Every time I update my website (and then live out what I shared there), I gain so. much. wisdom. (I'm a 3/5 in Human Design. I have to do or try something to see what works, what doesn't, and what's next.)
And as I’ve set up a few new client projects (hooray!), I’ve realized something.
I only want to charge by the hour.
This absolutely does not line up with advice about charging for the value you provide rather than exchanging dollars for hours.
But here’s the thing!
I am coming to realize that a huge part of the value I offer is in my flexible, fluid way of working.
I want to meet you exactly where you are. I want to walk the path your ideas want to take. I want to co-create with you in an open and ongoing way. I want to pivot easily and allow things to flow rather than trying to guess what the container will need to look like before we start working…and then feel like I have to stick to that guess.
It's been interesting to come to this realization. I have been working for myself for ten years, and a lot has changed in the online business space during that time. (I remember telling someone in a copy editing certificate class that I wanted to work with small online creative business and she flat out told me that wouldn’t work. Luckily I didn’t listen to her.)
I'm starting to see just how many ideas I've internalized over the years that just don't hold any relevance for me and how my energy works.
I’m a Manifesting Generator (in Human Design). I am not here to do things anyone else’s way. That’s a sure road to stuckness and struggle and deep frustration.
Plus I read something the other day about having a completely open heart (in Human Design), which I do, that has really stuck with me. Rachel of Pure Generators said:
“As an undefined (actually - completely open) heart person, I noticed this week that as I was creating something new, I caught myself trying to assess its value for others. I felt an immediate contraction. Then I realized - why the *#!^ would I try to pin down something's value when I don't have that kind of innate consciousness?! That's not for me to know! I'm here to understand that things have value beyond what I could possibly assign and that life will guide me to the people, places, and situations that help me answer these questions. I don't need to know lol.”
I felt this in my SOUL. (Can’t overstate this.)
So I’m doing it my way.
I’ve been working on updating my website (yes, again!) and wrote down the following notes as I was mapping out updates to the Work with Me page. I wanted to share them here with you in case this felt exciting, liberating, helpful, inspiring, or just mildly interesting. ;)
- I charge for the exact time spent on a project at $150/hour.
- We'll talk up front about what we hope to accomplish, some possibilities for how the work could go, and how to begin.
- I'll update a simple spreadsheet as we go, checking in with you at regular intervals (say, every five hours of work) to make sure you've seen how many hours have been used and want to keep moving forward.
- If you'd like, we can also discuss a maximum amount you’d like to spend for the project and, as we approach that maximum or if the project changes in scope, we can discuss what to do.
- Either way, you’ll only get charged for the time I actually spend working on the project.
- We can set up our work as:
- A project (we’ll work together on this specific thing until it’s done, knowing the scope may shift as we go; I’ll ask for a deposit up front and invoice you for the balance at the end; payment plans are available)
- An ongoing exchange (you come to me when you need something and I’ll invoice you each month for any hours we spent together; payment plans are also available)
This way of working feels so liberating. I want to be able to offer you exactly what you need when you need it (assuming it’s something I can offer and I have the capacity of course), and to let our work flex and flow and unfold as feels good to us both.
If we find some clarity and want to dive into creation mode on the idea right away, I want to be able to do that. If we reach a pausing or even finishing point much earlier than anticipated, I want to celebrate that with you and wrap it up. If what we do together takes many twists and turns, I want to feel nimble enough to follow.
So hooray for doing things in a way that feels good to me—and hopefully to you as well!
If this sounds like something you need or want (or both!), you can book a time to talk with me right here. I'd love to chat, there's no pressure to hire me, and we can often find some clarity right away (a beautiful feeling on both ends).
Or feel free to respond to this email and ask questions, share ideas, and more. <3
