Freelancing Bootcamp mentorship interview: Joy Tan and Pei Si
Earlier this year, CreativesAtWork hosted our signature Freelancing Bootcamp - an all encompassing 6 week course that included networking, workshops, and mentorship. Based on feedback from past participants, we decided to extend the mentorship to a longer period as opposed to the shorter stints in the past… and we’re so glad we did!
In this article, we feature one of our mentors (Joy, Style Coach) and her Mentee (Pei Si, Freelance Illustrator and Animator). They share what the experience was like for them, what some of their biggest takeaways were, and delve into their challenges. Read on to find out more!
What growth have you seen in your mentees over the past six weeks?
Joy: Right from the get-go, I set targets for my mentees to achieve. Each individual was expected to pledge their own weekly professional goals and report their progress in quantitative results by the following week.
I am happy to say that by the end of the programme, many of them have made tangible improvements in their business development, including setting up or sprucing up their social media accounts, creating or refining pitch decks, making pitches and one even closed sales!
What was the process like?
Joy: I stress the concept of “less talk, more walk”. I believe that if you are only doing something out of passion, that's just a hobby. A real, sustainable business must not only be driven by passion but also profitability.
So, I use the problem-based learning approach in my coaching. This involved discussing their vision and goals, immediate business needs, and how to solve them. This also meant that mentees were required to report their business' weekly progress with quantitative data.
Progress, not perfection, is the goal. Obviously, there is a limit to the kind of growth you can achieve a mere 6 weeks. But, what I really wanted my mentees to understand and achieve is that the mindset to win and the discipline to achieve can be honed. If you possess these, then it is easy to succeed on your own, by your terms - with or without a coach.
How did you have to adapt your usual coaching style based on their backgrounds and interests?
Joy: Good business fundamentals are typically universal. Ensuring that a professional works with integrity, competence and good organisational skills generally help us to succeed across all fields.
I recognised that all my mentees are professionals in their own fields, so I encouraged them to share their expertise and perspectives with other members in our sharing as well.
My coaching belief is that we should share perspectives, rather than a particular dogma. I did not aim to be a sage on the stage for my mentees, but merely a guide by the side. My mentees were encouraged to keep an open mind to learn but really, at the end of the day, to rely on their own instincts to make business decisions after careful intellectualisation.
Were there any challenges?
Joy: Not really. I adapted to everyone's pace. Right from the start, my mentees were taught to own their goals, by their own terms. As a coach, I can only expect progress, not perfection.
How did you navigate those challenges?
Joy: I encouraged my group to function as a 'think tank'. Everyone was required to provide feedback on their group mates in order to gather different perspectives and input. I actually learned a lot from my mentees!
What do you think was the biggest benefit for your mentees when working with you?
Joy: I think for those mentees who like taking action and getting things done, then working with me was beneficial because I am results-driven. I firmly believe in practical steps or systems that can help one move towards their goals.
What was your biggest takeaway?
Joy: I learned that regardless of how easy the route to success is, no one can get there without the right mindset. You need to possess a winning mindset to be able to achieve, and more importantly, sustain the success. We all want to win, but actually many people do not truly believe that they deserve to win. This false belief or insecurity impedes us from realising our highest self and from doing extraordinary work.
It is important for us to believe in ourselves and our dreams- no matter how big or small, 'silly' or important they might be. If you don't believe in yourself, who will?
Meet Pei Si, a freelance illustrator and animator, who joined the bootcamp after her experience at a similar session hosted by CreativesAtWork. Knowing she needed help and feeling lost, she decided to invest both time and money into the full mentorship program. After working with Joy for six weeks on mindset mastery as well as business development, she’s emerged stronger inside and out.
Please give a short background of yourself.
Pei Si: I’m a freelance illustrator and animator. Although I’ve been freelancing for just over a year, a large part of that was spent being unemployed, not knowing what I wanted, and dealing with poor mental health. I also handle operations for an enrichment centre on the side for some income.
Why did you decide to join the freelance bootcamp and the mentorship program?
Pei Si: I definitely needed help. For the longest time, I felt lost - I had no idea how to find clients, projects did not come regularly, and I lacked clarity on what I could offer.
Although I knew I had good skills, the lack of projects during “dry” periods really affected my confidence and made me doubt my abilities. I was also afraid that I would get too many projects and be unable to handle them in the future.
I attended many freelance workshops and programmes but I still felt stuck and lost. Although I made some progress, there was still something missing. After attending this workshop, I’ve realised that mentorship was that missing piece!
What were some of your hesitations or fears coming into the program?
Pei Si: Given the uncertainty of freelancing and pay, I always think twice before paying for something.
Initially, I attended the CreativesAtWork bootcamp at *Scape as that was free. I found it helpful and it was great networking with other like-minded individuals. Given that, it was a no-brainer to sign up for the “complete experience”.
Given my past experiences, I didn’t expect it to help that much but I was blown away! The mentorship was amazing - it really was the missing piece and gave me the answers I was looking for.
What were some of the challenges you encountered?
Pei Si: Time management was one challenge. Each week, there were homework assignments like preparing a pitch deck. It so happened that many projects started coming in for me during the same period. It was stressful and there were some late nights spent juggling projects and the homework. I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to focus on business development that I could discuss during the mentorship sessions.
Another challenge was my anxiety about being “left alone” when the mentorship ended. At the same time, I definitely have more confidence now to steer myself in the right direction. Joy kept the group chat open and I’ve heard that CAW is looking into long-term mentorship and support for creatives.
Describe the process and what you thought of it (i.e working with your mentor)?
Pei Si: Our group of mentees had four 4 hour group sessions with Joy. Each week, she had content to present and we would share what we were facing on our individual journeys. Her sessions were very well structured and progressive so I found them very beneficial.
Initially, we also took time to work on the mentorship workbook together but eventually started doing more of the exercises on our own due to time constraints.
What was your biggest takeaway?
Pei Si: I’ve learnt that life is something we create rather than something we have to endure. This mentorship taught me to take my life into my own hands and be a lot more active and intentional in building the career and life I want to live. Before this, I had been going with the flow; drifting and simply trying to survive without a clear direction. I was limiting myself with my mindset and negative self-talk. Now, I see abundance and possibilities because I believe I am capable.
I took away so many golden points; I don’t think I can highlight just one!
Mindset coaching is key: Freelancing is so much about cultivating the right mindset. This can be learnt and is not something one inherently has or doesn’t have. I used to believe that I was less capable and unable to do things that others could do. I’ve realised that is just something I’ve learnt to believe and something I can also unlearn.
We are not our goals, but the systems that we put in place to reach our goals: Our goals mean nothing if we don’t have the right systems in place. The good news is that we can learn to develop effective systems.
It’s a numbers game: Don’t wait passively for jobs to come; actively pitch your services to as many people as possible. The 100:10:1 sales funnel rule: pitch to 100 people, get 10 people interested, and likely one person will buy your product.
Don’t spend too much time thinking: Put things into action rather than waiting for the perfect time. There is no perfect time.
What we say to ourselves holds power: Talk is energy, especially our self-talk. I’m more aware when I’m criticising myself and am learning to talk kinder to myself. I’m also learning to distinguish facts from opinions, and letting go of opinions not substantiated by facts.
Accounting matters: I calculated how much I spent and how much I needed to support the lifestyle I want to lead. It is with these numbers that I could decide how much I wanted to earn and how much I should charge. I learned that it is also important to keep a record of my profits and losses to do my taxes, no matter how little I am currently earning.
Are you a freelancer looking to connect with like-minded individuals? Or are you interested in starting your freelance career? Wherever you are on your journey, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Discord for more upcoming training sessions and events.
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