Tomfoolery

2020 — the year everyone would like to forget but really cant was year of excess for me and zero space!

Excess work, excess tension, stress and money (one thing which is never excess, so let’s just say, more than I had forecasted) and absolutely a big fat ZERO space.

The client we signed was our biggest and, paid us what we asked for (well almost…barring minor negotiations)…

So what is the problem you ask??

….but exploited us.

Fun Fact — We got “Exploited” willingly at first cause:

A. We needed them more we assumed

B. What other way is there to be professional, gain trust and we will live happily ever after??! 🙄

NAIVE…foolish…amature…stupid…call me all sorts of name as you will.

Ok enough of being cheeky let’s get real.

Biggest client to our business — massive amount of delivery scheuled — time and again over delivered — a lot of work done cause “I want good for the client” (cue for name calling again..) without getting an equivalent monetary value of our work (grossly underestimated scope vs value)- exhusted, burned out-dint give up-called it quits end of the year.

yup, there is a big but here…

And this is where personal traits come into play…

Exploitation — ok fine-did that willingly..

Could not gain trust-this is not cause of quality of work but cause that is how the client is..

After all the good intent, I became like a forelone lover — pining for them (dont know if it was just the money that was so attractive)…and at any indication of them willing to work with us — I became hopeful that they have identified/understood our value and will be better at the work-relationship..and we will live happily ever after…

NAIVE…foolish…amature…stupid…let the name calling begin again…

The anger was how did someone take me for a ride as such and I did not object ones and was left to literally hung out to dry…and still pining for them to sign us again in this year…

I hurt my self respect.

So a note to self —

1. Ask for more than the cut off so that post negotaition you do not fall short.
2. Keep it professional, there is no point in over delivering time and again if it is not valued.

But then the question is keeping it professional and delivering as much as is committed, does that build relationships to last?

I think the answer lies in identifing who you want to build relation with and treat the person in the similar fashion — after all the bottomline is running a business — earning a living — not a charity!

In this case should have kept it to money minting and not relationship building.