What’s your value?

Is your value really worth your request? That’s the question that always crosses my mind when people come with their hand out. Doesn’t matter what industry you step into, retail, nightlife, offices, corporate, creative circles, you’ll always come across that one person who thinks they’re bigger than the game.

But business doesn’t work like that. If you’re asking me for something, where’s the numbers, where’s the proof? Why should I give you a discount? Why should I give you incentives? Why should I let you use my space for free? NOTHING in this world is free, value has to be shown before it’s rewarded.

You can’t knock on someone’s door expecting the red carpet if you haven’t put the work in. Yet time and time again you see it. People expecting favours, having unimaginable exceptions, moving like the rules of life don’t apply to them, but when it comes to giving back or proving why they deserve it, there’s nothing there.

That’s why my patience with requests has thinned out. Because for me it has to be balanced. If you’re asking me to shift my schedule, my space, my effort, then I’m looking you dead in the eye like, cool, but WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME? I don’t want to hear no stories. What is the reality of things? If you can’t answer that, then what you’re really saying is you want me to foot the bill while you sit back with your feet up.

And that’s the problem I see everywhere. People moving like their involvement alone is a favour, like just working with them should mean something to me. But collaboration isn’t charity. Respect and leverage aren’t given just because you showed up. They come from what you genuinely bring with you. Too many people walk around with their ego blocking their view, burning bridges before they’ve even crossed them, all because they convinced themselves that wanting something is the same as deserving it.