Plan Make Do
Supporting creatives in their pursuit of success: an interview with Laura Mulhern of Plan Make Do.
Supporting creatives in their pursuit of success: an interview with Laura Mulhern of Plan Make Do.
Hi Laura! Can you give us an introduction to Plan Make Do?
Plan Make Do® was born in 2019 to support creative freelancers, those running side-hustles, startup businesses and even those who are more established to feel more confident, motivated and focused in their creative career. I have worked with freelancers for over a decade on many campaigns, and whilst they are really good at what they do creatively, the business side of things can be tricky to navigate, especially when you first start out.
I set up my own business back in 2008; however, I truly hadn’t a clue what I was doing for the first 5 years - at least, so it’s a chance to be the person I needed when I was a busy fool in my twenties and to help people avoid all the mistakes I made.
My main aim with Plan Make Do is to show that a creative career or a freelance business is possible and it can be fruitful and it doesn’t have to be crazy hard work either.
I support people mostly through 1:1 mentoring but I also run workshops, talks and provide online resources, guides and ongoing programmes in collaboration with clients such as the Mayor of London, Arts University Bournemouth, I Like Networking and Future Strategy Club. And I love it! The joy I get seeing creatives truly thriving, getting paid, making great work and having fun doing it, is just priceless.
We’d love to know your story. Can you give us a bit of background on your career and some of the milestones so far?
It’s probably easier to say what I haven’t done, career wise! Since graduating many moons ago, I’ve worked as a researcher in television, a director in theatre, a business analyst in retail and even played violin professionally. But I finally realised I was best suited to working in a freelance capacity; I’m most at home seeing the big picture, thinking creatively and communicating to the masses in an engaging way, which led to me starting my own arts marketing and PR agency called Storiie in 2008.
Essentially, the aim of our work at Storiie is to help our clients present their true purpose to the world and engage with their audience, clients and customers in a more meaningful way. We do this through public consultancy, web development, UX research and design alongside building creative marketing and PR strategies and delivering those campaigns.
The work is mainly arts and creative industry focused so I work a lot with National Portfolio Organisations funded via the Arts Council England, as well as city and town councils across the UK on urban planning and public realm developments.
I have also worked on some really fun campaigns with brands such as The National Trust, The British Library, BoConcept, Hall & Woodhouse, RIO soft drinks and Crafty Fox Market to name a few. That said, I’m mostly a consultant now while I continue to build Plan Make Do.
What insights from your career did you bring with you when setting up your own business?
Setting up my own business wasn’t easy, I’ll say that! I’m from a long line of family members who work in salaried roles; they feel safer with a steady income and focus on working 9-5 with a pension pot at the end. I just never felt that suited me. I craved something a bit more adventurous. I wanted to experiment and take risks and try out everything that excited me at the time. Most of my family still say that they couldn't do what I do, but in truth I certainly couldn’t do what they do. I tried full time employment, and I didn’t thrive in that environment. I think I’m just built differently; I’m happier working unconventional hours or choosing certain projects over others and being my own agent. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a breeze, especially when you first start out. After many years of making mistakes, I finally found a mentor, wrote a proper business plan and everything changed for the better from there.
With a freelance life you have to be willing to put in the hours and it’s a constant focus so you have to be completely in love with what you are doing. But you don’t need to work yourself to the bone either; you can do anything you want, just not everything! Your health and wellbeing matter more than any work project ever will. As soon as I started to hone in on a niche that I was good at, life got so much simpler.
One main thing I learnt from my experience in all my salaried roles is that it truly takes a team to build anything substantial and sustainable. Even if you’re a freelancer! Your “team” can be your network, your community, your mentor or friends. You can’t do this alone and it’s ok to reach out for support whenever you need it. It will serve you best in the long run to admit you can’t do everything all at once, by yourself (mistake no. 45005 that I made!)
Does Plan Make Do have any exciting events in the pipeline?
Well, I do regular talks, both online and in person on a variety of topics so if anyone needs a creative career boost just keep an eye out on the Plan Make Do website and social channels. I also host regular socials for creative freelancers who work and live around Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. I truly know what it's like working for yourself, by yourself; the freelance life can be a very lonely experience at times! So the Plan Make Do socials are there just for people to chat over a drink in a local bar; there’s no agenda, just get out of the house, meet other humans in real life and hopefully make new friends along the way!
Lastly, do you have any advice for our creative readers?
You have time. So many creatives I work with panic that they need to have achieved something by a certain age, and if not somehow that means they’ve failed at life. It took me years to make my business a success, and I’m still learning every day. I turn 40 this year and I truly feel like I’m just getting started now. Who knows, I might embark on another career when I turn 50! I’ve always loved film so maybe I’ll be a film director one day…
Website → planmakedo.com
