I’ll be honest: business has been slow lately. I’ve been grinding away on Fiverr, hoping to connect with more voiceover clients, and sometimes it feels like every inquiry is precious. But sometimes, the best business decision is the one where you walk away.
Recently, a potential client contacted me with a specific expectation: he wanted me to record live over Zoom, on his schedule, whenever he arranged it. Now, I don’t mind being flexible—I understand that some projects require live direction, and I’m happy to create custom offers for those situations.
The problem? He kept changing the times. He’d request that I block off a slot for him, only to not accept the custom offer… or stand me up. Then, instead of acknowledging that he had wasted my time, he’d just keep pestering me about when we could “try again.”
After multiple rounds of this, I realized something: this wasn’t a partnership. It was me being treated like an on-call employee for someone who didn’t value my time or effort. And that’s not why I became a freelancer.
So yes, I blocked him. Even in a dry spell where I’m craving more work, I have to remind myself that I chose this career because I wanted the freedom to work on my terms. I’ll gladly make exceptions for clients who respect my schedule, but it can’t be a one-way street where I’m expected to always bend to someone else’s whims.
At the end of the day, dignity matters more than one more frustrating “opportunity.”
Because let’s be real: if I wanted to commit to working around someone else’s schedule, I’d still have a 9-to-5 job instead of pursuing my dreams as an actor and voiceover talent. And if I wanted to be hounded 24/7 with unreasonable demands from people who have no appreciation for me… I’d still be in teaching!!!
Recently, a potential client contacted me with a specific expectation: he wanted me to record live over Zoom, on his schedule, whenever he arranged it. Now, I don’t mind being flexible—I understand that some projects require live direction, and I’m happy to create custom offers for those situations.
The problem? He kept changing the times. He’d request that I block off a slot for him, only to not accept the custom offer… or stand me up. Then, instead of acknowledging that he had wasted my time, he’d just keep pestering me about when we could “try again.”
After multiple rounds of this, I realized something: this wasn’t a partnership. It was me being treated like an on-call employee for someone who didn’t value my time or effort. And that’s not why I became a freelancer.
So yes, I blocked him. Even in a dry spell where I’m craving more work, I have to remind myself that I chose this career because I wanted the freedom to work on my terms. I’ll gladly make exceptions for clients who respect my schedule, but it can’t be a one-way street where I’m expected to always bend to someone else’s whims.
At the end of the day, dignity matters more than one more frustrating “opportunity.”
Because let’s be real: if I wanted to commit to working around someone else’s schedule, I’d still have a 9-to-5 job instead of pursuing my dreams as an actor and voiceover talent. And if I wanted to be hounded 24/7 with unreasonable demands from people who have no appreciation for me… I’d still be in teaching!!!
RSS Feed