If you're building websites for clients without a clear, repeatable process, it's only a matter of time before things go south in a bad way. Here's my exact process for high ticket web design clients.

Resources Mentioned:

📄 Free Project Process Template:
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/trello-template

🙋🏼‍♂️ Free Client Questionnaire
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/questionnaire

👨🏼‍🎨 Ruttl
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ruttl

Check out the episodes web page!
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/free-web-design-project-management-template/

🏁 If I Started a Web Design Business in 2025
https://youtu.be/glzsMuOPOUU

🔎 Finding Freelance Clients
https://youtu.be/xg1_-0_wvJw?si=S2QaznQVyNM6R90t

🏃🏼‍♂️ Starting a New Web Design Career in your 30s
https://youtu.be/itNQwCYZ0Rg

💻 Check out my free Web Designer Starter Kit course and get your web design journey started on the right foot!
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com

👨🏼‍💻My favorite website builder:
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/showit

🎙️ Want to watch on YouTube?
https://youtube.com/@selfmadewebdesigner

Say hey on insta!
https://www.instagram.com/chrismisterek/

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

#selfmadewebdesigner #webdesign #freelancewebdesigning #webdesigner #webdesignlife #webdesignerlife #uxdesign #uxdesigner #uxuidesigner #careerchange #careeropportunities #freelancewebdesign #inmy30sandlovingit #careerchangeinspiration #selftaughtwebdesigner #selftaughtwebdesign #webdesignmentor #learnwebdesign #wpbeginner #programminglife #programmerslife #codingdays #code #programming #codinglife #newpodcast #techpodcast

In just 7 minutes, I'll share over 10 years of web design expertise, focusing on three core principles: layout, color, and typography. I'll explain the importance of visual hierarchy over the outdated F-pattern, show you the 60-30-10 rule for picking color palettes, and highlight the significance of readability in typography. I'll also provide insights into good conversion practices that go beyond aesthetics to drive user engagement and sales. Stay updated with the ever-evolving web design industry and find out how continuous learning can keep you ahead of the game. Listen now to level up your web design skills.

Watch on the YouTube Channel!

Other helpful resources:
🔎 Finding Freelance Clients
https://youtu.be/xg1_-0_wvJw?si=S2QaznQVyNM6R90t

🏃🏼‍♂️ Starting a New Web Design Career in your 30s
https://youtu.be/itNQwCYZ0Rg

🪜 Web Design Project Process with Mike Janda
https://youtu.be/0-5fmhl5I20

Check out Mike Janda's Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@UCMtMijHO1MVzw_Mjkh7_amw

💻 Check out my free Web Designer Starter Kit course and get your web design journey started on the right foot!
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com

🎙️ Want to listen to the podcast instead of watch?
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-made-web-designer/id1498724299

Say hey on insta!
https://www.instagram.com/chrismisterek/

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

#selfmadewebdesigner #webdesign #freelancewebdesigning #webdesigner #webdesignlife #webdesignerlife #uxdesign #uxdesigner #uxuidesigner #careerchange #careeropportunities #freelancewebdesign #inmy30sandlovingit #careerchangeinspiration #selftaughtwebdesigner #selftaughtwebdesign #webdesignmentor #learnwebdesign #wpbeginner #programminglife #programmerslife #codingdays #code #programming #codinglife #newpodcast #techpodcast

Web Designer Starter Kit Course

The Perfect Client Process

Sign up for the free Web Designer Starter Kit course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Indistractable by Nir Eyal
• Cave Day
• Focusmate

• Brad Hussey’s Udemy Courses
• Freelancing to Freedom
• Marketing Honestly Podcast
• Marketing Honestly Website

• Brad Hussey’s Udemy Courses
• Freelancing to Freedom
• Marketing Honestly

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

Resources:

• Jessica’s Twitter Account
• Jessica’s Website
• Web Design Starter Kit Course

Related Articles:

• How to Build a UX Design Portfolio that Gets Your Hired
• What Does it Mean to Be a UX Designer

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

Resources:

• CSS Tricks
• Codepen.io
• Shop Talk Show
• The Web Designer Starter Kit Course

• Sarah Doody’s website
• UX Portfolio Formula
• How to Get Stakeholders to Buy Into User Research
• Copy Blogger
• UX Writing Communities
• Darrel Vesterfelt from Copyblogger on Pat Flynn’s redesign
• How to Deal with Stubborn Stakeholders

P.S. I am an affiliate for Sarah’s UX Portfolio Formula course. But that’s only because I highly recommend it and know that it will help you a ton in your UX career. Use the link above and it helps me keep running what I do on SMWD.

Anti-Racism Resources:

• The Third Option : a great book by Miles McPherson on how to end Racial Division in America
• White Fragility:  a great book about why it's so tough for  white individuals to have conversations about racism and how to move forward
• The Conscious Kid: A great resource for parents wanting to teach there kids about anti-racism
• The Break Down w/ Shaun King: a great podcast that talks about racism and corruption and how you can help to end it
• 13th: A heart wrenching documentary about racism and how the legal system is stacked against people of color

• How to learn skills to have a freelance side hustle
• What to do when you’re first getting started on Upwork
• How to use Upworks job filter tool to find projects that are perfect for you
• How to write the perfect job proposal on Upwork
• How to tell when a client will be a nightmare to work with
• How to optimize your Upwork profile page for getting hired
• Learn what the client sees when they submit a job on Upwork and how that can help you make better bids

Anti-Racism Resources:

• The Third Option : a great book by Miles McPherson on how to end Racial Division in America
• White Fragility:  a great book about why it's so tough for  white individuals to have conversations about racism and how to move forward
• The Conscious Kid: A great resource for parents wanting to teach there kids about anti-racism
• The Break Down w/ Shaun King: a great podcast that talks about racism and corruption and how you can help to end it
• 13th: A heart wrenching documentary about racism and how the legal system is stacked against people of color

Show Links

• Freelancer
• Upwork

Josh's Resources

• Josh's YouTube Channel
• Josh's Instagram
• Josh's Twitter

• How to create systems that reduce your workload
• How to delegate what you’re doing so you can focus on where you add the most value in your business
• How to create automated workflows in your web design business
• How to increase your prices as a web designer
• How to get recurring revenue as a web designer
• How to start your web design business without any background
• How to hire someone to help you with web design projects
• How to know when it’s time to transition from one season to the next in your web design career

• John Lee Dumas
• Marketing Access Pass (Anthony’s Business)
• Access WP
• Trello
• Active Campaign
• Beaver Builder

• From $500 to $4500 WordPress Websites in No Time At All
• A Simple How to Pricing Guide for Freelance Web Designers
• How to Start a Freelance Web Design Business the Right Way

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

• Ways to tell if a client is going to be a nightmare
• How the Upwork Job Success Score Works
• Ways to get a good Job Success Score on Upwork
• What to do if you lose your Top-Rated status on Upwork
• How to handle a bad client
• How to come back from a discouraging season as a freelance web designer
• How to tell if a clients personality is a good fit for you as a freelance web designer
• How to become a Top-Rated freelancer on Upwork

The Upwork 'Notice' to me 
The reason for this podcast

Upwork's Article on Job Success Scores
How to be a Top Rated Freelancer - support information from Upwork

My Own Advice I Didn't Take that I now Regret (learn from my mistakes)
7 Things Really Bad Freelance Web Design
my article laying out the warning signs of a bad client

How to Sniff Out Nightmare Clients
If you have a hunch that this client won't work for you, you are probably right. 

6 Amazing Project Management Tools for Web Designers
Be diligent and intentional about managing every project you work on.

How to Start A Freelance Web Design Project The Right Way
You can’t have enough questions for a new client when you’re first getting started on a project.

Thomas J Watson Jr's famous quote
“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.”

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

• How to narrow down your niche as a web designer
• How to build a web design business starting from scratch
• This first thing to buy when your web design business starts making money
• How to get recurring revenue from clients
• How to use google reviews to improve your SEO performance
• How to write quality content to build SEO
• The truth behind good SEO for web designers

RapidWebLaunch.com
Patrick Antinozzi’s website company- focusing on his ability to create websites for clients very quickly. 

Weebly
Weebly is a web hosting service, headquartered in San Francisco, and where Patrick got his start in the web design industry... but he doesn't recommend it.

WordPress
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system, referred to within WordPress as Themes.

Elementor
The Elementor Website builder allows WordPress users to create and edit websites by employing the drag and drop technique, with a built-in responsive mode.

How to Get More Google Reviews from Customers
Patrick shares a  CRAZY simple way to gain reviews by simplifying the process for your client. 

Ahrefs
SEO tool that is the industry competitor at the moment. They optimize your content to be discovered through a search engine's organic search results. The benefits are obvious: free, passive traffic to your website, month after month.

Showit 
Chris’ full time job, and an AMAZING web design builder that requires ZERO code.

Patrick’s Social Media
Medium
Behance
Instagram
Blog
Pinterest
YouTube

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks like you find the help they need!

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

• How to set up a schedule that works for your family and your side hustle
• How to figure out what’s really wrong when your partner is frustrated with you and your side hustle
• How to not take things personally but look at disagreements as a puzzle to solve
• How to incorporate your family into your side hustle
• How to arrange your schedule by tasks for maximum efficiency
• How to have tough conversations with your spouse about your side hustle
• How to be a good dad but still work a lot

Thinking Fast and Slow
In the international bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.

Block Calendar Resources
This is how Chris and his family stay organized and clarify priorities during their week. Michael Hyatt’s Ideal Week
Chris Misterek’s Take on the Ideal Week

Showit
Chris’ full time job, and an AMAZING drag and drop web design builder that requires ZERO code. We love them, and we think you'll love them too.

Ideas to involve your kids into the side hustle

• Pick out the design of the stamps used for business
• Talk at dinner about the side hustle projects
• Get their feedback on websites (whether or not you use it, it makes them feel part of the process)
• Work on side hustle next to them while they work on schoolwork
• Talk about budgets and what the side hustle affords the family (and them— i.e.; college funds, or fun family excursions!)
• Make business swag that they would enjoy- holographic hydro flask stickers and color changing stadium cups- which gets them excited to sport the business
• Take them on business errands (I.e.; running to Best Buy or the post office) one on one for quality time
• Participate in job fairs for their class, or bring your dad to school day
   

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

Sarah's Stay at Home Mom Vibes Social Media
Instagram
Facebook

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

• How to get recurring payments from clients you build websites for
• How to niche down your web design services
• How to keep yourself from becoming obsolete as a web designer
• How to figure out what type of clients are willing to pay you what you’re worth
• How to shape your mindset to be confident that you are worth high paying clients
• How to overcome self-doubt as a web designer
• How to have integrity as a web designer

Doublestack.net
How do you go from building $500 WordPress sites to $5,000+ projects while fortifying and stabilizing your business with recurring monthly revenue – and not just for WordPress maintenance? When your clients stop seeing you as a service provider and start seeing you as their path to financial growth you dramatically increase your value. Check out Lee Blue’s website for more information.

Woo Commerce Plug In
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress. Launched on September 27, 2011, the plugin quickly became popular for its simplicity to install and customize and free base product.

Shopify
Ecommerce platform with all the point of sale features you need to start, run, and grow your business.

Wix
Design and build your own website builder. Requires minimal coding expertise, and has loads of themes for purchase.

SquareSpace
Design and build your own website builder. Requires minimal coding expertise, and has loads of themes for purchase.

Lee Blue’s FREE Facebook Group
Building High-Value WordPress Sites

Find Lee Blue
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

You can find the free Starter Kit Course over 1,000 people have began their website journey on at selfmadewebdesigner.com.

• The right way to market yourself as a web designer
• Resources to get started as a web designer no matter what your background
• How to demand higher prices for the services you provide as a web designer

Doublestack.net
How do you go from building $500 WordPress sites to $5,000+ projects while fortifying and stabilizing your business with recurring monthly revenue – and not just for WordPress maintenance? When your clients stop seeing you as a service provider and start seeing you as their path to financial growth you dramatically increase your value. Check out Lee Blue’s website for more information.

Gravity Forms Plug In
Build and publish your WordPress forms in just minutes. No drudgery, just quick and easy form-building. Select your fields, configure your options and easily embed forms on your WordPress-powered site using the built-in tools.

Woo Commerce Plug In
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress. Launched on September 27, 2011, the plugin quickly became popular for its simplicity to install and customize and free base product.

Wix
Design and build your own website builder. Requires minimal coding expertise, and has loads of themes for purchase.

SquareSpace
Design and build your own website builder. Requires minimal coding expertise, and has loads of themes for purchase.

Upwork
Upwork expertly connects professionals and agencies to businesses seeking specialized talent.

Fiverr
Fiverr is an Israeli online marketplace for freelance services. Founded in 2010 and based in Tel Aviv, Israel, the company provides a platform for freelancers to offer services to customers worldwide.

Elementor Plug-In
Elementor is the leading website builder platform for web creators on WordPress, and one of Lee Blue’s first recommendations for new clients.

Beaver Builder
Easily build beautiful, responsive WordPress pages in minutes. Beaver Builder is a drag and drop WordPress Page Builder.

Oxygen Builder
Oxygen Builder is a tool that enables you to build entire WordPress websites. It is not a page builder or a theme, but a hybrid product that enables you to have more control over what you create.

Astra | Wordpress Theme
Astra is fast, fully customizable & beautiful WordPress theme suitable for blog, personal portfolio, business website and WooCommerce storefront.

What is React?
React (also known as React.js or ReactJS) is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It is maintained by Facebook and a community of individual developers and companies. React can be used as a base in the development of single-page or mobile applications.
(Thanks wikipedia)

What is PHP?
PHP is a server side scripting language. that is used to develop Static websites or Dynamic websites or Web applications. PHP stands for Hypertext Pre-processor, that earlier stood for Personal Home Pages. PHP scripts can only be interpreted on a server that has PHP installed.
(Thanks again Wikipedia)

WP Crafter
The Easier Way To Learn WordPress. Courses, affiliate links, blogs, and videos that will help your web design company thrive.

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

• How to market your freelance web design business
• How to avoid nightmare clients
• How to earn the trust of your clients by presenting yourself as the expert
• How to optimize your productivity and only work two to four hours a day
• How to be your own boss
• How to get out of a horrible job
• How to know what to charge for your web design services
• How to set boundaries with your freelance web design clients
• How to learn your own natural rhythms to increase productivity
• How to network your way into a booked calendar

Streamline Design Profit
Erin Flynn’s accelerated step-by-step framework to designing a web design business that attracts great clients, runs smoothly, and allows you to spend time doing what you love (and not admin work or chasing down content).
streamlinedesignprofit.com

Erin Flynn
Erin’s personal website, inspiring us to simple success. She helps service-based creative business owners become more profitable, while slashing their workload and making time for the things that matter.
erinflynn.com
 

Matthew Kimberley
Matthew is mentioned as an ‘early days’ resource for Erin Flynn.

He helps small businesses sell more and sell with sophistication. He also spends a lot of time providing strategic counsel to business owners around the what, when and how of running their companies.
https://matthewkimberley.com/
 

What is Scope Creep?
Scope creep (sometimes known as “requirement creep” or even “feature creep”) refers to how a project’s requirements tend to increase over a project lifecycle, e.g. what once started out as a single deliverable becomes five.

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

• How to create a proposal that wins jobs on UpWork
• How to set boundaries with clients
• How to know if freelancing is right for you
• How to win clients on Upwork with confidence
• How to leave a job that is sucking the life out of you
• How to make it as a freelancer
• How to be a top earner on UpWork
• How to know what to charge your freelance clients

Upwork
Upwork, formerly Elance-oDesk, is a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals connect and collaborate remotely
https://upwork.com/

Morgan Overholt LLC
Morgan media LLC is Morgan’s professions, concierge-level service page. She specializes in design for electronic and print media.
morganoverholt.com

The Smokies
A resource to locals and tourists alike operated and produced by the people who were born in, live in and love the area.
Thesmokies.com

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

• How to freelance in college
• How to be a top-rated freelancer on UpWork
• How to have a side hustle in college
• How to make extra money in college
• How to start a freelance web design side hustle
• How to raise your rates on Upwork
• Tips to getting your profile accepted on UpWork

Upwork
Upwork, formerly Elance-oDesk, is a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals connect and collaborate remotely
https://upwork.com/

WordPress
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system, referred to within WordPress as Themes.
Wordpress.com

Drupal
Drupal is a free and open-source web content management framework written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Drupal.org

Self-Made Web Designer Website
Where I teach people how to become successful web designers. 
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/

Website for  Josh Ahles
http://joshahles.com

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

• Productivity tips to maintain your side hustle
• Creative ways to find new leads and turn them into clients you love
• How to determine if the niche you’ve chosen is the right one as a web designer
• How to know your “why” for your side hustle
• How to stay motivated when things get difficult
• How to take negative feedback
• The difference between “push” marketing and “pull” marketing
• What sets really successful side hustlers apart from those who aren’t successful
• How to take risks as a side hustlers
• How to know when to pivot as a side hustler and find other ways to earn money
• How to use your side hustle to find more freedom in your schedule
• How to know when you’re ready to take your side hustle from part-time to full-time
• How to make sure you don’t get distracted from what you’re really after with your side hustle
• How to keep from burning out with your side hustle

Side Hustle Nation
An amazing blog with tons of resources for anyone looking to start a side-hustle in any field.

Podcast: The Side Hustle Show with Nick Loper

Active Campaign
A great email marketing platform

Optimize.me
A platform built by Brian Johnson to help people become the best versions of themselves.

Podcast: How to Get Prospects By Interviewing Them
Nick interviews Josh Elledge who finds clients by asking them to be on his podcast

The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast
The podcast ran by Josh Elledge

Podcast: Get More Leads for Your Business
Nick interviews Kai Davis who describes how he uses "portfolio reconnaissance" to find prospects to pitch services to.

Kai Davis
The website of Nick's guest

Helen Pritchard
A great Linkedin strategist. She finds clients by connecting with them on LinkedIn.

Side Hustle Nation Book
Nick's book where he talks about different ways to start a sustainable side hustle

Start My Side Hustle
Nick's course where he teaches you how to start a side hustle and make it successful

Productivityist
Mike Vardy's blog and podcast that teaches you how to optimize your productivity.

Asana
A team collaboration platform

Themeforest
A marketplace for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and other CMS themes

Red Bubble
A print on-demand platform that takes the artwork of independent artist and allows people to have products with their artwork

Etsy
An online marketplace for independent shop owners

Printful
On-demand print and embroidery fulfillment

Creative Market
A design marketplace for all forms of media

• How to have the right mindset during crisis as a web designer
• How to budget and pay yourself as a freelance web designer
• How to determine if the niche you’ve chosen is the right one as a web designer
• The importance of a community or network
• How to reach out and support your network despite not being able to grab a coffee
• How to stay productive and mentally healthy while working from home
• How to work at home when your kids school is canceled
• How to pivot your skillset and make sure you don’t become obsolete
• How to grow in your ability as a web designer

World Health Organization | Coronavirus disease 
Advice for the public regarding the new coronavirus outbreak

Book: Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

To Write Love on Her Arms
Non profit organization providing hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.

Article: Hope Will Not Be Cancelled
Blog by Jamie Tworkowski of To Write Love on Her Arms

Creative South Conference  
Creative South is a weekend of creative thinking, collaboration, and exploration. Attendees enjoy workshops, talks focused on process and experience, and meeting old friends as well as making new ones.

Article: Corona Virus: How to Work from Home and Not Go Crazy 
5 tips for getting work done from home despite an unusual environment

Self-Made Web Designer Website
Find my Starter Kit Course Here

Social Media for Chris Misterek
Instagram 
Facebook

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
AND you can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube.  Be sure to rate and give feedback, which helps folks find the help they need!

• How to keep yourself from overpromising
• Surefire ways to know that you can deliver more than what your client wants without having to kill yourself in the process
• How to avoid clients that aren’t worth any amount of money
• How to know what to charge for your freelance web design services
• Good project management practices for your web design business
• How to have clients that love you and can’t help but tell their friends about you
• How to use data to know the perfect price to charge your freelance clients
• How to use gratitude to love freelancing more

Article: How to Start A Freelance Web Design Project the Right Way
Why the most important step in every freelance web design project is the first step.

Article: Web Designers. How to be Confident with What You Charge
Four key ways to bid with confidence.

Brad Hussey
Brad Hussey is a professional web developer who shares real life experience and tips that cover the best way to get started as a freelancer.  He is also one of the most quotable people I follow regarding freelancing... so you should probably look him up.

Article: Six Amazing Project Management Tools for Web Designers
My project management used to consist of a really long email chain. A client would email the details of the project. I’d follow up with questions and responses. Then I’d send them things to review and they’d respond with revisions...Inevitably, I’d miss something along the way making me feel horrible and my clients frustrated.So, I had to figure out systems and tools to keep things clear for me and stress-free for my clients. So, as usual from my pain comes some helpful tips for you.

Clueless at the Work
Book and Podcast by my friend and mentor Anthony Garone.

Podcast Episode: Clueless at the Work
This podcast is Anthony and I talking about career transition and of course, freelance.

Self-Made Web Designer Website
Where I teach people how to become successful web designers. 

Social Media for Chris Misterek
Instagram : @Chrismisterek
Facebook 

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
AND you can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube.  Be sure to rate and give feedback, which helps folks find the help they need!

Power Design Instagram

Historic Agency

• The story of Self-Made Web Designer
• How to get started as a freelance web designer
• What to do when you get frustrated with freelancing
• Tools that can be a lifesaver when you’re just starting out
• How to have success with online platforms like Upwork
• Ways to niche down your freelance services
• A healthy dose of encouragement

Self-Made Web Designer the website
Where I teach people how to become successful web designers. 

Theme Forest
ThemeForest is part of Envato Market. At ThemeForest you can buy and sell HTML templates as well as themes for popular CMS products like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. Items are priced on the complexity, quality and use of the file; the total price also includes a Buyer Fee.

Upwork
Upwork expertly connects professionals and agencies to businesses seeking specialized talent.

OptimizePress
Create landing pages, sales pages, and funnels with their complete marketing suite for WordPress

52 Places to Find Work as a Freelance Web Designer
Check out my blog for the seemingly endless opportunities for freelance web designers.

Indeed
Indeed helps people get jobs.

ShowIt
My full time job!

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

• How to get started with a side-hustle
• Where to find web development jobs online
• Strategies to land the tech job of your dreams
• How to get paid while you’re learning web development
• How to price your freelance services

Learn to Code with Me Website
Laurence Bradford's website

Learn to Code with Me Podcast
If you can't get enough of Laurence Bradford and her infinite wisdom, check out her podcast!

United Conference
My full time job, Showit.co's annual conference, exclusively for photographers. 

Craig's List
Laurence's go-to spot for finding work early on in your career.

Upwork
Upwork expertly connects professionals and agencies to businesses seeking specialized talent.

Learn To Code With Me's Articles
Great content to discover learning strategies and other tips that work as a self-made techy.

28 Ways to Earn a Side Income While Learning How to Code
Laurence Bradford's Ebook on how to turn your tech skills into dollars—even if you’re just starting out.

10 Website Design Pricing Strategies for Freelancers
The basics on how to charge for a website with Hahna Kane Latonick

Self-Made Web Designer Website
Where I teach people how to become successful web designers. 

Social Media for Laurence Bradford
Instagram: @laurencebradford

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

• How to ace the tech interview
• How to network as an introvert
• How to get past your own excuses and start building the life and career you want
• The top things employers look for when hiring a web developer

Clueless At the Work Website
If you want to hear more from the genius that is Anthony Garone, check out his website which is the hub for his book, YouTube Channel and Podcast.

Info Armor
Anthony's full time gig. InfoArmor has worked tirelessly to protect people from identity theft for over a decade.

Make Weird Music 
Anthony's passion project, a successful YouTube channel with some pretty incredible musicians.

Obsolescence
Big word. Use it wisely.

Finish
Give yourself the Gift of Done- a book by Jon Acuff. Game changer for me on motivation.

Podcast: Hustle and Grind with Zuby
Anthony Garone interviews Zuby, an independent rapper, author, speaker, and coach who's gained over 100,000 followers in the past year after years of building confidence and pushing his music on his own, selling 25,000 copies of his CD entirely on his own.

Kapil Gupta Twitter
Coach and guru with a lot of good to say about overcoming your own momentum.

Self-Made Web Designer Website
Where I teach people how to become successful web designers. 

Social Media for Anthony Garone
instagram @makeweirdmusic
Twitter
Facebook 
LinkedIn

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

• The two essential things you need to market your web design business
• Flexibility in new seasons
• How to get traction when you’re first getting started
• How to build trust with your web design clients

DaveyandKrista.com
DaveyandKrista.com, a branding and website design agency who help creative service-based businesses build brands that book.

Brands that Book Podcast
Davey's podcast breaking down how to book business, and sharing the stories of people who do creative business well. 

Till Agency
Davey's latest business venture, an advertising agency that helps businesses scale through social media platforms and in other strategic ways.

Vanessa Kynes Website

Vanessa is an amazing Pinterest marketer that has helped tons of high level clients marketing themselves on the platform.

The Rising Tide Society
Resources to empower the creative economy. The community founded by Davey and Krista Jones.

The Way Back Machine
The Wayback Machine is an initiative of the Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. A little scary for those of us who live online...

Tools of Titans
Tim Ferriss' book that Davey quotes, and I recommend.

The Brands That Book Podcast with ME
If you like hearing Davey and I's sweet sweet chit chat, check out his podcast where he interviews me about how to start as a web designer. 

Self-Made Web Designer Website
Where I teach people how to become successful web designers. 

Social Media for Davey Jones
Instagram : @daveyandkrista
Facebook 
Pinterest
YouTube

You can find the free Starter Kit Course at selfmadewebdesigner.com

Subscribe
You can subscribe to the Self-Made Web Designer podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube. And be sure to rate and comment, which helps folks find the help they need!

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

To be the first to know when the first 5 episodes drop sign up at selfmadewebdesigner.com

The E-Myth Revisited Book

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Predictably Irrational

Markup.io

Will AI take over web design? Should I learn to code? Is there too much competition for me to have a chance?

I answer all those questions as I lay out 5 things I'd do differently if I was starting over with web design in 2025. You get all the juicy details of the mistakes I made along the way and the importance of adapting to changes in the industry, building efficient processes, developing a refined design taste, nurturing real-world relationships, and integrating AI into your workflow. These tips are aimed at helping new web designers set the foundation for a successful career and stand out in a competitive market.

Other helpful videos:
🔎 Finding Freelance Clients
https://youtu.be/xg1_-0_wvJw?si=S2QaznQVyNM6R90t

🏃🏼‍♂️ Starting a New Web Design Career in your 30s
https://youtu.be/itNQwCYZ0Rg

🪜 Web Design Project Process with Mike Janda
https://youtu.be/0-5fmhl5I20

Check out Mike Janda's Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@UCMtMijHO1MVzw_Mjkh7_amw

Checkout the episode web page:
2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/starting-web-design-in-2025/

💻 Check out my free Web Designer Starter Kit course and get your web design journey started on the right foot!
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com

🎙️ Want to listen to the podcast instead of watch?
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-made-web-designer/id1498724299

Say hey on insta!
https://www.instagram.com/chrismisterek/

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

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Episode Resources:

• John's Agency
• Kelly's Agency
• Break Into Web Course

Ultralearning by Scott Young

Places to Learn

1. Codecademy
2. Free Code Camp
3. YouTube
4. Bootcamps
5. Stack Overflow

Episode with Tom Ross on Community

Creative Mornings

Learn what I used to build a freelance web design side hustle that doubled my income in 18 months.

Episode with Anthony Garone

Episode Web Page

• Free Web Designer Starter Kit Course
• Episode Page
• Jesse’s Website
• Jesse’s YouTube Channel
• Adobe XD
• Figma
• Sketch
• Notion
• VS Code
• Vue JS
• Codekit

I'm an affiliate for Josh which means if you buy any of his courses it will help me continue to grow the Self-Made Web Designer podcast.

I'm an affiliate for Josh which means if you buy any of his courses it will help me continue to grow the Self-Made Web Designer podcast.

Previous Show with Josh about Maintenance Packages

• Austin and Monica's Site
• A and M Digital Design Instagram
• A and M Digital Design Facebook

This week I talk about 5 steps to become a better designer as a web developer

Books I mentioned:

• Outliers
• Peak
• The Talent Code

Episode Web Page
 

Web Designer Starter Kit Course

Here are some links to the equipment I use for my podcast and videos. These are affiliate links. Clicking on these will help me keep the channel and podcast running

Camera - Panasonic Lumix G7
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/camera

Lens - Samyang 12mm F2
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lens

Audio Interface - UA Apollo Twin Duo
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/interface

Microphone - Shure SM7B
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/sm7b

Lighting - El Gato Key Light
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/lighting

Recording Software - ecamm
https://selfmadewebdesigner.com/ecamm

• Jessica’s Website
• Jessica’s Personal Instagram
• Website by Design Instagram