2023 - A Year In Review
Writing these reviews has taught me a lot about the importance of streaks. This is my fifth annual review. I couldn’t bare not write it, because of the reviews…
Articles
Solidity Next.js dApp Starter
How to (quickly) build a full stack Ethereum dApp with Solidity and Next.js. If you want to learn how to interact with a simple smart contract from the client side, this article is for you.
Things I Wish I Learned Earlier At 36
A stream of consciousness that I wrote on my 36th birthday containing all the things that I wish I knew earlier. The Twitter thread went viral and was viewed over 5 million times.
2022 - A Year In Review
This year has been different. You can tell by the lack of posts between last year’s review and this one. I’m calling 2022 my year of quiet wins. Here’s the TLDR…
2021 - A Year In Review
2021 feels like the longest year I’ve lived. Some highs, some lows, some wins, some losses. And the biggest direction change for my career in 12 years. Here’s…
The Ultimate Guide To Getting Started With NFTs
In this article you’ll learn how to get started with non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Whether you’re interested in starting an NFT art collection, trading NFTs like…
Counterpoints
Before I started sharing my philosophy on business and life as a freelancer, I was hesitant. I wanted to start sooner. But I couldn't get going until I understood the nature of counterpoints.
Less Than You Think
When pondering a new decision we overinflate what's needed to make it. In an attempt to protect us from the unknown our internal monologue prevents progress.
Run The Show
I'm excited to announce the launch of my headless WordPress company, Run The Show. You may have seen this coming.
Upside Identification
My career is in full transition for the first time in 11 years. There’s a weight off my shoulders having written that. For the last 11 years, I’ve had a…
Marketing For Freelancers
Everything I've learned about marketing in 11 years of freelancing. The article about the Twitter thread.
The Restaurant With A Queue
Decisions are made on the stories we fabricate. And the direction of our story is influenced.
2020 - A Year In Review
I’m glad I started this habit. Looking back on 2019’s year in review has been both interesting and reassuring. I can identify growth in my thinking and have…
Betting With Time
I realised control over my time the day I graduated from University in Sheffield, UK, 2009. Or so I thought. “I can’t work for a boss” was my only criterion…
Pricing Freelance Projects
Everything I've learned about pricing freelance projects in 11 years of doing it. The article about the Twitter thread.
Communication Crowd Control
How to improve your everyday efficiency by setting boundaries and managing expectations.
How to Start a Shopify Side Business and Sell It for 5 Figures
Since I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in business. From selling mobile phones in college, to running my own WordPress consultancy for the last 1…
Why Freelancers Should Be Scared Of Whale Clients
I wrote a tweet recently that gained some attention: https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1251583806026518532 Additional points were raised in the ensuing…
Introducing My Mentorship Programme For Freelancers
You may have read in my last article, 2019 - A Year In Review, that I was preparing the launch of my freelancing mentorship programme. The good news is, I’ve…
2019 - A Year In Review
I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve sat down to write a yearly review. I’ve got a chunk of time and felt compelled, so here we are. This will be both a…
9 Ways To De-Stress Business Travel For Work From Home Freelancers
Introduction Depending on the type of person you are, travelling in general can heighten your anxiety levels. Even if it’s for leisure purposes. When you’re…
Find A Mentor To Get Ahead
People learn in different ways. Some of us learn by doing, some of us learn by studying and some of us learn best from others. Some of us utilise a combination…
10 Years Remote
A colleague and friend of mine posted a link to Viktor Petersson’s reflections on a decade of remote work in Slack. As an advocate of remote working and digital…
Save Time By Qualifying Your Freelance Leads Early
There’s nothing worse than being multiple emails deep with a prospect, then realising they have a £100 budget for a £10,000 project. Well, perhaps if you’ve…
Freelancing Interview with Gaya Kessler
Gaya and I have worked closely together during the last 8 months for a mutual client. He’s taught me a lot and I’m thankful for our friendship. Chatting most…
Freelancing Interview with Suganthan Mohanadasan
Introduction As a remote freelancer, watercooler chats with colleagues are few and far between. In the interest of getting to know my peers a little better, I’m…
5 Ways Accomplished Freelancers Take Breaks
We all need time off from work. As a freelancer, contractor and/or business owner; taking a proper break can be easier said than done. I try to spend at least a…
Why You Should Step Out of Your Technical Comfort Zone
An opportunity recently presented itself that would take me out of my technical comfort zone. As a web developer, I’m generally used to keeping on top of my…
The Importance of Sleep Routine When Working From Home
I’ve struggled to maintain a regular sleep pattern for most of my life. In my younger years, I would often game until 01:00-02:00 on weekdays and 03:00-04:00 on…
How Successful Freelancers Retain Clients and Earn Repeat Business
As in most fields, customers you’re already in contact with, have seen what you can do and are happy with your product or service; are more likely to become…
Bad Habits You Should Break to Grow Your Freelance Business
We’ve all got our vices and it’s super easy to form bad habits when you’re your own boss. As freelancers, we often work alone for long periods. Freelancers are…
5 Steps to Becoming a Better Remote Worker
We’re all looking to better ourselves and become more successful. I’ve found that being proactive in my career development has given me an edge over the years…
5 Business Questions Every New Freelancer Should Ask
I recently received an email from a close friend of mine asking for advice on how to set up a freelance business. My friend had been working as a graphic…
How to Start Freelancing From Home When You Have No Clients
How can I start freelancing from home when I have no clients? A question that ran through my mind when struggling to find a permanent developer’s job back in…
Flexible Freelancing
I’ve found freelancing to be unpredictable at times; you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth and be flexible in a number of scenarios. Here are the lessons…
Next/Previous Post Links in Same Top Level Category
In WordPress it’s often desirable to restrict pagination to posts within the current posts’ category (or custom taxonomy); usually because of particular…
Freelancers: Remember, It’s All Work
This is a short but sweet lesson I’ve learned during my time freelancing. The reason behind posting this now is that I’m going through a two week patch with my…
Add Custom PHP Code to Visual Composer Pages
I recently encountered a WordPress project where I needed to add some specific PHP code to a certain part of a page template. Obviously this is relatively…
FreeAgent: Accountancy Software For Freelancers
When I first started my remote development business I had little grasp of what was not only good bookkeeping practice, but what was legally required for me to…
I’ve Never Been to a Web Conference
Whether it be development based, design focused or an area that I specialise in such as WordPress, I’ve never had the urge to attend a web conference. Being a…
How to Get Your First Remote Development Job
So you’re starting out as a freelance web developer and you’re ready to take on your first client. Now what? Here’s how I landed my first remote coding job, off…