First and foremost, your core values really help.
How many people are public about their pricing? They think they're doing it to look all mysterious and crack the best deal, but the reality is:
- They settle for even 50% less
- There's a lot of haggling
- Time waste max pro
So I have a public price page where nobody gets even a $1 discount.
You see it. You like it, we talk. You don't, we don't talk.
Saves their time and mine. Otherwise, most people, especially in SE Asia, think you're quoting X and will settle for X-20%.
No sir, I will not.
Next, what really helps is being selective.
You don't see me promote lifestyle, skincare, gambling, or random stuff.
(even though a certain gambling app was paying me $5000 and there's a famous Indian actor who's associated with the brand)
But gambling goes against my values and the stuff I believe in. What I'm trying to say is:
- Say no more than you say yes - to freelance clients, brands, everything. I know it's hard, but the good stuff comes in thereafter. Have faith.
- Resist quick temptations - last month, I declined $3000 worth of brand deals because they were haggling and didn't want to pay me in advance.
You think I wasn't tempted? My annual CTC was $8178 in 2021. OF COURSE I wanted this 'easy money'. But I stuck to my values and my price.
What happened next - I got $5500 of brand sponsorships from a much better brand. No haggling, 100% advance, and they were appreciative of my creative flow, so no back-and-forth either.
Brutally honest truth: The above two are really hard. It's hard to decline money when you have bills to pay. It's hard to say no when the money is SO good that it's more than what most people get paid in a month for their 50-hour work-weeks.
But that's the test. It's meant to be awfully difficult.
And when you resist quick temptations, you get much better opportunities.
I've been doing this since my freelance days of late 2020, and trust me, it works. It requires a lot of reframing of our mindset about money.
It's crucial to know that money doesn't like desperation. It's why most folks settle for less..
I highly recommend the following books to help you work on the money mindset:
- The Millionaire Fastlane by M.J. DeMarco (my favourite book about money!)
- Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck (highly recommended if you ever aspire to be a part of the creator economy)
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Quick Note
I teach people how to build a brand on LinkedIn so they can attract opportunities.
You can apply here if you're interested. We begin on September 15.
In Authentic Influence,
- we hang out for 1h a week
- you access a global community
- you learn the secrets of digital storytelling
- I edit 1 post a week for you for quick feedback
- you grow your brand online, no matter what your niche is (or if you don't have a niche right now)
I won't be doing another cohort after this due to different priorities in 2026.
|
Now, what happens when you work well?
You're paid more than you ask for.
When you just do the job exceptionally.
When you give good results.
Now, here's what my page says (notice the pricing):
And here's what I got from a brand I've worked with previously:
They wanted to pay me $1000 more!!!!
And as you see below, they paid 100% advance in minutes.
In case you're wondering why I was up so late, I was jet-lagged from my Poland trip 😄
Now, I know this isn't for everyone. Because:
- most people won't have it in them to quote a high price
- most people won't work 5-9 to escape their 9-5
- most people cannot resist temptation
And this is why 'most people' don't get to live extraordinary lives.
So, I want you to ask yourself - are you going to be where you already are? Or are you leaning more towards 'most people'?
Will you step up and do something different?
It's hard, requires patience, takes a lot of work and time - but is rewarding, fun, and totally worth it.
See you next week!
Love,
N