or if that's what you wanna use the session for.
Ange Lyons:'cause I know some people have used the session to update their websites.
Ange Lyons:They do their own Mark.
Ange Lyons:Actually, that is a really good point.
Ange Lyons:It's a lot of people, a lot of freelancers come to that
Ange Lyons:session and this is their time.
Ange Lyons:They've blocked out to actually do their marketing on their business.
Ange Lyons:So it's either updating their website, writing that, starting
Ange Lyons:that blog they want to write.
Ange Lyons:I know tomorrow I'm going to join one because I've got my newsletter to write.
Ange Lyons:So I'm going to sit down in that session and write my newsletter.
Ange Lyons:Um, and if it is going on LinkedIn, I'm not going to, um, go in and go in and,
Ange Lyons:you know, spend whatever you need to do.
Ange Lyons:Whatever your time limit is on LinkedIn and do your marketing on there.
Ange Lyons:Connect with some people, comment on some posts.
Jon Clayton:That's a great idea.
Jon Clayton:We touched upon the fact that freelancers are often juggling lots of different
Jon Clayton:things and they may be trying to kind of wear many different hats.
Jon Clayton:They might be juggling client projects and the admin side of their business.
Jon Clayton:Have you got any thoughts on how freelancers can try and manage their
Jon Clayton:time more effectively to try and Stay on top of those creative tasks
Jon Clayton:that they might be working on as well as those necessary business
Jon Clayton:tasks that might not light their fire
Ange Lyons:Oh gosh, it's so hard.
Ange Lyons:It's so hard.
Ange Lyons:It's really hard because I, I think I've watched a meme of like
Ange Lyons:somebody putting on a different hat and it was like, marketing,
Ange Lyons:HR, um, actually doing the work.
Ange Lyons:You know, finance operator.
Ange Lyons:Um, what I do, um, I don't know if you can see it, but I've got various things.
Ange Lyons:I have a wall planner.
Ange Lyons:I My time is there, but I know what's coming in the day.
Ange Lyons:I have a pad that I mark things out on, and I always have a post
Ange Lyons:it note that stays the same.
Ange Lyons:It says, do one thing today, and then I write down what that
Ange Lyons:one thing is going to be today.
Ange Lyons:If I've got to do that one thing, because we have loads of lists,
Ange Lyons:but my one thing that I have to do today, I make that in bold.
Ange Lyons:I'm like, do that one thing.
Ange Lyons:But time wise, if I know that I'm Got a big project or I need to focus.
Ange Lyons:I use Pomodoro timers quite a lot.
Ange Lyons:Um, I also listen to podcasts while I'm working and I know that podcast
Ange Lyons:might last, I don't know, half an hour.
Ange Lyons:Then I'll get up, go for a walk, go for a cup of tea, come
Ange Lyons:back and then I'll work again.
Ange Lyons:Um, I'll time some music, anything and everything, a little bit of time,
Ange Lyons:around time, um, I have a, oh my gosh, you think I must be like crazy, I've
Ange Lyons:got lots of bits of paper on, I have this too, I have a time block where I
Ange Lyons:put things in an hour, what I've got to do for that day, um, that really
Ange Lyons:helps, because that really, so I have a weekly planning sheet and it goes
Ange Lyons:from 6 o'clock to 11 o'clock at night.
Ange Lyons:I don't, obviously don't do it that early and that late, not often anyway.
Ange Lyons:Um, and then I will block out what is happening in that hour.
Ange Lyons:And then it actually breaks down your time of what you've actually done.
Ange Lyons:Um, but that's a, that's more of a, uh, I suppose a to do list.
Ange Lyons:visual for me to try and get those things done in that hour,
Ange Lyons:um, or in that time space.
Ange Lyons:I do use the CRM system that I've got, Moxi.
Ange Lyons:It's got a timer on it so every time I click the project that I'm
Ange Lyons:working on, the timer will start.
Ange Lyons:Not that I charge a client per hour, um, it's more so to know how
Ange Lyons:long I've spent on that project.
Jon Clayton:Useful for your benefit.
Jon Clayton:You can look back and
Ange Lyons:And then you can Exactly.
Ange Lyons:And then you can even build that into your new contracts or your new, um, pricing
Ange Lyons:because then you think, Oh gosh, actually that did take me a bit longer than, than
Ange Lyons:I expected or it was a little bit less.
Ange Lyons:Um, so it works both ways.
Ange Lyons:Um, Oh gosh, I try and not to look at my phone.
Ange Lyons:I really try hard, but it's very hard.
Ange Lyons:Um, I know people use an app called forest, um, and that actually blocks
Ange Lyons:out your phone from any messages and I've turned off all notifications
Ange Lyons:on social media on my phone.
Jon Clayton:Oh yeah, that's a good idea or you could use the Aeroplane mode you
Jon Clayton:just press that button as if you're going on a flight and it just turns off the
Ange Lyons:turns off.
Ange Lyons:Perfect.
Ange Lyons:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:yeah, I've I think I've got two options The notifications
Jon Clayton:turned off on mine as well.
Jon Clayton:Although I think that was kind of accidental But actually i've quite enjoyed
Ange Lyons:left it.
Ange Lyons:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, yeah I think I changed some settings somehow and it's just
Jon Clayton:ended up turning them off and uh, I've left it that way and I quite like it.
Jon Clayton:So
Ange Lyons:yeah, I did that on holiday about, I think about three years ago.
Ange Lyons:I turned off all my own social media notifications.
Ange Lyons:I've not turned it back on.
Jon Clayton:Yeah
Ange Lyons:So I have to go into the app to have a look at it.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, well, you can, you can be a bit more, you can make a conscious
Jon Clayton:decision if and when you choose to do that, rather than it sort of controlling
Jon Clayton:you and pinging up and distracting you.
Jon Clayton:Cause those distractions can really derail your day for sure.
Jon Clayton:And this has been lovely.
Jon Clayton:I've really enjoyed having the opportunity to chat with you about
Jon Clayton:this because I think it's such an important topic and there's so many, um,
Jon Clayton:particularly in architecture, there's so many that are working on their own.
Jon Clayton:So, to be able to put This content together for them to help them
Jon Clayton:with their freelancing journey, I think it's really valuable.
Jon Clayton:What would be the, the main thing that you'd like everyone to take
Jon Clayton:away from the conversation today?
Ange Lyons:My main thing, I'd say you are not alone.
Ange Lyons:I'd say you're never alone.
Ange Lyons:If you don't want to be alone, you can always find someone out there.
Ange Lyons:And I'm not saying go and join a thousand communities or go
Ange Lyons:and join like big communities.
Ange Lyons:Even if it's one freelancer buddy, a pal that you, that you feel comfortable
Ange Lyons:with, don't work in isolation.
Ange Lyons:I know we've got to do the work.
Ange Lyons:We have our client work to do, but maybe Take, I don't know, a Zoom break or go for
Ange Lyons:a coffee with them somewhere if you can.
Ange Lyons:Um, but don't work alone.
Ange Lyons:Um, you don't need to be there because it is very isolating and it
Ange Lyons:can be quite depressing sometimes when you're by yourself all the time.
Ange Lyons:So don't, don't feel like you're ever alone.
Jon Clayton:that really resonates with me.
Jon Clayton:I, and I also, I feel that this is an opportunity for me to make a shameless
Jon Clayton:plug that the Architecture Business Club will be opening its doors to
Jon Clayton:some new members in early 2025.
Jon Clayton:So, please keep an eye out for that.
Jon Clayton:And I will talk about that in no doubt in future podcast episodes.
Jon Clayton:So, that's going to be something that if you are working in and around
Jon Clayton:architecture that there's going to be a safe space, a community there for you
Jon Clayton:that you are able to join to meet people online and occasionally in person too,
Jon Clayton:where we can work on our businesses together and help and support each other.
Jon Clayton:So that's something that I'm really excited about.
Jon Clayton:The feedback from the founding members so far has been absolutely
Jon Clayton:incredible, so I'm looking forward to seeing where that goes in 2025.
Ange Lyons:Oh, such a great idea.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, I think so.
Jon Clayton:Andrew, was there anything else that you wanted to add that
Jon Clayton:we haven't covered already?
Ange Lyons:Oh my gosh, what else have we not covered?
Ange Lyons:Um, I can't think of anything else.
Ange Lyons:Um, do you know what?
Ange Lyons:I think Going back, actually, if you want to ask, I'll start again.
Ange Lyons:Going back to the first few questions and conversations at the
Ange Lyons:top when we're thinking of creative ways for marketing yourself, um,
Ange Lyons:effectively, I'd say newsletters.
Ange Lyons:I've just, well, I've been using MyLib newsletter for the last couple
Ange Lyons:of years and it's, um, I think it's so underutilized, a form of marketing
Ange Lyons:that people forget it's there and you can set newsletters up for free.
Ange Lyons:Um, there's, uh, there's MailChimp, there's MailerLite, there's Qt.
Ange Lyons:I'm not, you know, I'm not advocating any of those or promoting any of those.
Ange Lyons:I'm just saying that they're out there and starter packs for them are free.
Ange Lyons:Um, it's, what's the word?
Ange Lyons:It's an easy way for you to create content that you want to be heard for and it's
Ange Lyons:not, It cuts through, I suppose, some of the noise on social media because
Ange Lyons:you're going directly into their inbox.
Ange Lyons:Don't, I know there's a lot of email marketers out there
Ange Lyons:that send emails every day.
Ange Lyons:I normally unsubscribe from those, um, because I can't take it every day.
Ange Lyons:But if it's every week or every other week, mine comes out every month, I can
Ange Lyons:just about handle that, you know, and you, and you get to know people and you get
Ange Lyons:to find out what they're about and what they do and how they sell their services.
Ange Lyons:And if people say, Oh, I don't know what to talk about.
Ange Lyons:There's always something to talk about.
Ange Lyons:Start with a story.
Ange Lyons:Tell people about who you are and what you do and tell that story.
Ange Lyons:So I start with my newsletter, um, I'm going to be, my shameless
Ange Lyons:plug now, um, Font Love Friday and other designery things.
Ange Lyons:I always start the beginning of my newsletter with a little bit
Ange Lyons:of a story and then I'll tie in a font or something designery around
Ange Lyons:that, but people always like.
Ange Lyons:People do mail me and say, Oh, that's so cool.
Ange Lyons:Or I didn't know you did that.
Ange Lyons:Or I'm going to tell my friend about that.
Ange Lyons:And then, or I'm going to put this person in touch with that person.
Ange Lyons:I'm like, wow, to see what the power of a newsletter did.
Ange Lyons:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:to mind that I will, again, I usually start with a short
Jon Clayton:story and it's usually just what is like the most interesting thing that
Jon Clayton:I did that week, something like that.
Jon Clayton:So something a little bit personal and then it will sort
Jon Clayton:of segue into something of value.
Jon Clayton:So you shall then just usually share the podcast episode
Jon Clayton:and maybe some key takeaways.
Jon Clayton:And then it will just usually end with.
Jon Clayton:Some kind of call to action.
Jon Clayton:So it might just be to book a chat with me or to tell your friends about
Jon Clayton:the newsletter, you know, see if they want to sign up, or it might be that
Jon Clayton:if I've got a product or a service that we're in the process of launching
Jon Clayton:that you go and click here and learn more or sign up, that sort of thing.
Jon Clayton:So it's pretty simple, really.
Jon Clayton:Um, And it is, you know, it's a good way to kind of stay in touch with people.
Jon Clayton:Cool.
Jon Clayton:So, Angela, there's one other question that I wanted to ask, and
Jon Clayton:it's nothing to do with freelancing.
Jon Clayton:I love to travel and to discover new places, and I was just wondering if you
Jon Clayton:could tell me about one of your favourite places and what you love about it.
Ange Lyons:That's so hard.
Jon Clayton:Yeah, I know, just one, but it can be near or far.
Jon Clayton:It doesn't have to, doesn't have to be somewhere exotic if you don't want to.
Jon Clayton:It could just be the end of the street.
Ange Lyons:That's really hard because I have so many.
Ange Lyons:you know what?
Ange Lyons:It's going to be exotic.
Ange Lyons:It's going to be St.
Ange Lyons:Lucia.
Ange Lyons:And that's where my parents are from.
Ange Lyons:And I went when I was 12 years old for the first time and I was just blown away.
Ange Lyons:First of all, I was blown away by the heat.
Ange Lyons:I got off the plane, I didn't even get off the plane.
Ange Lyons:I was like, what is this heat?
Ange Lyons:And then I got off the plane, met my family and saw the beauty
Ange Lyons:of the land, the sea colour.
Ange Lyons:Um, the people are just so, just warm.
Ange Lyons:Um, there's a rainforest, if you want to go and explore that.
Ange Lyons:There's um, a non active volcano.
Ange Lyons:And um, it's just such a beautiful island.
Ange Lyons:It's so small, it's such a tiny little island.
Ange Lyons:I mean we travel thousands of miles away from England to get there.
Ange Lyons:But you can go around St Lucia in a day.
Ange Lyons:You literally can.
Ange Lyons:You can drive around it in a day, which I have done before.
Ange Lyons:Um, but there's various points where you see different islands, different
Ange Lyons:Caribbean islands, and it's just, it's so green and the sea is aqua
Ange Lyons:blue and I just, I, I've got family there still, um, and I just love it.
Ange Lyons:I just love St Lucia.
Ange Lyons:And I know also Hotel Chocolat.
Ange Lyons:I've got their hotel there.
Ange Lyons:I haven't quite got the budget to go to that yet, but maybe one day.
Ange Lyons:Um, but yeah, I was, um, It was so hard picking St Lucia, but I'd say
Ange Lyons:that has to be the one because it's my um, It's my heritage and my home.
Ange Lyons:Yeah.
Jon Clayton:amazing.
Jon Clayton:It's like we're recording this in December and it's quite kind
Jon Clayton:of dreary and grey outside.
Jon Clayton:And, um, yeah, just thinking about that kind of warm Caribbean
Jon Clayton:sun and the sand and the sea.
Jon Clayton:Oh, yeah.
Ange Lyons:food the fruits, the fish.
Ange Lyons:It's just, oh, the rum.
Jon Clayton:Right.
Jon Clayton:I need to kind of get on the, the travel agent site now
Jon Clayton:and just, uh, get that books.
Jon Clayton:I'm not sure what my wife would say, you know, where's our savings gone?
Jon Clayton:Don't worry.
Jon Clayton:We're going to the Caribbean.
Jon Clayton:The kids and dog will look after themselves.
Jon Clayton:Brilliant.
Jon Clayton:So Ange, um, if people would like to connect with you, where would
Jon Clayton:be the best place to do that?
Ange Lyons:Yeah, sure.
Ange Lyons:Um, LinkedIn, I'd love if they want to connect on LinkedIn,
Ange Lyons:um, more than happy to.
Ange Lyons:If you send me a, if you do connect with me, tell me, um,
Ange Lyons:how you, where you heard me.
Ange Lyons:So tell me about this podcast.
Ange Lyons:Um, and my website is lionscreative.
Ange Lyons:co.
Ange Lyons:uk.
Ange Lyons:Bye.
Ange Lyons:And you can also sign up to my newsletter if you're interested.
Ange Lyons:Um, and that comes out again, I won't bombard you.
Ange Lyons:It's, um, once a month and it's on fonts and designery things and a little bit
Ange Lyons:about me and a little bit of my work.
Ange Lyons:So yeah, those are, I'm also on Instagram and that's ange underscore lions.
Ange Lyons:Um, where I post stories of what I've been up to.
Ange Lyons:Well, I'm going to post this podcast actually in a minute.
Jon Clayton:Ah, I'll
Ange Lyons:Again, perfect marketing just to say if you want to be on
Ange Lyons:podcasts or talk to people or You know, tell people what you've been
Ange Lyons:up to, it's a good place to be.
Jon Clayton:Brilliant.
Jon Clayton:Oh, thanks so much, Ange.
Ange Lyons:Oh, thank you so much John for having me, I've really enjoyed it,
Ange Lyons:really enjoyed our chat and um, it's such a great topic to talk about and
Ange Lyons:um, I'm glad you've highlighted it, so thank you and thank you for having me.
Jon Clayton:You're welcome.
Jon Clayton:Next time I chat with copywriter, Allie Sr, about PR.
Jon Clayton:Thanks so much for listening to this episode of architecture business club.
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Jon Clayton:John Clayton.
Jon Clayton:The best place to connect with me online, though is on LinkedIn.
Jon Clayton:You can find a link to my profile in the show notes.
Jon Clayton:Remember.
Jon Clayton:Running your architecture business.
Jon Clayton:Doesn't have to be hard and you don't need to do it alone.
Jon Clayton:This is architecture business club.