Imagine being a 17-year-old with a $250 investment and the dream of being a successful freelancer. Don’t get me wrong, being a freelancer is not an easy task, and anyone who says otherwise is likely lying – or not successful at freelancing. Over the years, I have built my business from the ground up, learning life and professional lessons along the way. Outside of freelancing, I have used the lessons I have learned and applied them to my tenacity as a lifelong entrepreneur.
There are many different ways that you can approach freelancing in your life and career. I want to share the insight I have gained from being in the industry and prepare you for the challenges you might face and how to overcome them and be successful on your own.
Private Life
Having immigrated from Russia at the age of ten, I witnessed firsthand how a strong work ethic and a personal desire go together with achieving goals. I watched my parents working in careers at the top of the engineering industry in Russia, only to come to America and loading bags of spices on to trucks and selling knives. These tasks were only temporary, though, because my parents worked hard and were quickly back on top. They instilled this work ethic in me – and it has taught me that who you surround yourself with professionally can motivate you, so be careful about who you surround yourself with.
Some of my passions in life have been travelling and my athleticism – namely my experience in the martial arts. I have spent over a decade practicing and studying various martial arts, having fought muay thai, kickboxing, combat sambo, and jiu-jitsu. I learned quickly how to think and react fast, which has provided me with a work ethic that I would not have developed elsewhere. Martial arts have always felt like a game of physical chess – with real consequences.
During my second martial arts competition I ever competed in, I quit with a minute left in the round – this day has haunted me ever since. Since then, I have used this memory to remind myself to set out to complete the job – and I don’t stop until it is finished.
After spending three months in a professional fight camp in Thailand, I brought back the dedication I saw in those fighters who pushed themselves to their limits every day without complaining or quitting. I have applied that to both my personal and professional life ever since.
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I have spent a lot of time traveling in my life, having been to over 40 countries worldwide. Traveling taught me a lot about understanding different people and how to interact in different environments – these skills have allowed me to expand my business worldwide.
Educational Highlights
I pride myself on being an educated professional and freelancer. I currently hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree that show my hard work and perseverance. I received my bachelor’s degree in Management and Employee Relations from Rutgers University. While I studied here, I was a part of the jiu-jitsu club.
I obtained my master’s degree in Integrated Marketing, Marketing Analysis from NYU. While here, I was the president and head instructor for the NYU jiu-jitsu club.
Professional Life and Freelancing
In the role of Founder and CEO of my own company, I work hard and constantly strive to make the process easier for clients every day. For over 20 years, I have been working with businesses of all sizes (start-ups to Fortune 500), helping them with business growth and marketing brands to help them stand out in their industry. In addition to my professional skills in the industry, the Final Step Marketing team consists of designers, developers, research specialists, content writers, and financial analysts.
Final Step Marketing
I started Final Step in 1998 as a tri-state-based event promotion and production company. By the time I had been in business for five years, I started noticing a major problem with the industry – companies primarily sticking to trends and popular tactics of the times, or they were simply copying the efforts of other businesses. This realization drove me to shift my gears and begin offering marketing strategies based on the demographics of the consumer and use these strategies to communicate with my customer’s target audience.
Since I identified that problem back in 2003, I haven’t looked back. I have since grown and expanded my business to meet and exceed the needs of my clients and their brand. I created a full-service marketing and business consulting firm to create an equal opportunity for businesses of all sizes in the industry.
The Primary Offerings of a Marketing and Business Consulting Firm
The marketing industry can mean different things to different people – to me, it means being able to provide my clients with the services and resources they need to increase their brand’s awareness. So, what should marketing firms offer so that their clients can gain better exposure and positive growth?
Design, Development, and Media
The category of design, development, and media go hand-in-hand. Designers and programmers use their skills in this department to provide clients with high-quality and visually appealing websites, engaging content, and media that catches the attention of the client’s target audience. All of these come together to convey exactly what your client’s brand is all about.
Marketing
Marketing can be traditional, but in most circumstances, digital marketing has been trending. Brand marketing is essential to the overall visibility of a business. From social media posts/ads to email campaigns, and more, there is a necessity to ensure that all materials used for marketing convey the right message and help increase your client’s sales and conversion rates.
Consulting
If you want to gain an advantage in the industry, adding consulting to your marketing firm is imperative. The use of statistical and financial professionals performing advanced analysis, research, and creating operational strategies can help optimize a client’s offering and maximize their return on investment (ROI).
Tips and Secrets to Successful Freelancing
My industry is constantly changing and evolving. I can guarantee that everything I learned in grad school was obsolete less than two years after graduating. This realization about the industry led me to educate myself on the latest trends.
With the industry being as challenging as it is, I find that any wisdom I can pass to the next generation of marketing professionals is of great value. I am not giving away secrets to the competition; rather, I am investing in the future of the industry.
1) Here is my rule:
If I have three prospective or current clients reference software or a tool that I am unfamiliar with in less than one month, I begin reading about it; five prospective or current clients reference it in less than one month, and I will make sure I become proficient in it.
2) To be successful, you have to surround yourself with smart people – without thinking you are too smart to learn from anyone.
3) Don’t dismiss any idea too quickly.
4) Consider the past, present, and future trends every time you analyze new ideas.
5) ALWAYS write down your ideas – it doesn’t matter where you are (a bar with your friends/the library) – If you don’t write it down, you will likely forget it.
While these may not be written down in a book just yet, I find that these have gotten me through many situations as a freelancer. I have also learned as a freelancer that while it may seem like a cutthroat industry, there is still a high level of respect amongst professionals. With that morsel of wisdom, I do impart – be kind to one another.
The Challenges And Problems Of Freelancing
Being in business for myself as a freelancer for over 20 years does not come without its share of challenges, problems, and struggles. In all the years that I have done this, I have seen it all – with new things breaching the horizon daily. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t picked out the top three challenges for someone entering this industry to think about.
1) Competition should be the obvious challenge, with new freelancers popping up by the minute. This industry has no barriers for entry – anyone can be a freelancer.
2) When it comes to being the best freelancer you can be, remember it is your word against someone else’s. There is a lack of quality control in the industry, and everyone is claiming to be the best. Ask yourself, who is checking on these credentials? Does this person have the training they say they do? As a professional, I know that the industry is full of well-qualified and extremely underqualified individuals trying to make it – this can be a challenge when you are trying to land a position.
3) Finally, money talks in this industry. There will always be someone else who will do it cheaper than you. The idea is to find the right common ground between yourself and your client. Show them the value you can bring to the table – in many circumstances, those who bid extremely low will have nothing to show.
Motivational
Yes, freelancing can be difficult – difficult to get started in, difficult to gain traction in, and difficult to rise to the top in. I don’t pretend to have all the answers when it comes to freelancing, but what I do know is that it can be a struggle – but don’t let it discourage you. With the right balance of work ethic and knowledge, you too, can excel in the freelancing industry.
Always follow the latest trends – The trends in the industry are constantly changing and evolving. You will find that the trend changes can come out of nowhere and often require freelancers to be quick on their feet. Constantly read up on new trends, especially software and strategies, because clients are likely going to ask about them.
Find a mentor in the industry – Finding a good mentor in the industry can be a great guide through the sometimes murky waters of freelancing. After all, your mentor has gone through the same trials and tribulations you are, having taken the journey themselves.
Make yourself accountable – When you want to be a freelancer, you need to keep a schedule of daily goals. When you keep track of your schedule and daily goals, you can monitor where you are with them. You must hold yourself accountable for meeting these goals and reward yourself when you exceed them.
You Can Be Successful as a Freelancer
Freelancing means different things to different professionals. For some it is nothing more than a “side job,” but for some of us – freelancing is a career choice. I made the choice when I was 17 years old when I made the decision to take the $250 investment I had in my pocket and make it into the business it is today – Final Step Marketing.
I have surrounded myself with individuals who are like-minded, and push me to be a better founder, CEO, and marketing provider. That is my challenge for you – to find the people who make you want to do your best and push you to achieve those goals. As a freelancer, I know the benefits of achieving goals and pushing yourself to achieve greater things – ALWAYS.
