Freelancer Association is educating, connecting and kicking ass

The new Hamilton Freelancer Association had its second meetup this past Saturday at The Pheasant Plucker. The new group was founded by Chad Fullerton (@Chad_Fullerton) and Brian Hogg (@BrianHogg) with the goal of connecting independent creative professionals and those wanting to learn how to start their own freelance consulting businesses in the Hamilton area.

Their first event in late 2013 featured talks by Chad and Brian themselves, and this past meetup featured a talk by Paul Copcutt on presenting on how to communicate your unique freelancer brand to get the clients you want. Paul illustrated the idea using tangible and interactive examples that everyone could identify with, i.e. having attendees recognize coffee shop brands by three word descriptions. This talk was followed up by a jam packed networking session where a lot of new connections were being formed.

The community that came out to the event was wonderfully diverse too. Both in terms of gender, background, age, etc, but also in terms of the different things they were involved with – writers, designers, photographers, developers, etc.

These events are providing a lot of very tangible educational and connective value for the community. Paul’s talk wasn’t fluffy, it was illustrative and helpful. The vibe at the event wasn’t stuffy or cliquey, it was friendly and inclusive. This new group is a great example of how to grow and animate a community the right way.

If you’re a freelancer in the Hamilton-area or curious about becoming one I highly recommend attending their meetups and workshops.