(Pictured: Top Left- Gloria Malone, Bottom Left- Miriam Zoila Pérez; Top Right- Aimee Thorne-Thomsen, Bottom Right- Jamia Wilson)
Several years ago, I was contacted by a nonprofit in Newark, New Jersey, to facilitate a workshop for youth. I was a few years into my career post-graduate school, and while full time consulting and workshop facilitation was far off at that time, it was a nice way to earn extra money on the side.
I replied back, giving them a facilitation fee. I’d had a considerable number of years facilitating workshops, and for a long time my focus had been on gaining experience speaking in front of audiences. The more I did it, the higher my confidence grew.
Admittedly, I didn’t know what to price as a facilitation fee at the time, so I chose a number that felt fair to me. I considered the preparation time, any materials I would need to purchase, as well as travel time from Brooklyn to Newark.
In the end, I was told that, as a small nonprofit, they were hoping I’d do it for free.
I don’t remember my response, but needless to say, I didn’t do the facilitation. What I do remember, however, was feeling as though I had done something wrong in asking to be compensated for my time and effort. Also, the nonprofit provided services for youth of color, so I felt that I was being greedy in asking for fair compensation knowing they were doing important work.
I had a lot of internal stuff to work through on feeling deserving of being paid for my expertise. Some of the internal stuff sounds ridiculous now, but it’s helped me to get to a space where I’m able to ask for compensation.
A few months ago, I was contacted by a student group to be a guest speaker for their campus week of events. Coincidentally, I was scheduled to facilitate conference workshops on a campus an hour away from this school. I figured it would be a good opportunity since I would already be in that state.
I inquired about travel and lodging accommodations as the conference graciously covered those expenses for me. Because those plans were already locked in, I thought it would be awkward to asked the conference travel agency to suddenly switch my plans.
The student group asked me to cover my own travel, offered to put me up in a dorm room (which I honestly didn’t mind), and that, as a small student group, they would have to consider my facilitation fee. A week later, they responded back, informing me that they found another speaker.
All of the internal stuff I thought I resolved came back to the surface. I started questioning whether it was fair for me to expect fair compensation. Yet, I was invited as a panelist for another student group a few months prior who paid me to be a panelist, without me even asking. I realized that the problem not only lies with those of us who choose to provide speaking services, but also in how organizations and groups view the role of a speaker, trainer or facilitator. Especially when the people being solicited to offer their expertise are women of color.
As an organization, group or conference hoping to bring someone to your event to as a speaker, not only should you consider the value the speaker is offering to your audience, but also ask:
How can we offer value to the person we’re inviting to speak to our audience?
Are you understanding of the fact that this speaker will have to travel to you? Or that this speaker has to prepare for your audience? If you can’t cover a speaking fee, what can you offer in its place? How much do you really want this person in front of your audience? Can you offer glowing testimonials for this speaker and send them out to similar audiences that would be interested in having that speaker in front of their audience?
As Ruchika Tulshyan writes,
“There’s an additional pressure to make ourselves available for advice, consulting or help.”
I sit on a board for a local nonprofit and am involved in several social justice groups and passion projects. I am notorious for giving my time for causes I care about. But the most I have bandwidth for now is paid work.
Not only should women of color be unapologetic in our compensation, we also have to stop allowing people to feel entitled to our time for no compensation. Your time and expertise are valuable, whether you speak full time or do it on the side. We are already paid less and have to fight against as variety of -isms.
As Jessica Sutherland says,
“If people are asking for your advice and guidance, that means your time is valuable, and you must dole out your attention. Don’t waste it.”
These days, when I’m contacted to speak, I weigh the opportunity against my current bandwidth and what I believe are the benefits on taking on this opportunity. If it works well with my bandwidth and needs, I will discuss further. If not, I respond using this:
“Thanks for contacting me and sharing this opportunity. Unfortunately, along my current commitments and speaking fee structure, I will have to pass on this opportunity as I wouldn’t be able to give this opportunity the attention it deserves. I review opportunities and price them accordingly based on the time I will need to prepare, travel and lodging logistics, as well as the amount of time I will have to be away from my current clients. If there are other opportunities in the future to work together, I will consider it.”
Straight to the point. It outlines that your time is valuable yet leaves the door open in case other opportunities come along. Feel free to tailor this however you’d like. Also, if you’re in a position where you can refer them to someone who may be able to take on the opportunity, feel free to do so.
Now, there may be times where the benefits of working with someone will outweigh compensation. I’ve lowered my fee in the past for organizations I’ve always wanted to work with. Not only would I let them know that, I will also tell them that the drop in fee in a one-time deal.
The work we as women of color do not only has to be meaningful; it has to support us. If we’re struggling to pay the bills, it becomes difficult for us to show up and fully engage with your audience. Speaking for free in the beginning is more than OK in order to gain exposure and confidence, but at some point you must start charging for your time. And you have to be unapologetic, regardless of who is asking you to speak.
RAISE YOUR VOICE: In what ways are you unapologetic in your expertise? Share below in the comments section.
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