The Art of Saying “No”

Let me tell you something that has been the key to my business growth and yet the bane of my existence:

I LOVE taking on new projects.

I get excited very easily at the prospect of working with a new client. Whether it’s a photo shoot or a mural, taking on new business is always thrilling. But you know what isn’t quite as thrilling? Pushing back deadlines. Pulling all-nighters. Getting absolutely zero time to myself because I have agreed to take on one, or two, or three projects too many. There is a fine line between being busy and being overwhelmed, and I find myself dancing back and forth across it far too often.

It wasn’t until recently that I decided this had to stop. I love what I do, but if I agree to do too much then my work is no longer enjoyable, it just stresses me out. Now whenever a new opportunity arises, I ask myself these questions before agreeing to anything:

1. Is there an established end-goal?

I’ve made the mistake of starting projects that neither I nor my client knew when I would be finishing. “Go with the flow” sort of work. No deadlines, no specific guidelines of any kind, and no end in sight. If the person or business I’m working with can’t tell me exactly what they want and when they need it to be done, I’ve learned to say no right away.

2. Do I want to associate my business with this particular person/brand?

This is usually a simple question to answer. There are just certain things I don’t want Hannah Phillips Media associated with, even if it means losing the chance to expand to a new audience. If a person/brand has a bad reputation, why would I subject my own business to judgment by working with them? That is a situation that can easily be avoided by just being aware of your own business’ identity and who your target demographic is.

3. Will this project add value and/or diversity to my portfolio?

If I’m going to take the time to paint a mural, put together a highlight reel, or do a shoot for a business, I want to make damn sure that it will add solid value to my portfolio. This may be a cliche, but as a young creative the phrase “quality over quantity” has a lot of weight to it. My portfolio could be huge, but if everything in it was half-assed or obviously done while I was focused on other pieces, I wouldn’t be offered any new business. In the words of Ron Swanson:

“Never half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing.”

The most important thing for me to remember is to recognize my workload and not take on anything new unless I can answer “yes” to the three questions above. Sure, I still have days and weeks where I have to meet multiple deadlines, but I’ve found that my best work comes from projects that have gone through my “vetting” process. There is one last element that I like to keep in mind before I take on a new project: if it’s not a “HELL YES,” it’s a no.

I’ve come to realize that if I’m at all uncertain about taking on work, it’s best not to pursue it. It leaves me time to create more value for the business that I am excited about.