One of my first real exposures to entrepreneurship was
through my grandparents.
My sister and I used to spend summers up north with them preparing seeds so
that they could sell them to government agencies and environmental firms, and
well, I can't really tell you much about Native Michigan seeds today.
Their work ethic definitely stuck with me.
And listen, my grandpa certainly didn't die a millionaire or anything like,
But it was a cool post-retirement career for them and a way for him
to spend time and appreciate the great outdoors that he loved so much.
Anyway, the point of me telling you this is my mom gave me this newspaper
clipping that featured their business the last time I saw her, and I was kind of
surprised to see that my grandpa got into this whole seed pedaling business for.
According to this interview from the Mining Journal in 1998, he
volunteered to collect native seed for the US Forest Service.
The next year he was offered a $500 contract for a service and was
encouraged to expand and make native seed available to the general public.
And it just got me thinking, you all, I hope, know that I am all for freelancers,
charging their worth and making money so that they can change their lives
and do cool things for the world.
And I also understand that working for.
Is a privilege.
My grandfather had already raised his children.
He was, you know, an older person when he really started this business.
I get it.
But I do think that sometimes working for free can be one of the best things
that you can do for your career.
So in today's episode, and wanna talk about when you should think about working
for free and how to discern whether or not it's a good opportunity or you're
just gonna be getting taken advantage of.
I don't really know what it was that caused my grandfather to work for
free that first summer, but one of the first reasons that I worked for
free as a freelancer was experience.
When I first got started with blogging and writing for the internet, I
didn't really know what I was doing.
I had pretty much only.
Drafted blogs for myself, and so I would pretty much harness
any opportunity I had to write.
One of my first free jobs was a writer for a local music blog.
It didn't really last very long, but it did teach me something about
working in that kind of newsroom style environment, which I think was helpful.
And I also think that it just gave me, Portfolio work stuff that I can
point to and said, Hey, I worked, I did this and I, this has actually
been published, which is pretty cool.
Now I'll tell you another story that's a little bit more 2023 appropriate.
Let's go back to 2017.
In my business, I'd been freelancing for a long time.
I was definitely charging.
Full service rates.
I was not working for free in the social media management world at all.
I, you know, was semi respected, I guess you could say.
I had a good set of clients, so I had no reason really to be working for free.
But I did have a lot of my clients reaching out, asking for websites,
and I've always loved websites.
Like I've always built my own websites.
I, you know, I'm a child.
Space and learning H T M L that way.
So I've always found it to be something really fun and I thought,
instead of outsourcing this or sending them a referral to somebody, why
can't I offer Squarespace websites?
I do all my own websites and people compliment them all the time,
or at least they did back then.
That said, I had never created a website for a client, and you
listening, watching this probably know that doing something for your.
Doing something for fun and doing something for a client
are very different experiences.
So I knew that I didn't want to start charging for Squarespace websites off the
bat without having had that experience, without having had that happy customer,
without having my processes down.
So I actually, it's funny, I was putting together some slides for a course of mine.
and I ran across these tweets from 2017 and it was my simple
ask for portfolio clients.
I basically said, Hey, I'm really interested in doing this.
That said, I need some portfolio clients.
I'll take a couple of people, send me a DM if you want a free website.
And I got several people responded.
I ended up going with two people, uh, two kind of internet friends that I knew.
One of them I had known for a really long time on the internet.
And she's fantastic, and I'm so, so glad that I took that project for free.
You know, it wasn't a terrible, terrible website at the end of the day.
It was totally fine, but just those little things of the communication,
like I had to learn how to use Loom and things like that.
I don't even know if Loom was a thing back then, but I used some KI type
of screen sharing software back then.
and you know, just understanding all of the little details
that I needed to ask her for.
And it's so much easier to launch a new product or service with a testimonial.
So she gave me a really wonderful, glowing testimonial, and I'm so grateful for that.
So it was a bit of time that I was working for free.
I mean, it took me, I think I scoped that project for like 30 days or so.
So it was like a month of my time, you know, that I was working for
free, but it was so worth it and I was able to get so many more.
Squarespace, design clients after that and charge a a pretty good amount.
Like that was a big part of my business for a while.
I don't do that anymore, but, um, maybe I will again someday.
Cause I really, really enjoy it.
So if you don't have any experience, if you have something you wanna
do, take photos, write social media posts, um, build websites.
Whatever it is, and you need that experience, consider
offering a portfolio project.
Now, here's my warning about that, is make sure that there is a time limit to this.
So for me it was a deliverable with the Squarespace websites.
I was just handing over a website.
I didn't offer any additional maintenance after that.
I completely handed over the website, so they had control of it.
I wasn't dealing with billing stuff or anything like that, and I recommend
you do something similar where there is a deliverable involved or a set
period of time that you're working.
I don't want you to say, Hey, I'll be your social media manager for
free, and just have that be ongoing.
That's when I think people get in a little bit of trouble because they don't get
that testimonial that they're looking.
And they just kind of get roped into, you know, being free labor
and that shouldn't be what that is.
Also, I think it's really important to be very.
Clear at the beginning of your portfolio projects that this is a portfolio project.
I explained to both of these people that I'm doing this for my portfolio
and I'm gonna ask you for a review.
Hopefully it's gonna be a positive review, but I want you to give me a
review, good, bad, or ugly, so I know how I'm doing and that I can improve
the process for future clients.
They gave me testimonials.
They knew what was up.
They weren't surprised when I handed over the website and asked
them to say a few words about me.
They were more than happy to do it.
So make sure you do that and they're not taken off guard, and then you're
having to chase down a testimonial.
I truly believe that payment comes in many forms, and I do think
that a testimonial and experience.
can count.
The next reason that you might wanna consider working for free is access.
Now, I hate the term exposure.
I, it's funny because anyone who ever says, Hey, do you wanna work for exposure?
Always has like a smaller platform than you.
Anyone else relate to that?
You know, I'm not never judging a company or a person on how many
followers they have, but like, if you have like 5,000 followers,
why would I work for you for free?
You know what I mean?
Like, I'm kind of doing you as service by exposing my audience to you.
. But anyway, so I don't really like the idea of exposure.
I like to say access because if you are able to get access to a particular
group of people that you really wanna tap into, or to a process or
an experience, or if you wanna like see how the vegan sausage is made, if
you will, you know, it can be a good opportunity to kind of shadow someone.
Apprenticeship has been a thing for so long and it still is like, Some
industries, like in the tattoo world and stuff, and I think it's very valuable
to just be able to shadow someone, watch someone kind of intern and, you know,
experience what their life is like.
Getting access to some of that stuff is incredibly valuable.
And I'll tell you a story, uh, for me when I worked for Access,
well, I'll tell you two examples.
One, when I was first getting started kind of building up my platform, if you
will, I did a lot of speaking for free.
I don't do so much of that anymore.
, but I did a lot of speaking for free because, you know, basically
anyone who would hear me talk and who would hear me pitch my
business and whatever, I was there.
So I went to small groups and meetups, like I didn't care if
there was five people in the room, I would do it for free.
Sometimes I would even bring snacks, like I would actually be paying to be
in those rooms because they would be rooms of five entrepreneurs, five, you
know, whatever decision makers at c.
So I was getting access to these people who had the power and ability to pay me.
So, you know, it was totally worth it for me.
And honestly, I've signed so many of those clients, or had so many
of those people become like ongoing supporters and cheerleaders of mine.
So it's.
Super, super worth it.
Another example, you may know the channel flux.
They're a design, a graphic designer's like channel and
they have courses and stuff.
The guy who launched the company, Ron, is amazing, and he reached
out to me a few years ago.
This was.
2020 I think.
And he was like, do you wanna create a YouTube video for our channel?
You talked about LinkedIn in one of your videos.
And a lot of my dis, you know, my students asked me about that
and I was like, absolutely.
He asked me how much I would charge to make a video for his channel.
And I was like, honestly, like I would do it for free, but I
guess I'll give you a number.
And so that was very wonderful that.
Was a paying client and you know, I, I did get paid for that, but
I would have done that for free.
And the reason being is that their channel is all about freelancing and he had a
much larger platform than me at the time.
He still does.
And so just being featured on that channel was a huge opportunity actually.
And I'll be honest, like I did get a huge boost in my channel.
After those videos.
I actually ended up doing, I think, three videos for that channel.
And I did, I.
Pretty good subscriber boost and so I definitely owe, you know, a lot, I owe a
big thank you to him and to that channel.
So yes, if you are able to get access to a group of people who you are
trying to tap into, do it for free.
You know, I do podcast interviews.
I would never think of charging anyone to interview me on their podcast.
I do do some speaking for free still, um, not quite as much, but
I do if it's the right opportunity.
Do it for sure.
My warning on that one is just to make sure that the audience is vetted.
Like I said, do not work for free, just for like random Jim James or whatever.
I don't know what these names I'm saying, but don't just work for free for.
Anyone make sure that they are in your target audience and that their
quality, you know, their quality, um, leads if you will as well.
So for the example of the Flux Channel, I know that they are
in line with my values, like the education they offer as high quality.
The videos that they offer are high quality.
And, you know, I wasn't contributing to some like clickbait, scammy type thing
just because they had a lot of numbers.
Because a lot of times they'll find those numbers are not necessarily.
Engaged audience members or you know, like they might be looking for that get rich
quick kind of vibe and that's not my vibe.
So they might not really translate over.
So make sure that you really investigate what you're getting
access to, to make sure it's in line with what you wanna have access to.
And the last reason is passion.
You know, if you're a nonprofit that serves a cause that I believe in,
I wouldn't think of asking a dollar amount to come speak at your events.
I might not be able to do it because of scheduling, but I
don't charge for those things.
Like I, I mean, I just cried last night about little baby kittens.
So, I mean, I'm very passionate about a lot of things.
Animals are one of them, and yeah, if I can help an organization, if I can help
a person, if I can help a particular community with the skills that I.
Have and have cultivated.
I'm happy to do it.
And you know, sure it can have selfish, uh, selfish benefits.
I guess That's not why I do it or why I recommend doing it.
I think if you wanna give.
That's one of the easiest ways for a lot of people to give, at least in the
beginning of their freelancing, because you might not be making, you know, so
much money where you can just write checks to every organization you care
about, but you might be able to take a day off and make it, you know, it
can be a fun experience for you too.
And then, like I said, it can have some selfish benefits as well, because you
may be able to use that as a portfolio.
item or use that to hone your skills.
So for me, when I first started speaking, I had never done public speaking.
I mean, I'd taken public speaking classes in college and I'd like given little
trainings and stuff at my corporate job, but I had certainly never spoke in
front of, you know, hundreds of people.
I'm very shy, I'm very introverted.
I have a speech impediment, I have social anxiety, I have all the things, so I'm.
Somebody wants me to speak at their event.
And so I look back on some of those first events that I did for free, which were for
nonprofits and stuff, and I'm like, wow, I was, it was pretty rusty, gonna be honest.
And now I think that's, you know, it's something that I don't get
really that nervous about anymore.
I've done a lot of speaking at some pretty big events.
Side note, I'll be at Social Media Marketing World if
anyone's gonna be there.
In the middle of March in San Diego.
So that will be exciting.
You can come see me, hopefully not suck on stage, but I wouldn't have been
able to get those bigger opportunities if I hadn't started somewhere.
So speaking at, you know, nonprofits, small organizations.
Schools, things like that really helped me build up that confidence and build
up that portfolio, build up that speaker reel as they call it, to be able to
get some of those bigger opportunities.
So it definitely can have selfish benefits, even if that's not
necessarily where it should start.
You should definitely be passionate about it.
You could also, if speaking isn't your thing, you might be
able to volunteer your time.
I volunteer my time as a marketer, social media person.
All the time for different, you know, political campaigns and things like that.
I always raise my hand and say like, Hey, I will knock doors if you want me to,
but I would really rather do the social media or create some stuff for you.
So there are lots of ways that you can give back if you want to tip on
this one, because if you are like me and you cry about, you know,
little kittens on the side of the road, or, oh my God, this video.
It was so emotional.
It ended well.
Okay.
It ended well, but it was just so sweet.
Um, yeah, sometimes you can, you can find yourself overcommitting and
overextending yourself, and at the end of the day, you gotta still run your
business, otherwise you're not gonna be helpful to anyone else if you have no
money or you know your business bills.
So what I like to do is actually set a budget for hours or projects
that I'm able to take on every year.
Free from a giving perspective and that number of course, sometimes
it goes up, sometimes it goes down.
If the business is doing really well and it can be really hands off one year,
sure, maybe it can take the entire month of December and just do giving work.
Other years, it's just been one project or two projects, but look at your
budget, look at your time, and figure out what also, you know, fills your cup
and makes you happy and set a budget and that way you can turn things.
Respectfully too.
If you genuinely have run out of hours in your budget for giving, you can say that.
And I say that all the time.
Hey, I'm, I love your mission, your cause.
Please reach out next year.
I've reached max capacity for, you know, giving work that I'm able to do,
but I'd love to chat next year and it doesn't feel so terrible when you're
like turning down little kitten organiz.
Or whatever you can let them know, Hey, my bank refreshes in January.
Hit me up then.
So let me know what you think.
Have you ever worked for free?
How did you get your portfolio started?
And if you haven't yet gotten your portfolio started and you are a
social media manager or an aspiring social media manager, you should
definitely come to my free class.
I'm gonna leave a link down below and we are gonna be talking
all about how to get started.
As a social media manager, how to build that portfolio, how to find
those portfolio clients, how to decide what type of social media management
work that you wanna do, because there is a lot involved, there are a
lot of different, uh, layers there.
So I'd love to see you there and I'd love to talk to you in the comments too.
Please leave me a comment over on YouTube.
I'd love hearing from you and thank you for tuning in.
Hope you enjoyed this episode.
I'll talk to you in the next one.
Bye.