So true ! Thank you for the reminder to value our time and expertise as consultants/people who work independently. I’ve fallen in that trap countless times. I love your suggestion of letting people know you offer coaching and sending the paid Calendly link:)
Thanks, Gwyn! YOUR time is ultra valuable. You’re a well of brilliance and you bring incredible energy to every workshop and meeting I’ve had the pleasure to attend with you.
We all have limits to our energy though so it’s important to channel it into the most opportune things. The Calendly/Stripe combo has been incredible. It’s efficient and signals you value your time.
You're pointing to a very interesting and true dynamic that I've experienced over and over as a professional speaker. I often get approached by an organization that wants me to discount my fees, and inevitably, if I bend to give them a lower price, they always wind up being way more work than those who pay my full price. So I've stopped doing that. You're absolutely right that serious people are happy to pay you. They always take responsibility for doing their own work and not expecting you to do it for them.
Appreciate that insight, Rick! Seems to be a pattern across roles and industries.
It reminds me of advice I read (years back) about job application processes. The writer pointed out most candidates are so excited about roles, they fail to evaluate the hiring team in the same manner the hiring team is evaluating them for fit.
Chances are if a hiring team or the prospective manager are slow to reply, disorganized, a poor communicator, etc., you can expect those issues on the job. And they can be amplified once compounded across various projects and responsibilities. Not fun.
A great analogy to avoid that scenario is to think of the hiring process as dating before marriage. You wouldn’t overlook a bunch of red flags and rush to marry someone unsuitable just because you want to get married. So think of landing a job in the same way. The red flags you ignore initially will become the reasons you leave in the end.
I must say Alexandra, it takes a lot of courage to write about something like this. I want to acknowledge you for it. I'm going to keep this in mind once people start asking to pick my brain (which hasn't happened yet though....)
Several of my teachers and friends are convinced I DON't have a brain. Maybe it's that...XD
But in all seriousness, I am happy that you've had this realisation and I only see it as a positive in the long run. Good luck and Godspeed :)
And major lol because I’m sure anyone questioning your brain activity is just stunned at how brave you are chasing wildlife for your photography and general observation.
This is a great article and I took too long to learn this.
A while back I started using the guideline: “I’m paid what I’m worth or I work for free with nothing in-between.”
This gives me the clarity to decide to help a few people who are not in a place to pay me, but to keep the scope for those people small and time bound. Also it keeps me from agreeing to someone trying to negotiate down my price.
this resonated with me so much! not exactly the same thing for me at this point, but I realized I was taking a lot of calls with strangers which in theory I enjoyed, but was sucking up my energy. The bandwidth isn't there for me to help random people I connect with and do my creative work. Still learning and practicing setting boundaries, this was the thing I needed to read! You are doing great work and people should pay you! I've seen so many great students come out of your course that I have no doubt it's valuable.
Setting boundaries is a tough learning curve. But it's worth the wisdom to find our optimal operating conditions. I'm glad you're protecting your energy! :)
I've learned over time that the ONLY time it makes sense to give free consulting is either A) you can use the engagement for customer research for a new offering, or B) it's for an existing customer of yours on a topic you are not currently a “billable” expert at.
And even in both those cases, you can likely still bill for the work.
As a last note, I'll also add that I love the do it “exposure” request. 99% of the time, those people who say that will not give you good exposure.
Love that you're clear on what your incentives are, James! Those are great ones.
And lol ya, this person had had a smaller following than me and seemed less plugged into the online creator network so it didn't make sense to me as a whole.
Great advice ! Remind yourself that your time & expertise is valuable .
This is a great article, Alexandra. I'm going to feature it in my weekly newsletter.
Thank you!!!
Thanks, Natasha! I’m a big fan of your journalistic approach to pitching and owning your value with confidence. You inspire me to be bolder.
P.S. Please share the link to your newsletter once it’s our and I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for sharing!
So true ! Thank you for the reminder to value our time and expertise as consultants/people who work independently. I’ve fallen in that trap countless times. I love your suggestion of letting people know you offer coaching and sending the paid Calendly link:)
Thanks, Gwyn! YOUR time is ultra valuable. You’re a well of brilliance and you bring incredible energy to every workshop and meeting I’ve had the pleasure to attend with you.
We all have limits to our energy though so it’s important to channel it into the most opportune things. The Calendly/Stripe combo has been incredible. It’s efficient and signals you value your time.
You're pointing to a very interesting and true dynamic that I've experienced over and over as a professional speaker. I often get approached by an organization that wants me to discount my fees, and inevitably, if I bend to give them a lower price, they always wind up being way more work than those who pay my full price. So I've stopped doing that. You're absolutely right that serious people are happy to pay you. They always take responsibility for doing their own work and not expecting you to do it for them.
Appreciate that insight, Rick! Seems to be a pattern across roles and industries.
It reminds me of advice I read (years back) about job application processes. The writer pointed out most candidates are so excited about roles, they fail to evaluate the hiring team in the same manner the hiring team is evaluating them for fit.
Chances are if a hiring team or the prospective manager are slow to reply, disorganized, a poor communicator, etc., you can expect those issues on the job. And they can be amplified once compounded across various projects and responsibilities. Not fun.
A great analogy to avoid that scenario is to think of the hiring process as dating before marriage. You wouldn’t overlook a bunch of red flags and rush to marry someone unsuitable just because you want to get married. So think of landing a job in the same way. The red flags you ignore initially will become the reasons you leave in the end.
Yes, exactly!
I must say Alexandra, it takes a lot of courage to write about something like this. I want to acknowledge you for it. I'm going to keep this in mind once people start asking to pick my brain (which hasn't happened yet though....)
Several of my teachers and friends are convinced I DON't have a brain. Maybe it's that...XD
But in all seriousness, I am happy that you've had this realisation and I only see it as a positive in the long run. Good luck and Godspeed :)
Thanks, Ishan! You’re a gem.
And major lol because I’m sure anyone questioning your brain activity is just stunned at how brave you are chasing wildlife for your photography and general observation.
I still remember this article you wrote and how refreshing it was to read: https://ishanshanavas.com/2022/10/12/ishan-why-do-you-keep-risking-your-life/. The accompanying photos are brilliant too!
India is still on my bucket list so my dream is when I eventually plan a trip, I can hire you for a wildlife tour. That would be epic!
Done done. Hit me up when you come :)
Yes!
This is a great article and I took too long to learn this.
A while back I started using the guideline: “I’m paid what I’m worth or I work for free with nothing in-between.”
This gives me the clarity to decide to help a few people who are not in a place to pay me, but to keep the scope for those people small and time bound. Also it keeps me from agreeing to someone trying to negotiate down my price.
Love that, Trevor! Having two clear options eliminates time wasted on individual decision-making processes.
I also (clearly) took too long to learn this so you're in good company. :)
this resonated with me so much! not exactly the same thing for me at this point, but I realized I was taking a lot of calls with strangers which in theory I enjoyed, but was sucking up my energy. The bandwidth isn't there for me to help random people I connect with and do my creative work. Still learning and practicing setting boundaries, this was the thing I needed to read! You are doing great work and people should pay you! I've seen so many great students come out of your course that I have no doubt it's valuable.
Thanks, Michelle! Glad the message resonated.
Setting boundaries is a tough learning curve. But it's worth the wisdom to find our optimal operating conditions. I'm glad you're protecting your energy! :)
I've learned over time that the ONLY time it makes sense to give free consulting is either A) you can use the engagement for customer research for a new offering, or B) it's for an existing customer of yours on a topic you are not currently a “billable” expert at.
And even in both those cases, you can likely still bill for the work.
As a last note, I'll also add that I love the do it “exposure” request. 99% of the time, those people who say that will not give you good exposure.
Love that you're clear on what your incentives are, James! Those are great ones.
And lol ya, this person had had a smaller following than me and seemed less plugged into the online creator network so it didn't make sense to me as a whole.