STORY TIME!

Once upon a time, over-eager Micah agreed to write a brand voice guide for someone she met on the internet.

I sent across a project quote in the form of a mother-loving PDF, and they said it sounded good. I started writing. The day comes when I send them the brand voice guide.

Crickets.

I ask for their feedback and if they’d like me to make any edits.

Crickets.

After several emails, they finally wrote back saying the copy was “Not what they were looking for” and that they were not going to pay me.

Ouch.

Friend, it really hurt. BUT I learned my lesson that day. Your girl went out and got herself a contract and built out a codified PROCESS for payment, revisions, etc. It was a difficult experience at the time, but it taught me so much. I’m thankful for mistakes like this because it made me a better business owner, which in turn allows me to better serve my current clients.

Here are three resources you can use to help you avoid this very mistake:

• Honeybook, a CRM for creatives that helps you stay organized and manage projects.
• Contracts from The Contract Shop
• Calendly to schedule follow-up calls and review sessions.

If you’re open to sharing, what is a mistake you’ve made in business and did you learn anything from it?