While the elephants are small, only a thin rope is required to tie them to a stake in the ground. They’ll struggle and pull at first, but eventually, they realize that they can’t break the rope and they’ll stop trying. They learn that they cannot break free from that thin rope and that it makes no sense to try, even after they grow up and could easily break free.
Just like baby elephants, early-career experts are often eager and willing to try and get higher fees than the ones they see their colleagues make. At the beginning of their career, having the weakest grasp on their [[craft]], their business, and their network that they are ever going to have – they often fail. Miserably.
So, following the stellar advice from well-meaning people like Mr. Homer Simpson – they “get real” and never try again.
As an [[Expert]], as you practice your craft, you get better. By the time you are 2,3 or 5 years in the business, you are not the “baby elephant” you were when you started.
So when you get your next batch of new [[Client|clients]], reach out and test some pricing boundaries you “know” you could never breach – try asking for an advance, charge for things you used to give out for free, or just flat-out raise your fees. You might be surprised to find that some of the barriers simply disappeared in the meantime.