On Saturday night, I had the privilege of being part of the Freelance Success panel at the Creative Freelancer Conference. It was absolutely fascinating to be the focus of a room full of freelancers, looking to the three of us for magical answers.
Of course, we don’t have magical answers. We’ve each made plenty of mistakes, but hopefully offered a good “do as I say, not as I do” overview of our goals, successes and failures.
One question was most interesting: What is the biggest mistake that I’ve made as a freelancer. Without a doubt, every big mistake has had to do with chasing the big paycheck. Oh sure, money matters, don’t get my wrong, but when the promise of money overrules your gut instincts, you have a big problem.
How many times have I thought to myself, “Oh, sure, the person seems a little bit difficult, but hey, look at the money!” Of course, the money is never worth the stress, the hassle and the anxiety that the person causes.
This was the moment where I blurted out the obvious: No amount of money is worth working for an a**hole.
After a moment where I paused and wondered if I’d actually said that out loud (oh, I did), the applause began. Evidently I struck a nerve. In the 24 hours since the panel, I’ve had dozens of people come to me to tell me how much that one statement resonated with them. And that’s absolutely fantastic. If I can save someone from making the same mistake, then I’ve done something useful.
Now I just have to hope that I don’t go down in CFC history as “the a**hole lady.” Yet another case where the rest of the conference can learn from my mistakes.
that single statement really raised the energy in the room. the truth is so useful, entertaining and supportive–the magic trine according to http://communicatrix.com/ You rocked it. Don’t be afraid to curse when it works.
That’s absolutely true. I wasn’t at the conference (I’m in NZ), but wish I had been there. Sometimes the truth which is usually obvious but overlooked, needs to be pointed out, and it sounds like you did just that!
When the promise of money overrules your gut instincts, you have a big problem. – Love it, so true!
your a**hole statement struck a nerve because we’ve ALL had that experience and know it to be true. you did what writers do, you distilled it into an honest sentiment that said exactly what you needed to say, no more, no less. a room like CFC always appreciates those little reminders to stay on track.