This client in Austin offered me 'exposure' for a full website redesign

We met at a coffee shop on South Congress, and he straight up said, 'I can't pay your $3000 quote, but my Instagram has 10k followers.' I explained my rates three times while he kept pushing for a 'collab.' He finally left when I showed him my contract. Has anyone else had to walk away from a 'big opportunity' that was just free work?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_spencer1d ago

Seriously, he thought 10k followers was a real offer?

the_tessa1d ago

Doesn't this happen everywhere now? People act like your real work is worth less than their online clout. Good for you for sticking to your contract.

lucasschmidt1d ago

I saw a local bakery get asked for a free wedding cake in exchange for a shoutout from a "micro influencer" with 3k followers. The cake cost over 500 dollars to make. It's like these people think a post is the same as real money. They forget that ingredients, rent, and time all have hard costs. The whole system feels broken when a like is treated like cash.