Shownotes
Motivational Quote
Business Inspiration and Development
The light bulb moment [4:17] First paid project – Weekly cartoon [6:14] Forming Fritzi Flock and The Doodle Challenge [9:02]Getting Started in Freelancing
How to get your first clients [14:02] Getting known by publishers [15:52]Business Building Insight
Listen to your flock [12:28] and [20:05] Nurturing her customers [18:58] How Johanna manages her day [21:32]Success Trait
Johanna is a hustler and looks forward to getting up every morning knowning she can illustrate and coach.Productivity/Lifestyle Tool
Asana – With tasks, projects, conversations and dashboards, Asana enables teams to move work from start to finish.Recommended Book
How to Style Your Brand: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Distinctive Brand Identity by Fiona Humberstone
Contact Links
By Johanna Fritz Website Fritzi Flock Website By Johanna Fritz Facebook Fritzi Flock Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Snapchat – @byjohannafritz Periscope – KJohannaFritzIf you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. That helps us spread the word to more makers just like you. Thanks! Sue
Transcripts
Gift biz unwrapped episode 46.
Speaker:I just love my work so much that it doesn't even
Speaker:feel like work.
Speaker:Hi, this is John Lee,
Speaker:Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,
Speaker:and you're listening to gifted biz unwrapped,
Speaker:and now it's time to light it up.
Speaker:Welcome to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped your source for industry specific insights and advice to develop
Speaker:and grow your business.
Speaker:And now here's your host Sumona height.
Speaker:I'm Sue and welcome to the gift biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:Whether you own a brick and mortar store sell online or
Speaker:just getting started,
Speaker:you'll discover new insight to gain traction and to grow your
Speaker:business. And today I am so happy to have Yohanna frit
Speaker:joining us all the way from Germany.
Speaker:Johana has been a freelance illustrator for more than 10 years
Speaker:and works together with publishers manufacturers and advertising agencies.
Speaker:She's currently represented by the agency,
Speaker:wonder garden.
Speaker:Her target market is children and those who like fun characters
Speaker:and happy colors as she has already been known in her
Speaker:industry for being active and engaging on all kinds of social
Speaker:media channels.
Speaker:She's recently started a second business called Fritzy flop.
Speaker:It's all about growing illustrator's businesses to the next level.
Speaker:This includes coaching workshops,
Speaker:interviews, and a whole lot more welcome to the show Yohanna.
Speaker:Hey, there it is so good to have you.
Speaker:And I think it's nighttime there and your little ones have
Speaker:just gone to bed and the opportunity to talk to us.
Speaker:Exactly. Thank you so much for having me too Love having
Speaker:you. Would you like to add anything else to that intro
Speaker:before we get started?
Speaker:You also mentioned my kids,
Speaker:so yeah.
Speaker:I have a husband and two kids,
Speaker:which are like one to three right now,
Speaker:and that's actually,
Speaker:it You're able to do business out of your house just
Speaker:on the way your business operates.
Speaker:Right. So that's really helpful while you have young kids at
Speaker:home too.
Speaker:Yeah, that is totally true.
Speaker:Wouldn't change it.
Speaker:Yeah, no,
Speaker:that's really valuable.
Speaker:That's part of the great thing about being in business for
Speaker:yourself. So true.
Speaker:As our listeners know,
Speaker:we like to align this conversation around the life of a
Speaker:motivational candle,
Speaker:the light shines on you while you share your stories and
Speaker:your experiences.
Speaker:So Yohanna,
Speaker:are you ready to light it up?
Speaker:I am ready.
Speaker:All Right.
Speaker:Let us envision what a candle will look like.
Speaker:And for you being with all the art and everything,
Speaker:I can't wait to hear about the color of your candle
Speaker:and the motivational quote.
Speaker:Oh yeah,
Speaker:definitely. I can't just like choose one color.
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:So I guess my Canada would be like mint pink and
Speaker:yellow, which is sort of my corporate identity colors for my
Speaker:illustration business.
Speaker:And my quote would actually be smile to the world and
Speaker:the world smiles back.
Speaker:This quote means like set up a lot to me because
Speaker:I'm not sure how you call it in English,
Speaker:but it's like a,
Speaker:it wasn't wall art,
Speaker:which was in my parents' house next to the TV.
Speaker:And so whenever I watch TV as a kid,
Speaker:I was also looking at this embroidery and it was just
Speaker:like some sort of mindsetting like every day I saw this
Speaker:and I think maybe that's one of the reasons why I'm
Speaker:smiling all the time.
Speaker:It's such true when you smile at people to my back.
Speaker:Like when you go like grumpy through your whole life and
Speaker:it's just like,
Speaker:what'd you give it comes back to you sort of that
Speaker:thing. I think you're right.
Speaker:And it sounds like throughout your childhood,
Speaker:as you were looking at that wall hanging there and it
Speaker:really was ingrained to you,
Speaker:something tells me that you just like that by nature though.
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:From the start while hanging or not give biz listeners Johana.
Speaker:And I had the opportunity to meet a few months back
Speaker:in San Francisco.
Speaker:We were both in the audience of Sue B Zimmerman creative
Speaker:live course.
Speaker:And I had already known about Yohanna,
Speaker:but was so excited that she was flying all the way
Speaker:over to be with us.
Speaker:And you are one happy,
Speaker:fun, loving gal Yohanna.
Speaker:Thanks. Okay.
Speaker:So let's go back to the beginning of your professional career.
Speaker:How did you get started and move into the business of
Speaker:freelancing? Well,
Speaker:to go a little farther back,
Speaker:like I was studying American history,
Speaker:Japanese and French at a university in Berlin.
Speaker:And I did that,
Speaker:like for two years I was so unhappy with it.
Speaker:It was just not my thing.
Speaker:Then I was like on a train and I saw an
Speaker:ad and it was looking at this ad and it was
Speaker:written down that communication design at this and this university.
Speaker:And I was like,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:this is it.
Speaker:It was like bang,
Speaker:a light bulb got on.
Speaker:And I was like,
Speaker:okay, I totally have to try that.
Speaker:And so I went there and showed them my portfolio.
Speaker:They liked it.
Speaker:And they accepted me to study their communication design.
Speaker:That's sort of the beginning.
Speaker:And from then on,
Speaker:it just got on and on.
Speaker:And I started to like,
Speaker:in my last year of studies,
Speaker:I started to send out my portfolios to publishers and was
Speaker:so happy that they liked it today.
Speaker:I don't know why,
Speaker:because I don't know when I look back today,
Speaker:like 11 years ago or so it's like sort of awful
Speaker:to be,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:I have no idea why they wanted me to do those
Speaker:picture books,
Speaker:but I was happy that was the beginning.
Speaker:And then I just kept going,
Speaker:kept going,
Speaker:send stuff out and yeah,
Speaker:today I'm pretty happy that clients are coming to me and
Speaker:I don't have to reach out that much anymore.
Speaker:Absolutely. So were you always into art?
Speaker:Like even as a young child?
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:I have so many illustrations from me when I was,
Speaker:I dunno,
Speaker:far on six and seven and eight.
Speaker:My mom kept them all,
Speaker:so I still have them with me.
Speaker:And so then you were hired by this company,
Speaker:right? To start doing illustrations.
Speaker:And then at what point did you go off on your
Speaker:own then?
Speaker:From the beginning,
Speaker:like while I was studying in my third year.
Speaker:So the whole study,
Speaker:what like three years and in my third year,
Speaker:I already started to send out my illustration to publishers and
Speaker:agencies. And from that point on,
Speaker:I was freelancing.
Speaker:Gotcha. And talk to us a little bit about one of
Speaker:your favorite projects back then,
Speaker:just to give a feel to everybody about how the business
Speaker:works Back then.
Speaker:Well, that my,
Speaker:my very,
Speaker:very first client was actually a TV magazine who hired me
Speaker:to do a weekly cartoon.
Speaker:That was my,
Speaker:really my absolute beginning.
Speaker:And actually the main character of this cartoon was a bird
Speaker:Appropriate enough.
Speaker:Right. It is So funny.
Speaker:Seriously. I almost forgot about the thing.
Speaker:And lately on one of my Periscopes I was showing my
Speaker:viewers, my I'm doing like annual portfolio books just for myself.
Speaker:And I give them to my dad every Christmas.
Speaker:So he gets a sense of what I'm actually doing the
Speaker:whole year.
Speaker:And I saw this cartoon in there and I was like,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:I started with a bird.
Speaker:I have a bird as a local right now,
Speaker:the Fritzy flog as a bird.
Speaker:And yeah.
Speaker:So there's birds everywhere.
Speaker:You're gravitating to our feathered friends for some,
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:I could Choose an animal.
Speaker:It would be a cat.
Speaker:So, Oh,
Speaker:well that's Oh,
Speaker:Oh, Oh,
Speaker:Oh gosh.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So let's talk a little bit now also about Fritzy flack.
Speaker:How did that evolve and what's happening with that?
Speaker:Yeah, last year it started to evolve when I was,
Speaker:I'm really like on set up every social media channel that
Speaker:is out there and they started to ask me questions about
Speaker:why I'm using it,
Speaker:how it can be helpful for illustrators.
Speaker:And I'm like,
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:Okay. So that seems to be an interest in there.
Speaker:And even our professional association of illustrators in Germany,
Speaker:they asked me to write an article about social media for
Speaker:industry, for the newsletter.
Speaker:So I thought,
Speaker:okay, there must be something.
Speaker:And then I went to creative live,
Speaker:as it just said,
Speaker:and met Susan Merman,
Speaker:we sat at the talking and created this whole footsie flock.
Speaker:And yeah,
Speaker:it's very well accepted.
Speaker:So Fritzy flock is a group.
Speaker:This Fritzy flack are now followers of yours who are capturing
Speaker:information because you just know so much about how to use
Speaker:the social media channels and other things in the illustration business
Speaker:overall. Correct?
Speaker:Yeah. And not just social media,
Speaker:like they are also asking me like question about how to
Speaker:find a style questions about the branding or what portfolio would
Speaker:be the best fit for contacting children's illustrators and all kinds
Speaker:of stuff.
Speaker:Yeah. All right.
Speaker:So some of our listeners Johana may be quilters or jewelry
Speaker:makers or people who are in different industries,
Speaker:but could do something similar,
Speaker:like what you've done in terms of building a community around
Speaker:themselves. Can you give some advice or how did you start
Speaker:capturing people's attention?
Speaker:And your answer might be in the social media channels,
Speaker:but like how did that evolve so that you had a
Speaker:community? Because one thing I do know about you is you
Speaker:have a very loyal and also very attentive community.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:they're really tuned into what you're doing.
Speaker:Yeah. It actually started even before we're thinking about doing something
Speaker:with social media or whatever,
Speaker:for the straight as it started.
Speaker:When I announced on Periscope that I'm going to do a
Speaker:daily doodle on my Instagram account.
Speaker:And if anyone wants to draw with me,
Speaker:I would be happy.
Speaker:So like,
Speaker:I don't draw alone for myself.
Speaker:So it's just like more fun with the community.
Speaker:And people started to draw with me and the community is
Speaker:growing and growing and growing,
Speaker:and they are still drawing with me.
Speaker:Like we started last year,
Speaker:July two 15,
Speaker:it lasts until this July.
Speaker:And that was like sort of the beginning of building the
Speaker:community and those who are following the doodle challenge and watch
Speaker:me doodle on Periscope.
Speaker:For example,
Speaker:they started to ask me questions about this whole social media
Speaker:thing. And then how about being an illustrator?
Speaker:And so I already had this community when I started the
Speaker:footsie flog.
Speaker:So it was not like totally out of the blue.
Speaker:So you were drawing on Periscope,
Speaker:but then if people wanted to draw with you,
Speaker:where did they put their drawing?
Speaker:We have a private Facebook group for the doodle challenge and
Speaker:they put them on Instagram and we have like one hashtag,
Speaker:which is kind of long because it's 365 doodles with Johanna.
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:And everybody texted with a hashtag and I'm like,
Speaker:it's we find each other.
Speaker:And there's really like a lot engagement and it's really a
Speaker:really nice community and really cheering us up each other.
Speaker:And yeah.
Speaker:So your doodle challenge,
Speaker:you would have a certain topic or something.
Speaker:And so you would drive the challenge in terms of what
Speaker:the topic was,
Speaker:then everyone could draw and then put their doodles up either
Speaker:in the private page or on the hashtag,
Speaker:right? Yeah,
Speaker:exactly. Exactly.
Speaker:Like I think about monthly topic list and then they start
Speaker:doodling. And did you see your numbers start rising right away?
Speaker:Yeah, totally.
Speaker:Like with a doodle challenge,
Speaker:it was going crazy.
Speaker:I never expected that,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:like I didn't do this with purpose when I was on
Speaker:Periscope, it was just like,
Speaker:okay. Do the with me.
Speaker:And then they started to do the,
Speaker:with me and so many started and yeah,
Speaker:my numbers were really growing like crazy.
Speaker:That's so fun.
Speaker:And so give pills,
Speaker:listeners, think about this for your business.
Speaker:Is there something that you could do because this is just
Speaker:such a lighthearted fun event,
Speaker:but it's grounded in her craft,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:which is the illustration of course.
Speaker:And so the people that she's attracting are exactly the people
Speaker:that she would want to work with in this new business
Speaker:that she's gravitated to.
Speaker:So brainstorm a little bit.
Speaker:What could that be for your business,
Speaker:where you could capture a community like that?
Speaker:You're starting to make me think about some things here,
Speaker:so that the hashtag again is what,
Speaker:so if we wanted to take a look at it,
Speaker:we could Yeah.
Speaker:Three 65 and then doodles with Yohanna.
Speaker:That's maybe interesting,
Speaker:like I put the Yohanna fruits at the end because sometimes
Speaker:you have like 365 to,
Speaker:to challenge or something.
Speaker:They are on Instagram,
Speaker:but I wanted to,
Speaker:one of the people to know where the source is,
Speaker:if you just have the hashtag,
Speaker:which is we had 65 doodle challenge,
Speaker:nobody knows who actually started this challenge,
Speaker:which is why I edit the name at the end.
Speaker:Smart. Yeah.
Speaker:That's a good little tip to give us for sure.
Speaker:Yeah. And then were you at any point also trying to
Speaker:capture them over into an email list of any sort I
Speaker:did with my bio Hannah fruit's account on Instagram?
Speaker:Like I started to change because they asked me again,
Speaker:like you still have to listen to the people.
Speaker:Like they asked me if they could have my doodles as
Speaker:coloring pages.
Speaker:So I started to do coloring pages and put them in
Speaker:my newsletter.
Speaker:Like I turned the doodles into coloring pages,
Speaker:put them into my newsletter and told,
Speaker:announced it on Instagram.
Speaker:Like, okay,
Speaker:if you sign up to my newsletter,
Speaker:you get a free coloring page.
Speaker:And I'm in the process of doing a whole coloring book
Speaker:and they all got onto a list.
Speaker:That's another point.
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:Gift biz listeners.
Speaker:We've talked about this in other episodes that having people on
Speaker:social media platforms of yours is fabulous because you're getting viewership.
Speaker:But if a platform like that ends up going down for
Speaker:some reason and Facebook,
Speaker:as we know,
Speaker:changes every other day,
Speaker:practically you have no way to recapture anyone who's been following
Speaker:you. So a really wise thing to do is at some
Speaker:point, bring them over to your email list because that you
Speaker:own and that you can control and Yohanna.
Speaker:I just love the way you've done it because it's in
Speaker:such a lighthearted fun way.
Speaker:And I'm going to want one of those coloring books when
Speaker:they come out,
Speaker:you'll have to let me know I'll buy it.
Speaker:You'll just tell me where to go.
Speaker:And I'm getting one for sure.
Speaker:Let's go on now and just talk.
Speaker:We've been talking lightheartedly about all these great things that have
Speaker:been happening and how your business has evolved.
Speaker:But as we know,
Speaker:not everything always is a smooth road.
Speaker:You've had to have some bumps along the way,
Speaker:or maybe some air current in that flock of yours.
Speaker:Can you give us a time when you've been a little
Speaker:bit challenged with something and how you've overcome that?
Speaker:Especially like in the beginning,
Speaker:when you're becoming illustrated,
Speaker:you totally have to get clients on board and it's not
Speaker:like it wasn't like that.
Speaker:You're always working on some projects for clients.
Speaker:So you sort of,
Speaker:when there's like one or two months when you're not working
Speaker:with a client,
Speaker:you're like,
Speaker:okay, will that be another one soon?
Speaker:Because I'm sort of running out of money.
Speaker:And so that's the biggest challenge I think is,
Speaker:especially in the beginning,
Speaker:What did you do when you had time?
Speaker:And there were no more jobs coming in.
Speaker:What did you In the beginning?
Speaker:I guess I was like a little freaking out,
Speaker:but I thought I've got relaxed.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:like if you have a little money on the bank account
Speaker:and do a totally okay with women getting,
Speaker:not getting some money from clients,
Speaker:I totally recommend first thing to send a portfolio out to
Speaker:publishers and whoever you want to work with.
Speaker:And then as soon as I,
Speaker:it was every time,
Speaker:the same thing,
Speaker:as soon as I started to work on a personal project,
Speaker:someone called me and wanted me to work with them.
Speaker:Like seriously,
Speaker:that was just like,
Speaker:okay, I start with a personal project and someone called and
Speaker:also even if they don't call it process,
Speaker:the project is always the best to do,
Speaker:because you can send this personal project out to publish this
Speaker:again. And usually the work that you're doing for personal projects
Speaker:are always the best works.
Speaker:That's what worked for me the best,
Speaker:Really good point.
Speaker:Yeah. Your personal projects are something probably you may be even
Speaker:more passionate about the job that you're doing.
Speaker:And so by nature,
Speaker:you're going to be more creative and trying new things,
Speaker:whatever it might be.
Speaker:Exactly. Exactly.
Speaker:So, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah. Do you have any Other advice for people who might
Speaker:be listening,
Speaker:who are in the freelance space and are just starting out
Speaker:in terms of how to initially get in touch with publishers
Speaker:or tricks in terms of the best ways of communicating with
Speaker:them? Anything like that?
Speaker:Yeah. Well,
Speaker:what I did just like after I finished studying,
Speaker:I went to Frankfurt book fair and I'm sure there are
Speaker:several book fairs in the U S as well to contact
Speaker:publishers. And they also had like an hour where they look
Speaker:at your portfolio,
Speaker:you can go there with your portfolio and they critique it.
Speaker:So the first time when I went there and I heard
Speaker:all the critically bumped and was like,
Speaker:okay, maybe I shouldn't become an illustrator,
Speaker:but after a week I turned the critique into something better.
Speaker:And the next time I went there,
Speaker:they were totally fine with my portfolio and I got to
Speaker:hire full time jobs.
Speaker:So I think walking book fairs is very good contacting publishers
Speaker:through LinkedIn.
Speaker:For example,
Speaker:I really stock many publishers and agencies in Germany.
Speaker:It's called boxing today.
Speaker:It would be LinkedIn,
Speaker:I guess One thing that you said that I really want
Speaker:to underscore here is that you brought your portfolio in,
Speaker:you showed your work and that puts you in a very
Speaker:vulnerable place because this is your individual,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you've put your heart and soul into this stuff and you
Speaker:get some feedback,
Speaker:but you just didn't stop and say,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:for whatever reason,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:they're critiquing it.
Speaker:There are things they didn't like or whatever you took that
Speaker:feedback and made it better.
Speaker:And then went back,
Speaker:had a successful second presentation and look where it's led you
Speaker:to, You know,
Speaker:like those one hour,
Speaker:when they look at their portfolio,
Speaker:they are like,
Speaker:I don't know,
Speaker:20, 30 illustrators waiting in a line to get an editor
Speaker:to look at your portfolio.
Speaker:And you're totally like,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:there's so many illustrators and all of them want to work
Speaker:with this publisher.
Speaker:I will never make it.
Speaker:So one of my advice would also be to try to
Speaker:contact the editor of the publisher four or five months before
Speaker:the book fan tried to get a real appointment.
Speaker:So that it's just like one-on-one.
Speaker:And so you don't have to wait in this line because
Speaker:it's really pressing to stand in this line.
Speaker:Yeah. Probably intimidating because there's just so many people To show
Speaker:their portfolios,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:and to see those portfolios until like,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:okay. I just go away.
Speaker:It's a good thing.
Speaker:You didn't say that.
Speaker:And I would imagine they're always looking for new talent,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:new styles,
Speaker:new talent.
Speaker:So, So it's really a nice place for everyone.
Speaker:Like there's enough room for everyone of us.
Speaker:It's seriously like that.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:And you know what someone has to be picked.
Speaker:So it might as well be you.
Speaker:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:So what types of things do you do now?
Speaker:And I don't know,
Speaker:you can choose what you want to talk about,
Speaker:whether you want to talk about the freelance and or Fritzy
Speaker:flack, but what kind of things do you do now to
Speaker:capture more people in get new jobs,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:so that you can carry on with your business and,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:and bring in the money.
Speaker:I'm really happy with my illustration business and I don't have
Speaker:to send out like seriously,
Speaker:people are coming to me and I have like,
Speaker:I'm booked fully booked,
Speaker:like half a year in advance.
Speaker:So like right now I'm working on five children's books,
Speaker:which is totally crazy.
Speaker:But with the Fritzy flag,
Speaker:I'm doing mini workshops on Periscope.
Speaker:For example,
Speaker:I did one about finding your style.
Speaker:I did one about how to become a personal brand because
Speaker:it's really important for us to guide us to not just
Speaker:draw nice pictures,
Speaker:but also to stand out from the mask to be a
Speaker:brand. So that's something I'm doing.
Speaker:And I just listened to what the birds in the Fritzy
Speaker:flock Facebook group tell me,
Speaker:and they are about what their struggles are.
Speaker:And that's how I find the topics from my Periscopes,
Speaker:for example.
Speaker:Yeah. And I'm also providing some value through a PDFs,
Speaker:which I'm sending with my newsletter and I'm right now,
Speaker:I also webcam in the background on my website,
Speaker:all kinds of stuff.
Speaker:You have a lot going on there.
Speaker:So you're using Periscope to widen the net and capture more
Speaker:people in,
Speaker:in terms of the audience so that they get to see
Speaker:what you're doing.
Speaker:And if they resonate with your style,
Speaker:then you're driving them over to your newsletter.
Speaker:Yeah. And to the Fritzy flock.
Speaker:And as I'm also doing coaching,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I think it's really important for people to see me and
Speaker:to, to see how I teach and to see my presence,
Speaker:like get a feeling for how my personality is,
Speaker:if it's a fit for them.
Speaker:And it's just nicer than just seeing a picture because you
Speaker:can't really figure out the personality by a picture,
Speaker:Right. So on the customer service end,
Speaker:and let's just stick with the Fritzy flat for the time
Speaker:being, what are you doing to continue nurturing that flock and
Speaker:so that they keep coming back.
Speaker:So they continue to find value,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:Biggest part is to listen to them,
Speaker:asking them what their struggles are and to respond to that
Speaker:struggles, like giving them feedback in the group.
Speaker:Some people also send me a Facebook chat or an Instagram
Speaker:DM and just like answer.
Speaker:I always reply to everything they asked me.
Speaker:I think it's really important to communicate a lot with them
Speaker:and not just like,
Speaker:okay, well,
Speaker:they are there.
Speaker:And I'm just try to find new people.
Speaker:You also have to be there for those who already are
Speaker:in the flock that they get a lot of value because
Speaker:they may tell others about the flock.
Speaker:So you're making sure that you don't pull this group together
Speaker:and then just give them,
Speaker:you're always looking for feedback from them.
Speaker:And then also responding to them if they direct message you.
Speaker:Exactly. Yeah.
Speaker:Like yesterday on our two days ago,
Speaker:someone asked me if I could do a scope about color
Speaker:profiles, which you need for,
Speaker:if you work for Pablet with publishers.
Speaker:And the next day I did a scope about color profiles.
Speaker:So, and I,
Speaker:and I,
Speaker:she answered me.
Speaker:She, she told me that like,
Speaker:yeah, that was really helpful.
Speaker:And thank you.
Speaker:And so she was really happy about it and all the
Speaker:others in the flock,
Speaker:they liked it as well.
Speaker:Just like when they ask you to just do it.
Speaker:Yeah. Pretty big following at this point.
Speaker:Do you set a certain time in your day when you
Speaker:go and capture all,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:like, you'd go ahead and look at the Facebook page and
Speaker:see what everyone's saying.
Speaker:And then also see the direct messages,
Speaker:or do you intersperse throughout your day time to do that?
Speaker:Or how does it fit within your structure?
Speaker:Yeah, that is Willie.
Speaker:Oh, gosh,
Speaker:time management.
Speaker:When the kids are out of the house,
Speaker:I always start my day with Facebook and Instagram and respond
Speaker:to everything that has come there for the night because of
Speaker:the different time zones.
Speaker:As a lot of it,
Speaker:I don't know many,
Speaker:many messages in there which I want to respond to and
Speaker:read. Then I usually,
Speaker:if I have the time,
Speaker:I usually start drawing for my clients.
Speaker:And then I try to focus on the illustrations that I'm
Speaker:doing then,
Speaker:and even turn off the sound.
Speaker:So I don't look at the Facebook notifications because otherwise I
Speaker:would also always look into the Facebook group and I always
Speaker:need like five to 10 minutes,
Speaker:like a pause between the next illustration.
Speaker:So that's a time when I go back to the Facebook
Speaker:group and answer some more questions.
Speaker:And then I go back to illustration to do another spread
Speaker:and yeah,
Speaker:Very efficient because you are giving yourself a break,
Speaker:you're switching up your tasks a little bit.
Speaker:And I really like what you're saying about turning off the
Speaker:notifications with the sound,
Speaker:because they don't get distracted because,
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:if you did that,
Speaker:you'd never get anything done.
Speaker:Yeah. And when,
Speaker:as this town,
Speaker:I feel like,
Speaker:okay, I have to answer right now.
Speaker:I have to respond.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:It's just like,
Speaker:you have to fool yourself a little bit in the afternoon
Speaker:when my kids are back at home,
Speaker:I try to leave my smartphone downstairs when I'm with them
Speaker:in the kids room also.
Speaker:So I don't always go to my smartphone and look,
Speaker:if there are any new messages or whatever,
Speaker:cause I know I would,
Speaker:if I had the smartphone just like next to me.
Speaker:Right. For sure.
Speaker:Yeah. Okay.
Speaker:Yohanna, we're going to roll.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Now into our reflection section.
Speaker:This is a look at you.
Speaker:And what has made you successful along the way?
Speaker:What natural trait do you feel you have just as a
Speaker:person, just you Johana that has helped you to be successful?
Speaker:I think I'm a real hustler.
Speaker:I just love my work.
Speaker:So my work so much doesn't even feel like just can't
Speaker:live without illustration and I can't live without being on social
Speaker:media. So I think that's a thing which keeps me running
Speaker:and which is also like what gets me out of bed
Speaker:in the morning?
Speaker:Like yeah.
Speaker:Just probation talking to people and getting paid for it at
Speaker:the same time.
Speaker:Yeah. He paid for it.
Speaker:That's the best part of it.
Speaker:Yes, of course.
Speaker:Yeah. So Honestly you have the type of lifestyle that I
Speaker:think a lot of our listeners are striving for.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:they're looking for something that they just naturally absolutely love that
Speaker:they could then turn into a business.
Speaker:So the things you're sharing with us are fabulous.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:that's exactly what I want to do with a Fritzy flock.
Speaker:Like there are so many illustrates,
Speaker:all those want to become an illustrator and that just has
Speaker:some fear or,
Speaker:or like to quit their day job that I have right
Speaker:now or just to,
Speaker:to be,
Speaker:to become a freelancer.
Speaker:So, and I don't know,
Speaker:that's, that's the thing that I want them to help them
Speaker:with, like to,
Speaker:to have this lifestyle,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:like to do what you really love to do and make
Speaker:money with it.
Speaker:And you're the perfect person because you see so many people
Speaker:here now on the online space who are trying to teach
Speaker:people things,
Speaker:but they haven't done it themselves.
Speaker:So here you are living breathing,
Speaker:and you're still doing it in conjunction with teaching other people
Speaker:how to do,
Speaker:Which is crazy.
Speaker:It's Crazy,
Speaker:but it's spectacular.
Speaker:What tool do you use regularly to keep productive or to
Speaker:help create balance in your life with your busy life of
Speaker:little children,
Speaker:husband and working out of the house?
Speaker:Yeah. So programs I'm always using Evernote.
Speaker:I'm always using my Dropbox.
Speaker:I'm always using IFT T T other three teams.
Speaker:Yes. And of course my smartphone,
Speaker:like I have all those programs on my desktop and on
Speaker:my smartphone and then just like a simple notebook and a
Speaker:calendar, which is just above my desk because I sort of
Speaker:need to see the deadlines for illustrations and the coaching sessions,
Speaker:like the dates for the coaching sessions.
Speaker:I have to have that in front of my face the
Speaker:whole day.
Speaker:So I won't miss anything.
Speaker:Oh. And I'm using,
Speaker:Assana actually also with my virtual assistant.
Speaker:Tell us a little bit about Assana.
Speaker:This might be something that our listeners aren't as familiar with.
Speaker:Yeah. I started it because I had my assistant and she's
Speaker:actually from Columbia.
Speaker:So we would have,
Speaker:and I found a via Periscope,
Speaker:which is fun.
Speaker:Yeah. That's crazy.
Speaker:That Is,
Speaker:gosh. Yeah.
Speaker:Hold on that story.
Speaker:We started a Santa because we started to email a lot
Speaker:and emails got lost and I had to search for,
Speaker:when did she read what?
Speaker:And you know,
Speaker:like we were,
Speaker:we have some different projects.
Speaker:We are working on like my newsletter and the blog.
Speaker:And I have my own projects also in there.
Speaker:So it was kind of going a little crazy and I
Speaker:had an overview about what's going on anymore.
Speaker:So I started this Assana thing and you can like have
Speaker:projects and you can like,
Speaker:for example,
Speaker:my blog,
Speaker:that's her project sort of her project,
Speaker:what she is doing and all those students books,
Speaker:and maybe this,
Speaker:we had 65 doodle challenges,
Speaker:my project,
Speaker:but she's doing some part of it as well.
Speaker:And whenever she has done something for,
Speaker:let's say this,
Speaker:we had 65 doodle challenges.
Speaker:She's also am doing the topics right now for the challenges.
Speaker:I see that.
Speaker:And she puts the files in there,
Speaker:like the PDF and the Photoshop file and the word document.
Speaker:And I have everything in one place I don't have to
Speaker:search for her emails and her files.
Speaker:It's just easier.
Speaker:Yeah. Wonderful explanation.
Speaker:And really every single tool that you're using all is toward
Speaker:productivity. Just like we were talking about,
Speaker:because it's amazing how much time you can waste.
Speaker:Like you're saying,
Speaker:trying to find through that email or where did I put
Speaker:this note?
Speaker:So all of these things that you're doing are fabulous time
Speaker:savers and stress relievers because you know where everything is.
Speaker:Yeah. And it's also easy to,
Speaker:like, for example,
Speaker:when I post my Instagram pictures,
Speaker:I always put a little watermark and some icons on there
Speaker:and I create those on my desktop and put them into
Speaker:the Dropbox.
Speaker:And when I'm on with my smartphone and in Instagram,
Speaker:I want to post them to Instagram.
Speaker:I just put them with the app,
Speaker:which is,
Speaker:which is called Pix art.
Speaker:And I can download my icons that I created on the
Speaker:desktop from my Dropbox just right into the app.
Speaker:Oh, perfect.
Speaker:So it's just like,
Speaker:it's so much easier.
Speaker:Yeah. It sounds like it.
Speaker:What book Johana have you read lately that you think our
Speaker:listeners will find value in?
Speaker:I have like three business books right here on my table,
Speaker:just like next to me.
Speaker:But I thought everybody is talking about business books.
Speaker:Just like,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:like how to get them up.
Speaker:I don't know how to make this and that money and
Speaker:that sort of time.
Speaker:And I thought I share some creative books because all our
Speaker:listeners are from the creative space and a book that I
Speaker:really, really like is called how to style your brand by
Speaker:Fiona Humberstone.
Speaker:It is a really,
Speaker:really good book concerning your visual corporate identity.
Speaker:Oh, that sounds wonderful.
Speaker:And about colors.
Speaker:It is an amazing book.
Speaker:I think the half of the footsie flag already bought it
Speaker:since we started the conversation about building a brand,
Speaker:it is a really,
Speaker:really good book.
Speaker:It's all about color,
Speaker:which sort of color type you are to explore which colors
Speaker:you should actually use for your corporate identity.
Speaker:It's about finding the right funds,
Speaker:your logo,
Speaker:and it's all about creating a whole corporate identity sheet for
Speaker:your brand.
Speaker:It's really good.
Speaker:Oh, you've piqued my curiosity for sure.
Speaker:I'm gonna have to go check it out.
Speaker:As soon as we're done here,
Speaker:we'll give biz listeners just as you're listening to the podcast
Speaker:today, you can also listen to audio books with ease.
Speaker:I've teamed up with audible for you to get an audio
Speaker:book. Just like the one that Johann is talking about for
Speaker:free. Although with Yohanas you might want to get a hard
Speaker:copy because it sounds like there's some good illustrations in there,
Speaker:but if you're interested in a free book,
Speaker:all you need to do is go to gift biz,
Speaker:book.com and make a selection.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:We are now entering into my favorite part of the interview.
Speaker:Yohanna. It's my dare to dream question.
Speaker:I'd like to present you with a virtual gift.
Speaker:It's a magical box containing unlimited possibilities for your future.
Speaker:This is your dream or your goal of almost unreachable Heights.
Speaker:You would wish to obtain,
Speaker:please accept this gift and open it in our presence.
Speaker:What is inside your box?
Speaker:Well, thank you for the gift.
Speaker:My goal is,
Speaker:as I already mentioned,
Speaker:sort of to help other illustrators to fulfill that dream and
Speaker:to make good money with it,
Speaker:to make a living with what the lab to do.
Speaker:And I think that's the best thing that can happen.
Speaker:Yeah. For them to be able to create that dream life
Speaker:that you already have.
Speaker:Yeah. Well,
Speaker:I need more vacations and more sleep and Something tells me
Speaker:that you're on the way to that just by how you're
Speaker:setting up the business and the things that you've shared with
Speaker:us here.
Speaker:Yeah. And more sleep when the kids get older.
Speaker:Yeah. Well,
Speaker:that'll be a few years.
Speaker:I'm sorry to say,
Speaker:I think,
Speaker:but you don't want to miss this time for anything,
Speaker:which is why it's so great that you have the business
Speaker:out of the house actually.
Speaker:Yeah. That is so true.
Speaker:Yeah. So if our listeners wanted to see a little bit
Speaker:more of what you're doing,
Speaker:or we may have some freelance dreamers out there in the
Speaker:audience, how can they get in touch with you or learn
Speaker:more about Fritzy flack overall?
Speaker:So my illustration business,
Speaker:I'm everywhere at,
Speaker:by Yohanna flits on social media.
Speaker:My website is old spot biohazard.
Speaker:That's D E and footsie flag is on Instagram,
Speaker:Fritzy dot flock.
Speaker:And also if you search in Facebook for free to flock,
Speaker:there's a page and a group.
Speaker:And we would love to have you fly with us.
Speaker:I love that.
Speaker:I love the way you've branded this with the flag,
Speaker:the birds and your wording.
Speaker:It's beautiful.
Speaker:Perfect. All right.
Speaker:Give biz listeners.
Speaker:And you guys know too,
Speaker:that you can jump on over to the show notes page
Speaker:at gift biz unwrapped,
Speaker:and there will be all of Yohanna's contact information and everything
Speaker:that you need to know as well as additional recordings of
Speaker:this interview.
Speaker:Also, you guys,
Speaker:I'm always looking for new guests for the podcast.
Speaker:So if you have a great story that you would like
Speaker:to share,
Speaker:or perhaps you have a friend who's built a business with
Speaker:an exciting product and a really fun story,
Speaker:I'd love to know about it.
Speaker:And the way to let me know is to jump over
Speaker:to my Instagram account.
Speaker:So that would be at gift biz gal on Instagram comment
Speaker:on any of the pictures and share with me the person's
Speaker:information. In other words,
Speaker:their Instagram account of someone you'd like me to take a
Speaker:look at for the show.
Speaker:Okay. So again,
Speaker:just jump over to Instagram at gift biz,
Speaker:Gail comment on a photo and give me the Instagram handle
Speaker:of whoever's info.
Speaker:You'd like me to check out.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Johan. I really appreciate your taking the time.
Speaker:And I know the challenge is getting the kids to bed
Speaker:and being able to do this with our time difference And
Speaker:English. Well,
Speaker:No one would know that you feel less than comfortable with
Speaker:your English because it's turned out perfectly today.
Speaker:No fabulous.
Speaker:You've given us so much great information and really a great
Speaker:peek into a freelancer's life and opportunities that exist.
Speaker:So I really,
Speaker:really appreciate all your insight,
Speaker:all your help,
Speaker:your suggestions,
Speaker:advice, and may your candle Yohanna always burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you so much for having me learn how to work
Speaker:smarter while developing and growing your business.
Speaker:Download our guide called 25 free tools to enhance your business
Speaker:in life.
Speaker:It's our gift to you and available@giftbizonrap.com
Speaker:slash tools.
Speaker:Thanks for listening and be sure to join us for the
Speaker:next episode.
Speaker:Today's show is sponsored by the ribbon print company,
Speaker:looking for a new income source for your gift business.
Speaker:Customization is more popular now than ever grant your products with
Speaker:your logo or print a happy birthday,
Speaker:Jessica Griffin,
Speaker:to add to a gift right at checkout,
Speaker:it's all done right in your shop for crusty video.
Speaker:And second check out the ribbon print company.com
Speaker:for more information,
Speaker:after you listened to the show,
Speaker:if you like what you're hearing,
Speaker:make sure to jump over and subscribe to the show on
Speaker:iTunes. That way you'll automatically get the newest episodes when they
Speaker:go live.
Speaker:And thank you to those who have already left by subscribing
Speaker:rating and reviewing help to increase the visibility.
Speaker:It's a great way to pay it forward,
