To the Freelancers Charging $30/Hour (or Less)
An open letter to encourage you to reach for more
Four years ago, I sat at my cousin’s apartment in California. She and her ex-husband, a businessman, had just rescued me from an abusive relationship.
“Let’s look forward, Krista,” her ex-husband said to me, possibly trying to get me to think positively instead of bawling nonstop. “What goals do you have for your life?”
I had just spent the last 3 months as an Assistant Case Manager at a law firm where I started at $12 per hour. I loved what I did. And I felt so seen by the firm when I received my first raise, to $14 per hour, within just two months.
At that point in my life, $14/hour was the most an employer had ever paid me.
So, I answered his question.
“I want to find another job that will pay me $14 per hour.”
I look back on this moment frequently. I had no idea how to find companies that would pay more. Thinking about negotiating froze my nervous system. I didn’t know how to translate my efficiency, skills, nor wit into a larger paycheck.
I had no idea I was worthy of more — more than pushing papers, more than $14 per hour, more than being abused by capitalism just because they don’t teach something…
