Episode #179 Free Work Has Rules

Overview

Somewhere along the line, many of us learned that saying yes to unpaid work was the safest way to build traction. But working for free isn't automatically wrong, and charging isn't automatically right—the real difference comes down to whether an unpaid opportunity is a deliberate business decision or an automatic reaction driven by guilt, discomfort, or habit. In this episode of Public Health Entrepreneurs, Dr. Charlotte Huntley breaks down how founders and consultants can stop giving away their expertise by default and start using unpaid engagements strategically to fill their pipeline with ideal clients. Discover the exact questions to ask before saying yes, how to keep your pipeline full without derailing client delivery, and how to spot invitations that masquerade as "exposure" but never convert.

Takeaways

• A Deliberate Yes vs. an Automatic Yes: An automatic agreement happens out of emotional obligation, discomfort with saying no, or the fear of appearing ungenerous. A deliberate yes is an intentional strategic move—such as speaking to a room full of your ideal clients where you can showcase your expertise and talk naturally about your services.

• Filter Opportunities with Pre-Planned Questions: Instead of answering speaking invitations on the spot, give yourself time to assess four core filters: who is actually in the room, whether there is a natural opening to discuss your services, what the opportunity could realistically yield in 6 to 12 months, and whether it pulls critical time away from paying clients.

• Balancing Delivery with Business Development: Being fully booked with client fulfillment can tempt entrepreneurs to pause pipeline activities, only to find their pipeline dry once current projects end. Unpaid speaking before ideal prospective clients can serve as an effective mechanism to keep future business moving forward.

• The CEO Decision: There is no universal formula for when unpaid work is worthwhile. What builds momentum for one business might completely drain another, meaning every opportunity must be weighed against your specific goals, target audience, and business stage.

• Red Flags Where Free Work Rarely Pays Off: Watch out for repeat requesters who never convert to paid engagements, vague promises of exposure or portfolio-building without an aligned audience, and creeping scope that demands more uncompensated labor than agreed upon.

• Giving vs. Giving Away: Strategic pro bono and unpaid work has a legitimate place in a growing business, but the objective is knowing when your generosity is actively building your enterprise versus when you are simply giving away your value.
  

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Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in public health consulting or other type of business for a while, we provide support for public health entrepreneurs through our podcast and mastermind group program. We serve public health entrepreneurs in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and California as well as other parts of the United States and worldwide.