Ok so. I left my very high paying and stressful job in Sales to work with a friend/practitioner that I have a good relationship with. She is in dire need of branding, marketing and website remodel.
She didn’t have a lot of funds to pay me, so I agreed to a much lower rate (and one day a weeks work) for the next few months until things are up and running. Commencing beginning of next month. I’m paid on a daily rate (so 4 days a month) and currently haven’t been paid so far except for a couple of small procedures.
Due to the amount of work, this has ended up being CONSTANT work for me. I have had to build an entire website just to send through to her web developer to set up, come into the office for filming days once a week (usually on a weekend at 9am all day no breaks) and take daily phone calls to discuss various aspects. I’m talking every single day. This is certainly not a one day a week job so far, but OK. I have not been paid anything so far either.
While I like my friend and now boss/client ? (I am self employed) very much, she put me out a lot this morning and I think this needs a discussion.
I told her I was super ill 2 days ago, though of course, have still been working. When I spoke to her the night before last she mentioned she’d call me the next day to run through some things. Queue the next morning I’m woken up to constant missed calls at 9:30am. I groggily message to say I’m not well, need to get up and take some medicine and I’ll call her shortly.
I ended up falling asleep from the cough syrup and woke again at 12 to call her after receiving multiple missed calls voicenotes and salty messages on WhatsApp.
When I called her (as soon as I woke up) I explained that I had only managed to get some sleep at 3am the night before and was not well. She started to berate me by saying that she was ‘incredibly upset’ that she had ‘given me an opportunity’ and ‘let me into her practise’ and she felt ‘abused’. Bizarre I know.
I bit my tongue and called her down by explaining that she had never given me a specific time she wanted to call, and that this needs to be put in the diary. If I’m not prepared for her to contact I cannot be expected to answer immediately.
This isn’t the first time she has pressured me with last minute or random bouts of panic but it has entirely rubbed me up the wrong way: I wanted to turn around and explain the only person being abused would be me, considering the amount of work I’m doing and the total lack of payment so far.
We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss website plans; any advice on how to bring this up tactfully? I want to continue working with her but I cannot deal with the strange emotional outbursts, manipulation and panic attacks. I’m doing a hell of a lot for her benefit and at this stage it doesn’t benefit me at all.