Everything you need to know for the first year of freelancing.
“The most concise and thorough guide on freelance design available. This course will cover everything your college professors didn’t teach you.”
Registration Open April 22 - May 1st 2024
The first year of freelancing was the most challenging year of my life. The work was hard, and I felt so alone in the challenges I was facing. I didn’t know what to expect, and I found it hard to ask for advice.
Despite the early difficulties, freelancing is the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s transformed my life with confidence and empowerment. It’s brought financial freedom to support my family. It’s given me a joyful, successful career of my own design. I want to share all that I’ve learned with you, in hopes that my experience may help you find your own success.
My mission with Fast Forward Freelance is to give you a clear view of what the first year of independent work holds. From deciding to freelance to building a thriving solo practice, and all the challenges and questions in between — I want you to feel prepared, comfortable, and calm as you face the future of independent work.
Grace Walker
Independent Designer and Developer
Freelance since 2020
You'll learn:
Essential mindset for independent work
Practical frameworks to run your business
Management tips based on real-world client interactions
Thoughtful lessons and personal advice
The course is broken into 10 chapters — each includes a video with advice, lessons, and stories from my own freelance practice. Some chapters also include external resources and bonus content to help you along. The live office hour sessions are an opportunity to ask questions, get advice, and hear from other guest freelancers who join the calls! You can go through the lessons at your own pace - you’ll always have access.
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- 01
Deciding to Freelance
- 02
Starting Out
- 03
Winning Work
- 04
Contracts
- 05
Money
- 06
The Work
- 07
Management
- 08
Growth
- 09
Conflict
- 10
End notes
Office Hours
Join me for eight live office hour sessions where we’ll answer student questions, review portfolios, and talk about the possibilities of independent work. Sessions take place twice a week for four weeks, with recordings available after every call.
Now with expert freelance guests!
There are so many ways to find success with independent work - I've invited four top freelancers to each join an office hours session so you can learn from their experiences. This group has amazing talents across brand, web design, and development. We'll also hear their unique perspectives on growing freelance work into a studio, maintaining an active freelance practice while working full-time, and more.
Jessica StrelioffCo-founder & Creative Director, Goodside
Koysor AbdulWeb Designer & Webflow Developer
Sneha SankarBrand Designer & Strategist
Corey MoenWebflow Developer & Digital Designer
Plus, practical resources:
Notion Dashboard
I’ve built a custom notion dashboard to accompany the course — it has everything you need to plan and manage your work in the first year. The dashboard is based on my own proven practices built over the last three years. I review it in full in the Management chapter of the course.
- Lead Pipeline
- Calendar
- Task Database
- Email Templates
Bonus Videos
I've recorded bonus videos that don't quite fit into the core chapters, but I feel are essential shares. Some of the videos you'll have access to are:
- Proposal Walkthrough
- Project Process OverviewNew!
- Breakdown: Every Project from Grace's First YearNew!
Hear what students have to say:
9.6/10 Average rating from first round students
“Grace gives you valuable insights from her experience and tells you what worked for her, and what didn't work so that you don't have to make the same mistakes. The Money chapter alone was worth the price, not to mention the bonus resources and the office hours. Highly recommended!”
“Grace is very knowledgable, well spoken, and generous with the knowledge she shares. She answered any question I had and shared additional resources based on my specific question.”
“Of all the courses I’ve taken over the years to try and improve my craft, this one definitely stands out due to the quality of the content and the high level of interactivity and ability to learn from your experience. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a course with eight live sessions on top of pre-recorded videos. Just amazing value.”
“Fantastic end-to-end view, covering considerations and what you need to know when you first start out...You did a great job describing the possibilities, the path you have taken and what to consider when starting out. ”
“To new freelancers friends: this course is everything you need to start strong. To freelancer friends with more experience: this course will fill in the gaps and strengthen your solo practice.”
“A fantastic course for freelancers…an amazing opportunity to connect and get your questions answered by a seasoned and very talented creative, you don't get that in many courses. Grace is very open and transparent about her business and you do really feel you get to soak in her experience.”
“Office hours are definitely a big plus and a great way to share ideas between Grace and other freelancers...I've been freelancing for a while I definitely learned a lot and got a lot out of it. My advice: just take the course, you won't regret it!”
“It’s a great resource to learn about the business side of freelance...Super informative on how to handle certain situations and the office hours to network and continue to talk more were a huge plus!”
“I am much more confident in what I need to do in order to become a freelancer because I took this course. I know exactly what I need to do, so all I have to do is find the day that I will be ready to announce to the world that 'I’m officially freelancing!'.”
Questions:
- Will this course help me get more clients?
There is no secret sauce or magic plan to guarantee you are always booked. However, I’ve created a whole chapter on finding clients and winning work where we’ll cover practical tips and frameworks around selling your services. I am transparent about the methods that have helped me maintain a full schedule for the last 3 years, where I’m usually booked 2-3 months in advance.
- I'm not a web designer. Is this course for me?
My advice on freelancing is shaped by my work, and my work is primarily web design and Webflow development. Saying that, many of the mindset lessons and frameworks I share are universal for creatives of all kinds. If you work in another discipline, you may need to seek out other advice in areas like pricing and project management, which can change significantly based on the type of work you do.
- How do I know if I'm ready for this course?
I’ve built this course for creatives who are confident in their core skillset and want to learn how to work for themselves long-term.
- Is this a cohort-based course?
Not really. The course includes eight live office hour sessions (twice a week for four weeks) where we can chat through questions, advice, etc, but there is no other group or community component to the course. I am only opening registration for limited seats one week at a time so I can ensure everyone who registers gets access to office hours and support. I have an active client practice and want to make sure all of my commitments get the attention they deserve!
- Why is it called 'Fast Forward Freelance'?
Despite the name Fast Forward Freelance, this course will not ‘fast forward’ you through all the hard parts of working for yourself. I don’t think there is any way to bypass lessons you can only learn from doing a certain volume of work, succeeding, and occasionally making mistakes, but I do think it’s helpful to know what’s coming.
The name came to me because I’m the type of person who will fast forward a scary movie to see what happens, only to go back and watch it with more enjoyment because I know what’s coming. That’s the idea here. Give you a glimpse of all the hard, scary parts ahead, so that you can enjoy the ride and be more prepared when they come.
Meet Grace:
Freelancing changed my life, and I know it has the power to change yours.
I am an independent web designer and Webflow developer. With over seven years of design experience and four years of successful freelancing, I have had the privilege of launching nearly 100 marketing sites for my clients. My skills and communication style have earned me a reputation as a client favourite, and they have played a significant role in helping me achieve a multiple six-figure income.
I hold a Bachelor of Design from OCAD University, put into practice working in-house, with small teams, and independently. After working in a small design studio for three years, I took the leap to freelance full time in 2020 and never looked back.
Fast forward freelance is the cumulation of everything I’ve learned running my freelance business over the last 4+ years — I’m so excited to share my experience with you in this new course.
I'm so glad you're here!
Say hello on XRegister Now
Next registration opening April 22–May 1. The course is USD $450, and you'll get:
- 3+ hours of video lessons, covering the essentials on all aspects of freelancing
- Written versions of each chapter
- 8 live office hour sessions (twice a week for 4 weeks, starting mid-May)
- Access to any future livestreams or recordings on specific freelance topics
- A cloneable notion dashboard with a lead pipeline, task management database, and helpful admin resources