2022-11-28 - 4:29 p.m.

I actually spent 9.5 hrs actual time on a project for a client

I billed them for 6 hrs.

Reason is that it was the very first project.
I dug deep with research to learn what the company does and to learn a bit more about certain legal issues in that space.

So I figured would not bill them for all that research time to ramp up in that industry. (It was interesting and fun. I love learning new things)

It is also the balance of not wanting the invoice to be too high for the deliverable based on what avg market rate is for a task.

AND wanting their REPEAT business.

So its like the first job discount to gain future business.

I just want to build confidence and have them happy and hire me again and not be dissuaded by a high bill for the first task.

So after decided what to bill I THEN looked up the AVG cost for the service I provided and it was spot on what I invoiced them.

This invoice is due by the 1rst of month.

I optimistically was hoping maybe more work would come in before EOM
BUT I also hate waiting til last moment and like to get things in BEFORE a deadline.

So two days before the date due makes me feel better...
So sent it even though not yet the end of month.

Invoicing done for the month.
My accounting easy.
Simple
cause no clients yet.
This was invoice number 00002

00001 was the old employer who threw me a bone of a couple of Agreements to review ...
then stopped.

I am being optimistic by the number of digits chosen for my invoice numbering system for sure! HA HA

Trying not to find this depressing as I review RFPS...

for lots of work that are not in the capabilities of me or any of my peeps that are sincerely interested in working wtih me.

I find it depressing actually that I found a posting that fits a skill set of an actual FAMILY MEMBER
who is also not working and looking

But you know family

They never seem to pay attention to each other or consider family as capable. I swear it is true.
Family often underestimate each other
and can't think of their family as possibly being capable and expert at something THEY don't understand.

It can be very depressing.

I saw lawyer comments on how to navigate thanksgiving when everyone and their brother is asking the family member for advise and for free labor.

It really struck me that in my case I would LOVE to provide help and free labor to family.
I mean why the fuck go to law school if you don't want to HELP your actual immediate family with your learned skills?
I just did not understand that...
the whole Linked in convos about how to avoid helping family for free.

WTF

I mean really

I GET IT if there are family who assume you know the area of law that is NOT your milieu as a lawyer
or if there are total fuck up family freeloaders who are not considerate of your time

but the whole thread to me was bizarre.

I mean what is the harm of giving some free advise if you actually ARE competent?

I mean it struck me as disappointing for instance after I helped out OTHER folks navigate the visa application process that when someone in my family needed to do the same they never turned to me to have a conversation.

I mean I was working DOING THAT in years prior.

I found it disappointing.

So again it is disappointing to be scrolling Fed Biz ops and found one I know someone PERFECT FOR
and I have the NACIS code in my company

but the person (family) will not call me back and take my suggestion to submit a proposal through my company seriously,

It s just disappointing as I saw the RFP
and know an actual EXPERT who is recently looking for new work

who is a relative

who I am sure won't call back.

That makes me sad as we could work together and I am sure I would have added value to this person and it would be a terrific partnership/collaboration
BUT There is no response as of yet. I presume no interest.

Now the thing is this:
I have worked on over 100 proposals in response to RFPs over the years.

I mean really deep dive technical and legal review of them. ( Because to do a deep dive legal review I had to first understand the technical work being done so I would be aware of the issues involved.)

AND... in my subsequent jobs I had to learn some basic data analytics, including pulling data by queries-
so had to learn some basic computer programming skills
to pull data sets and analyze data sets

All stuff used in AI actually.
And I have gone to technology conferences.

AI is one of the growth areas. Use of Big Data, both aggregating and analyzing.

So when I reviewed the white papers written by my fam and see the expertise in that area
and it is one I also know OTHER data analysts
and then see an RFP in an agency I supported in past

It all aligns as a great opportunity

IF FOLKS WANT TO COLLABORATE

We are so much stronger when work together with each other.

But some want to go it alone...

Best to them

OR MAYBE they have someone else they can collab with better than me. Power to them if that is the case.

BUT I am just bummed.
As would have so loved to get a call in past couple days
and touched base with my friend/old co worker who offered to help with proposal prep

HE is ready... and willing

SIGH
as I saw an opportunity and know the team players who could collab

But there is not interest from key one.

Ce la vie...
moving on.

Board meeting for arts org tonight and thankfully the other professional org which is on life support
is trying to not die.

They are planning a holiday party -

A COLLAB with another chapter.

Cause they get it. To survive you must collaborate.

I swear it is the only way growth happens.

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