This short note is my small way of saying thank you to all my friends. Or more specifically, to all my friends that have helped me stay employed over the past three years.
See, when you’re working as a freelance consultant, your next paycheck is never guaranteed. Most freelancers I know spend almost as much time looking for new gigs as they do working for their current clients. The benefits of self-employment are great, but you’ve got to go in expecting that you’re going to be working for many more hours than you’re actually billing out to your clients.
Me? I’ve been lucky.
Most of my clients have come to me through referrals. When you’ve got other people speaking on your behalf, it drastically reduces the time you spend looking for new work.
To all of you that have been Sameer Vasta evangelists over the past three years, thank you for saving my sanity — and my social life.
The peer referral is often as, if not more, important than the client referral — particularly when the person referring you is in the same industry. It says a lot when a peer can turn around and tell a client, “I can’t do that for you right now, but I know someone that can.”
In a recent article on peer referrals on Web Worker Daily, Jenneth Orantia writes:
Peers aren’t going to risk tarnishing their reputation by recommending someone whose work they’re not familiar with.
Giving a peer referral implies a large amount of trust, and I really appreciate everyone that has trusted me enough to sing my praises from time to time.
I’m trying to return the favor in any way possible. One way is by spreading the good word in person, but another is by recommending people and services on GigPark. (If you’re not using GigPark yet, go sign up now, I’ll wait here until you get back.) If I’m already your biggest fan and I haven’t recommended you just yet, let me know and I’ll fix that oversight.
Thank you again to everyone that has been my friend and my referral all rolled into one. I owe you dinner.
Special thanks to the always-awesome Connie Crosby who was influential in helping me score my most recent gig.
I am so glad your latest gig has worked out, Vasta. This is a great post; I am just getting started working independently, too, and realize just how many fantastic people I have looking out for me as well. I believe we all benefit if we support each other rather than competing.
Cheers,
Connie
Yo dude. We need to do a coffee thing or something. I really have no clue what u do. But because your success gives me a nice feeling inside….scratch that…. I’d love to be a Sameer Evangilist. Now that’s a COOL job title….
Keep in touch and best wishes!
KK
Thanks for the love, Sameer! GigPark loves you too.
From our end, let me tell you how exciting it is to hear that people like you find GigPark so useful. And there’s more to come!
For any of Sameer’s readers who want to check it, feel free to check out My GigPark too … http://www.gigpark.com/people/noahgodfrey
And let me know what you think :)
Noah Godfrey
Founder, GigPark
Thank you again Connie. I really do owe you big time!
Karim, drop me an email and we’ll work something out. We should definitely hang out sometime!
Noah, no need to thank me. If you make a service that I find useful, I should be the one thanking you!