Episode 15: How to Get Legally Legit, with Ashlee of Contracts for Creatives
Ashlee Hightower is the owner and founder of Contract for Creatives, a legal services company dedicated to creative entrepreneurs. After passing the bar exam and working as a practicing attorney, Ashlee transitioned to working as a legal editor. There she started her side hustle, a travel and style blog called the Cobalt Chronicles. Today, Ashlee found a way to combine her passion with her legal expertise, offering downloadable contracts for bloggers, photographers, wedding planners, and other business owners.
Ashlee walks us through her transition from 80-hour grind to a steady 40-hour corporate job with a blogging side hustle. Finally, in May of 2018 she made enough money through independent clients and blogging to quit her job for good. She teaches us a few things we should always watch out for on contracts and how she manages running her two distinct platforms.
Discussed in this episode:
Her original career plan: Be a doctor (she actually applied for law school and med school at the same time)
The biggest mistake creative entrepreneurs make: Assuming they don’t need a contract when first starting out
How she first monetized her blog: Affiliate programs
Her most stressful day: When she hired an intern and immediately wondered if she could afford the expensive (and if you’re listening, Mia Ashlee loves you)
What she outsources: SEO and accounting
How she finds new clients: Conferences
Biggest thing left out of contracts: Licensing language and copyrights to any content you produce
The best part of her day: Leaving in the middle of the day to go to [solidcore] or SoulCycle
Her A-Cup: Her first, automated email notifying her that a contract sold
The amount of content she publishes a week: Daily blog posts Monday-Friday plus daily Twitter and Instagram posts
What wakes her up in the middle of the night: Client deadlines
What being a woman means to her: Doing whatever she wants, including launching her own business and working out in the middle of the day
Find Ashlee Hightower
Contracts for Creatives Online
Contracts for Creatives on Instagram
Cobalt Chronicles on Instagram