How Dare You Charge for Your Expertise, You Stupid Woman
My eyes widened as I read the comment.
“Not interested. I should’ve known there was a catch!” The DM stated.
My blood pressure spiked as I read it. How incredibly rude this was. Okay, strange man in my DMs, I see who you are now.
A catch? I didn’t know that writing and selling my expertise was a bait-and-switch situation.
Okay, but wait. Let me back up.
I ran retail stores for twenty-four years. I left two years ago to write full-time. Last year, I published a book on how to run a kick-ass store, and I routinely write how-to guides to help leaders in stores.
The latest guide is How to Write Impactful Reviews That Matter.
Annual reviews are coming like a tsunami, and retail leaders barely have time to breathe after the holiday and inventory winds down. Just when they think they can yawn and stretch their legs, here comes performance reviews.
So, I wrote this guide to help people out. It’s $5.00. I charge for it because it’s expert advice. It took me over a decade to streamline my store processes, and I give ridiculous amounts of advice away for free.
But how dare I charge for a thing I’m an expert in!
According to this idiot in my DMs, I should give everything away for free.
I should’ve known there was a catch.
What a jerk. I never said it was free. I said, “I’m writing this guide, let me know if you’re interested.” Also, if you’re not interested in paying, you can say, “Thanks for the info,” and move on with your life. You don’t need to scold people because they charge for their expertise.
I blocked him after this, of course.
Do you know how much I’ve done for free?
I answer DMs from store leaders in a panic. I give advice about job searches and how to start writing online. I write three newsletters — all free. But $5.00? Who do I think I am, right?
I guess I should give my book away for free, too. Why charge for that, right? I only worked my guts out for two decades and figured out how to run killer stores — but who cares? Give it away for free!
How dare I ask for $5.00?
Look, everyone on the planet works to try and provide for themselves and their families. We all do it differently. I used to run stores and lead teams. Now, I write. Yes, I charge for my expertise because I’m an expert.
People largely misunderstand retail work as they misunderstand writing. They think it’s easy. They think they could do it if they tried.
That’s simply not true.
So, the next time you’re interested in learning something and the instructor (or author) asks you to pay for it, go ahead and pay for it. Or ignore it and get on with your life. But don’t blame the expert that charges for their work.
Based in Southern California, Kit Campoy is a former retail leader turned freelance writer. She covers Retail, Leadership, and Business.
Get her free ebook here and discover how to lead like a pro, even if you’re new to leadership.
