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<p><a href="http://blogmanagement.momenteo.com/Content/blog-img/20200506132909998imag_pigiste-colin.jpg"><img alt="Image blog Momenteo" class="aligncenter size-full" src="https://blogmanagement.momenteo.com/Content/blog-img/20200506132909998imag_pigiste-colin.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Freelance Profile - Meet inspiring people who have chosen to earn a living by being self-employed. Through a very humanistic perspective, discover their story, unique lifestyle, and challenges. Today, we meet Maude Colin, a photographer, and doula.</p> <h3><br /> <br /> <strong>1- Tell us about yourself</strong></h3> <p>My name is Maude Colin, and I am a doula, a photographer, and a video maker.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>2- Where does your immense passion for photography and birth assistance come from?</strong></h3> <p>I like that photography allows us to see things that we could normally never see. I do believe that the world of births needs to be known better. Many families jump into parenthood thinking that everything will be explained at the hospital. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. These families do not know all their rights, and it is why I believe that it is important to show different birth stories.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>3- How did you become self-employed?</strong></h3> <p>I was told I was an artist even when I was a little girl. I believe it was evident that I would be working in the arts industry; however, when I was a teenager, people recommended me to find a more lucrative job. I worked as a specialized educator for six years before realizing that something was missing. I then signed up at Dawson&rsquo;s College for photography courses. When I finished, I become a self-employed birth photographer.</p> <p>I put some money aside and accepted the idea that if I could not manage to support myself, I would send my resume to employers. I then always gave my maximum to reach my goals. I never had to consider this solution.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>4- What is the most challenging part of self-employment?</strong></h3> <p>As a self-employed worker, we need to do different jobs, and some are easier than others. I have little interest in administrative work and accounting; it is then difficult to perform well in these fields. I am thankful to have tools like Momenteo that make my life easier, so I can spend less time on these tasks.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>5- Which part of being self-employed do you like the most?</strong></h3> <p>I love everything about being a self-employed person. I have important freedom in my job, and I am extremely grateful. I created a customized schedule that allows me to be both productive and available for my family. Moreover, I have the freedom to do what I love the most by choosing my contracts and my projects (and everything is done wearing comfortable clothes!)</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>6- Tell us about your work routine.</strong></h3> <p>I was never a morning person, so I work from 10:30 am to 5 pm, five days per week. I focus on the importance of productivity. I prefer to work for a limited number of hours per day, but to be 100% efficient instead of the opposite.</p> <p>Contrary to common belief, I do not do photography all day. I start my day by answering my emails and checking my social media accounts and requests. Then, I work on other tasks like the planning of my social media posts, my blog articles, accounting, training, and of course, customer follow-ups, photos, and video shootings, as well as photo and video editing.&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>7- What are the online tools you could not live without?</strong></h3> <p>The accounting software Momenteo changed my life, and I could not work without it. I do not see accounting the same way I used to: it still is not my favorite task, but at least it is done quickly.</p> <p>I use Google Agenda, and I could not live without it either. I had the habit of having a planner with me, but sometimes I forgot it,&nbsp; lost it, or damaged it. It cannot happen anymore. I need to have access to my planner everywhere at any time.</p> <p></p> <p><strong>8. How did you learn about Momenteo and how long have you been using it?</strong></p> <p>It is a colleague of mine who is also a photographer who told me about Momenteo. I subscribed to it at the end of last year and I used this software to redo all that year accounting since I had issues with my invoicing system. I now use Momenteo daily to create invoices and quotes for my customers.</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>9- What makes Momenteo different from other accounting programs?</strong></h3> <p>Momenteo has all the functionalities that I need, and it is the simplest way to send invoices since it is easy to use. Also, it is a local business, which is something important to me.&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>10- How do you find your new customers?</strong></h3> <p>I put a lot of effort into making better known my birth photography services since it is kind of new in Quebec. I have a website, and I am also active on Facebook and Instagram, which makes a significant difference. I am being referred more and more, too (word of mouth).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>11. What are your tips for someone who would like to get into freelance?</strong></h3> <p>I think the best tip I could give is to create a unique business just like you. Many people can offer the same service, but they do not have the same colors, and it can allow you to stand out from your competitors! Do not hesitate to consult a marketing consultant if you need to!</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>12. What would you say to someone who would like to use the services of a birth photographer?</strong></h3> <p>Birth photography is an emerging discipline in Quebec, and it is more and more popular. However, it is a particular discipline since births are unpredictable and often happen in the dark. The best tip I could give would be to choose an experienced and professional photographer in this field, especially.</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>13. Which projects are you most proud of?</strong></h3> <p>In 2017, I started and co-lead the Mind Your Own Tits project that had as goals the normalization and the destigmatization of breastfeeding everywhere.&nbsp; More than a hundred people participated in the development and the implementation of this project that wanted to break out the isolation lived by the families who wish to breastfeed.&nbsp;</p> <p>The breastfeeding in public cause affects me since I sincerely believe that behind all of that, there is a gender equality question here.</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>14. Do you have any big plans for this summer?</strong></h3> <p>I do not have any big projects for this summer. I simply hope to benefit from my first summer holidays since I started my business in April 2018, which is, in fact, a big step!</p> <p></p> <h3><strong>15. How Can We Contact You?</strong></h3> <p>You can contact me<a href="https://maudecolin.com/" target="_blank"> on my website</a> and social media as well. Do not hesitate to contact me. It is always a pleasure to meet new people and talk about my job. You can send me an email too at info@maudecolin.com.</p> <p><br /> <br /> &nbsp;</p>