For digital media professionals, landing big contracts can be a double-edged sword. Sure, having a household brand in your portfolio can be a huge resume booster, and the steady paycheck doesn’t hurt, either. But working on a big account can get monotonous after a while.
In order to stay sane and keep their creative juices flowing, many creatives like to freelance for smaller brands on the side. But operating as a freelancer comes with its own set of challenges, like seeking out new business and maintaining client relationships on top of working a nine-to-five job.
After four years of freelancing on top of her full-time job as a media director, India Lott decided to start a business that would bridge the gap between small brands — who can't necessarily afford full-time marketers — and full-time marketers looking for freelance work on the side. The resulting firm — Gray Sole Media — launched in March with a staff of three part-time media professionals and is already bringing on two additional employees.
Lott (pictured right) estimates that her typical consultant spends between 15 and 20 hours a week handling the company’s accounts, depending on the project. Each consultant is hand-picked by Lott to match the specific needs of her clients, with specialties ranging from PHP development to pay-per-click advertising.
“I’m looking to bring on people who are specialized in just one area, not necessarily people who have experience in different spaces,” said Lott.
By hiring seasoned experts as part-timers, she wants to ensure that the services delivered are of the same quality clients would expect from a major media firm — even if the contracts are smaller. Though she has long experience in running digital media campaigns, Gray Sole Media is Lott’s first foray into starting a business.
“It’s been extremely exciting, but it’s also challenging,” said Lott. “If clients are emailing me on the weekends, or late at night, I’m emailing them back. I’m reaching out to different people on the weekends when I’m out and about…. I work non-stop, but it is the most fulfilling thing that I’ve done up to this point.”
In just a couple of short months, the company has already brought on a number of clients, including a law firm, a nonprofit and several fitness companies. In recruiting new consultants, she has found this diversity in clients to be a major selling point.
“It’s a great way to build your portfolio and get some really great clients in there,” said Lott. “You have the opportunity to work with a lot of clients in a lot of different areas.”
Images via Shutterstock and Gray Sole Media.
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