Don’t confuse collaboration with being ripped off blind!
Your generosity should be stewarded in discernment.
Your ideas are valuable to you and others, treat them with respect. Don’t be lazy … write a paper, a manifesto, a blog post, a tweet, take a photograph, a screen shot or make a video. Don’t sell your soul for a cup of coffee with someone you think is more important than you.
Value yourself. Value your ideas. Until you own your worth/value you’ll never convince anyone to pay you money for it.
Your idea is only valuable if it produces. Put it into action. If you don’t someone else will. Action, persevere, adapt and renovate.
Collaboration is where people gather together to “share” and it is worthwhile but it should be mutually beneficial.
Before you meet and “share” know what it is you do and know how much you charge for it – don’t make it hard for people to do business with you. Hang your shingle. If you do this you will never be on the back foot in valuing what you share or wonder how you will get paid.
Consultants are whores selling their time and their minds in exchange for payment. The only difference between a $300 whore and a $3000 whore is how they see themselves. Measurement = do you deliver what you say you will? Do you get repeat business and referrals (I did not say testimonials).
Communication techniques on sharing abound. Social media is not one big love in. In the end for most it’s just business and in business you get paid.
How do you get paid?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Mistress Mia,
(I think I may have met you at #SHTBOX last week).
As someone who has made an occasionally successful career out of original ideas, I completely agree with your sentiment, and it’s a lesson well worth remembering… except for this part:
“The only difference between a $300 whore and a $3000 whore is how they see themselves.”
My personal knowledge is limited, but from what I’ve garnered from “Friends” * there is quite the difference, apparently it starts with French Kissing and ends with…
…other stuff.
* “Friends” like Elliot Spitzer.
Refreshing post. People definitely need to write it up and put it to the test.. the failed ideas increase your value as much as the successful ones… the alternative is just a “2 bit whore” who keeps telling themselves they’re beautiful… even a 2 bit whore can get a celebrity on a binge, but it doesn’t last long.
It’s amazing how many awards go to good ideas poorly executed too. I can name quite a few digital projects that won awards yet were complete failures of public perception due to bad technical execution. This will change quickly as the people paying the bills start to “get” the realities of new media.
The idea is only the start.. “test your ideas, calaborate to have them executed right, add value to them and make the next one better” before long people will be paying you for achievements and not just mental masturbation.
G’day Mia
As someone who is now in a position where I have to evaluate my worth (due to be being retrenched last month) this was a good lesson for me. In the last couple of days I have been looking for jobs below what I feel I am worth. I gotta stick with it and I will find what I am worth.
Thanks a bunch.
Jack
I have never seen more people of knowledge exploited than in Social Media. We need to remember as individual service providers or employees that we are first and foremost the “closer” of our own deals. You are worth it.
Interesting article, I know the value of what i do and how much i am worth and always work with my partners and clients to build solid relationships and trust for repeat business. I am going to share this with my group as its a reminder of to know that everyone has something of value to share.
Hi Mia, interesting post. Though I see where u r coming from with the title I thought the line “Your idea is only valuable if it produces.” was the kicker for me. Some of us never stop having ideas, unfortunately we rely on others to find the Market and the execution. The challenge, I think u r talking about, is to ensure you retain ownership of those ideas or are able to sell them for a reasonable amount of coin. This sort of thing has been going on for centuries though. Recent examples of course are musical artists and record companies/publishers. In some ways the worst is visual artists churning stuff out for pittances but their works being shared among the glitterati for thousands of dollars without them ever seeing a cent.
Is the challenge to pick those who you trust And do business with them only. And hope the relationship never corrupts
all in all you’ve made me think, and that is always a good thing!
Gavn
Awesome post MM. I have shared a great deal over the years, for people I want to help, for causes I support, but sadly when the same causes have money to spend it goes else where? Get paid now and never invest what you can’t afford to, which for me is time.
Lesson learnt!
One of the challenges is, as you point out – closing the deal. Many people who can “do” social media well often find that they are not good at “doing” social media as a business. This is where a good business coach can come in – either to assist in negotiating, or simply mentoring.