Podcasts

Digital Content Creator Cameron Good Talks The Freelance Life

Dec 13, 2019 | 12:00 am

UPDATED Dec 15, 2019 | 12:15 pm

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A degree of uncertainty comes with working as a freelancer, but many professionals enjoy the freedom that it offers.

After several years working full-time with the Chicago Bears, Cameron Good now creates digital content full-time as a freelancer working with teams like the White Sox, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Blackhawks.

In this episode of Social on the Sidelines, hosts Shahbaz Khan and Amara Baptist chat with Good about his new projects and the differences between freelance life and working for teams full-time.

Edited highlights appear below:

On the current state of his freelance business (8:13)

Good: “I’m very versatile. I wear many different hats. I am a photographer. I shoot video, I edit video. What that looks like in a freelance role is creating content for athletes, teams, personalities, agencies… I guess how I ended up doing this is just building a lot of connections. One of the most important things I’ve heard recently is ‘your network is your net worth.’ That’s something that has just been huge in my case because people that I’ve met through social media and they’ve noticed my work and I’ve been fortunate to pick up jobs with them. But also, I have been fortunate to build a strong base here in Chicago. “

On measuring success as a freelancer (15:33)
Good: “It’s different than looking at analytics and seeing the engagement. I mean, I of course do that once I produce a video with a client. I try to compare it to their previous projects just to see if my presence had a bigger impact for them. But I think just a generic method that I always do is… just just reading the comments and just seeing the people react to something I’ve made for a club or a brand.”

Social on the Sidelines is Presented to You By:

On camera preferences (18:24)

Good: “I’m a big Sony guy. Just in terms of most of my experience, especially in a quick turnaround setting, [my objective] is to capture photos and videos at a fast rate. I feel like Sony gives me a better opportunity…I personally have a Sony A7R III, and as someone who loves capturing extremely high quality photos and then to be able to switch quickly and shoot 4K, I just feel like it’s something that, I love. Mixing photo and videos in everything I do, I think it just gives me a chance to be more versatile. It gives me a chance to really enhance my videos.”

Advice for creators considering a move to freelance (35:44)

Good: “I definitely think that it’s a great move. I would never want to encourage someone to leave a salaried position with benefits and working for a great organization and team. It’s hard for me to endorse that because I truly loved my experience of working in the team biz and I still won’t rule myself out from working in a team environment…making the move to freelance, if you’re considering it, just know what you add…Do you think you can build a list of clients? Are you comfortable with it taking some time? It’s just things like that that I think you would need to think about. It’s a big move. I’ve been very fortunate. I’m just enjoying it right now.”

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