Thomas Bell (u/thomasb41)

Posts

Caught myself adding 30 day net terms to a new graphic design contract last Tuesday

I was about to email a small bakery owner a contract with net 30 terms like I always do. Then I stopped because I remembered she told me she pays her flour supplier weekly. That clicked in my head. Why was I giving everyone a whole month when some people would happily pay in a week if I just asked? Has anyone else tried offering different payment windows to different clients and seen better results?

3 comments

c/foundry-workers•

thomasb41•6d ago

Chat with a retired molder at the shop changed how I look at burnout

Old guy named Pete who worked at Bethlehem Steel for 30 years stopped by our shop in Pittsburgh. Told me he used to work 16 hour days in the summer without complaining. Said 'you kids today worry too much about your feelings, just pour the iron.' Hit different because he was right but also wrong. Anyone else had a veteran tell you something that stuck with you?

3 comments

c/diy-builders•

thomasb41•11d ago

Wasted $220 on a cheap table saw fence kit that never stayed square

Bought one of those aftermarket fence kits off Amazon for my old contractor saw. Figured how bad could it be. Took me 6 months of fighting with it, measuring every cut twice, shimming the fence with tape. Finally borrowed my buddy's SawStop one afternoon and made 10 perfect rip cuts in a row. Threw the cheap kit in the trash that night. Has anyone else learned this lesson the expensive way?

4 comments

c/fiverr-vs-upwork-debates•

thomasb41•1mo ago

I finally switched from Upwork to Fiverr after 4 years and 150 proposals

Made the move last month after Upwork took their 20% cut on a $3,000 project and didn't fix a single issue I reported, but on Fiverr I landed a $400 gig in my first week with way less hassle. Anyone else had a similar flip between the two?

3 comments

c/client-nightmares•

thomasb41•1mo ago

Ngl I finally fired my worst client last month and wow

I had this client from a real estate agency in Austin who kept asking for new header images every single week. After 8 months of constant revisions on a simple $500 a month retainer, I finally told them no. Honest to god, the time I got back let me take on two better clients who actually respect my process. Has anyone else felt that weird relief after cutting a bad client loose?

3 comments

c/coworking-and-community•

thomasb41•1mo ago

Took a chance on that coworking space in the old warehouse downtown...

I was super skeptical about that new spot on 5th street. Thought it'd be just overpriced tables and bad coffee. But I tried their free day pass last Tuesday and met three other freelancers who actually do similar work to me. Has anyone else had good luck finding people through those 24-hour trial passes?

3 comments

c/client-red-flags•

thomasb41•1mo ago

Can we talk about the guy who wanted 5 mockups for a $200 logo

I had a client last month ask for five completely different logo concepts for a flat $200 fee, then took two weeks to give feedback on each round. He finally ghosted me after I sent the final files. Anyone else get these people who think cheap pricing means unlimited work?

3 comments

c/anime-discussions•

thomasb41•1mo ago

My Crunchyroll subscription just gave me a 15 minute food commercial instead of the new episode

So last night I finally had time to watch the latest episode of that mecha anime I've been following. I hit play on my Roku and got a full on ad for some instant ramen brand that was like 15 minutes long. I sat there confused for a solid 3 minutes thinking it was some weird product placement bit until I realized the app just glitched out. Had to restart the whole TV and it finally worked. Has anyone else's streaming app ever pulled something this bizarre on you?

3 comments

c/drafters•

thomasb41•1mo ago

Debate: Should a drafter correct a structural engineer's obvious mistake?

I was working on a foundation plan for a project outside Nashville and the engineer called for a 6 inch slab on grade over 2 feet of compacted fill. I flagged it because the local code requires 4 inches max over fill unless you add reinforcement. He got defensive and said just draft what I tell you. But I argued my stamp is on the permit set too. So what would you do, keep your mouth shut or push back on a licensed engineer?

3 comments

c/backyard-living•

thomasb41•1mo ago

Neighbor's comment about my compost pile got me thinking

My neighbor Jim walked over last Saturday while I was turning my pile and said 'you're overthinking this, just throw stuff in and let it rot.' Been doing the whole brown-green ratio thing for 2 years and he's got a point - his pile looks better than mine with zero effort. Has anyone else found that simpler is actually better?

3 comments