How I Got My First Freelance Design Clients After Being Laid Off
5.9K views · 2025-07-11
UI DesignInteraction & UX
How I went from zero to multiple design clients in 3 months as a freelance designer.
After leaving corporate, I had no idea how to find design clients. But then something unexpected happened. My first client emailed me after seeing a random mood board I posted. I thought it was spam, but it wasn't.
In this video, I'm sharing:
❣️The exact email that started it all
❣️How posting my design process led to a multi-month project
❣️Why my engineering background became my biggest asset
❣️How Christian became my "unpaid marketing department"
❣️The difference between building a brand vs. working overtime
What I've learned:
🌱 It's not about follower count
🌱 People hire designers who think like them
🌱 Your network matters
🌱 Every post compounds over time
🌱 Authenticity beats strategy
My approach:
🧸Pick one platform and commit
🧸Share process, not just polished work
🧸Leverage your existing network
🧸You don't need permission to start
❤️ Mobbin (my design tool, 20% off):
https://mobbin.com/cecilia
❤️ Anything.com (prototyping tool, 20% off):
https://anything.link/cecilia-kim
❤️ Framer (no-code website building tool, 30% off annual Framer Pro Plan): https://framer.link/cecilia1
code: CECILIA2
✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceciliakimdesign/
✨TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ceciliakimdesign
✨Twitter/X: https://x.com/ceciliakdesign
✨Portfolio: https://www.ceciliakimdesign.com
📣 My husband and I are working on some projects. Check out our apps!
📱 https://www.amyfoodjournal.com/
📱 https://ellieplanner.com/
📱 https://lunabudgeting.com/
0:00 Intro
0:15 How I actually found my clients
1:20 Starting from zero
2:27 Why I stopped chasing clients
3:20 My first client email
4:17 Turns out I was building a system
5:54 The compound effect
6:46 What’s actually working for me
8:11 The reality of freelance life
9:05 If you’re thinking about freelancing…
#FreelanceDesigner #FindingClients #DesignBusiness #FreelanceLife #ClientWork #DesignCareer #BuildingInPublic #UIUXDesign #CareerChange #DayInTheLife #ProductDesigner
After leaving corporate, I had no idea how to find design clients. But then something unexpected happened. My first client emailed me after seeing a random mood board I posted. I thought it was spam, but it wasn't.
In this video, I'm sharing:
❣️The exact email that started it all
❣️How posting my design process led to a multi-month project
❣️Why my engineering background became my biggest asset
❣️How Christian became my "unpaid marketing department"
❣️The difference between building a brand vs. working overtime
What I've learned:
🌱 It's not about follower count
🌱 People hire designers who think like them
🌱 Your network matters
🌱 Every post compounds over time
🌱 Authenticity beats strategy
My approach:
🧸Pick one platform and commit
🧸Share process, not just polished work
🧸Leverage your existing network
🧸You don't need permission to start
❤️ Mobbin (my design tool, 20% off):
https://mobbin.com/cecilia
❤️ Anything.com (prototyping tool, 20% off):
https://anything.link/cecilia-kim
❤️ Framer (no-code website building tool, 30% off annual Framer Pro Plan): https://framer.link/cecilia1
code: CECILIA2
✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceciliakimdesign/
✨TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ceciliakimdesign
✨Twitter/X: https://x.com/ceciliakdesign
✨Portfolio: https://www.ceciliakimdesign.com
📣 My husband and I are working on some projects. Check out our apps!
📱 https://www.amyfoodjournal.com/
📱 https://ellieplanner.com/
📱 https://lunabudgeting.com/
0:00 Intro
0:15 How I actually found my clients
1:20 Starting from zero
2:27 Why I stopped chasing clients
3:20 My first client email
4:17 Turns out I was building a system
5:54 The compound effect
6:46 What’s actually working for me
8:11 The reality of freelance life
9:05 If you’re thinking about freelancing…
#FreelanceDesigner #FindingClients #DesignBusiness #FreelanceLife #ClientWork #DesignCareer #BuildingInPublic #UIUXDesign #CareerChange #DayInTheLife #ProductDesigner