25 April 2022 | From the friendly caves of Pixie Hollow.
Recently I encountered a woman who wanted me to work for free.
I don't work for free. I don't care who you are, what your situation is, or how tear-jerking is your sob story, it's not going to happen. Not unless it's by my own choosing, and then it's pro bono, not free.
In lieu of work, I:
- Gave her useful feedback
- Gave her serious and important pointers about her intention for the project (which she thought I was joking about. Nooope, wrong, lady!)
- Recommended an alternative approach to her project to save her money and effort
- Recommended one of the leading books on the topic, that would help her with her question.
Still, she wanted me to provide a focused assessment of her work.
When I advised her that this was a paid service, she spat:
It's all about the money isn't it! That's how I lost my children!
I didn't respond. Though I did consider thanking her for recognising that my ability to support my family is important.
Instead, I'm telling you about it.
Why?
Because if you treat an artist like a commodity, you'll get the kind of outcomes you can expect. There's a good reason why they're expensive, and it's rarely because of ego.
One of my favourite quotes comes from Somerset Maugham. It is this:
It's a funny thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.
May you take this to heart. Your business and your brand ought to be landing among the best that exists. Don't cheapen it by asking professionals to do their work for free.
xx Leticia 'not a charity' Mooney.
Please let me know what I can do for you.
Leticia Mooney is a consultant with decades of experience writing with and for people like you. Her company Brutal Pixie casts the kind of spells your customers love. Its services are oracles (communication strategy, CCX, audits, investigations, quality assurance), metamorphoses (training, mentoring, coaching, wargaming), and your stories in magick hands (ghostwriting, content writing, editorial support). Leticia is also
the mother of an intelligent, engaging, and curious boy, who is named after a character created by J.R.R Tolkien.
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Brutal Pixie Pty Ltd works worldwide.
PO Box 1190, Pasadena SA 5042, Australia
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