Being a "Yes" Girl in a "No" World

what exactly is a "Yes" girl? my definition: a woman who will bend over backwards to provide the best service possible, and in some cases, having no boundaries and even goes to great lengths at the expense of herself. am i a "Yes" girl? sadly, YES, i am. but it's something I'm working on.

something i have come to experience in my short career (so far) as a freelance makeup artist, is the abundance of "NO"s in my line of work. so many times I've heard this one syllable word and yet, it causes so much grief. especially where money is involved. And let me tell you, it can seriously cause a person to wonder whether or not their services are really that invaluable to others.

i get it though, times are hard. it's not necessarily me. it's just that people want the best for their money. and being self-employed (and HONEST), i wish to provide the best of my services for the best price. but like i said, sometimes hearing "No" all the time can put a damper on the fire that fuels the passion.

but it doesn't mean to quit. simply because you hear "No" a lot, doesn't mean that you aren't as good as you may have thought you were. (It doesn't mean that people are moochers either, mind you.) you might just be as great as the next person out there, but in many cases, dues must be paid. we still have to prove our worth. but with the "No's comes the motivation to be better at what we do. to improve constantly. without the "No"s we would stay where we are without any reason to pursue greatness in any line of work.

unfortunately, the down-side of being a yes girl is the inability to really know what boundaries should be applied. i think in the beginning of starting a career, many (uneducated) business-person's don't know what lines should be created to keep professionalism, as well as safety and integrity between all parties involved. this is definitely not one of my strongest suits, so I've had to create several rules and reminders for myself to make sure that not only do i get screwed (for lack of a better word) but neither does a possible client...

Rule/Reminder #1: "No" doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't good enough. There are unseen circumstances that prevent a client from doing business with you.

Rule/Reminder #2: Unless they are absolutely trustworthy, try not to work with close family/church members or friends. it's sad that this has to be said, but here it is. sometimes it's better to keep business separate from people that come into your personal life. if a fall out should happen, it would only cause awkwardness and resentment between people who should love each other regardless.

Rule/Reminder #3: Stand firm in your policies/rules. Your business shouldn't be a negotiation. Not everyone is going to agree with your methods, but at the end of the day, it's YOUR business. not THEIRS.

Rule/Reminder #4: Do not allow yourself to be bullied or hard-balled. This follows very close to Rule/Reminder #3. Being assertive is the best way to handle would-be bullies. don't let their foolishness dictate how you run your business. i always believed that a negative person attracts negativity and more than likely are, you wouldn't want these types of people or those of consort with them as part of your clientele anyway.

I'm sure there will be plenty more rules and reminders that i will have to add as the years go by that i stay in this business. but for now, this is what i have.

my point being: don't let other's "No"s take away the possibilities of your "Yes". keep on pushing and don't give up.

:)