It's Still Work if You Don't Get Paid

A difficult situation that independents, such as myself, are faced with constantly is the opportunity to work for free.

The scenario is goes something like this: "We'd like you to [speak, write, review, promote] for our [web site, talk show, keynote]. In return for your efforts, we'll provide exposure for you."

Sometimes I do this. I have friends in the business who I support. For example, we're not paid to guest host on This Week in Photo, but I like Frederick Van Johnson, and I believe he respects me. And over the years, he's tried to promote me the best he can. So in that case, it's entrepreneur helping entrepreneur.

But big businesses are a different matter. They sometimes approach me because I have built a platform and a reputation, and they believe that might help them sell their product. The good ones will put their products in my hands. The cheap ones want me to promote them with nothing in return.

Wait, check that. They will provide me with exposure. Well, I have exposure already. That's why they want me.

The thing is, free work is still work. Whether I get paid or not, I still have to prepare, articulate, and spend the time to participate. Because the reality is, I always have my reputation to protect, regardless of the financial arrangement.

In the end, it comes down to respect, doesn't it? I very much appreciate those businesses that respect my work. I will do a lot for them. Because that's the attitude I want to promote as we all try to move forward.

-Derrick

The Scale

I came home from Las Vegas with a food hangover.

Seriously. I know this sounds weird, but I'm fairly certain about this. I felt like I weighed 300 pounds.

I ate things that I normally avoid. Lots of things. In part, I did this because there were limited options available. Or maybe it was just because I figured that food indulgence was the lesser of evils in Sin City.

Either way, I was reluctant to step on to the scale this morning. And my fear was well-founded. I'm up 4 pounds.

I can't blame all of this on Vegas. The CES event follows the holidays, and I had more than my share of sweets and libation. But that Southwest burger that I had at the airport, with fries, certainly didn't help my cause.

So even though my camera gear is nimble, my Nikes not so much. I have until mid-February to lose 7 pounds. That will get me to my "on-camera" weight for my next lynda.com title on shooting senior portraits.

Fortunately, I don't have any travel scheduled between now and then. And I do have a dieting companion.

Dibs went to the vet this morning for an upper respiratory infection. She tipped the scale at 12 pounds, about a pound and a half too heavy for her. So we're going to slim down together. She doesn't know this yet. 

Yeah... it's going to be a fun couple of weeks around the studio.

-Derrick

Flying in the Right Direction

How does the saying go? "Well it doesn't suck."

I'm not ready to say that about air travel yet. But a combination of updated thinking and technology have at least improved a few areas.

• Electronic Boarding Passes - No more scrambling for a printer at the hotel. I receive a check-in notice via email, complete the step, and my boarding pass is sent to Passbook on my iOS device. The QR code is scanned at the gate. It's now that simple.
   
• TSA-Check Pre-approval - Some flights, though not all, include TSA preapproval with my electronic boarding pass. It's literally a stroll through security... with my shoes on.
   
• Electronic Devices Powered Up - No more powering down the iPad and iPhone for takeoff and landing. Yes, I still have to go to Airplane mode, but I'll take that compromise over the old way of thinking.
   
• Progressive Awards Programs - With just a little bit of planning, you can enjoy early boarding, free luggage, and other perks. (Luggage used to be free anyway...) Those help make the trip a little less annoying.

Don't get me wrong: I still don't like flying. There are so many hassles involved - layovers that waste time, over-crowded planes, inconsiderate passengers, disgusting restrooms, flight delays, and bad food. But now, at least, there are a handful of good things to offset some of the misery. 

And in terms of travel, that means we're headed in the right direction.

-Derrick

The Shakedown

I've been coming to Vegas for a long time.

Even as a young man, I was impressed with its ability to separate you from your money. We used to joke about the cash-draining force-field that surrounds this city. Back in the day when I gambled, I once was  leaving town with $300 in my pocket. That seldom happens.

Then the car blew a tire, everyone else was broke, and I lost my winnings to an overpriced mechanic.

And that's the thing about Las Vegas. The shakedown can happen anywhere, at any time. The cab driver who takes the long route from the airport, the overpriced meals at "fine restaurants," beautiful girls who are hustlers working for hustlers, no coffee machines in your room, posh hotels with add-on charges - these are just a few ways that the odds always favor the house.

Experienced journalists know all about the shakedown. Vegas says we're cheap. We're not really welcome here. We attend events with free food, drink at happy hour, stay at modest hotels and hang out in expensive ones, stride past slot machines, and avoid black jack tables, famous chefs, pretty girls, and cabs whenever possible.

If you're smart, you can leave this town with money. That is, unless something goes wrong. Then even  reporters go home broke.

-Derrick

My Walk to Work, Las Vegas

If ever there's a time to be light on your feet, it's while working in Las Vegas. Meetings are miles apart, seldom with no easy way to get to them.

My morning walk to work begins at the Excalibur Hotel (I know, I know). I walk over the street to New York New York, then cut through the hotel, over Las Vegas Blvd, with the next milestone the MGM Grand.

This is my closest monorail stop. But I have to traverse the entire facility to get to the station. This takes another 15 minutes of brisk walking through the crowded MGM casino.

Once I reach the monorail, I can either go directly to the Convention Center, or jump off at a stop that is somewhat close to a hotel where a meeting might be.

Today, I had another 20-minute walk to the Wynn Hotel to reach an NDA meeting before the show. All in all, it was an hour from my hotel front door to the actual meeting.

Now, it's 10 AM, the meeting is over, and I have another journey to the Convention Center. I'm going to try a shuttle bus for this leg. Stay tuned.

-Derrick