My brand and my reputation are one in the same because I crafted them both myself – as every woman with any amount of ambition should. I’ve been working for myself – AND ON MYSELF – for the better part of the last 15 years. I had to get “real” jobs here and there, but I’ve always been clear on the fact that I’m the boss of me, and I will make a living on my own terms, doing what I love.
Let me get this the fuck out of the way at the start:
I love what I do but I hate people.
When I charge $75 for a one hour consult, that’s actually me interviewing prospective clients and guaging how serious they are about their own goals. I don’t want to work with unserious people. I don’t want to give my time and ideas away to people who won’t hire me. And I don’t want to spend an hour talking with a stranger who doesn’t really know for sure if they ever want to put their own face on their own website.
Why would I want to spend an hour of my life with someone who doesn’t have self confidence? The hour of my life I can’t get back? You want me to give that to you for free? And you don’t even have the money to cover a deposit, but you want me to give you my knowledge, time, labor, attention, and conversation?
Make it make sense.
My Brand Reputation Standing on Business
I’m nice to all of my clients (until they start wasting my time, or lying about money) and I spend A LOT of time explaining things with PDFs, with videos, with live zoom calls, in emails, and over texts.
I repeat myself A LOT. I highlight things, and I walk people through everything. Repeatedly. Did you catch the part where I repeatedly explain things, over and over?
Was that clear? Does that make sense?
And sometimes it really seems like my time doesn’t mean anything to these people.
If they decide 6 months, one year, 2 years later that they need help with something it’s unspoken that it’s always “a simple thing” and that I should be accommodating to their request, and flexible with my schedule to just do the thing they need without requesting payment.
I DON’T DO FREE LABOR
WHY SHOULD I WORK FOR FREE? Tell me. Why are you entitled to my time or labor?
Literally, fuck you.
I’d love if someone could leave a comment on this post. But, not everyone is as forthcoming and convicted in their opinions as I am. So, my comment section is usually dry and empty. But seriously tell me…
How much is it worth
for you to spend one hour (every week, for 13 weeks) on the phone with someone who can help you? Someone that knows the software, the process, the copy and the strategy to build a business, grow a business, and maintain a revenue stream month after month, year after year?
What’s the price tag
on having direct contact with a person who knows what you need and how to get it you?
What is the dollar amount
of my explanation or re-explanation? Or a dozen 8-minute explainer videos? Or 2 PDFs?
How valuable is my time
spent listening to YOU talk through your ideas FOR TWO HOURS of my life?
And how much is the finished website worth to you?
How much revenue will you make when you finally stop yapping, make a fucking decision and start marketing your products and services instead of asking me for my opinion when you have literally thrown my opinion in the garbage multiple times? When you decide to actually build your brand?
My brand repuation is blunt force communication and SWIFT decisive action.
We are shitting or getting off the pot. You don’t like my tone, my language? Get someone else. You don’t like my attitude? Find someone softer, gentler. You don’t like the rounded border, or the shadow I put on something, fine. I’ll change that. But don’t argue with me a website layout when you’ve made zero and I’ve made 5 dozen. Don’t waste weeks of both our time going back and forth on marketing software, and asking me to do pointles tasks just so you feel busy.
Your website is supposed to make you money. My website makes me money. You hired me to do that for you. Allow me the opportunity to deliver your business, and meet my half way by delivering a fucking product outline. All you have to do is have a business plan, a mission, a model, a logistical stratgey. Get it here – in the ebook I wrote for you.
I’ll do the rest. Just quit your hemming and hawing and stop wasting my fucking time.
I don’t give a damn about my reputation
I have the reputation of being an angry bitch, a bully, a loud mouth, problematic, annoying, delusional, troublesome, chaotic, and attention-seeking crazy person.
And every person who’s ever used those words about me really, really liked me at one point. They found me thoughtful, inspiring, supportive, hilarious, honest and even loving. I mean they really, really liked me. Right until they didn’t.
So what changed? How did I manage to turn people’s good opinions of me around, and turn individuals who once admired me off from me?
Girl, I stood up for myself and I didn’t back down.
One thing about me – aside from the various colorful adjectives listed above – is that I’ll dig in my heels, stand my ground, and doggedly hold the line.
Unshakeable, unbreakable, and determined:
The very worst traits to have as a woman. Because even though we all know the patriarchy programmed us, it will be your own gender who resents you the most for fighting back.
And those traits are my self-proclaimed brand reputation. Because I define myself by the boundaries I hold, and the rules and standard I hold myself to.
But I didn’t land on this planet to be liked. I’m here to learn by doing and to teach by living. I don’t do what I do for approval or praise. I do it for money, duh! But I mean my messaging. My personality. My very existence. The lasting friendships I forge, the strangers I embrace, the animals I play with. The blogs I write. I’m just here to be myself and show you an example of what it looks like when you don’t need to be liked, because you already like and love yourself.
But if you fuck with me (or my bag) I’m always going to get my lick back.
Rest assured.
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