I used to be really bad at earning money.
我曾经对赚钱几乎一窍不通。
Early on, I was a junior financial planner, and my job was to help people manage their wealth.
当时，我还是一位初级理财规划师，我的职责是帮助人们进行财务规划。
But my salary was so low that I started riding my bike to work to save money on gas, and I started a garden to save money on food.
但我本人的薪水很低，以至于为了省下汽油钱，我只能骑单车上班，为了节省餐费，我还自建了一个花园。
Now I run a bookkeeping agency that specifically serves creative businesses.
如今，我经营着一家代理记账机构，专门服务于那些创新型的企业。
This might sound strange coming from a former financial planner, but I'm not a fan of capitalism.
这番话从一个前理财规划师口中说出可能听上去有点奇怪，但我并不是资本主义的拥趸。
Almost everyone I work with and know and love is an artist, including me.
几乎所有与我共事、相识或相爱的人都是艺术家，我自己也是。
So I know, the way the system is set up, freelancers and artists are too often way underpaid.
所以我很了解整个体系的运转方式，自由职业者和艺术家往往收入过低。
They often feel like focusing on money will corrupt their creativity, or they think they're just not that good at making money anyway.
他们要么认为“钻进钱眼”会破坏创意；要么心想“我就是赚不了大钱呀。”
But the truth is, we can be good at it, and in fact, we have to be, because our freedom is at stake:
但事实上，我们可以赚大钱，也必须赚大钱，否则我们的自由将面临威胁：
our freedom to create, to influence and to use the power of money to change the very exploitation that keeps artists broke to begin with.
发明创造的自由、影响周围的自由以及艺术家们有钱赚、有钱花、不必为“一斗米而折腰”的自由。
I'm not struggling anymore, and I've learned a lot since being a financial planner, and I just wanted to share that knowledge.
我已经解决了生存问题，而自从成为理财规划师开始，我也学到了很多，现在我想和大家分享一下。
So here's what I've learned and done.
以下就是我学到的经验和采取的行。
One: what you do.
第一：你的业务核心是什么？
When it comes to your offer, you have to be able to answer the following question: Why would anyone hire you over your competition?
当机会出现在你面前时，你必须能够回答下面的问题：为什么人们要选择你，而不是你的对手？
If you can't answer that question, neither can your potential clients, which means you can't charge more for the thing that makes your work special.
如果你无法回答，那你的潜在客户也无法回答，这就意味着，即便你有过人之处，你的收入也无法增加。
Price becomes a differentiator, and bidding becomes a race to the bottom.
此时，唯一的区别就是价格，而出价也只能是越低越好。
What sets you apart could be what you do, why you do it or how you do it:
真正可以让你与众不同的，是你能做什么、为什么和怎么做：
a string quartet that arranges and plays hip-hop medleys or a branding firm that has a unique way of marketing technology to Baby Boomers
比如说，这支弦乐四重奏乐团能改编并演奏嘻哈歌曲；比如说，这家品牌公司能把科技产品推销给婴儿潮一代；
or a prop and set designer who's known for crafting beautiful papier-mache miniatures.
又比如说，这位道具设计师能制造出美丽的纸制微缩模型。
Two: who you do it for.
第二：你的目标客户是谁？
After you determine what sets you apart, position yourself for your ideal customer.
当你确定了你的与众不同之处，你就要调整自身定位来吸引理想客户。
In order for this to be effective, you must narrow your focus.
为了有效调整定位，你必须将目光聚焦于一点。

Without focus, you try to be everything for everyone, and you end up being nothing for nobody.
否则，你就会尝试为所有人做所有事，最终却发现你无法为任何人做任何事。
Then, use the kind of language that appeals to your target customer.
然后，你需要学着使用能吸引目标客户的话术。
Create the kind of marketing materials or the kind of portfolio that attracts them.
并创造出能吸引客户的宣传材料与代表作品。
Then be in the real-life and virtual places they are.
最后，让你的产品活跃在现实与虚拟之中。
For example, if you're a videographer and you want to work with mission-driven companies that bring clean water to places where it's scarce,
假如你是一位摄影师，你希望与那些致力于为缺水地区带来洁净水源的公司合作，
create a video trailer that shows exactly how the power of film moves people to act.
那就拍摄一条视频，来呈现影片的力量是怎样促使人们行动的。
Three: when it's time to talk money, understand the real value that you create.
第三：当谈论金钱的时候，要了解你所创造的真正价值。
You're not just being compensated for the time that you work on a project.
你的工资所补偿的不仅仅是你为这个项目所花费的时间。
You're being compensated for everything you've learned and everything you've done over the years that make you excellent at what you do.
更是多年以来你所学到的以及你所付出的，帮助你在今天有所成就的一切。
Ask yourself questions like: How does your service impact a customer's bottom line?
问问你自己：你的服务会怎样影响客户的盈亏？
How do you create efficiencies that generate cost savings?
会怎样提高客户的效率，从而节约成本？
How much money can your customer make from a product that you helped them create?
你为客户打造的产品会给客户带来多少收益？
For example, if you're a freelancer that helps YouTube creators develop merch like T-shirts and dad hats,
举个例子，假如你是一位帮助YouTube博主开发T恤和老爹帽的自由职业者，
mention how much money you've helped your clients generate.
不妨谈一谈你帮助客户创造了多少财富。
Or, if you've created a diversity and inclusion training program for corporations,
又或者，假如你为企业开发了一项多样性和包容性的训练课程，
talk about how much time and money a company saves purchasing your product instead of developing their own.
那就谈一谈你为那些购买你课程的企业节省了多少开发课程的时间与金钱。
Four: make sure your price includes your taxes, your overhead and your profit.
第四：确保报价包含税费、花销和利润。
When you're a freelancer, you are your own business, so you're responsible for marketing, accounting, taxes, legal, insurance, overhead and profit.
作为一名自由职业者，你就是自己的企业，所以说，营销、会计、税务、法务、保险、经费以及利润，这些都得你自己负责。
If you price too low, you've already negotiated against yourself.
如果你的报价过低，那说明这个价格你可以接受。
And if a potential customer balks at your pricing, don't apologize.
如果潜在客户认为你的报价过高，不要道歉。
Just say that you're running a business and you can't afford to do the work for less.
就说你是在做生意，如果再降价，你就难以为继了。
Instead of corrupting your creativity, focusing on making more money could actually enhance it by giving you the freedom of choice.
你不用牺牲自己的创意，但要牢记，你赚的钱越多，你的选择就越多，你的创意也会越来越精彩。
Because when you earn enough working with clients that value your work, you don't have to compromise by working with clients who don't.
因为，当你与伯乐共事，并赚了足够多的钱之后，你就不需要再屈尊为不欣赏你的客户服务。