pitch (verb) To attempt to sell or win approval for one’s ideas by giving them away for free, usually within a competitive, buyer-driven process.
We do not give our ideas away for free. We do not have to prove our worthiness by giving our work away for free.
We have made the difficult business decision to transform our company, and the way we go about getting new business. We're not order-taker suppliers. We are expert advisors.
We specialise. We are not one in the sea of many. We're not another generalist design organisation. We are not a full-service organisation doing all things for all people. Our personal desire for variety is suddenly placed at odds with the fundamental need of our business to focus. What the better clients are willing to commit to, what we want to create and deliver, is deep expertise. Not our personalities, not our process, not our price. Our expertise sets us apart in a meaningful way. We are serious about the business of our craft. We are hired for our expertise, not our services.
We are lucky to do what we love. And we deserve to be able to do it. Loving our craft is no substitute for making intelligent business decisions. We choose to be strong. Not to rule others. Not to help others. Not to because we have experienced the alternative and don't want to be weak again. What we choose to do with our strength is our decision. As business owners we have an obligation to choose and pursue the path we have chosen.
"Is it possible that what lies on the other side of the door is not the death of our creativity, sure to be snuffed by routine and boredom, but just enough focus to harness the full potential of our talents?" - Blair Enns
It takes courage. We must simply choose to take control.
"I would not know how to live, if I were not a seer of what is to come. A seer, a purposer, a creator, a future itself, and a bridge to the future....." - Friedrich Nietzsche