Instructional Design Community
From 9-to-5 to On Your Own: Launching Your Freelance Instructional Design Career
with Matt Fulmer & Nicki Sheridan
Breaking free from the traditional full-time role can be both exciting and intimidating for instructional designers.
This month's COP will guide you through the essential steps of transitioning into a successful freelance career, from identifying your niche and building a portfolio to navigating contracts, pricing, and client relationships. We’ll discuss how to leverage your existing skills and experience while developing the business acumen needed to thrive in the gig economy.
Through real-world examples and practical tips, you’ll learn how to market yourself effectively, find quality clients, and manage multiple projects without burning out.
Whether you’re considering a gradual side-hustle transition or ready to make the leap full-time, you’ll walk away with a roadmap for building a sustainable freelance practice—and the confidence to take charge of your own professional path.
About Your Facilitators:
Matt Fulmer is an instructional designer/learning and development professional who serves as the Director of Instructional Design at the Texas Association of School Business Officials, a nonprofit organization supporting public schools.
Matt believes that love of learning must be inspired and strives to create learning experiences that are both engaging and experiential, with the overarching objective of inspiring and encouraging true self-directed learners.
He began his professional journey as higher education faculty and transitioned to professional education. Matt holds a master’s degree in digital media from Goddard College, and recently completed an MS in Organizational Leadership at St. Edward’s University.
Nicki Sheridan has helped organizations (both in the academic and corporate world) improve employee performance through creating behavior-based learning experiences.
Nicki is passionate about instructional design due to the positive impact at the company and individual level when tying training programs to business goals. Having the opportunity to make people's lives better (or their jobs easier) through training is both a rewarding and gratifying experience.
Outside of the office, you can find Nicki staying caffeinated while visiting all of Austin's local coffee shops!
The ATD Austin Chapter has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. This program qualifies for a maximum of 1 point.
