The Art of the Ask

The Art of the Ask

The Art of the Ask
Value-For-Value
Pay What You Want
Pay What You Value
Gift Economy
Pay What It’s Worth

Collections of words. Collections of words that intend something similar, and yet different.

They all describe a concept. That you trust your customers to determine the value they receive from your work, and to give accordingly.

You can describe this concept, and your belief in it in many ways.

Value-For-Value
Pay What You Want
Pay What You Value
Gift Economy
Pay What It’s Worth

The words you use are a choice in how you design your communications. It’s your brand. Your experience.

What do you want and need to be valued in the exchange? How do you communicate your intent and the result you desire?

Value-For-Value
Pay What You Want
Pay What You Value
Gift Economy
Pay What It’s Worth

In the end, these terms may differ in their meaning but they describe one truth in their action. That you are a business that is choosing to create it’s own economy.

You’re criticizing the current economic system by creating your own system for valuing products and services. And it’s changing things.

Just as your life choices are creating the world you live in, your business choices are creating the economy you work and exchange in.

In trusting me to value you fairly, we’re creating an economy together where we step out of lack, and into a fair exchange of value, respect and love.

Value-For-Value
Pay What You Want
Pay What You Value
Gift Economy
Pay What It’s Worth

To start creating your economy, it starts with the ask. The intention of your action.

What do you intend to build with the economy you are creating? And how can you best express it?

What lies within the art of your ask?

photo credit: Iwan Gabovitch
for an inspiring talk on “The Art of Asking”, please watch: Amanda Palmer’s TED talk

Me vs. Me

Me vs. Me

photo credit oscarandtara

The most noble competitor I have ever encountered is within Me.

I suppose I could look externally for my competition, seeking people out there to better and beat.

I could spend my time and energy determining how I could excel in the ways they do.

I could focus on how they are better, and how I could be like them… And diminish Me in the process.

I could spend my time and energy identifying where their weaknesses lie, and how I could benefit and better from them.

I could focus on how they are worse, and how I am not like them… And inflate Me in the process.

I could focus on the other, rather than myself.

What I’d rather do, however, is be the most fierce competitor of myself. Always challenging myself to be the best Me I can be.

I don’t need to compare myself to anyone external to me. I don’t need to be better than You.

I only need to be the best Me.

When I allow myself to be the best Me, I become free to let you be your best You. I don’t need to compete or compare with you, for I don’t feel like I am lacking.

I am recognizing my own special unique energies, and the value they create. I am feeling okay with me, and that leaves me okay to be no better, or worse, than you.

When I allow myself to see Me completely, I stop fearfully focusing on what is external to me, and instead focus on my truth — that I am totally equal and unique to You. There is no competition.

If I truly want to improve and grow, I need only look inside for how that can be achieved.

And to You, I can look for support.

photo credit: oscarandtara