Business Side of Design: Talent Gets You Hired — This Keeps You Booked.

The 80/20 Truth: Design talent might get you hired once… but it’s the other 80% that keeps you booked.

In this episode we talk about the part of freelancing nobody posts about: boundaries, client communication, systems, confidence — and even that thing I call “email apnea” (when your inbox makes you hold your breath like it’s about to ruin your day).

You’ll leave with one practical takeaway: five non-negotiables for how you work, so clients don’t run your life.

Full show notes (and steal the non-negotiables list)

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Because design is only 20%… the rest is life.
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Transcript

Welcome to Beyond Design

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Welcome. I'm Nalette, a graphic designer for over 25 years, wanting to show you that being a freelancer is not that difficult. It's only small things done right consistently. So welcome to Beyond Design Podcast. There was a time in my life where I honestly thought if I just became better at design, everything else would just fall into place. I'll have more clients, more money, more respect, more ease. And listen, I did become better at design. I worked hard. I improved. I learned. But I also had seasons where I was exhausted, still stressed, still doing work that didn't feel worth it, still getting messages at 9 pm in the evenings, like hi, just a quick one, and my stomach would drop. Because you know that feeling. It's never just quick. There's a thing they call email apnea. Then I have to read it to you. It's almost like sleep apnea where you stop breathing in the middle of the night. Now email apnea is a condition where people unconsciously hold their breath or breathe shallowly while checking emails, text, or using digital devices. You stop breathing while checking your email or texts. And that's sometimes how we as creators feel when we check just a quick message at 9 in the evening. And that feeling, oh that so today we're talking about something that can feel a little uncomfortable. But it's also incredibly freeing. It's the 80-20 truth of freelancing. Design is about 20%. The rest is everything nobody boasts about and you do not learn in design school. Boundaries, communication, systems, confidence, money conversations, client expectations and your energy. And I want you to hear this very clearly, please. If you're struggling, it doesn't mean you're not talented. It usually means you're missing some of the 80%. And that is fixable. Okay, so just picture this and you will realize I'm sure. You're in your studio, you're deep, deep, deep in design. And I mean really deep, you kind of lose yourself in this creative space. And then your phone lights up. Oh WhatsApp from a client. Hi Nalette, sorry to bother, can you just quickly? And it's not quickly. It's never quickly. It's a whole new request. And it's usually at the end of the project, with a deadline that kind of only exists in the client's head. I would stare at my phone thinking, do I reply now and lose my whole afternoon, or do I wait and then feel guilty? That moment, that moment is not a design problem. That is an 80% problem. Because what keeps you booked and respected isn't only the work you deliver, it's the way you lead. It's the way you communicate. It's what you allow. It's how you hold your time. And nobody teaches us this in design school. They teach you kerning, they don't teach you boundaries. They teach you color theory, they don't teach you how to say, no problem, that's an additional fee. Here's the big thing that I've learned. Most clients don't want to control you. They want to feel safe. And if you don't create the structure, they definitely will. Because they're human. Humans look for certainty. So if you're not clear, they become pushy. If you don't have a process, they will change their mind. If you don't set boundaries, they will test yours. If you don't explain what you're doing, they assume you're just making things pretty. And then you start resenting them. And now the relationship is just messy. And the sad part is so many designers think the answer is to work harder, design better, more hours, more revisions, more pleasing. But the answer is often the opposite. The answer is to get clear, then get firm, then keep calm. Because clarity is kindness. And boundaries. Boundaries are not a personality flaw. Boundaries are the frame around your creativity. Now the 8020 breakdown, let me explain this a little bit more. Let me say it like this. Your design talent might get you a client once, but the 80% is what makes them come back. Refer you, respect you, pay you on time, and trust you. And this 80%, what does it look like? What does it entail? It's communication. Not over explaining, not disappearing, just being clear. It's boundaries. When you work, how you work, how you give feedback, what urgent cost, which means a client needs to plan on their side as well. It's your systems, a repeatable way of doing things. So you do not have to reinvent the wheel for every job. And confidence. Not loud confidence, quiet confidence. The kind that shows in your emails. The kind that doesn't apologize for existing. And yes, confidence is a practice. It's built. It's definitely not born. I want to tell you something I wish someone told me earlier. When I started, I was so grateful for work. I loved everything coming my way. I would accept almost anything, any deadline, any behavior. I didn't fault anything. And I told myself it's fine, I'm building. But what I didn't realize is I was training people how to treat me. Every time you answer after hours, you teach them that you're available. Every time you say yes to extra work for free, you teach them that your time is flexible. Every time you deliver without a clear process, you teach them the work is magic, not strategy. And then one day you wake up and you feel like you have a job you didn't apply for. You're the designer, the accountant, the project manager, the therapist, the emergency department, and you're tired. If you're listening and you feel tired in your chest, please listen when I'm saying this with all my heart. You are not failing. You're just ready for a new way. I heard today, what you don't change, you choose. So let's choose a new way. So here's what changed everything for me back then. And it was definitely not overnight. It was slowly, and I started choosing a few rules for myself. Not a whole new personality, because if you know me, I'm not harsh and I do not like conflict. But here are a few rules I could stick to. And those rules became my non-negotiables. And when I lived by them, clients felt safer, projects felt smoother, I felt more in control, my creativity came back because I wasn't constantly bracing fight or flight. See you know that bracing feeling. You're waiting for the next message, brace, your next change, brace, the next sorry but brace. Non-negotiables take you out of that nervous system state, that bracing state. They bring you back to your body, back to your rhythm, back to you, back to yourself, back to your talent, back to your ability to just be creative and enjoy it. So let's do this together. If you're at your desk, open a note. Here are some examples. You can steal mine and tweak them and see if they work for you. Non-negotiable number one, my working hours. I reply to messages between this time and this time, Mondays to Fridays. That's it. No essay, just that. Non-negotiable number two, my feedback rules. I accept feedback in one place only, and that's usually email. I do get spill over with WhatsApp, it depends on the generational differences we have. So you have to be mindful to that as well. Some people prefer email, some people will work your notion, and some people will do a quick WhatsApp. But on WhatsApp, take a screenshot and put it somewhere safe in your client folder so that you have reference to it. Because voice notes are how projects get messy. So try and get it in writing. Non negotiable number three revision limits. This package includes round of revisions X and after that you will be billed. That's one sentence that will change your life. Non negotiable payment boundary. I start work once the deposit is paid. Not when they promise, not when they just need a few days. When it's paid. Then you get your work. Non negotiable number five. The process is the process. I don't skip steps. No rushing straight to design without a proper brief. Because you know what happens when you skip the brief? You end up doing the brief later. In the revisions for free with stress. Now your five non-negotiables might look different. Maybe one of yours is I don't take calls without an agenda, or I don't do weekend deadlines unless it's a rush fee, or I don't take on projects that need me to be available 24-7. Make it yours, but keep it simple. And non-negotiable is a sentence you can actually live by. After this episode, make one decision. Decide your working hours, even if it's just for now. Choose something realistic, something your body and your rhythm can handle. Number two, one message template. Send this to one client today or save it for your onboarding email. You can use it, I'll put it in the show notes. Something like hi, just a quick note. To keep project smooth, I reply to messages between this time and this time. If anything is urgent, pop it into the subject line and I'll prioritize it. See simple, kind, clear, professional. Number three, one small action today. Write your five non-negotiables, put them up somewhere visible and make them your own. And then once you're happy with them and they work for you, put them into your onboarding document or in your proposal. Because if they stay in your head only, you'll forget them when you feel the pressure. I want to end with this. If you've been feeling like I'm talented, but why does this still feel so hard? Please, please, please hear me. It's not because you're not good enough. It's because freelancing isn't only design. It's leadership, and leadership can be learned little by little, one boundary, one clear email, one system at a time. And if you want to share, I would genuinely love to know. What are your five non-negotiables? Let me know. I would love, love to know. Even if it's messy and even if it's just one, you have to find what works for you. Thanks for being here. You're definitely not alone in this beautiful freelance life we live. And if being part of a community is something that will work for you, please go to the show notes and get onto the wait list for the freelance to flourish, business principles for creatives, membership that I'm building at the moment. It's almost like a Pilates membership where you go monthly to exercise, but this is for your creativity and your freelance life and a daily place where you can log into, ask questions, get feedback, share work you're happy about, or share work where you need feedback in a safe space. It will also have my freelance flourish business course where I teach you from A to Z how to run a freelance business, absolutely everything in one space. A massive fee. You can cancel anytime. It's going to be fun, it's going to be safe, and I can't wait to have you there. So in the show notes, I will put the link to the wait list. So thank you again for being here. It's wonderful talking to you, and I will talk to you again soon. Bye.