Something about that “let me pick your brain” comment just sends me into a rant!
Instead of hiring me, you want to pick my brain get free information from me that I gained through hard work, studying and life experiences…you just want me to hand all that over for free because….
WHY?
Yes, I do help people and I do things for others that don’t involve being compensated but reality is this…
I have bills to pay, a daughter to support and if I let everyone pick my brain for free that leads to a few things…
pieces of my brain missing (and we know I need all of it)
investing my time to help you for free
loss of income during the time I’m letting you pick away when I could be dealing with valued legitimate clients who understand the worth of what I have to offer them and have no issue paying…
so, please explain to me why you should get what they pay for for free?!
And, this is especially true of total strangers!
Random people on Twitter or Facebook whom I’ve had minimal if any actual contact with…they want to pick my brain?! It’s one thing when friends of mine want to but if I’ve never talked to you before what makes you think I’ll let you pick my brain?
When I asked Laurie Ayers, one of my besties what she thought of when someone wants to pick your brain here’s what she had to say
Pick your brain means – you give me free information for all the hard you did. Otherwise, she’d say something like ‘are your consulting services for hire?”
On another topic which kinda goes hand in hand…
if someone does a lot or has multiple projects that does NOT mean that it’s easy!
It means that person works hard, is dedicated and does what they have to do.
Someone who will remain nameless tweeted saying that it must be easy since I have multiple ebooks…
SAY WHAT?!
Easy…easy meaning it took countless hours to write the information contained within said ebooks, design the ebook, format it and then get it online…
yea that’s real easy!
WTH yes I said WTH!
Apparently easy=getting up by 5 a.m. and going to bed somewhere between midnight and 1 a.m (sometimes later) and working on multiple projects throughout the course of those 20 hours and studying, learning new things, researching, working and so on and so on….
yea that’s easy.
Same applies for fitness, weight lifting, running…those who don’t get it somehow assume it’s easy to get up in the dark o clock hours and run…or hit the gym and train, making sure to eat properly, train and keep training and yet they who haven’t done it don’t seem to grasp the reality of what work is involved…
or maybe they really do but they don’t want to admit that they’re not disciplined enough to do it themselves so they come off with their snide flip comments of how easy it must be.
Then again, this was from the same person who wanted to pick my brain!
So perhaps it is easy for her because maybe just maybe someone else let this chic pick their brain and divulge all kinds of information so she could easily put it together?!
Reality is this…or at least my reality is this…
I’ve been on my own since I was 17 (I’m now 44)
I’ve worked since I was 10 (yes TEN! delivering papers at 5 a.m. before school and then in a restaurant, and doing odd jobs)
So I’ve been working 34 years now
While I blew off college, I did further my studies in different areas and am constantly learning, researching…
I work hard and yes I do have multiple things going on, multiple ebooks (and a physical book too!)
I have no significant other…I have no support…I have no local family…
I work to take care of my daughter and I and if anyone thinks all this comes easily, they’re sadly mistaken…
But it does get done because I’m strong willed, strong minded and will persevere no matter what…
I do what has to be done…plain and simple!
It’s not easy…it is what it is and I have goals to accomplish and will do what it takes to accomplish them!
Sorry for the rant but I’m seriously tired of people looking for free handouts, free help and assuming because some people do more than they do that it must be easy!
If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
So, instead of seeking out brains to pick and thinking that people who do multiple things have it easy…
sleep for 4 hours every night and get up and do what you gotta do!
(I am joking sorta, about the sleep for 4 hours…but the point is…do what has to be done! put in the effort!)
Question of the day
What comment(s) made by others really irk you?
How dedicated are you to accomplishing your goals?
ahhh been there too.
you know it 🙂
One of the most annoying comments I get from people, sometimes total strangers, is, “Oh, you have 2 daughters…when are you going to try for a boy?” Really people?!?!? Why is is not okay for me to have 2 daughters and be perfectly happy with my family the way it is? SO ANNOYING!
I can see your annoyance and frustration!
Wrong on so many levels. Dancers, artists, performers, & photographers also always struggle with others thinking they should work for free or that they can’t understand why public speakers are getting paid so much for a one hour presentation. Your situation above is no different. They conveniently forget all the time it took to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities to get to where you are now. It also amazes me people have the gall to say things online they would never say F2F.
Exactly Laurie…it applies on all levels…from work to working out, performers, athletes, runners, painters…those who make the “easy” comment just seem lazy and/or flip because they don’t want to do the work required so play it off like it must be easy..yet if it’s so easy why aren’t they doing it themselves! hmmmmph
Becky, I feel for you…not sure why people think it’s “required” to have a child of each sex and when did it become ok to make stupid comments like that?! I’m sadly never amazed at how insensitive, judgmental & lame some people are!
Ugh, that must be soooo incredibly annoying! I always get really annoyed when people think I’m a diet and that I’m crazy because I eat healthy and like to workout.
Easy because you have multiple ebooks? That makes no sense!! You are setting such a great model for your daughter by teaching her the value of working hard… sorry for the irritating comments, though!
I kind of getting annoyed when people say, I don’t know how you do it! 😉 It’s called hard work folks 🙂
Just focus on the people who DO know and appreciate everything you do. Anyone who wants to ‘pick your brain’ or suggests that you’ve got it easy is only wishing that they could do all the things you do and know all the things you know without putting in the effort. You keep doin what youre doin!
I admit, I willingly had my brain picked last week, but I really like the person’s website so I said yes. Believe me, when you work from home and the only “person” you talk to out loud before the kid and husband come home is the dog, it’s kinda fun to get on the phone and chew the (monounsaturated) fat.
great post!