Freelancing to Freedom

A friend of mine posted this famous quotation by Winston Churchill on Facebook the other day: “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life. ” I’ve always been a people pleaser and have made it a habit to avoid conflict as much as possible. Since becoming a freelancer, however, I’ve learned the importance of assertiveness and cultivating values. It is impossible to avoid conflict in life, so it’s important to truly understand what you are willing to “fight” for.

A good friend and I were talking about how important it is to stand up for what you believe in, especially as a business owner. She told me about a speaker she recently went to see: “I didn’t necessarily agree with what he said but I loved the way he said it – with such conviction and belief.” These words resonated with me. People who stand for something garner respect, especially if they treat others with respect. Somewhere, sometime (probably on a weekly basis), someone is going to disagree with you or the way you handle your business. But if you know what you stand for and what you aren’t willing to back down on, it will be a lot easier to effectively handle the situation.

Of course there are times when you need to compromise, but know your worth. Never let a client, or anyone else for that matter, talk you into something you know you don’t want just because they have a convincing argument and are persistent. Define values for both your business and personal life and be willing to put them to the test.

I’ve had to learn that there’s a different between being firm and being rude. If a client makes unreasonable demands, be polite and courteous but confident in your response. Trying to please everyone will likely result in people thinking they can walk all over you. The idea that not everyone will like me is a tough pill to swallow, but I would rather have the respect of my peers and worthwhile clients than worry about what the people who do not really have an influence in my life are thinking.

Stand up for yourself – you might be surprised at the changes you’ll see in your business and in your life.

Namaste 🙂