Pricing Without Shame: Stop Being “Grateful Energy”

Photo by Ruben Ramirez on Unsplash

Let’s talk about the most awkward part of being a creator or early-stage founder.

Not posting. Not imposter syndrome. Not even filming yourself in public while pretending you’re not filming yourself in public.

Pricing.

Because pricing is the moment you go from “I make stuff” to “I charge for value.”

And for a lot of good people, that triggers a weird internal panic:

Who am I to charge this?

What if they say no?

What if they think I’m arrogant?

What if I lose the deal?

What if I’m… annoying?

So you do what most of us do at some point.

You underprice.

You overdeliver.

You tell yourself it’s “strategic.”

And then you quietly resent everyone, including yourself.

That is what I call grateful energy.

And it’s the fastest way to turn something you love into something you tolerate.

What “grateful energy” looks like (be honest)

Grateful energy is when you act like someone choosing you is a gift.

So you:

• price low because you feel lucky to be asked

• throw in extras “just to be nice”

• say yes to vague deliverables

• accept last-minute changes

• let usage run wild (“yeah sure, use it forever, why not, I live to serve”)

• don’t ask for a deposit because you want to seem chill

You’re not chill. You’re terrified.

And you’re not alone.

Grateful energy is common because creators are used to being treated like they should be thankful for exposure, even when they’re the reason the campaign worked.

Here’s the reframe: you’re not being picked. You’re partnering.

This is the switch.

You’re not auditioning.

You’re not begging.

You’re not hoping they like you.

You’re entering a commercial partnership where you create value and they benefit.

That’s not ego.

That’s just reality.

If a brand makes money from your work, you are not “lucky.”

You are useful.

And usefulness has a price.

Why shame sneaks into pricing

Because pricing isn’t just numbers.

Pricing is identity.

If you charge more, it forces you to claim something:

• I’m good at this

• I’m a professional

• My time matters

• This isn’t a hobby

And claiming that can feel uncomfortable if you’ve spent years being humble, or being told that creatives should do it “for the love.”

Do it for the love, yes.

Charge for the value.

Both can be true.

The two biggest mistakes creators make with pricing

1) Pricing the deliverable, not the outcome

A reel is not “a reel.”

A reel is:

• attention

• trust transfer

• conversion

• creative strategy

• production

• your audience’s relationship with you

The deliverable is the container.

The value is what happens because it exists.

If you price like “one video = $X” without considering usage, distribution, and impact, you’ll always feel underpaid.

2) Being vague

Vague pricing creates anxious clients and chaotic projects.

If you’re not clear, the brand fills the gaps with:

“Can we just add one more thing?”

“Can we tweak it a few times?”

“Can we get raw files?”

“Can we use this in paid ads forever?”

“Can you also post it on your TikTok, IG, LinkedIn, and write a blog while you’re there?”

And suddenly you’re doing a full campaign for the price of a single post.

A simple “grown-up” pricing structure (without becoming a robot)

Here’s the structure I like because it keeps you confident and keeps the deal clean:

1. Base fee (creation + posting)

2. Usage fee (how they can use it, where, for how long)

3. Add-ons (whitelisting, extra edits, extra cutdowns, extra hooks, raw footage, exclusivity)

That’s it.

It sounds fancy, but it’s literally just:

What am I making?

How will you use it?

What extras do you want?

Most brands actually appreciate this because it removes confusion.

Professional boundaries don’t scare good clients.

They attract them.

How to say your price without apologising

This is where people crumble.

They put their price in a sentence and then immediately set it on fire with nervous laughter.

“So yeah it’s like $1,500… but totally flexible… and I’m happy to work with you… I just really love the brand…”

Stop.

You can be warm without shrinking.

Try this instead:

“For that scope, my fee is $1,500. That includes X, Y, Z. If you’d like paid usage or extra cutdowns, I can price those as add-ons.”

No apology.

No justification.

No emotional discounting.

Just clarity.

The secret: your price is a filter

A higher price doesn’t just make you more money.

It filters out:

• brands who don’t respect creators

• clients who want unlimited work

• people who negotiate for sport

• projects that drain you

And it filters in:

• serious partners

• repeat work

• better briefs

• smoother approvals

• clients who value outcomes, not “content”

If you do nothing else this week, do this

Write a one-page pricing sheet for yourself.

Not to publish. Just to stop winging it.

Include:

• Your base fee for your most common deliverable

• Your usage options (organic only / paid / duration)

• 3 add-ons you often get asked for

• Your payment terms (deposit, due dates)

When you do this, something weird happens.

You stop negotiating with yourself before the client even speaks.

And that’s the real upgrade.

Because you’re not trying to “get picked.”

You’re building a business.

And businesses don’t run on grateful energy.

They run on value, clarity, and respect.

Which you deserve, by the way.