Are you truly running a business?

Are you running a business? Or are you just self-employed?

More than 20 years ago, I quit my last full-time job at a truly batshit design agency.

Most of our clients were tech startups and everything was an emergency and due yesterday. The agency owner brought her baby to work every day and kept him under her desk in a bucket car seat. Most days the mom (my boss) was screaming, which meant the baby was screaming. Like I said, batshit.

I only lasted a few months. I quit with no plan other than to rest and recover.

But then work just started falling into my lap. And before I knew it, I’d been self-employed for 20 years.

Self-employed ≠ entrepreneur

Notice that I said “self-employed.” I wasn’t an entrepreneur or business owner until much more recently.

So what’s the difference?

Self-employment meant: I was doing work and I didn’t have a boss, but I was letting my business happen TO me. I was flailing and fucking around, taking whatever clients came my way, and creating no real systems. No marketing. No control.

Entrepreneurship began when I got intentional and started pulling levers to make things happen in my business.

What makes a business?

After my divorce and the end of a couple long-term retainers, I realized I needed to get serious. That meant finally niching down, creating an actual marketing strategy, and building systems that let me scale beyond trading hours for dollars.

In her new book, Scale Solo, Pia Silva says, “A business without marketing and sales is just a job.”

I’d add that it’s a job without consistent income.

It starts with your brand

Marketing and sales don’t work without a strong brand and clear messaging underneath them.

Luckily I’m a web designer, so I was able to create a professional website for myself that truly represents me. Having that strong online presence gives me the confidence to play big and own my expertise.

It’s hard to position yourself as a legit business and charge what you’re worth when your website screams “amateur” or “afterthought.”

Or “self-employed” instead of “business owner.”

Also, not for nothing—your website isn’t just how others see you—it shapes how you see yourself. When you’re proud of how you're presenting yourself online, you naturally show up with more authority and conviction.

One of my clients emailed me a few months after launching her new brand:

“Two new clients booked with me yesterday using my new project pricing, and I’m commanding a much higher rate now. I also cemented a partnership — and they already connected me with my first client.”

That’s what happens when how you show up online matches the quality of your work.

That’s the work I do.

I start every project with a 90-minute Branding Roadmap where we nail your positioning and messaging. Then I write the copy and design the site together, so every word is working to attract the right clients.

Copywriting is included in every package. Because a great-looking site that doesn’t connect with your ideal clients won’t get you the business you want.

Goodies Just For You

WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s interview on The Daily. They get into rage and what’s underneath rage, why she thought it was important to include sexual violence in her new film The Bride, and whether Secretary was a feminist film or not. And what is a feminist film anyway? Also admiration vs envy vs competition. So much. Highly recommend. And I can’t wait to see The Bride. The trailer is sexy and exhilarating.

WHAT I’M BAKING: This is a little early, but Passover is coming up and that means it’s time for Coconut Macaroons. If you’ve only had Manischewitz macaroons, you haven’t really been living. Try these. And do not skip the chocolate or flaky salt. You’re welcome.

WHO I’M ADMIRING: Could someone please hire me for a project that requires custom illustration? Because I’m dying to work with the very talented illustrator Mackenzie Yates. In the meantime, I’ll need to make do with spreading the word about her so that hopefully one of you will work with her and I can live vicariously through you. Follow her on Instagram and fall in love.