Meet our members: Nighthawk Studios
What is your business name?
NighthawkStudio
What does your business do?
I am a creative freelancer, providing creative support ranging from graphic design, photography, video, websites and social media.
How did you get where you are today? What challenges did you face?
I have been a creative freelancer on the side of all of my full-time roles over the last 8 years, even throughout University and College, and was always tempted to work for myself. Unfortunately, along with a few others, I was made redundant late last year. However, this meant I had the opportunity to go full-time freelance. With that though comes the risk any full-time freelancer faces of finding enough work to sustain outgoings, as well as doing all of the jobs that an established workplace would have one person for each to do. It's a challenging balancing act of wearing a hat for admin, sales, finance, and of course the core part of what you do.
What key lessons have you learned over the past five years?
The most important lessons I have learnt over the last 5 years have varied. My top 3 though would be: You can choose who you want to work with, so make sure they are right for you. Make sure you have the right support around you, as they will want to see you succeed. And finally, just because you're not an expert doesn't mean you shouldn't give something a go, learn and absorb it and collaborate with those who are.
And what is the proudest moment of your career so far?
I have a few really. I have been named Top 30 Under 30 in the Humber region for 2018. My projects have won internationally recognised awards. But my top one will always be the branding project I did for IT@Spectrum and The One Point which sits on the side of their building next to the Humber Bridge where thousands of people see it every day.
Who inspires you? It can be a person or a company, or even a thing?
I think the person who inspires me the most is my mum. The industry she works in is heavily male dominated, through no fault of its own, and over the last 20 years she has been key to driving change in growing that female representation through all levels of jobs. She's been appointed as the first woman in a lot of roles historically run by men, including president of a trade association, and has advocated for a lot of change which has been fundamental to a new wave of female leaders in the industry way before the gender imbalance was publicly acknowledged as an issue.
Are you working on some exciting projects right now that you’d like to share with us?
Because I offer a wide variety of services, my projects are constantly changing each month. At the moment I am running the social media for a luxury experience booking app that promotes hotel experiences across the world, from Geneva to Bangkok. I have also recently launched a promotional video for a local Motorcycle business to use across their platforms and paid ads systems (https://youtu.be/jCSJLbt9-_o?feature=shared). And finally I am designing brand logos for a certain heritage bid taking place in the city, but that's all I can say about that for now.
How long have you been using The Edge Hub?
The Edge Hub has been my weekly base for the past year since I went freelance. Going in once a week really helps break up the siloed nature of freelancing, and gets me mixed in with other freelancers to chat to about the usual woes and inspirational tips.
Why do you like being a member of the edge hub?
I enjoy the flexibility of being able to turn up on days that I need the space most. Most memberships would require you to turn up on set days and if not used would go to waste. Whereas the Edge Hub allows me to work around my ever-changing schedule. The people who I share the space with as well are really nice and being able to work collaboratively with them makes a huge impact.
What would you say to someone wanting to become a member?
I would if you're looking for a space that allows you to both work collaboratively or get your head down and crack on with some work, The Edge Hub is a space for any mode of working. The staff are lovely and always on-hand to help with questions, as well as having the ability to meet new people who can help boost your business with connections or more. For the price, it certainly beats sitting at home talking to my cats.
Learn more about Will and Nighthawk Studios - https://nighthawkstudio.co.uk/
