kevin_williams•16d agoProlific Poster

Charged $20 for my first logo design and felt like a thief

I was totally skeptical that anyone would pay me for graphic design. My first gig was a logo for a local bakery in Austin, and I only asked $20 because I felt bad charging more. The owner loved it, posted it on Instagram, and I got three more requests that week at the same rate. Now I look back and realize I undervalued myself hard, but it proved there's a market for beginners. What was your first rate and did you feel awkward asking for it?

3 comments

3 Comments

samreed16d ago

Bro you basically got paid in exposure AND cash, win-win?

knight.uma16d ago

Read something recently that said the whole "exposure" thing is just a way for people with money to get work for cheap, lol. @samreed I get what you're saying but exposure doesn't pay rent or buy groceries, especially when the bakery owner clearly had cash to spare. Jennybailey nailed it about how we're trained to settle for less, and that first negotiation is honestly terrifying but it gets easier once you realize most people will just pay if you ask.

jennybailey16d ago

This whole situation reminds me of how we're taught to feel BAD about asking for what we're worth. Like we're supposed to be grateful for any crumb thrown our way, especially as beginners. Same thing happens at my restaurant when new cooks agree to work double shifts for minimum wage because they're scared to negotiate. The bakery owner probably would have paid $50 without blinking, but the system trains us to shrink ourselves down. It's that weird mindset where charging less feels safer because then nobody can accuse you of being greedy. Once you break through that first weird transaction, you realize the market sets the price, not your guilt.