I got asked, “If you could afford to offer your services for free, would you, and why?“. It took me a while to understand what a useful question that was.
Because my first thought was “Yes, I want to change things”. But after the initial impulse, my memory kicked in. I remembered what happened when I tried to help people for free. They almost invariably ended up stuck because “they didn’t have time” to do the work. It’s funny how people who pay always seem to find the time.
This taught me that while giving it away sounds noble, my answer should be “no“. Because clients rarely see free services as important, and if I want to change things, I need them to.
But my experience doesn’t have to align with yours. So may I suggest asking yourself the same question: Would your advice still hold as much value if no one paid for it? Would you still care as much?
I believe this question strikes at the heart of how we perceive our work. If the client doesn’t have skin in the game, their investment in the outcome may be equally lacking.
“Helping” and “giving away” are not synonymous. Often it’s the exchange of value that makes real help, the kind that creates meaningful impact, work. When we give something for free, we may be robbing the recipient of the full benefit they could get from taking it seriously. Asking for payment isn’t selfish—it’s how we create the conditions for genuine progress.