Issue #23: Free Work Versus Paid Work

Know when to fold them and when to hold them

Hello, everyone!

Daniel-Vlad “Adult Poker” Negreanu here, on another episode of “The First Rule of Poker”. So, what’s the first rule of poker, I hear you ask? 

NO TWO HANDS ARE ALIKE

Which basically means there isn’t such a thing as a winning strategy (some choice marketers accidentally reading and watching from home have just committed seppuku). You have to play each and every hand, and you bet each and every chip depending on… 

And guesses? 

Anybody? 

Shit, I keep forgetting this isn’t a televised show. Anyway, it starts with a “C”. 

Yes, it’s CONTEXT. 

So… young and not so young entrepreneurs, up-and-coming marketers, and budding writers, this is lesson numero uno:

Even when you’re holding the pocket aces… you can pretty much still get fucked if you go all in at the wrong moment. You can also get fucked if you fold. So… how do you know when to fold them and when to hold them if you’re not a Romanian poker wunderkind, rebranded as Canadian for obvious branding purposes? 

You start doing the thing before you know how to do the thing, and you learn. Simple as that. 

Fuck you, and I’ll see you next issue….

OK, OK!!! 

Me, the missus and our dog had our friends over last night, and we’re pretty much spent, so this is going to be the shortest issue ever (I keep telling myself that, and it always turns into a 2500+ words thing…) since I’m knackered and my head is killing me, popping aloud, kinda like Bond’s heart after Le Chiffre poisoned him in Casino Royale. I did not want to mention his B00ls getting hammered, for obvious reasons — and now that image is in your head, HA HA! 

So, let’s lay them down and play some quick-fire hands. 

Free work or paid work?

Well, yes. Of course. And no. And it definitely depends. 

It depends on who you are, where you are in your business, how much value are you going to get from the task. It also depends on how hungry you are. 

This whole discussion started from a post where I disagreed with another writer. He was saying that newbies should be more than OK with unpaid work. I was, and still am, of the opinion that any type of work should be paid for, in real money, not exposure bucks. Even though we disagreed there, we left the poker table as friends, and a couple of months after the incident he invited me for a Q&A session in his community. Funny how things work out when you disagree with people, right? 

However. There are nuances. I would personally not work for free right NOW. And, in 90% of cases, I would not advise anyone to do so. But, as always, there are exceptions:

• If you’re trying to get a job and it’s a requirement. This was a prerequisite when I joined the SEO agency. Could not waive it. 

• If you’re absolutely broke. Hey, you do what you gotta do. 

• If you know bupkis about a specific topic, and you have to prove your worth.

• If you ABSOLUTELY want to work with that client and the request doesn’t take more than 15 minutes to deliver. 

• If you ABSOLUTELY KNOW that doing this freebie will result in some value for you down the line. 

Look, I try not to be a hypocrite. Starting out, I did my fair share of unpaid gigs. For some businesses, this is (or at least it looks like) the only way to get their services/products validated. 

I’m against free stuff on principle, but if someone reaches out to me with a question that I can answer in 10 seconds flat, you bet your sweet ass I’m giving out a freebie. There’s free stuff and then there’s stupid free stuff. You’ll learn the difference by judging how it makes you feel. 

If you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, like I’m feeling while writing this newsletter, and showering you with golden information: it’s the cool free stuff. 

If you feel like someone’s taking advantage of you: it’s the uncool free stuff.

Easy, right?  

Value for money and chicks for free (and by chicks I mean respect) 

Nowadays, whenever someone asks me to do something for free, and I feel like they are taking advantage of me, I usually feel disrespected. Whenever I feel that, it goes one of two ways:

1. I directly ask them for money. Yeah, this tends to kill the interaction. But I saved time and definitely saved my annoyance levels from exploding further down the line. 

2. I ask them for something that would benefit me. Sometimes you can see it in their eyes that money is a problem. Fair game, what else can you trade in order for Vlad to feel like he’s not wasting his time? Something that’s of value for me, of course. This could range from exposure to a new audience, something to build my brand, or an introduction to someone I’ve been meaning to approach. 

BUT HEY!!!!

You said no exposure bucks! Sure. No stupid exposure (as in “not targeted”). But if it is the right kind of exposure, as in brand building exposure, and you enjoy whatever you’re going to do… I say go for it. 

There’s always a buck to be had doing what God has put you on this Earth to do. And if there isn’t… At least you can have a good time and turn it into: 

If you’re a writer: content.

If you’re a marketer: an opportunity to promote yourself.

If you’re a business owner: an opportunity to promote your services/product.

If you’re all three? 

Jackpot, baby. 

It doesn’t work without examples, so here are some:

1. I get invited to join a community of jobseekers and post there. Is there any value in it for me? Nope, since those people can’t ever be my clients.

2. I get invited to present a Ghostwriting MasterClass to a writers’ community. Is there any value for me? Sure! I’m going to be a free member for the rest of my life, I’m cementing my status as a specialist, and I might get clients who want to specialize. I actually did get a client that way, and she turned into a stalker who recommends my newsletter like it’s GOD’s scripture. I mean… it is. 

3. I get invited to join a community of writers and other creatives who don’t have a voice and want one. I already provide that kind of service, so I’m the direct competition. Will those people buy my services since the community is cheaper? Hard NO. I pass on it. 

4. I get invited to a Q&A in another writer’s community. Value? Yes. Apart from getting some new followers/supporters, I get to use the materials for my own promotional purposes. 

Did you catch the drift? It does not all have to be about money. But, you should get something out of it. 

BUT VLAAAAD!!!

I want the cold, hard dinero! 

Fine, read on. 

What are you paying me for?

This is the biggest problem most service providers run into. They think they sell writing services. They do not.

They think they sell design services. They do not.

They think they sell coaching services. They do not.

You, my friends, should not be selling the service. You should be selling a way of thinking about a specific issue, a way of handling it and, if that’s possible — a result. 

Stop selling a specific thing. Start selling a specific way of doing it. 

Again with the personal examples, OK?

Have you seen my posts on LinkedIn? No, seriously, have you?

How often do I talk about writing tips? About lists of stuff you should do to write a great article? About marketing tactics?

Maybe when I’m mocking said subjects… But that’s all. 

Every idiot can talk about that. And most do. 

Not you. You should be talking about why your way is better. How it gets better results and helps the client. Very few people care about how the rabbit got into the hat. They just love it when it’s pulled out. The panache of the whole thing. 

So, as a writer and marketing consultant, I never aim for being hired just because I write. Anyone can write. 

I aim to be hired for my specific process of writing, the way I see the world of writing, my thorough research process, my analytical mind, my superior strategic approach and my no-nonsense attitude. 

That’s how you get the good money and people respect you. 

How do you move from selling a service to selling your way of doing something? You change your mentality. And you start to invest in branding. Hit me up and I can elaborate. 

How relevant is a portfolio or a body of work? 

That depends on your goals and the people you want to work for. In my case, I don’t want to be hired by people who look at my writing and only see the final product. 

I want to work with people who look at my work and see a way of doing things. A philosophy. 

Clients who only want the final results are dime a dozen. Do the thing, get your money, get out. Fine if you are just starting out. 

The clients who appreciate your way of doing things are the big fish. The ones who take you on for a project, and then you become their go-to specialist for all issue relating to your field. That’s when you build a partnership. 

As a freelancer or any other kind of business owner, these are the clients you want. The return customer. The clients you can tie down with a retainer and the clients you can count on. 

But maybe you want to be a project hopper, in which case don’t listen to me. 

My “worst” collaborations usually last for AT LEAST 5 months. How’s that for income security? 

But, dude, times are tough, should you actually refuse work? 

Again… it’s a matter of perspective. Can you afford to refuse work? Then do it. If you can’t, take it on. But always have an eye on the future. Do the shit job if you have to, but don’t forget about the bigger plan. Take on the shit gig, but don’t settle. Keep looking for the next big thing. 

It’s not failure that will kill your dream. Settling will. Deciding, without having all the pieces of the puzzle, that THAT is your level. It’s like quicksand. You’ll go down like a rock with confidence issues. 

What’s more important? Money or respect?

I ask this of all people with businesses when they tell me they want more money. I mean, who doesn’t? They all tell me the same thing: I want money now. 

Very well, I get it. But if you take on all those clients that you know are WRONG for your business, can you really work with them? How long before they get on your nerves? 

I can’t stomach it. Whenever I feel like someone treats me as a simple busboy, not the pit boss, I burst a capillary. I’m here to help you out, and you value my opinion. 

If you treat me like the hired help, I’ll tell you to fuck off so fast your head will spin. 

And you know what this attitude has brought me? The respect of people who hire me. 

Unlock that level of the game, and victory is yours. You’ll see more and more of the right cards coming down the river. And you’ll win the pot. 

Sooner rather than later. 

Ethan’s poem

It’s becoming a bit of a habit that I feature other writers in my B00ls. Today, #EthanPoem, also known as Ethan J. Schumann - Poet | Writer | Speaker | Freestyle poetry & free association, with his B00ls inspired poem. Enjoy: 

Hey pumpkin spice!

Ethics are nice

Balls to the wall

Keep on writing

"I'm VLADMAN"

Crime-fighting rebel

Nananananananana

Don't you dare revel

In the rhymes of this poem

You run home

Alfred's tone is stern

Another swear word?

Master Vlad

You @$hashtag#in' turd

Surprise!

Oui

Ze french rhymes

***

Speaking about guests… I’m cooking something special for you fine folks. Come December… I’m stepping down… 

But chill. It’s only for one issue. Not a done deal as of right now, but I’m aiming at having a Guest write a full B00ls episode, namely issue 26. This is another great writer I’ve mentioned a couple of times around here, and his topics are definitely of interest if you wrestle with how to approach work and set boundaries.

Fingers crossed something nice will come to fruition. 

And on that note, pitching is officially open. If you’re a writer (a person who writes, you don’t have to identify as a professional writer) with a great story to share with the B00ls audience, hit me up. 

You can talk about stuff that lights you up and promote yourself at the same time. 

I ONLY HAVE ONE RULE:

It has to be quality content, relevant to the B00ls audience. 

People, read your e-mails!

As I’m writing this, I have a whopping 177 newsletter subscribers and a 49% open rate for B00ls. Last time I had an open rate below 50% was in May. Me no likey that. 

However, I have like three or four unread newsletters from my favourite authors, so I know how it is. Still, if you signed up and enjoy my writing, at least get back to the issues you skipped on.

B00ls is indeed built on a standalone episode experience, except a couple of double parters, but if you’re not taking advantage of each and every issue, I’d say you’re majorly missing out. I mean, that’s what the archive is for! 

Just saying. 

At this rate, I won’t be able to sell my newsletter and retire in the Bahamas anytime soon. Oh yeah, and there’s another video episode coming soon, if you missed my mug :D. 

Going forward

OK, this one was actually shorter than average, but it felt longer (that’s what she said). 

If you loved this issue, you might be interested in:

Previously, on B00ls: Issue #22: What Came First: The Niche or the Service/Product/Business

Fucking start with a good reason

Next time, join MadVlad as he takes on…

Issue #24: Kirby… or the Innocence of an Itinerant Salesman 

You sure you don’t want to buy this vacuum cleaner? 

You can get access to the full archive here if you missed any other issue. 

In the meantime

If you liked my stuff, this is how we can work together: 

1. I write for you, so you can stop offering your services for free and getting nada. Check out the Experience section on my LinkedIn.

2. I consult marketers and founders. I can show you to win most hands without cheating yourself out of the long-term win. 

3. I consult writers. I can teach you how to write about poker like you played more than 10 hands in your life. I haven’t :))

Are you a writer/marketer/founder who wants to play better? 

Reply to this e-mail if you’re interested in the above. 

Know somebody who’d also like that? Share my newsletter and point them in my direction. I’ll give you a beer/coffee (gotta keep that gut slim, na?) if you’re ever in Brașov.

Offer 1 is detailed up on LinkedIn.

Offers 2 and 3 are detailed up on LinkedIn. But you can also find them here: 

One of my recent clients told me I undercharge for my services. It’s the second time I’m hearing that, so from January 1st I’m bumping up the prices. Also… inflation. So, if you want to take advantage of the regular price, you’d better write a letter to Santa Vlad right about… NOW :)

I’m still very open for consultancy services. Just reply to this e-mail if you’re interested. 

Cheers

If this was the first, but also last time we meet: Thank you. 

I write for myself, but you reading my writing gives it additional meaning. I literally could not resonate without you.