Hello! Welcome to Thursday, week 9.

Yesterday was a very interesting day! It still baffles me how I handled it, honestly.
For, you see, yesterday I got the opportunity of a lifetime – one I would have dreamed of a year ago. One that my childhood self would have applauded and thanked the universe for… And I declined the offer.

Yesterday, I got the offer to help with a marketing campaign on Tiktok for a multi billion dollar company. Yeah, one of the big boys we all know so well. For privacy reasons, I cannot say which, but believe me, it’s a big boy. The idea was to set up the campaign, which would be a voluntary project, to then get the opportunity that way to network with all the big suits in the company.
I know like no other how there are MANY people who would beg on their knees for an opportunity like this… To get to work with such a company. Yet, when I heard that I would need to volunteer for such a huge company, I immediately knew that I did not want to do it.

Now, before you start yelling at me that I am a hungry money wolf for not wanting to volunteer, hear me out…

This multi billion dollar company was looking for a new way to promote a product. They wanted to reach a new audience through a new platform and needed a pilot program to see if they could. Which makes perfect sense! This is very normal in this type of business: find a way to expand and reach new customers.

However… How can they justify, as multi billion dollar company, to expect someone to do this for free?
EVEN as an untrained student, you are putting your time, effort, blood, sweat and tears into this. How would you justify not getting paid for your time and effort to help this company grow? If you truly believe those connections are going to pay you back over time, then I consider you a fool. For you are trying to impress the exact people who did not value your time or effort from the start. They will treat you that same way until you are their supervisor. I have seen it countless times, and it is quite common practise in bigger companies.

So I chose to not help them. I declined this opportunity for a project with them. I declined the opportunity to network with them, and I declined the chance of getting to use their well-known name on my website for promoting my work and value.

What was the core value that I channeled this day?
It is that they do not need my volunteering. I actually do a LOT of work for free! Many of my clients work on a discounted price with me so I can help them first get the revenue going, before they pay me in full. I offer this service as a sign of trust that my services will be worth it to them. It is win-win. They first get revenue, I am paid back on the long term.
This multi billion dollar company does not need this. They are just not willing to pay me, and I don’t do charity for the greedy.

My second value of this day was that I refuse to be treated any less than my full worth. I refuse to be considered a “test”, where I need to prove that I am worth their time to receive any type of networking opportunity. I consider it degrading and rude. I know my worth, and I know the work that I do is not overpriced or lazy. Therefore, I have absolutely no justification in my mind to explain why I should bend over backwards to satisfy a company that does not need my charity.

My exact words to decline were as follows:
“I would rather walk into a room and know that they already know my value and want to talk to me because of it. I will get my connections once the room has seen my value, whatever room that becomes.”

Now, why do I share all this insight?
Well, simply put: I never, in a million years, would have predicted I could say this. I have struggled with self esteem and an inferiority complex for many, many years. Which is why I used to go to a therapist a few years ago.
But on this day, I was able to say no for me. I saw my own worth and decided to respect it. And I have no regrets.
I would rather spend my whole life working extremely hard and not getting the recognition I would like, than being recognized in a room of people that do not actually value me for who I am.

Which is where today’s little picture of wisdom comes in, and I hope it will help you all in your journeys as well.
I did not come this far to only come this far. I am only at the start of my journey. Those who support me will join me for the ride, but those who disrespect me will not see how far I can go. I will create my own room with my own people, and I can guarantee you it is going to be a sight to see.