Freelance Heroes

Thanks Daniel! I liked it, but still need to come up with some other concepts. I don't using my voice, so it is going to be difficult to create that

Holly: Thanks! Yes, Notting Hill

Wow Daniel!!!

That was simply GREAT!

I was thinking of how to tell my students about all these things you mention in this Storyline presentation, taking ideas from here and there and really you have summed up what I think is key for those who are starting designing e-learning courses and for those -like me- who sometimes find difficulties in building scenarios and real cases.

I would like to ask you: can I share the way you put it with my students?

As for my students, I have to say that in the last 5-hour-session they were 'engaged with Engage'. Really, they saw how easy was to have an interactive content enriched with pictures, but... next class I'll focus on the need of making it engaging for learners... and here's where some stuff like what you've shared is suitable.

Well, thanks again, Daniel, nice job!

Belen

Thanks, Belen, and of course, feel free to share the presentation. In fact, feel free to use the ideas contained therein as your own.

Scenarios are great for creating the tension (or friction) that so important to keeping people's attention.

Thanks Daniel, I'll have to do some translation, but, since I've seen the video with Yoda saying "Don't try, do it", I feel more like trying things you people post instead of just watching passively.

I specially need to work in building scenarios, so I'm devoting time to this.

Belen

Are any of the freelance heroes at DevLearn?  If so, would love to meet up for drink or dinner!

Jeanne

I so wish I could be there. Maybe those Freelancin' Heroes who are there could do a top 10 E-learnin/Freelancin' insights gleaned from DevLearn?

Who knows maybe a group of us Articulate Freelancers could present...Hope you are having a great time.

That's a good idea Daniel - what kind of topics would you envision that we could collaborate on as freelancers at a conference? Maybe  a "how to work with freelancers" session comes to mind.

Yes, Daniel - great idea!  And I LOVE Holly's topic idea.  This was something I struggled with when I first started doing it as a learning manager, I would have really appreciated a conference session on something like that. 

Hi, Sheila and Holly:

I'd be willing to part of such a panel. (I'm based outside of Boulder, CO.)  And I'll keep track of the most popular ideas we put down here.

"How to work with your freelancers" -- that sounds like a good topic. Some other ideas, just to get people thinking:

--what you absolutely need to know (maybe like knowledge-wise) before you go out on your own

--marketing yourself as an elearning freelancer

--top 10 signs your training department needs to hire a freelancer

--tips from freelancers on how to make your training department more efficient (not sure about this one, but it's an idea. I see tons of waste in the training departments I do work for.)

What other ideas do people have?

To further flesh out the how to work with freelancers idea. I was thinking that we could help orgs that are not sure when to engage a freelancer and how to engage a freelancer. Often times we are seen as a pair of hands (build widget x), when really we are strategic partners. It could be a bit more granular and I think since many of struggle with process, things that support that seem like natural items:

• What is a SME? Who makes a good SME? What are the key things that SMEs bring to the table
• Contracting a freelancer, contractor or small vendor
• Quality Assurance
• Building a partnership with your freelancer
• Cost is not the only factor - how to figure out a fair price for what you want (dangerous territory I know) 
• Etc

I would enjoy putting together a proposal of this nature for next dev learn - who's up for that with me?

I'm up for it.

I'm in (if you'll have me)!

I think another thing I'd add to Holly's list (or maybe it's kind of an overarching theme) is process.  A lot of the clients I've worked with don't really have a process in place for working with their vendors/contractors, and it makes things more difficult and less efficient for everyone.

Hey everyone,

I just noticed you can follow Devlearn events/resources here: http://www.elearningguild.com/DevLearn/content/2582/?utm_campaign=dl12  
Heading over to check it out. - looks like this is the page to goto http://devlearn.hashcaster.com

What advice can anyone give me on the transition from a corporate gig into the freelance world. I've spent the last 5 years as an Instructional Designer with most of my focus on elearning and video production. Prior to that I was a classroom instructor for 8 years. My true strength is video and mixed media production. 

I'm starting to ponder the possibility of leaving the relative safety and security of the corporate world for the freelance route. I believe that I have niche that I can really exploit given the experience in my background (very technical in nature). 

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has gone this route. Did you make the leap all at once or did you take on side work and eventually go full time?  

Bruce, as always you are a wealth of information and I'd like to thank you for the information and guidance that you are always willing and eager to share. 

Rich:

I eased my way into freelancing (I sub-contracted for a company for two years while keeping my day job). My piece of advise is rather prosaic: make sure you have money saved up (maybe six or so months of living expenses), so you can 1. stay afloat as you build your business and 2. take on jobs that you find interesting.

Freelancing is a mindset. If you are pretty sure you're capable of being better than most IDs; able to be patient while things develop; and willing to put in the extra hours freelancers simply have to put in (marketing, blogging, maintaining your website, networking, etc.), you'll probably do fine.

Rich –          

I’d say read through the many, many pages of this thread, it touches on lots of things related to freelancing, including how some of us got started.  =)   You might also check out this thread (which was a precursor to the Freelance Heroes one).

For what it’s worth:  I think being self employed (freelancing) is *more* secure than a lot of corporate jobs, especially once you get established.  Most people work for multiple clients, often in multiple industries, so you’re not at the mercy of one company that might experience difficulties.  You control, to some extent, how much work you take on, how much you charge, etc.  Of course, the income isn’t always very steady so in that sense it’s very different from having a regular paycheck, but on the whole I worry a lot less as an independent about being “out of a job” or having no income, than I did in my last few years in corporate.   

However you decide to go about it, good luck!

Holly and Sheila: So far, here's what's sticking out to me:

General theme: How to successfully engage a freelancer

Topics:

1. What are the indications that you need a freelancer?

2. What does an experienced freelancer offer? (that your typical ID generally doesn't)

3. What is the best workflow/process for working with a freelancer (and maybe a bit on how that differs from an in-house ID/training person) In this section we could talk about quality assurance.

Maybe also talk about freelancer's fees and the unique problems that may arise when you are working a professional out on their own? Let me know what you think. --Daniel

This is what I've been feeling for the last few years. The company I work for supports the financial sector so you can imagine the roller coaster of the last 5 years or so. I quickly recognized that being tied to even a specific sector or industry can be a hindrance. I firmly believe in a diversification of revenue streams and have always had some sort of work on the side beyond my day job. The beauty of learning and training is that the need is relevant to virtually every business and segment. 

I've spent the last couple of years setting myself up to be more financially independent in anticipation of leaving the corporate world and venturing out on my own. Thankfully I have a spouse with great insurance coverage

Rich,

Firstly - no problem, glad you have found some use in my contributions here...

You and Sheila make perceptive statements about diversification, both in terms of revenue stream and knowledge. I am currently creating courses for Food Retailers, Fast Food Industry, Drinks Industry, Global/European Insurance, Hotel Industry, and about to start with Opticians (cross-functional) Speed Reading, and Employability for Post-Graduates.

Overall - it's the best job in the World, because you get to see so many perspectives, all of which, (when you have done a few), begin to offer concepts for other areas - conceptual ways of thinking that people within those industries cannot sometimes see.

This helps you add value every time you talk to someone.

You need to be able to cope with the bad times, and plan for them, however (as I often say to people...), I'd rather be in total control of my own success that at the mercy of someone else's failure.

Good luck - may the road rise up to greet you.

Bruce

Daniel - I missed your first response to the "who's in" - I'll PM you and we can talk off line...could be a good topic idea.

Sheila - I had PM'ed you a little earlier

I just heard that Bruce is now a Super Hero!!  Congratulations!
http://www.articulate.com/blog/introducing-new-articulate-superhero-bruce-graham 

Congrats on your super awesome and well deserved promotion into a Super Hero!   As a fellow lover of Pecha Kucha (I am the city organizer for the Pecha Kucha Nights Des Moines), I appreciated how you integrate this format with eLearning.  I have been teaching workshops to business leaders for the past 2 years on how they can apply this format to presentations, meetings etc.   I've only just started my journey into eLearning (2 months old in this world), so still figuring out how to bring to the screen what I do in facilitated sessions.  I'm working on a project at work to help educate the team members about the different department and functions in an effort to shake up the silos.  I was thinking about proposing the Pecha Kucha format for each department's overview and now after seeing how you have utilized it, I'm definitely going to!  Thanks for your continued insight!