One thing to know

(Above: My girls in 2002.)

Twenty-five years ago, I swallowed my pride and accepted $25 an article.

It was summer 2001, the Dot Com Bubble had burst, and I had lost the anchor contract that funded my consulting business. With a toddler and a newborn at home, I was in a tough spot and needed to bring in income. Fast.

I called a local editor whom I had politely turned down the year before because her rate was “too low.” She didn’t seem to remember me, thankfully, and offered me the gig again.

That summer, I went on the road, often with my girls in tow, conducting interviews with a notepad and pen at farms and county fairs. I mapped out stories in my head while taking quick showers, and I typed frantically during nap times, turning out dozens of articles over the next few months.

Did I make a fortune? Absolutely not. But looking back, that grueling summer taught me two valuable lessons:

Market value supersedes ego. It doesn’t matter what you want to charge if no one is willing to pay it. Taking a lower rate at that moment got me through a tough spot and ultimately led to much-better paying opportunities.

A valuable ROI might be hiding under a low price tag. That summer, I built a large portfolio of clips, became a much more efficient writer and honed the storytelling skills that I still use today.

In fact, those articles eventually led to regular writing assignments at a nearby university. When one of my university clients later offered me a full-time role, I paused my business to accept it, spending the next 13 years happily working there.

Fast forward to now. In 2023, I rebooted my consulting business with a new focus. I’ve shifted away from regional magazine writing to focus primarily on long-term partnerships with major university, education, healthcare and tourism clients.

The hustle looks different now, but I will never forget where I started.

If you are currently grinding through a tough season, or taking lower rates just to bridge a gap, please remember that the rate you accept today is not a life sentence. It is just a season.

Lean into the grit, build your skills and remember that sometimes you have to step back and rebuild your momentum before taking a giant leap forward.