SFF163: Why Undercharging Is Killing Your Freelance Career

Setting your rates is one of the hardest aspects of freelancing, and it might be holding you back. Such was the case of Chad Robertson, a freelancer who was severely undercharging for his services in the book editing and formatting industry. After Heidi hired him for a freelance job to edit her first book, Chad followed her advice to raise his rates and turned his annual earnings from $20,000 a year to a whopping $100,000! In this episode, we discuss how Heidi found Chad through his niche, the conversation they held about his rates, and how that turned his earnings into a 6-figure income. While it’s not the fashion design world, Chad’s story is inspiring and relatable for all freelancers as he had to overcome mental barriers to raising his rates and finding the confidence to charge what he was worth.  TRIGGER WARNING: Chad discusses his early career as an immigration paralegal and touches on sensitive topics including severe poverty, suicide, and family separation. To skip this conversation, start listening at 11:50 into the episode.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!