What is going on in your head?

Welcome to another 5 minutes of whatever I have to offer here. I hope you have been keeping safe from covid 19 and sapa? On the latter, I don't think I have fared well, but that's a story for another day. If this is your first time here, I think it'd be fair to welcome you wholeheartedly, but also it's in my best interest to remind you that we rise by lifting others, so you will rise if after reading this, you refer someone to read by sharing. 😉 

While I've been away, I have been through a lot of discourse and I figured maybe I should write about them? There are myths that I'd like to address, and while I'd like to mumble all of them up into one newsletter, my people would say that it is with utmost patience a bowl of hot soup turns into an empty plate. So one at a time, inugo? 😏 

So what's going on in your head? While I might not be privy to that information, in my course of discussion with a lot of other people, I have since been able to get a hold of what's going on in other people's heads, so let's leave your own for now. 🤫 

If you were asked randomly "who earns more? The person that charges more or the one that charges less?" would you jump into answers without thinking it through?

Theres been one hell of a great misconception about pricing in the world of creatives that the one that charges more is often confused for the one that earns more, but they're both really two different things, especially when you understand value and the flow of the market. 

Granted, it is very possible for the one that charges more to earn more, but that isn't always the case. 

I know you'd ask why, and trust me, if I didn't have an answer to that simple one word question, I wouldn't have started this in the first place haha. 

In the creative industry, there's something called clientele pool. This is the number of people who can afford to pay what you charge at a given time. It also includes those that can afford to go against the odds and cough out your bill because they feel it is worth it. 

Take for example 2 creatives that charge 50k and 150k for the same exact service, except of course let us also assume that the one that charges higher is considerably better (there's always a chance they aren't, but we assume.). The clientele pool of those who are willing to pay the 150k is considerably lower than those who would pay the 50k, if we factor in the economy status of a country like Nigeria, where a host of us are living below poverty line. This leaves us at a ratio of very unevenly matched clientele pool for both parties and in the end, more job possibilities for the 50k party. In a very unfavourable ratio (which is our concern right here) you might find that where party 50 does 15 jobs, party 150 probably does 2 and with considerably different cost of operations and profit margin, party 50 earns more grossly, and this is a very huge possibility that I have witnessed. 

The creative industry is one that will fuck with your head and almost make you doubt your worth. This is a huge reason why what one creative earns is even a thing of debate. It's like a mental struggle between everyone out there. But this shouldn't deter you from charging what you believe you can offer. 

Know  your worth! Be wise when you have to be, compromise when there's the need to and may your clientele pool locate you. 

If you're here and you haven't signed up, I wonder how you're going to convince the people you share with to read and sign up. You're not doing the most 😑

Do it! 😑