Just realized I've been pricing myself wrong for years after a chat with an old photographer in town

Ran into this guy Dave who's been doing freelance product photography in ABQ since the 90s. We got to talking about rates and he straight up told me I was leaving $200-$300 on the table per job by not charging for my gear usage separately. Said he started doing it back in 2005 after he realized his camera body was losing value every shoot. It hit different cause I've been doing this for 7 years and never once thought about equipment depreciation. Now I'm redoing my whole pricing sheet for the next client who calls. Anyone else ever get a reality check from an old timer that changed how you bill?

Just realized I've been sharpening my chainsaw wrong for 2 years

Finally figured out why my chains were dulling so fast after a guy at a shop in Austin pointed out I was filing at the wrong angle. Turns out I had been doing a 25 degree angle on a chain that needs 30 degrees the whole time. Felt like an idiot standing there, but at least my cuts are actually clean now. Anyone else learn a basic thing embarrassingly late?

Had a total flip on which local farmers market to go to

I was dead set on the Piedmont Park market for like two years. Always thought the one at Oakhurst was too small and not worth the drive from Midtown. Then my neighbor brought over some peaches from Oakhurst last Saturday and they were way better than anything I'd gotten at Piedmont. Went there this morning and the crowd was half the size, prices were lower, and I found a guy selling homemade sourdough starter for $3. Anyone else find a smaller market that beats the big one?

Hostels went from sketchy to actually decent for me

Back in my early 20s I swore I'd never sleep in a hostel. Had a buddy in 2015 tell me about one in New Orleans where he woke up with someone else's sandal in his bunk. So I just assumed they were all like that. Then last year my budget was super tight for a trip to Portland and I gave one a shot for $35 a night. Place had keycard access, private lockers, and the other people were mostly just tired travelers like me. Now I'm wondering if I just got lucky or if hostels everywhere have stepped up their game. Anybody else have a surprise turnaround on something you were totally against?

Walked into a job in Phoenix today where the previous guy had stretched the carpet in the wrong direction

Had a talk with a graphic designer who made me rethink my freelance schedule

I was chatting with a freelancer I know at a coffee shop last Tuesday. She told me she only works 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, and makes the same as when she was grinding 10 hour days. At first I thought she was crazy, but she showed me her time logs and she was right. She said the key was blocking off her mornings for deep work and ignoring emails until noon. That hit different because I've been averaging 50 hours a week and still feel behind. Has anyone else tried cutting their hours and actually seen their income stay the same or go up?

A coworker said I was 'too quick to answer' during a team meeting and it hit me hard

Last Tuesday in a Zoom call with 8 people, my coworker Lisa paused and said 'Cameron, have you actually listened to what Mark just said?' after I jumped in with a solution before he finished. She was right. I do this constantly, trying to show I'm on top of things, but it shuts down the quieter folks. Now I'm counting to three after someone speaks before I reply. It is uncomfortable but I notice people actually sharing more. Has anyone else tried slowing down their responses in meetings or is this just my personality?

Finally figured out the difference between Upwork and local gigs for me

I spent like 6 months chasing Upwork bids and barely made $200. Switched last month to just hitting up local coffee shops and gyms for dental hygiene content, landed a $500 retainer with one spot. Anyone else find local beats remote for steady work?

Remember when we all thought fiber was a gimmick?

Back in 2012 I was still running copper in new builds around Austin and swore fiber was just overpriced hype for data centers. Told my boss he was crazy for buying that fusion splicer. Then we got a job for a school district that needed 10 gig runs and I ate my words after the first clean termination. Any of you old timers change your mind on something you were dead set against?

That Wednesday where every toner pull from the bowl was perfect

Last month I had a Tuesday where I did four full highlight and tone sets back to back and every single one lifted even and processed exactly how I wanted. I even had a root smudge on a level 4 base that came out so seamless the client asked if I had been doing her hair for 10 years. Has anyone else had a day like that where everything just clicks and you feel like a magician?