Jon Acuff's Blog, page 42

10 thoughts on working for free in exchange for “exposure.”

A multi-billion dollar company wants my friend to do free work for them in exchange for exposure.

The company makes billions of dollars a year and wants to pay him zero dollars for the honor of working with them. This kind of thing often drives me crazy.

A lot of companies are doing that these days. “We won’t pay you for your designs, writing, photos, code, INSERT SKILL HERE, but it will be great exposure for you.”

The challenge is that sometimes it makes sense to do some free work. It’s not a black and white issue, there’s a whole lot of gray.

Here are 10 things you need to keep in mind.

1. If someone asks you to work for free because it will be great exposure, ask them to specify what that means. If they can’t, don’t.

Don’t let “great exposure” be code for “we won’t pay you anything.”
Click To Tweet

2. Exposure that can’t be detailed or explained is fake exposure. Here’s the difference: Real exposure = “We have a mailing list of 100,000 people and will send an email to everyone on March 9th with links to your site or social platforms.” Fake exposure = “Our people will love your work and will definitely check you out.” Get specific or don’t expect anything valuable.

3. It’s on you to make sure they deliver on the exposure. Don’t wait for the company to send out the email or post about your work. Do your best to be persistent without pestering.

4. Exposure comes in a lot of shapes and sizes. In addition to a new audience finding out about you, working with the right clients can legitimize you. If you need to build up your resume, the ability to say, “I worked with Apple” has real value.

5. If you’re going to be shy about using the street cred that exposure gives you, don’t bother doing the work for free. Exposure you don’t cash in on is useless.

6. Dear companies who take advantage of the free model, I just came up with a new idea. Here it is, “You get what you pay for.” When you demand someone work for free, don’t be surprised if the work isn’t amazing. If you wouldn’t work for free, why do you expect other people to?

7. Play the system. In some industries, to get your foot in the door you have to work a free internship. If that’s the case and you want the job bad enough, play the system. I would have loved to be paid for every speaking gig I did when I was starting out, but guess what? I wasn’t good enough to get paid. I had to earn that. That wasn’t failure, that’s how that process works.

8. Beware the free client. The most difficult and demanding clients I have ever worked with are the ones who wanted me to work for free or at a grossly reduced rate. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but I promise it’s true.

9. Volunteer for free when you want to. That’s ultimately what I dislike about this whole game, it removes your ability to be generous. Donate your time. Give your skills and talents to causes you’re passionate about. But don’t let someone force you to.

10. Joy is pretty amazing form of currency too. I still do some free work just because it’s fun. In the grind to build a business, don’t forget to smile.

Should you work for free? No. But also yes.

Do you deserve to be paid more for what you do?

Maybe, if you’re great at what you do.

To get great, read my New York Times Bestselling, worth $1,000 but on sale for only $15 book, Do Over.

Considering it took me 18 years of employment to write, that’s practically free.

But maybe I needed the exposure.

The post 10 thoughts on working for free in exchange for “exposure.” appeared first on Jon Acuff.

5 things to do when you lose your job.

I’ve lost my job before a few times and it’s not a fun experience. (That might be the most obvious sentence ever written on the Internets.)

If you’re out of work right now, check out this quick video I made with the team over at Rare. (You can see more than a dozen other videos I made right here too!)

The post 5 things to do when you lose your job. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

If your boss says this sentence, run.

“We don’t want our employees to get too good at their jobs, because then they might leave.”

It’s hard to believe a boss, manager or leader would ever say that sentence. It seems foolish that someone would have that attitude about the people who work for them.

And yet, I’ve heard it said.

More than that, I’ve seen leaders live out that sentence. I’ve seen them cut training, refuse job related conferences and shot block skill advancement for fear that an employee will get too good and leave the company.

That’s the equivalent of finding someone terrible to date so that they never cheat on you because no one else would be interested. If your significant other starts improving themselves, instead of joining along, you get nervous that she just might get healthy enough to realize she’s too good for you and leave.

What this guarantees in relationships and in companies is mediocrity.

Other people trying to steal your employees is a good sign. You want a team so sharp, talented and hard working that every vendor they work with tries to hire them away.

I’m thinking about this issue a lot lately because for the first time ever, companies like Microsoft are hiring me to teach their employees the principles in one of my books. Do Over shows you how to be amazing at your job, no matter what you do for a living. Know who likes that?

Leaders who know that it’s a lot easier to run a company full of people who are great at what they do.

If your boss doesn’t want you to get better, it’s time to get a better boss.

If your boss doesn’t want you to get better, it’s time to get a better boss.
Click To Tweet

But, if he or she offers opportunities for you to learn and grow, you better take them up on every single one.

Go to the conferences. Attend the training sessions. Read books that stretch you. Spend every educational dollar they offer if you’re at one of the rare companies that still offers support like that.

It’s not your boss’ job to make sure you have a great job. It’s your job.

Own it like it matters, because guess what? It does.

You’re going to spend 40-60 hours a week, for 40-60 years of your life at a job.

Make it count.

The post If your boss says this sentence, run. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

There’s no way Ralph Macchio should have been dumped by his girlfriend in Karate Kid II.

I’m writing a new book right now. It’s fan fiction for the Val Kilmer movie, “The Saint.” In it, super spy Simon Templar has to rescue a scientist (played by Elisabeth Shue) who has invented dinosaurs. A Russian politician has been sent from the future to kill her. It’s a Jurassic Park/Back to the Future/Terminator/Saint mashup.

At the end Kilmer will dump her because she broke Ralph Macchio’s heart at the beginning of Karate Kid II. How you going to leave a guy right after he’s just swept the All Valley Karate Championships? Ladies, back me up on this point. No way do you end the relationship at that moment. You’re dating the champ!

That’s actually how Jenny and I started dating. I was fresh off a huge Kung Fu victory. There was a lot of buzz around town about my dojo abilities and Jenny just kind of got swept up into it.

That’s not exactly what happened, but this next thing is very true and this transition is very thin.

A few months ago I had a conversation with my wife Jenny at our dinner table. Here’s how it went:

Me: I’m too afraid to write this book.

Jenny: No, you’re too lazy, but fear is fun to blame because then it’s not your fault.

Grenade.

If you’re hiding from your work, it’s easier to blame fear than it is to admit you’re lazy.

If you’re hiding from your work, it’s easier to blame fear than it is to admit you’re lazy.
Click To Tweet

Fear is a force outside of you. Some evil beast from the shadows hell bent on stopping you from a goal.

Laziness lives a lot closer to home. Laziness is inside us and to face it means you give up your victim status.

When you do that, you take responsibility for your actions. That’s scary at first because blaming others is easier than owning things yourself. But when you own problems, you get to fix them.

The longer you blame others for your problems the less time you have to work on your solution.
Click To Tweet

So instead of pretending I was afraid, I admitted I was lazy and got to work on my book.

I turned in a 30,000 word outline for it last week.

To put that in context, Do Over was a 70,000 word book. An outline is usually 2,000 words but when you deal with laziness it’s amazing what you can do.

Today, be honest with yourself.

Have you been blaming fear for your lack of hustle?

Has a little bit of laziness slipped into your week?

It’s fun to be the victim at first because it’s so easy.

All you have to do is point the finger.

But your hands were meant for a lot more than that.

The post There’s no way Ralph Macchio should have been dumped by his girlfriend in Karate Kid II. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

The world just got a little bit brighter because of that thing you did last month.

A few weeks ago, I asked for your help.

I told you about Thistle Farms, a two year residential program in Nashville that helps women escape trafficking, addiction and prostitution.

I told you they’ve been doing amazing work for 18 years and have sister organizations across the country.

I told you the candles they make are such high quality that Whole Foods sells them.

I told you there were 100 women on the waiting list and that wasn’t OK.

I told you that if we raised enough money, we could buy them a new candle making machine which would lead to more jobs and more people in the program.

I asked you to help Jenny and me light the way home for the women still on the street.

And wow, did you respond!

More than 100 of you showed up in Nashville to package the candles with my family.

Hundreds and hundreds of you bought candles.

Friends of mine like Michael and Lindsay Moreno started selling the candles at their events.

The campaign was a crazy success and the world got a bit brighter in the process.

The women at Thistle Farms put together a thank you video for you.

Here it is:



If you missed the campaign and still want to help Thistle Farms. Buy a candle today or volunteer to help.

The world will stay dark unless we’re brave enough to light the way home.

The world will stay dark unless we’re brave enough to light the way home.
Click To Tweet

Thank you lighting the way last month!

The post The world just got a little bit brighter because of that thing you did last month. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

3 lies kale eaters tell you.

I think kale is on it’s way out, now that “kalettes” are becoming a thing. What’s that? Oh, just a hybrid of kale and Brussels sprouts that is gaining popularity. (It’s like some evil scientist thought, “How could I make Brussels sprouts even worse? It’s impossible. No wait, what if I kale and Brussels sprouts had a love child?”)

Kale won’t be hot forever, ask arugula, which owned 1990, beets who dominated 1982, or Portobello mushrooms, everyone’s favorite in 1995. Veggies come and go faster than true love on the Bachelor.

But until then, watch out for these three lies that kale eaters tell you:

Lie #1 – It tastes good!

No it doesn’t. It tastes like sad grass or lettuce’s mopey cousin who was really into the Cure before anyone else was.

Lie #2 – You can’t even taste it!

If you don’t fall for lie #1 they switch tactics. They’ll tell you, “Don’t worry, you won’t even notice it. Just add it to stuff, you won’t even know it’s there.” Lies. So many lies. Spinach is a gentleman. Spinach will hide in the corner of a meal, not causing any trouble. Kale punches you in the mouth all day long.

Lie #3 – It’s an alternative to French fries.

Stop it. Just stop it. There is no way you can switch out French fries for kale and expect not to notice. No one in the history of eating has thought, “Was that kale or a delicious, golden, salty, heaven in potato form French fry? I can’t tell.” But I promise you there are restaurants right now saying, “Do you want French Fries, Tater Tots or a kale salad?”

I bring up kale right now because it’s the time of year that people stop eating it.

A cashier at the grocery store told me that the last week of January is also the last week of salad. People stop buying kale. Why?

Because most people don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, they make January resolutions.

Everyone starts out with this huge swagger January 1st, but by the end of January, the kale is done. The running is done. The book writing is done. The business starting is done.

But not this year.

I wasn’t going to offer a February round of 30 Days of Hustle, until the wait list hit 600 people and I realized there were lots of people who wanted to win all year, not just in January.

Sign up ends tonight at midnight.

If you haven’t seen the 679 tweets I’ve done about it, the 30 Days of Hustle includes the following:

1. 30 brand new videos

2. Access to a private Facebook community

3. The 30 Days of Hustle Workbook

4. Daily email reminders to keep you motivated for the 30 days

5. The 30 Days of Hustle Worksheet

Plus, I’ll refund your money, unlike that punk kale, if you don’t absolutely love it.

This is it.

Don’t set January Resolutions.

Hustle on New Year’s Resolutions.

Join the 30 Days of Hustle before midnight tonight!

Most people set January resolutions, not New Year’s resolutions. Don’t be most people.
Click To Tweet

The post 3 lies kale eaters tell you. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

The dumb mistake I made because I was afraid of the wrong people.

“My haters get to tell me how to live my life.”

I might never admit that out loud, but sometimes that’s exactly what my actions say.

Case in point, when I do a book tour, I try to be vocal about it online.

I’ve learned over the years that if you don’t tell people you’re coming to their city, they won’t come to your event. Novel thought, right? People can’t attend events they don’t know exist.

As I plan for the event, I put the information on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and my blog. Each time I do, I hear a small voice inside say, “You’re bothering people too much with your announcements. They’re tired of hearing you talk about the events. Someone is going to get mad and criticize you.” So I pull back, I flinch and start posting less. The fear of that invisible hater edits my actions.

I only emailed my readers one time about my 15-City Do Over tour. I was afraid that someone would get mad. I was afraid people would angrily unsubscribe or worse mark me down as spam. So I went to all the trouble of traveling thousands of miles across the country and only sent out one email.

One night, after I posted the photo of the event I did in Kansas City, someone tweeted, “I wish I had known you were coming to town. I would have loved to have gone.”

In that moment, I realized I was performing for my foes, not my friends. I was so worried about pleasing people who didn’t like me that I under served the people who do.

Who was I concerned about offending? One or two people who weren’t going to attend the event anyway? That’s what really kills me.

The people who don’t like what you’re creating are not the audience that matters. Trying to convince them to like you, your business or your service is a terrific waste of time. And in focusing on people who don’t like you, you often ignore the people who matter – your friends, your clients, and your fans. You end up quieting your voice to please other people.

Sometimes, in our desire to win over people who don’t like us, we ignore the people who do.
Click To Tweet

I wrote this idea as part of a collection of essays called, “Living Loud in a World Full of Haters.” It’s a special resource you get for free when you sign up for the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge, a video course I made that teaches you how to accomplish your goals.

I taught it to 10,000 people last year and 2,500 people in January. It’s crazy what you can do when you get plugged into a private community of supporters and learn how to hustle on you dreams. Registration ends Friday night at midnight, so tomorrow I’ll probably stop talking about it.

Until then, this is your invitation. I don’t want you to miss it, you can sign up right here.

But even if you don’t, make sure that in whatever you do, you don’t let the hate get you down.

Use your voice.

You’re the only one who has it.

Use your voice. You’re the only one who has it.
Click To Tweet

The post The dumb mistake I made because I was afraid of the wrong people. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

When I found out Rick’s plans, I had to tell everyone.

“Why would Rick give me money?”

Isn’t that the question we all have about Rick?

Come to think about it, I’ve never had a bad experience with a guy named Rick. I even liked Rickie Lake, although that might be because I always get along with people who have bodies of water in their names. Justin Timberlake, Billy Ocean, River Phoenix, etc.

I digress, back to Rick.

Recently, Rick Theule, posted this on Facebook:

Just so we’re clear, I didn’t know he was going to do that. I didn’t write that. I didn’t come up with that.

Rick said that he went through the 30 Days of Hustle last year and didn’t think the January course would be worth it. He signed up with great apprehension, but when he got the videos and everything that the course included, he loved it so much he didn’t want anyone else to miss them.

Rick is awesome.

Not only that, when I tracked him down he said I could offer that same money back guarantee to my entire group of readers. (I really want to call it a “30 Day Money Rick Guarantee.”)

So if you’re on the fence, Rick just knocked you off. Amazing years don’t happen by accident. Rick knows that and wanted to make sure you did too.

Amazing years don’t happen by accident.
Click To Tweet

If you don’t love the course, if you don’t get a ton out of the 30 videos, 8,000 word workbook and private community, Rick will refund your money.

If you don’t learn how to hustle on your goals, get more done and have fun along the way, Rick will refund your money.

If you don’t like the black v-neck sweater I wear in the videos, Rick will refund your money.

He’s just that kind of guy.

So, are you in?

Today is the last day to get the lowest price of $60. The early bird rate disappears tonight at midnight.

Rick believes in the course, but more than that, he believes in you.

Sign up today!

 

The post When I found out Rick’s plans, I had to tell everyone. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

The cage fighter, the book writer and you.

I know that when you see my body, the first thing you think is, “Cage fighter.” Given the state of my core, it’s hard not to assume I’m proficient at mixed martial arts or at least some sort of obstacle course where you pay money to have people throw you in mud and shock you with electricity.

But I’m not a cage fighter.

You’re probably thinking of John Hackleman. He’s the one who runs The Pit, one of the top training dojos in the world. Don’t believe me though, ask UFC legend Chuck Liddell, who John has trained since 1993.

Why do I know John? Because he signed up for the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge. Here’s what he had to say about it:

Now, if you’re thinking my 30 day video course is just for cage fighters, I’d like to introduce you to Rae Ann Parker. She’s writing a book and said this about the challenge:

We’ve heard from one cage fighter, one book writer and now it comes to you.

Why should you join the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge?

I could say the 30 different videos you get, the 8,000 word workbook that is jam packed with tips, or the helpful checklist, but I think the biggest reason to join is the community.

As a member of the 30 Days of Hustle Challenge you get access to one of the most encouraging private communities on the Internet. I said that approximately 97 times in 2015, but here’s Ingrid Griffin’s opinion on it:

Why does community matter? Community calls us to heights we cannot call ourselves.

Community calls us to heights we cannot call ourselves.
Click To Tweet

All this feedback was unsolicited. (As a general rule you shouldn’t try to force a cage fighter to do anything.)

But, when I asked the January members if they’d recommend the challenge to a friend, here was the response:

Why am I telling you all of this? Because we’re doing a February round and registration opens today!

Starting on February 1, I’m going to take a whole new group of people through the most inspiring, content rich goal crushing video course on the planet. (I was going to say “in the galaxy” but they just discovered a 9th planet and who knows what they’re up to.)

The course is worth $1,000, but I want to make it as accessible to as many people as possible. So this week, until Wednesday at midnight, it’s only $60. (The price jumps to $90 on Thursday and then closes for good on Friday at midnight.)

Does your goal need a boost?

Do you want to get unstuck?

Do you want to do something that thousands of cage fighters and book writers and accountants and firemen and stay at home moms have already loved?

Sign up for the 30 Days of Hustle today!

P.S. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee. Simply put, if you don’t love it I’ll give you every penny back!

The post The cage fighter, the book writer and you. appeared first on Jon Acuff.

The question a 10 year old asked me that changed how I see money.

One night at dinner I told Jenny about a new opportunity a client offered me.

As I told her about the details she said, “You shouldn’t take that offer. That opportunity has nothing to do with your passion. It’s outside your strengths and mission. Why would you take it?”

I immediately said, “Well, the money is good.”

Without missing a beat, my 10 year old daughter piped up and asked, “Why would you ever do something just for the money? You already have some.”

Sometimes little kids drop big grenades.

Kids believe in “some money.”

Some money is awesome. You can buy some candy and some pants and some stickers and some of just about anything. Some is the best.

Kids think you need some money. Adults think you need “enough money.”

If you get enough, then you’ll be happy.

If you get enough, then you won’t be stressed out.

If you get enough, then you’ll be brave and can do that thing you’ve always wanted to do.

The problem is there’s no such thing as enough money. It’s a myth like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster or kale chips that taste as good as regular chips.

I’ve chased enough money before. For years I made my success my identity. I thought if I got enough money I would be enough. What a mistake that was. I had to lose success to realize all the money, all the accomplishments, all the fame and all the stuff would never be enough. The problem is that money is a something that pretends to be an everything.

Money is a something that pretends to be an everything.
Click To Tweet

I hope you make money. Make a lot of money. Money is fun. We took our kids to Disneyland last week and that cost money. I’m not against money, but I’m done with enough money. There’s no such thing and like a 10 year old told me, some money is a lot more fun anyway.

The post The question a 10 year old asked me that changed how I see money. appeared first on Jon Acuff.