They wont respect you until you make them pay

I fired a client.

Im gonna have to be firm with people. Ive been too nice, giving away my time and expertise.

The realisation that I would have to do this was after the Horse-lady gaily plopped a box of egg-rolls in front of me, waving to me and told me her husband would be in touch the day after the weekend.

No payment for the hours of work just completed.

Because Im broke and homeless, this apparently was my payment. Two greasy egg-rolls.

As she walked out the door to her lexus SUV, the thought occurred to me that I needed to be firm with her.

The certainty occurred when no call was forthcoming until that monday when an email arrived saying tanks for the help and a vague promise to meet up the NEXT week.

That I was mad was an understatement. That I am mad is an understatement.

I waited a good hour to calm down before I sent the letter setting out terms.

Im being treated like a homeless vagrant.

Even well-meaning people will take advantage Im finding.

Interestingly, three e-mails arrived, all coming back with variations of "We never said we would be meeting monday... and we will do work with someone else."

Good.

The last email was the most conciliatory.

Good.

Im still mad.

They want to play games, fine. It's time to play it their way.

One client tried to lowball me.

He stopped when I looked him in the eye and said "If we negotiate, the price goes up."

He tried.

The price went up.

He stopped negotiating.

He tried to fuck me again last night.

I thought we had covered that.

Im about to fire another client.