Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Hilterbran. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

As a 1-man show and stay-at-home Mr. Mom, developing a reliable routine and focusing on what’s most important has been crucial to my success. Over the last 7 years, I have successfully transitioned from being a full-time, on-site C-Level marketing executive for a global travel brand to remotely operating my own web/graphic design and marketing boutique company called SOTU Creative. I used to spend 1.5-2 hours daily, Monday through Friday commuting from West LA to Woodland Hills and working in-office for 8-10 hours each day. I would see my firstborn daughter, Evely, only a few times each week day and rarely see her before her bedtime. Now, I wake up with both my girls (Evely-9 and Brya-5) every morning, take them to school most days, and put them to bed every night. I also spend a significant amount of time with them each day after school. As for my work, I typically work a few hours mid-morning, and then at random times throughout the week as needed. I set my own schedule and choose my own projects. The experience of being with my family and living my life now comes before work.

However, it’s not without it’s own challenges. I now have to generate my own work, find new clients, and hustle week-to-week to keep things moving forward. I also no longer have a matching 401K plan or free health care, which typically came with previous employers. That now falls squarely on me and my wife. Because of my ability to take care of the kids, she is now able to work part-time as a fertility RN at a local clinic and, of course, she sets her own schedule and hours each week giving us the flexibility to create the life we want. While the inconsistent income and stresses of finding and maintaining work are often present, I would not trade it for the job and life I had. At least not while my kids are young.

Ryan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I first began as a graphic designer working at Signs Now in Tustin, CA. Over the course of 20 years I worked my way up into different positions, including Creative Director, Marketing Director, and Chief Marketing Officer and worked to expand my skill set in marketing, branding, SEO, HTML, web design, and ecommerce. Working with numerous start-up businesses helped to hone my skill set and develop strong problem solving capabilities, all of which created the fundamentals and confidence I needed to go it alone.

At SOTU Creative, clients work directly with the me, no interns or junior designers. A limited number of projects are focused on, typically 1-2 at a time, to ensure my hyper-focused attention for each client. Because of my job flexibility, I am able to work at their pace, during their hours, and within their budget. I can also adjust payment structures and timetables depending on the project and client’s need.

One of the projects I am most proud of is a collection of custom wall mural designs I completed for my brother’s high school in Watonga, OK. I believe they are among the best seen in any high school and even rival murals found at colleges and other higher learning schools. I also pride myself on being able to develop fully responsive website designs (transitioning mobile/tablet/desktop layouts fluidly) for half the cost of most website design companies. This high-end design and 1-on-1 focus, often out of reach for small businesses, becomes an accessible option with SOTU Creative.”

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective and reliable client building strategy I have used has been building strong word-of-mouth referrals. If you build it (well), they will come. The high-quality work I have delivered for a few of my best clients has not only generated repeat business but also resulted in numerous new projects through referrals. Additionally, an unexpected component of working as a freelance consultant has been the repeat business. Once you are able to survive working independently for the first 2-3 years, especially as a website designer, you will discover that you will be able to consistently rely on just a handful of your clients to maintain a consistent and solid revenue stream. As technology, trends, and styles change, each client will likely need to update or redo their website (generally every 3-5 years). So, if you have 10-20 clients, you can likely rely on them to maintain your business.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn this built-in idea that there is only one real way to work — get a job, go into the office every day, and work for someone else. Starting my own business and committing myself to a new idea of working remotely only was scary and full of unknowns, but I’ve learned that I don’t have to do it “their” way. I’m living my life and doing this my way now, and I’m never going back. What I gain by putting my life and family experiences first and doing what I want far outweighs the financial stability I could find working a typical day job and doing what others want. Living the dream isn’t easy, but at least it’s MY dream.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sotucreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sotucreative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOTUcreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilterbran/