We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leyla Alexander. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leyla below.

Hi Leyla, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success means something different to everyone, and for me, it’s not about hitting six figures or scaling my business. Success for me is about having the flexibility and freedom to live life on my own terms. It’s being able to pick my kids up when the bell goes, taking a day to hike in the Peak District when I need a day to recharge, and be there for my family when they need me.

I’ve learned the hard way that saying yes to every project isn’t the answer. After a bit of a drought on the client work front, I said yes to project after project, working 55-hour weeks to meet deadlines while juggling family life. It wasn’t sustainable, and it definitely wasn’t fun. I realised that I’d lost the freedom I started freelancing for, out of fear that I’d end up in another quiet period wondering how I’d pay the mortgage. Freelancing will always be a rollercoaster, but now I focus on working smarter, not harder, and I only take on projects that truly align with my values and allow me to keep the balance I’ve worked so hard to create.

So yeah, for me success is about freedom: the freedom to choose projects that light me up, the freedom to spend time with my family, and the freedom to take care of myself.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a freelance designer specialising in brand and web design, working with small, indie businesses that care deeply about what they do and want branding that reflects that.

Going freelance wasn’t a leap I planned, but one I had to take. After being made redundant while on maternity leave, I needed to build something flexible around my family while still using my design skills. I started with one client on a retainer, and for a while, that felt like enough. But as my business grew, I realised something felt a bit off. I was designing for brands that didn’t align with my values, and I knew I needed to rethink my direction. I decided to focus on small indie brands with purpose at their core – businesses I could help shine and make a bigger impact through thoughtful, strategic design.

Since then, my studio has evolved, growing through relationships, referrals, and collaborations. I’ve expanded to include web design and brand strategy and built a reputation for clean, joyful, and impactful design.

So I’m not just a designer; I’m a creative partner, helping my clients understand what makes them different and how to bring their brand to life. I take the time to listen properly, ask the right questions, and make sure their brand feels right for them and their audience. Clients appreciate my collaborative approach, honest feedback, and balance of guidance and space to make their own decisions. This is why they trust me, return for future projects, and recommend me to others.

My proudest moment was winning the Sole to Sole award last week, which recognises the best small self-employed business owners in the UK.

I’d love potential clients to know that I’m all about collaboration, creativity, and ensuring my work reflects the heart of their business. If you’re looking for someone who understands your vision, listens to your needs, and delivers work that speaks to your audience, I’m the designer for you.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building my audience on social media has been all about staying true to myself and doing things my way. I decided early on to only post what I could realistically commit to in terms of frequency, rather than attempt to follow all the conflicting advice I was seeing online. I also like to share behind-the-scenes moments and show my personality. I don’t try to be anything I’m not and whilst it can sometimes feel exposing, I like to let my sense of humour come through by creating silly reels that other freelancers can relate to.

I think it’s important for people to see who you are, the things that you love and care about. It’s how you can attract the right people to you and your business and repel the wrong ones. After all, people buy from people so just be yourself.

I’ve also built my socials by making connections with people in person. Joining communities and building those connections offline, then extending them back onto social media, has been a big part of creating a genuine audience on my socials and one where I enjoy hanging out.

So my advice is to simply be yourself. When you show up as you, the right people will find you.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

2024 was a tough year for cash flow. The work and revenue was there overall, but there was one long and challenging quiet period that really set the year off on the wrong foot. I found myself looking at job ads, thinking I might have to go back to employment, which I really didn’t want to do. 23 days holiday? No thanks.

That quiet spell followed an insanely busy period, where I was so overwhelmed that I stopped marketing my business. Looking back, that was my biggest mistake. I’d let myself get buried in work and found myself feeling guilty if I worked on my business. It was a tough year for a lot of freelancers, but for me, it was a big wake up call on the marketing front.

Luckily, I’d built a 3-month financial buffer, which kept me afloat. It was tough to see it deplete each month whilst work stayed quiet. But if I hadn’t had that buffer, I’d have had to call it a day on my business. So never stop marketing, no matter how busy you are and always have a few months income saved. At least I had the last one!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leylaalexander.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leylaalexanderdesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leyla-alexander-8491b32/

Image Credits

Karen Staniland-Platt