Something stuck a cord with me today as I read a couple of blog posts this morning. There are those who share knowledge and those who charge you to learn the same things they learned for free. Which one are you?
I fall into the share for FREE category. Once I've let the cat out of the bag about what I know, most of my friends become free-range grazers. The stop by and pick my brain when they have a situation that needs a solution and they're sure I'm got the skills to get them past their current obstetrical. Sort of like the guy with a 4-wheel drive truck that you call when you're stuck in a snow drift.
My current project, if you will, is helping Punks K2 with marketing for her accidental knitting business. Knitting is her strong suit, computers and marketing, not so much. Why isn't she paying me to be a consultant? Because I would never dream of asking for payment, nor would I allow it. For the same reason she would never charge me for teaching knitting. We just don't do that. Consulting isn't a business for me, it's a hobby. By keeping it a hobby, I can pick an choose who I'm willing to help and who I'm willing to walk away from. Some people can't be helped...we all know that.
The saying goes - "Those who can, do; Those who can't teach." Sometimes, I think "those" are one in the same. I really don't think you can teach if you know nothing about what you're trying to teach. Experience gives us the knowledge to teach.
I've gotten on the soap box before about sharing what you know, and I truly believe that is makes for a stronger network when you share for free rather than for a fee. Did your mom charge you a fee when she taught you to cook? Did your grandfather charge you a fee when he taught you to drive a tractor? No? Then, why on earth are you charging your peers to learn the things you learned for free. I'm on board with Juls over at Julsbeads and her post this morning. NO. NO. NO. If you learned it for free, don't stick it to the less experienced. That's just tacky, in a smarmy used car salesman kind of way.
There should be more sharing, like this post from Sewaholic this morning. Tasia answers a readers question with her post, sharing her own experience and then opens it up for her readers to share their knowledge in the comment section. This is how it's done.
Okay...getting down off my soap box now. Have a great day!
©SLMPetersen 2007-2013
Thanks for being like minded, Stacy...and for not being afraid to say so. People like you make me happy to be a people too.
ReplyDeleteWe gotta stick together. :)
DeleteI appreciate all the help I've gotten from you over the years. It's nice having a resource that I know will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteSharing free info is great, but what about those that take advantage. My husband is a doctor, and people have drived past the ER to ask my husband if they should go to the ER. Last time, even I could see the bone through the cut. We've been invited to dinner and the husband ends up answering a ton of medical questions and we still went dutch on the bill.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the military and people after hours were ask a ton of questions, my boss got us business cards with the office phone number and hours on it, it was so nice to be able to hand out a buisness card and say call me, I can answer your questions during business hours, so I could watch my kids softball game in peace. I used to miss half the game, before the cards.
Carol, I understand where you're coming from, but I was speaking more from a general tone on creativity and common skills, hence my reference to learning to cook and drive. Just as you say there are people who take advantage of the what is shared for free there are people who take advantage of others by selling everything. There is a fine line between the two, and you have to make your own judgment call on what you feel is right and wrong.
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