“You are fired”
How to get the clients you want and get your life back
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“Your fired” are words rarely uttered to a client, but perhaps it is time they should be.
Like many other professionals, I have joined the gig economy, albeit in a more traditional guise as an organisational alchemist (code for Trusted Adviser, mentor/coach, trainer and keynote speaker). And like my fellow freelancers I am learning the art of the hustle; which typically consists of saying “yes” to any and all opportunities to work.
You know what it is like, cramming 10 clients into 8 sessions; pulling an all-nighter to get the brief done by 9am; having multiple reports simultaneously on the go; and hustling to pick up that next client so your fortnightly income is smooth, as opposed to lumpy. We all know what lumpy income means — it means beans on toast, it means begging for a few days grace on that credit card instalment, or only partially meeting this month’s mortgage.
All good reasons why you should never say no to a client, or heavens forbid, turn a client down.
As my Gran used to say,
“don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
But there is a real strength in deciding to choose who you work with — regardless of the platform you work from(uber, upwork, freelance, fiverr, Expert360, Seek). It is the epitome of authentically living your values, giving a manifested meaning to the multitude of TEDX Talks you have watched.
Simon Sinek talks about the power of your why; of locating your golden circle and focussing all your efforts on living and working within it. And through the insights of Csikszentmihalyi we have come to understand how working within our golden circle, allows us to achieve flow; perhaps producing our best ever work.
The sad reality of the golden circle though, is that it is often only really works (or is discernible) after the fact … once the work is done. Instead we are all pushed from pillar to post, hoping there is some rhyme…
