I used to be a model, I quit trying to work for "exposure" and got blasted several times by photographers who refused to pay models. I refused to work for zero money, drive hours or travel and most models actually do that. It's a horrible industry.
Yup. Used to do a bunch of modeling in my late teens & through my 20's, and frequently got asked to work for exposure or for images. Working for images was fine when I needed to update my portfolio, but I always preferred & prioritized being actually paid.
Service of any kind needs to be paid for. If a model is needing photographs done, then they should pay the photographer, if the photographer needs a model for their portfolio then they should pay the model (at least I'm guessing that's how that would work). Service provided is service paid for. And that goes for any industry. "Exposure" is not a guarantee.
Seriously? Back in the days I was doing artwork, we stayed in steady demand. All hand made by just two people, and we couldn't keep up. It made me so angry to have someone keep requesting that we do some work for "exposure," because "she was already spending so much to put on the event. " In the meantime, she's posting about getting speeding tickets in both her Maserati AND Lambhorgini.🙄 No. Just no. We were two women working our butts off in the spare bedroom of my home, and you can't afford even 100.00 for a set of our handmade glassware that took us 20-40 hours to produce, by hand? Just no.
Artists that work with glass are like gods to me😂 it's so cool, it just looks like magic every time I see it. It doesn't matter that I see the whole process, my brain can only process it as magic
For some years of my career, I was a Certified American Sign Language Interpreter. In the US, this role is typically contract and you can generally set a rate based on industry norms and your skills. The amount of people that would ask me to do free work was insulting! Not only am I Certified, but I also have a degree. This job is not easy to do, and I often took complex material. So to assume I'd be willing to work for free or at a fraction of the rate is unfair not only for myself but the industry as a whole. Similar to a career like yours, it's a niche market and many of the local Interpreters know each other. We weren't willing to set a low bar standard that could impact others in the field.
Did they try to guilt you by saying you should want to help people who need it? It’s happened to me bc im a female business owner, and my response is always, “Would you say that to a man?”
Wasn't there a court case or speech or something some yrs ago that was found out that the ASL interpreter they had been using was a fake and making random gestures? Sorry, I know this isn't quite what you're talking about but it reminded me about it.
@insertianameia2224 actually there was! It was a highly publicized criminal case that was giving a press update and the woman was standing next to the podium signing and it was fake!
@aprilgrow3667 I did get that sometimes, they would tell me they didn't have money or offer what they had but usually it was a very small amount for the work being done. But mind you, this isn't for services such as a doctor's appointment, it would be a concert or wedding (which even concert venues provide Interpreters, they are just being lazy).
@@AmberA52 exactly. And even if it is doctor appts and things, you are entitled to get paid for your services. Doctors get paid to save lives. We love helping people, but gratitude doesn’t pay the bills. You have a rare skill set you have poured time and money into learning and you should be paid for it.
so i used to work at a little coffee place few years ago. it was a nice cozy hippie place, with lots of regulars and appreciators. we had a journal to right down all the expenses, including consumables expenses, which we also needed to explain reasons for things to write off. a girl who worked there too once dropped a paper cup, it’s alright, things happen, she wrote that in a journal. and then our boss basically called her off saying “how is dropping a reason to not use that paper cup after?”. we were wearing outside shoes there, floor was being cleaned once a day. and our boss wanted us to serve people drinks in a cup that has been on the floor… i quit that place as soon as possible
I once applied for a graphic design job at a small card company. They asked for 12 separate design concepts as an interview question. A small trial project is not unusual, but it was unpaid and they had no contract saying the designs belonged to the designer (I assume they use the designs people turned in without permission). I backed out immediately and regret not telling them to f off.
Ih I'm sure they do. My Mom was graphic designer that started to get paid for her adverts she'd make since she was like 14 yrs old. She'd warn me about if a job ever requested work to make sure to it is clear that is NOT theirs and still belongs to you and that you WILL be compensated for your time. She used to tell me of companies doing just as you described, and that was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Guess somethings never change. (Edit: I meant request work as part of an interview. Just realized that may or may not have been super clear.)
One or two would be one thing, especially if you don't have something similar in your portfolio. That is definitely fishy, good call. It doesn't hurt to aggressively watermark everything. If a client complains about watermarks in unpaid mock-ups or portfolios, they can get bent.
Absolutely. If there's a hint of a snake In the grass, you can be sure there's a snake in the grass. Used to do freelance commercial advertising, like newspaper ads, window ads, logo designs and the like. Very much the same. Also said that UNLESS THEY PAID FOR A COPYRIGHT RELEASE, and gave my rates, everything was my property to be used in my professional portfolio, and made them sign a contract, even if it was for a job interview. If they didn't, I didn't give them anything, and walked.
@@DinkyInky2 I'm not an artist like my Mom was but she used to tell me that if my brothers or I ever got into a line of work that was in a simialr vein of work to make sure there is something written and verbal stating that ALL work used for such purposes still belong to you. She had her work stolen before and she had friends that had their work stolen that way.
A lot of companies, tech and design in particular, will do that. They’ll post a job advert, do “interviews” where they require sample designs or “mock ups” using certain assets to show your skills, then just use one or multiple of the interview submissions for the project they originally needed done.
General work shadiness: I work for a company that requires W9s to verify its clients. That's a US tax document with the legal business name regustered with the IRS, and their assigned tax ID. All absolutely standard and legal. Some of our clients used a third party contractor to handle the administrative stuff. You can just fill out a W9 online now, but at the time, they would email us scanned documents. This contractor started sending clearly altered forms. Literally, it was like they opened it in MS Paint, put a white text box over what had been there, and typed in a new businrss name. I refused to accept it because wtf. They had the nerve to get mad and wanted my manager, who backed me up and actually took it to our legal department, who also said f*** no. A department wide email went out after that. I was fairly new and apparently the first person who had openly questioned this. That contractor stopped sending us altered tax forms.
As micro content creator I don't have experience with paid ads because every brand that reached out refuses to pay anything. They think free products are enough as a form of payment. Some brands are very generous with gifting huge boxes and asking for just one short reel, while some have long detailed instructions, asking drafts for approval, just for one 20$ product. But I think this marketing actually works because thousands of gifted products to micro creators will give them huge exposure
Iif your given them exposure, they should be paying you. Unless its gifted in PR, but that's your choice to talk on it or not. Try reaching out to to a few influencers who do paid content and ask them what they think you should be charging. Also, ask the brands how many sales they received from your content, so you have an estimated ROI for future potential deals ❤
So glad you shared this information and some general ideas of predatory practices by some companies. I think so many other creators have NO BASELINE to go by at all so this is probably immensely helpful to them
The 3rd story, I'm not sure why they didn't ask you to buy their product and then just reimburse you. That seemed like the most reasonable solution vs just asking you to use someone else's gel cream lol
"And I have evidence" I didn't need evidence. If James told us to stand under the next full moon at the strike of midnight and your skin will glow... You'd probably see me in my backyard at the appointed time. I have full trust in him.
I think James himself would tell you not to trust anyone completely blindly and I believe he totes that people always still think for themselves and personally, that's why I appreciate him. Please be aware of para social relationship and keeping healthy boundaries and autonomy. I'm autistic so hopefully this is coming across appropriately.
This is something I see a lot in the artist commission space - someone will charge less than they're worth, and a client will leverage that against anyone that is charging more than barely minimum wage. It's even worse sometimes because custom artwork will be compared to a product you're buying from a mass retailer, which is crazy since one is custom made!!!
My shadiest work experience was when I worked for Suspiciously Vague Business when I was 16. I got paid a crisp £50 note (in the 90s) per day to sit in an almost entirely abandoned office building and note down contact details of an average of 1 to 3 people who came in per week. That was it. That was my entire job. My mother was housekeeper for the owner and got me the job. She was very proud they trusted her around the wads of money on the bed and in kitchen. Anyway, a couple of years later, the owner 'fell' off a roof. I didn't realise it was weird until years later.
👏You’re the only “influencer” I’ve seen cont using & hyping a product after a sponsorship. That alone makes you seem more authentic than 99% of the rest.😊🙌 Sometimes I even check to see if they’re still using the product in any other videos. I mean, if you really like it, as much as you say you do, I’d think you’d continue using it occasionally. Right?? 😂
I remember being fresh out of college and an online food magazine I sent a job application to reached out to me and told me I was shortlisted. I would have to write five short pieces on any food-related topic as part of an "entrance exam", which I did. A week later they told me I did not make the cut but they would love to publish my stories on their website. I told them politely that I preferred to own my articles and to be paid for my work. They did not respond back 😂 luckily they did not use my articles behind my back!
I’m an influencer marketing specialist so I basically connect brands with content creators and manage promotional campaigns. The situation, when a brand reaches out to me, stating that their budget is like $3,000, but they want 5-7 RUclips influencers with big audience is so annoying! Then I go and explain them what content creators’ rates depend on and why their value is more than that… I often faced genuine confusion that goes like: “but we are going to send them products for FREE, plus they will get some money. Isn’t it a great deal for them?” - and this makes me think on what the reasons for this kind of thinking are. Maybe because influencers’ rates vary so much, even in the same niche with the same audience size, maybe because brands just haven’t gotten enough experience and knowledge about influencer marketing yet…
Genuine question from someone who isn’t an influencer, doesn’t work in marketing and also confused as to why $3,000 isn’t enough money for an influencer to talk about a product in a video. If a brand say wanted an influencer to talk about a handbag (for example) and wanted it featured in a video. Isn’t $3,000 a pretty good rate? This isn’t meant to be hateful, I’m just intrigued as to why this would be seen as low budget?
@@Colourful-Monochrome I meant that sometimes a brand states that their budget is $3,000 for the campaign. It’s around $600 per influencer if they want to take 5 which is quite low. $3,000 as a rate for a single influencer is decent! Sorry if I didn’t explain it clearly, but I hope it’s understandable now!
Sorry if this is a silly question but how do you get more influencers on your 'books'? I would love management at some point but I literally don't know where to start as I'm scared of getting scammed/ruining what I've built by myself via someone who is untrustworthy.
I love how transparent you and Robert are. You guys are two of the only influencers I trust to give honest reviews. Thanks for running your channels with integrity.
Love this insight. I've had situations where brands tell me they don't have a budget to pay, but then my friend gets paid. So brands can be so shady. I'm glad you're speaking about this, as the more creators refuse to be taken advantage of, the more this will drive change.
I don’t believe any influencer who claims something works (skincare related) without using it daily for 30 days. Ideally, 90 days is what I’d like to see. Within 30 days, you’ll find out if there are subtle irritants or issues with interactions with your other products. 90 days is where you could see a visible difference.
Gotta say my craziest experience with a brand was an indie makeup brand who continually fed me lies about her top competitor being an awful person and COMPENSATED ME WHEN I POSTED ABOUT THE SITUATION. Same business owner also berated me in DMs for being “too vocal” about Palestine and proceeded to post conspiracy theories on her Close Friends… That was when I cut her tf off and canceled the affiliation. I’ve since apologized and made amends with the competitor brand, but that’s definitely the most egregious bad behavior I’ve ever experienced.
James, at this point you and Robert are the only people who I really allow to ‘influence’ my purchasing decisions and it’s exactly because of these stories and awareness you aren’t afraid to spread about the horrible practices brands and creators do, just to get the bag. It’s getting increasingly harder to navigate the market as a customer these days. Thank you for being both honest and entertaining!
There are very few influencers whose opinions and sponsorships I trust. James and Robert Welsh are two of them. I may not like every product, or agree with every opinion, but I trust that you both (along with a handful of others) believe in the products you talk about. Thank you for that honesty.
I have a friend who is an influencer and promotes a new product every day. She came to my house one day upset bc a hair dye she promoted turned her dark hair green and her sister’s wedding was in a couple of days. It was green when she promoted it and she had to edit the pictures to hide it. I was shocked bc she has always had so much integrity. I don’t judge her bc I’ve never been in a position that I had to choose between my integrity and paying the rent, utilities, insurance, gas, and food. She also worked full time cleaning houses and barely scraped by, even living very frugally and simply. Integrity is one of my core values and I would like to say that I wouldn’t do what she did, but I will never know. I feel sad for her that she was put in that position. Now these big influencers who aren’t going hungry…disgusting. They are why influencers have such a bad reputation.
I swear, it's like some brands just think they're the cream of the crop and that everyone in the beauty influencer sphere secretly hates each other. Like, they really think people be fighting each to be the least paid or something, just to be considered 'better' in the eyes of a single brand. Ugh, how hearing these stories just make me think about how a few weeks ago EA tried giving sim youtubers only $100 for 10 videos worth of content of them playing the game and showing of the new Lovestruck expansion pack. Not only were they trying to pay a paltry amount of money for a good review, but they were also trying to pay a paltry amount for 10 videos worth of work from sims youtubers.
Thank you so much for sharing the info. I really, really trust the products you show us. I have always been so happy with each product you recommend. Thank you for your honesty. You are so appreciated. .
Thanks for spilling 💜 I wish you could TELL! I understand, though. Even though you're telling the truth & have receipts, who wants to be sued? Some companies just suck. 😖
It’s crazy that brands think y’all won’t talk to each other!!! Also I just love listening to tea, I don’t even care what kind of tea it is. I’ve been trying to start a blog channel on here so I’m in the beginning stages, hearing about the behind the scenes of shady brands is so interesting I love it! 😅
Appreciate your honesty on everything 🖤💜💯 because we do take your information into deep consideration and love hearing your babies in the background brings a smile to my face 😊💋
Thank god we have honest influencers like you, Robert and Soph out there. It’s so gross how some of these brands would want you to lie about them! And even more gross that people will do it. It’s a shame there are so many shady, borderline scammy people out there. If you get in front of your audience and lie for money, you’re a trash human! Thank you for never being one of those losers. Ugh that pisses me off. The brand disclosing your rates is so pathetic too. Sending all the love to our favorite honest skinfluencer ❤❤❤ I have a very small IG account and community there in the indie makeup world, as well as some fellow MUAs and estheticians (I am officially a makeup artist as of yesterday 😊) and unfortunately some people with a similar following to mine will do this, it’s so upsetting. Like I need money too but truly can’t imagine ever lying about products to the people who trust me, like fuck NO! I’d rather be broke for the rest of my life than lie about some crappy product that clearly isn’t even good enough for our faces, let alone our money, if they won’t promote it honestly. I would be so crushed if someone I looked up to did this shit and even if my platform never grows any further, it’s still a privilege to even have it, and I would hate to lose their trust for any reason. How some people justify that sort of thing is beyond me.
I’m an opera singer who accidentally ended up in market research for 5 years (thanks pandemic) and let me tell you, that kind of lowballing is so typically from marketing companies in general. These men (because it’s usually men) do not know what they are doing. Everyone outsources everything and even if you have specialty full service marketing company they are using someone else who uses someone else and it all gets messy. The higher ups do no research on the industry they’re working for. I know market research is a bit different but as a younger woman, the amount of education I’ve had to give men in their 50s on how to write a survey using proper terminology for bras, hair extensions, cosmetics, sewing, skincare, etc, is infuriating because I’m at the bottom of the corporate food chain so listening to my feedback is optional. And of course I’m only approached about the “feminine” surveys. And that’s fine because those are interesting topics to me. Better those than the political surveys…but as someone who has been responsible for asking influencers to promote surveys in a certain category, these men frankly have no idea what following constitutes an influencer (they think like 10k is a celebrity) and at the same time they offer insanely low prices. And at the end of the day I don’t call those shots, they just want to see what they can get away with and have zero frame of reference for what’s appropriate and no interest in learning. As someone who has had to send the lowball emails before I am so sorry. Believe me it’s just as embarrassing on the other side of the screen.
Got that same 10 videos for $100 offer that was mass emailed 😂 And then I got this massive box of PR from this same brand that they sent out to a bunch of people as well which just annoyed me further because I didn’t want 95% of it and I hate waste. I only accept PR if it’s stuff I want and usually have specific asks. I don’t do sponsorships anyway but I’ve seen them sponsor big influencers, they obviously have the money.
Around 2008, I had a friend of a friend who run a fairly popular blog. She had companies reach out to her all the time and ask her to lie for money. "Say that you play this video game and we'll pay you £50." Back then you didn't have to disclose ads and paid partnerships either. So I'm not surprised that it's happening. However, the value of an influencer can be measured in both their following and their integrity. The ability to influence is directly related to a persons trustworthiness. Why would I trust that this product is any good if the influencer talking about it has been caught lying before? So I don't understand why influencers take that risk, and why companies ask them to breach their integrity.
Celebrities were the new royalty back in the day, and now influencers are the new celebrities. Sometimes I will get jealous of the money and notoriety- but then I realize that I could never put myself out there in this way, so more power to them!
That marketing company offering 100 for 10 sounds like they (or someone there) might have been trying to con the skincare company. Like, they tell them it cost 10k for your services, only pay 100, and pocket the rest.
The first office job I worked they told me when I started "this is the paper we write our overtime on, but no one ever writes their overtime..." So I as a newcomer couldn't write it either, through silent pressure. Later when I worked part time at a shop, they wanted me to be in a small and video for them, I did not want to do it, and tried to turn it down, but I was in a situation where I needed to keep a good relationship with this company and was pretty much pressured into doing it, the video wasn't broadcast or anything, but it's still running on a couple of screens in the city, and they paid me only once and not in money, but just one product that isn't really worth that much... I'm a foreigner in the country I work in so it's extra hard to avoid these kinds of traps.
Thank you for staying true to your principles and who you are, I always take influencers with a HUGE pinch of salt because theres so many ads out there that you can just tell are a complete script. Like Holly Willoughby, we know you don't dye your hair at home with a Garnier box dye hun ✋
I’m a nobody 😂 but I did a video about a product giving them a bad review and criticising their company.. they got in touch with me, admitted all the things I complained about - including outright lies on their website (to me in messages) and asked me to take down the video. I’ve not taken down the video 😂 I don’t understand if they’re utterly naïve or just happy to lie to their customers.
The first story really resonated with me. I’m a business owner, and I’ve learned you have to be very careful offering customers special rates on your products. Unfortunately, when you offer a lower price, it does not engender gratitude from your customers. It tells them that is the actual market value of your product, and also undervalues competitors’ similar products. Also makes them angry when you raise your price later. It’s like selling your house at a cut rate. It might be a great thing for you and the buyer, but it immediately lowers the value of all the houses in your neighborhood.
Thank you for telling us sort of what you charge or don't charge. I think people don't really know what influencers make and charge and smaller creators could get low balled like crazy
Happens SO OFTEN. Literally the Wild West out here in influencer world, so crazy. Love hearing that this happens to large creators too- because sometimes I think it is a “me-thing” ❤
Absolutely LOVE this... thank you SO much for a true BTS peek. I appreciate your respect of brands and creators, and to me it never matters the who or the what, but it is extremely entertaining to hear of what can happen. Thank you again!! Absolutely subscribing!!
My family run a blacksmith business and so many TV producers have reach out to them to film in the smithy and get free stuff in return for "exposure". Mind you, they are very well known and regularly turn away customers because they don't have the capacity for all the requests they get. The last straw was when an interior design show starring a famous "Idol" judge asked for a handmade gate for free. My uncle promptly informed them that their prices start at £10.000 and hung up. They have had several famous and influential customers over the years but as far as I know only TV producers have asked for free stuff.
When my oldest daughter or I am looking at skin care, I always say, “ Let’s see what James has to say first”. We do the same with Robert and makeup. For the best laughs we watch the twins channel. My 5 yo daughter and 8 yo son always ask if the Welsh Twins have a new episode today!!
I have a very small channel and have never had a sponsor, but I had a brand reach out to me one time and ask what my rates were. I replied with what I thought was reasonable for a small channel x how much work they were asking for. They then wrote back saying my channel was too small to meet THEIR RATES and they would share my video on one of their facebook pages instead of monetary compensation. I left them on read.
As a small creator, so many companies want so much in exchange for product. They want exclusive rights to your content. I won't give any brand/company the right to use my content in exchange for products. I have done many paid videos and have charged accordingly for my channel size and reach. Just found you on YT and look forward to watching a lot more....thanks for sharing your experiences.
The big one I've experienced is brands being extremely vague about whether I've made a commission via an affiliate scheme for them. Or just outright changing the goal posts and refusing to pay (e.g some weird thing about links etc that means they decline half or more of my sales on any given affiliate network platform). I'm also guilty of accepting low or no pay, just because I really need the work. Honestly, I wish I was slightly bigger than I am to be able to attract a responsible brand manager to help me because I feel like I get taken advantage of a lot unfortunately.
That`s why I`ve started to unsubscribe some influencers. Watching so many videos we end up understanding who is honest and who isn`t. Now a days I`m selective with what I watch on youtube.
I was working for a small start up band under a main lead singer as a digital artist and photographer. It was on a volunteer basis mostly- as in the other band members weren’t getting paid, and I sometimes (but not always) got $20-$50 for a show poster or album cover (never for camera work). I was alright with it to start, because it felt like a great way for rock bottom artists to climb the ropes together and make it out of obscurity, and I was gaining portfolio pieces. But the lead singer started paying for other instagram and tiktok artists to write or sing for his songs- like $500-$600 for a feature. Our lead guitarist was passed up to write a solo in favour of paying another artist to feature (though none of the artists ever promoted the songs they featured on). On the night of our last show this year, I’m setting up my camera gear and hear the lead singers partner ask staff “what do we do when our other photographer gets here” and I was floored. I’d been filming for them at every rehearsal and show for a year, and without telling me they brought on an additional photographer that I now had to figure out working my shots around. I called out the lead singer for that being unacceptable and unprofessional, and he told me I’m “fired” (which is funny because I was unpaid so I was never his employee) because I don’t know how to work in a team. I filmed a years worth of footage and individual interviews to make a band documentary for them, and now all that footage is just sitting on my computer and I don’t know what to do with it other than delete all the evidence of my time and effort. I now have contracts for my art and photography work, and I don’t even trust helping friends with projects for free anymore. It’s incredibly frustrating to realise how undervalued I was and how often I was taken advantage of as an art resource.
I used to post art content a lot and early on I had a brand offer to send a pack of markers for me to use in a video. No pay, no contract signed, just free markers and if you like them please show them off. They downloaded and posted my video on their product website after! They didn't ask or tell me they were doing it. Another art creator friend saw it and told me.
It’s possible the marketing agency were given a decent budget and just decided to keep the majority for themselves! This happens a lot with production companies as well
4:52 THIS is why i will always ALWAYS support James, even if i am a bi**hy know it all that doesnt agree with most opinions, James is honest and dedicated. i cant wait to run my own firm and start holding companies like this accountable for their actions.
Ugh! It sucks so much that no one can be trusted! Besides you and Robert, Johnny and Kevin, and Rose from Roseandben, I trust no one! On another note, I wanted to ask you, when applying your skin care, is it necessary to press the product onto your skin? Will there be no benefit if I simply or quickly swipe the products on my face? Thank you for all that you do! 😉
I apprrciste and respect you got your decisions. Love how you presented this to us. It reaffirms my faith in what Ive always believed you & your btother to be. Men of high chstacter and ethics. Applaudes!!!
James I’m so happy you let them have it!!!! WTF 🤬. You and your brother built your reputation on truth and integrity. So awesome for you to be true to yourself ❤☮️🖤
They don’t realize a lot of us are friends! Such a wild moment 😅 loved this video James 💗
I’m so grateful that many of us communicate which makes being an influencer more transparent. Thank you, James!
The thing i love the most about you is that you give us honest reviews. I'm tired of people only trying to seeling me things.
Same, he's always honest, and I love his sense of humor 🙌🫶
I used to be a model, I quit trying to work for "exposure" and got blasted several times by photographers who refused to pay models. I refused to work for zero money, drive hours or travel and most models actually do that. It's a horrible industry.
Yup. Used to do a bunch of modeling in my late teens & through my 20's, and frequently got asked to work for exposure or for images. Working for images was fine when I needed to update my portfolio, but I always preferred & prioritized being actually paid.
@@CrystalFier exactly 💯
People DIE of exposure!
Service of any kind needs to be paid for. If a model is needing photographs done, then they should pay the photographer, if the photographer needs a model for their portfolio then they should pay the model (at least I'm guessing that's how that would work). Service provided is service paid for. And that goes for any industry. "Exposure" is not a guarantee.
Seriously?
Back in the days I was doing artwork, we stayed in steady demand. All hand made by just two people, and we couldn't keep up.
It made me so angry to have someone keep requesting that we do some work for "exposure," because "she was already spending so much to put on the event. "
In the meantime, she's posting about getting speeding tickets in both her Maserati AND Lambhorgini.🙄
No. Just no. We were two women working our butts off in the spare bedroom of my home, and you can't afford even 100.00 for a set of our handmade glassware that took us 20-40 hours to produce, by hand?
Just no.
Bloody hell it sounds like your glassware was a really good price! The cheek of them to try and get it for free
Artists that work with glass are like gods to me😂 it's so cool, it just looks like magic every time I see it. It doesn't matter that I see the whole process, my brain can only process it as magic
For some years of my career, I was a Certified American Sign Language Interpreter. In the US, this role is typically contract and you can generally set a rate based on industry norms and your skills. The amount of people that would ask me to do free work was insulting! Not only am I Certified, but I also have a degree. This job is not easy to do, and I often took complex material. So to assume I'd be willing to work for free or at a fraction of the rate is unfair not only for myself but the industry as a whole. Similar to a career like yours, it's a niche market and many of the local Interpreters know each other. We weren't willing to set a low bar standard that could impact others in the field.
Did they try to guilt you by saying you should want to help people who need it? It’s happened to me bc im a female business owner, and my response is always, “Would you say that to a man?”
Wasn't there a court case or speech or something some yrs ago that was found out that the ASL interpreter they had been using was a fake and making random gestures? Sorry, I know this isn't quite what you're talking about but it reminded me about it.
@insertianameia2224 actually there was! It was a highly publicized criminal case that was giving a press update and the woman was standing next to the podium signing and it was fake!
@aprilgrow3667 I did get that sometimes, they would tell me they didn't have money or offer what they had but usually it was a very small amount for the work being done. But mind you, this isn't for services such as a doctor's appointment, it would be a concert or wedding (which even concert venues provide Interpreters, they are just being lazy).
@@AmberA52 exactly. And even if it is doctor appts and things, you are entitled to get paid for your services. Doctors get paid to save lives. We love helping people, but gratitude doesn’t pay the bills. You have a rare skill set you have poured time and money into learning and you should be paid for it.
so i used to work at a little coffee place few years ago. it was a nice cozy hippie place, with lots of regulars and appreciators. we had a journal to right down all the expenses, including consumables expenses, which we also needed to explain reasons for things to write off. a girl who worked there too once dropped a paper cup, it’s alright, things happen, she wrote that in a journal. and then our boss basically called her off saying “how is dropping a reason to not use that paper cup after?”. we were wearing outside shoes there, floor was being cleaned once a day. and our boss wanted us to serve people drinks in a cup that has been on the floor… i quit that place as soon as possible
I once applied for a graphic design job at a small card company. They asked for 12 separate design concepts as an interview question. A small trial project is not unusual, but it was unpaid and they had no contract saying the designs belonged to the designer (I assume they use the designs people turned in without permission). I backed out immediately and regret not telling them to f off.
Ih I'm sure they do. My Mom was graphic designer that started to get paid for her adverts she'd make since she was like 14 yrs old. She'd warn me about if a job ever requested work to make sure to it is clear that is NOT theirs and still belongs to you and that you WILL be compensated for your time. She used to tell me of companies doing just as you described, and that was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Guess somethings never change.
(Edit: I meant request work as part of an interview. Just realized that may or may not have been super clear.)
One or two would be one thing, especially if you don't have something similar in your portfolio. That is definitely fishy, good call.
It doesn't hurt to aggressively watermark everything. If a client complains about watermarks in unpaid mock-ups or portfolios, they can get bent.
Absolutely. If there's a hint of a snake In the grass, you can be sure there's a snake in the grass.
Used to do freelance commercial advertising, like newspaper ads, window ads, logo designs and the like. Very much the same. Also said that UNLESS THEY PAID FOR A COPYRIGHT RELEASE, and gave my rates, everything was my property to be used in my professional portfolio, and made them sign a contract, even if it was for a job interview. If they didn't, I didn't give them anything, and walked.
@@DinkyInky2 I'm not an artist like my Mom was but she used to tell me that if my brothers or I ever got into a line of work that was in a simialr vein of work to make sure there is something written and verbal stating that ALL work used for such purposes still belong to you. She had her work stolen before and she had friends that had their work stolen that way.
A lot of companies, tech and design in particular, will do that. They’ll post a job advert, do “interviews” where they require sample designs or “mock ups” using certain assets to show your skills, then just use one or multiple of the interview submissions for the project they originally needed done.
General work shadiness: I work for a company that requires W9s to verify its clients. That's a US tax document with the legal business name regustered with the IRS, and their assigned tax ID. All absolutely standard and legal. Some of our clients used a third party contractor to handle the administrative stuff. You can just fill out a W9 online now, but at the time, they would email us scanned documents.
This contractor started sending clearly altered forms. Literally, it was like they opened it in MS Paint, put a white text box over what had been there, and typed in a new businrss name. I refused to accept it because wtf. They had the nerve to get mad and wanted my manager, who backed me up and actually took it to our legal department, who also said f*** no. A department wide email went out after that. I was fairly new and apparently the first person who had openly questioned this.
That contractor stopped sending us altered tax forms.
As micro content creator I don't have experience with paid ads because every brand that reached out refuses to pay anything. They think free products are enough as a form of payment. Some brands are very generous with gifting huge boxes and asking for just one short reel, while some have long detailed instructions, asking drafts for approval, just for one 20$ product. But I think this marketing actually works because thousands of gifted products to micro creators will give them huge exposure
Iif your given them exposure, they should be paying you.
Unless its gifted in PR, but that's your choice to talk on it or not.
Try reaching out to to a few influencers who do paid content and ask them what they think you should be charging.
Also, ask the brands how many sales they received from your content, so you have an estimated ROI for future potential deals ❤
I love how you keep us informed on shady brand secrets and inner workings!
If only he could tell us who they are! But UNDERSTANDABLY, he's not. 🤭
I 100% agree - James is the best.
@@carolina._.00 Yeah - unlike the brands have made these requests of him, he has integrity, class and honesty.
I trust you and Robert more than any other influencers on the Internet, and videos like this are exactly why.
Healthy influencers for the way!
So glad you shared this information and some general ideas of predatory practices by some companies. I think so many other creators have NO BASELINE to go by at all so this is probably immensely helpful to them
Such a great point! ❤
The 3rd story, I'm not sure why they didn't ask you to buy their product and then just reimburse you. That seemed like the most reasonable solution vs just asking you to use someone else's gel cream lol
Maybe it was a US-only brand so he wouldn't be able to easily get a hold of their products himself.
I love that you're always honest about shady marketing practices. In Welsh we trust ❤
"And I have evidence" I didn't need evidence. If James told us to stand under the next full moon at the strike of midnight and your skin will glow... You'd probably see me in my backyard at the appointed time. I have full trust in him.
🤣
I think James himself would tell you not to trust anyone completely blindly and I believe he totes that people always still think for themselves and personally, that's why I appreciate him.
Please be aware of para social relationship and keeping healthy boundaries and autonomy. I'm autistic so hopefully this is coming across appropriately.
I trust James **because** of the evidence.
Exactly. Also I don’t think he’s too credible himself as he’s made a lot of conflicting statements.
full trust, we naked at the moon together lol
This is something I see a lot in the artist commission space - someone will charge less than they're worth, and a client will leverage that against anyone that is charging more than barely minimum wage. It's even worse sometimes because custom artwork will be compared to a product you're buying from a mass retailer, which is crazy since one is custom made!!!
Yep, been there…
My shadiest work experience was when I worked for Suspiciously Vague Business when I was 16. I got paid a crisp £50 note (in the 90s) per day to sit in an almost entirely abandoned office building and note down contact details of an average of 1 to 3 people who came in per week. That was it. That was my entire job.
My mother was housekeeper for the owner and got me the job. She was very proud they trusted her around the wads of money on the bed and in kitchen.
Anyway, a couple of years later, the owner 'fell' off a roof. I didn't realise it was weird until years later.
lol that’s is the most suspicious sounding job I think I’ve ever heard 😂
👏You’re the only “influencer” I’ve seen cont using & hyping a product after a sponsorship. That alone makes you seem more authentic than 99% of the rest.😊🙌 Sometimes I even check to see if they’re still using the product in any other videos.
I mean, if you really like it, as much as you say you do, I’d think you’d continue using it occasionally. Right?? 😂
This was fascinating! I love hearing about the behind the scenes world of influencers way more than engaging with influencer "content".
I remember being fresh out of college and an online food magazine I sent a job application to reached out to me and told me I was shortlisted. I would have to write five short pieces on any food-related topic as part of an "entrance exam", which I did. A week later they told me I did not make the cut but they would love to publish my stories on their website. I told them politely that I preferred to own my articles and to be paid for my work. They did not respond back 😂 luckily they did not use my articles behind my back!
I’m an influencer marketing specialist so I basically connect brands with content creators and manage promotional campaigns. The situation, when a brand reaches out to me, stating that their budget is like $3,000, but they want 5-7 RUclips influencers with big audience is so annoying! Then I go and explain them what content creators’ rates depend on and why their value is more than that…
I often faced genuine confusion that goes like: “but we are going to send them products for FREE, plus they will get some money. Isn’t it a great deal for them?” - and this makes me think on what the reasons for this kind of thinking are. Maybe because influencers’ rates vary so much, even in the same niche with the same audience size, maybe because brands just haven’t gotten enough experience and knowledge about influencer marketing yet…
Genuine question from someone who isn’t an influencer, doesn’t work in marketing and also confused as to why $3,000 isn’t enough money for an influencer to talk about a product in a video. If a brand say wanted an influencer to talk about a handbag (for example) and wanted it featured in a video. Isn’t $3,000 a pretty good rate? This isn’t meant to be hateful, I’m just intrigued as to why this would be seen as low budget?
@@Colourful-Monochrome I meant that sometimes a brand states that their budget is $3,000 for the campaign. It’s around $600 per influencer if they want to take 5 which is quite low. $3,000 as a rate for a single influencer is decent! Sorry if I didn’t explain it clearly, but I hope it’s understandable now!
Sorry if this is a silly question but how do you get more influencers on your 'books'? I would love management at some point but I literally don't know where to start as I'm scared of getting scammed/ruining what I've built by myself via someone who is untrustworthy.
@@val_foche 600 dolars for one hour of talking seems pretty good for me.
I love how transparent you and Robert are. You guys are two of the only influencers I trust to give honest reviews. Thanks for running your channels with integrity.
Love this insight. I've had situations where brands tell me they don't have a budget to pay, but then my friend gets paid. So brands can be so shady. I'm glad you're speaking about this, as the more creators refuse to be taken advantage of, the more this will drive change.
THE TEA IS PIPING HOT!!!! Alledgedly ofcourse.....for legal reasons....👀
The internet skincare gentleman being ever so kind!❤❤❤
And this is why, folks, Communication is very important. Share those wages with your friends and co-workers!!!
This felt like sitting around gossiping with friends. 😂 this is my favorite video I’ve ever seen of yours.
Haha glad you enjoyed it!
This!!
I don’t believe any influencer who claims something works (skincare related) without using it daily for 30 days. Ideally, 90 days is what I’d like to see. Within 30 days, you’ll find out if there are subtle irritants or issues with interactions with your other products. 90 days is where you could see a visible difference.
Sadly, for many people, the arrow on their moral compass changes with the dollar amount.
Gotta say my craziest experience with a brand was an indie makeup brand who continually fed me lies about her top competitor being an awful person and COMPENSATED ME WHEN I POSTED ABOUT THE SITUATION. Same business owner also berated me in DMs for being “too vocal” about Palestine and proceeded to post conspiracy theories on her Close Friends… That was when I cut her tf off and canceled the affiliation. I’ve since apologized and made amends with the competitor brand, but that’s definitely the most egregious bad behavior I’ve ever experienced.
You and your brother are the clearest at declaring ads which is so much appreciated 😊
Oh how loud I laughed when they offered you £100 for 10 bits of content. I hope you said in an email 'Don't you know who I am?'!!
Wait, the insert of the dog pic during the bark interruption was adorable😂❤
James, at this point you and Robert are the only people who I really allow to ‘influence’ my purchasing decisions and it’s exactly because of these stories and awareness you aren’t afraid to spread about the horrible practices brands and creators do, just to get the bag. It’s getting increasingly harder to navigate the market as a customer these days. Thank you for being both honest and entertaining!
There are very few influencers whose opinions and sponsorships I trust. James and Robert Welsh are two of them. I may not like every product, or agree with every opinion, but I trust that you both (along with a handful of others) believe in the products you talk about. Thank you for that honesty.
🥹🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💜
“That looks like a shite ton of shine”…me feeling attacked as I over-highlight my face. 😂😂😂
HAHAHA right, me when I have three shades of iridescent multichromes on my cheekbones lmao. you’re just a gorgeous glowy queen ❤❤❤
lol yes!!! And also as a dry, dry girl I go as glowy as possible with all of my products. 😅Rather be shiny/oily than textured and crusty tho…
I have a friend who is an influencer and promotes a new product every day. She came to my house one day upset bc a hair dye she promoted turned her dark hair green and her sister’s wedding was in a couple of days. It was green when she promoted it and she had to edit the pictures to hide it.
I was shocked bc she has always had so much integrity. I don’t judge her bc I’ve never been in a position that I had to choose between my integrity and paying the rent, utilities, insurance, gas, and food. She also worked full time cleaning houses and barely scraped by, even living very frugally and simply.
Integrity is one of my core values and I would like to say that I wouldn’t do what she did, but I will never know. I feel sad for her that she was put in that position.
Now these big influencers who aren’t going hungry…disgusting. They are why influencers have such a bad reputation.
Wow. This was brave. Thank you for your transparency! What an eye opener 😮
I bet the skinfluencer group chat goes crazy
Oooh the tea is HOT and I have my favorite biscuits on hand, let's dig in ❤
I swear, it's like some brands just think they're the cream of the crop and that everyone in the beauty influencer sphere secretly hates each other. Like, they really think people be fighting each to be the least paid or something, just to be considered 'better' in the eyes of a single brand.
Ugh, how hearing these stories just make me think about how a few weeks ago EA tried giving sim youtubers only $100 for 10 videos worth of content of them playing the game and showing of the new Lovestruck expansion pack. Not only were they trying to pay a paltry amount of money for a good review, but they were also trying to pay a paltry amount for 10 videos worth of work from sims youtubers.
I really like when you talk about behind the scenes topics of being an influencer, I find it refreshing. More please!
Some of these stories are sketchy! Love this chatty video style 🙂 I appreciate your honesty and authenticity in the influencer world!!
Thank you so much for sharing the info. I really, really trust the products you show us. I have always been so happy with each product you recommend. Thank you for your honesty. You are so appreciated. .
Thanks for spilling 💜 I wish you could TELL! I understand, though. Even though you're telling the truth & have receipts, who wants to be sued? Some companies just suck. 😖
I would love a video about your super basic skin care routine. Like the bare bones products you love to use.
It’s crazy that brands think y’all won’t talk to each other!!! Also I just love listening to tea, I don’t even care what kind of tea it is. I’ve been trying to start a blog channel on here so I’m in the beginning stages, hearing about the behind the scenes of shady brands is so interesting I love it! 😅
It's so refreshing to see someone online whit so much integrity, who can't be bought. You work hard for the money you earn and I respect you for that.
You're a great role model for influencers! Thanks so much!
Appreciate your honesty on everything 🖤💜💯 because we do take your information into deep consideration and love hearing your babies in the background brings a smile to my face 😊💋
Yes! ❤
Thank god we have honest influencers like you, Robert and Soph out there. It’s so gross how some of these brands would want you to lie about them! And even more gross that people will do it. It’s a shame there are so many shady, borderline scammy people out there. If you get in front of your audience and lie for money, you’re a trash human! Thank you for never being one of those losers. Ugh that pisses me off. The brand disclosing your rates is so pathetic too. Sending all the love to our favorite honest skinfluencer ❤❤❤
I have a very small IG account and community there in the indie makeup world, as well as some fellow MUAs and estheticians (I am officially a makeup artist as of yesterday 😊) and unfortunately some people with a similar following to mine will do this, it’s so upsetting. Like I need money too but truly can’t imagine ever lying about products to the people who trust me, like fuck NO! I’d rather be broke for the rest of my life than lie about some crappy product that clearly isn’t even good enough for our faces, let alone our money, if they won’t promote it honestly. I would be so crushed if someone I looked up to did this shit and even if my platform never grows any further, it’s still a privilege to even have it, and I would hate to lose their trust for any reason. How some people justify that sort of thing is beyond me.
❤❤ love your honesty. I trust you and your brother to give honest reviews and information with y'alls signature style. Thank you
I’m an opera singer who accidentally ended up in market research for 5 years (thanks pandemic) and let me tell you, that kind of lowballing is so typically from marketing companies in general. These men (because it’s usually men) do not know what they are doing. Everyone outsources everything and even if you have specialty full service marketing company they are using someone else who uses someone else and it all gets messy. The higher ups do no research on the industry they’re working for. I know market research is a bit different but as a younger woman, the amount of education I’ve had to give men in their 50s on how to write a survey using proper terminology for bras, hair extensions, cosmetics, sewing, skincare, etc, is infuriating because I’m at the bottom of the corporate food chain so listening to my feedback is optional. And of course I’m only approached about the “feminine” surveys. And that’s fine because those are interesting topics to me. Better those than the political surveys…but as someone who has been responsible for asking influencers to promote surveys in a certain category, these men frankly have no idea what following constitutes an influencer (they think like 10k is a celebrity) and at the same time they offer insanely low prices. And at the end of the day I don’t call those shots, they just want to see what they can get away with and have zero frame of reference for what’s appropriate and no interest in learning. As someone who has had to send the lowball emails before I am so sorry. Believe me it’s just as embarrassing on the other side of the screen.
Really candid and authentic. Love this behind the scenes. Always stay true to yourself.
this is why we love you James!! I always feel like you're being so genuine with us and it's so nice to see.
I only go to you James and Dr. Dray's channels for skincare advice coz you guys have integrity!!!
Got that same 10 videos for $100 offer that was mass emailed 😂
And then I got this massive box of PR from this same brand that they sent out to a bunch of people as well which just annoyed me further because I didn’t want 95% of it and I hate waste. I only accept PR if it’s stuff I want and usually have specific asks.
I don’t do sponsorships anyway but I’ve seen them sponsor big influencers, they obviously have the money.
I love your spill the tea videos!
Around 2008, I had a friend of a friend who run a fairly popular blog. She had companies reach out to her all the time and ask her to lie for money. "Say that you play this video game and we'll pay you £50." Back then you didn't have to disclose ads and paid partnerships either. So I'm not surprised that it's happening.
However, the value of an influencer can be measured in both their following and their integrity. The ability to influence is directly related to a persons trustworthiness. Why would I trust that this product is any good if the influencer talking about it has been caught lying before? So I don't understand why influencers take that risk, and why companies ask them to breach their integrity.
Celebrities were the new royalty back in the day, and now influencers are the new celebrities. Sometimes I will get jealous of the money and notoriety- but then I realize that I could never put myself out there in this way, so more power to them!
That marketing company offering 100 for 10 sounds like they (or someone there) might have been trying to con the skincare company. Like, they tell them it cost 10k for your services, only pay 100, and pocket the rest.
The first office job I worked they told me when I started "this is the paper we write our overtime on, but no one ever writes their overtime..." So I as a newcomer couldn't write it either, through silent pressure.
Later when I worked part time at a shop, they wanted me to be in a small and video for them, I did not want to do it, and tried to turn it down, but I was in a situation where I needed to keep a good relationship with this company and was pretty much pressured into doing it, the video wasn't broadcast or anything, but it's still running on a couple of screens in the city, and they paid me only once and not in money, but just one product that isn't really worth that much...
I'm a foreigner in the country I work in so it's extra hard to avoid these kinds of traps.
Thank you for staying true to your principles and who you are, I always take influencers with a HUGE pinch of salt because theres so many ads out there that you can just tell are a complete script. Like Holly Willoughby, we know you don't dye your hair at home with a Garnier box dye hun ✋
LOVE the tea AND your English cream retrievers! 😍🥰😍🥰😍 I have one too.
We appreciate your honesty! And I love that you know your worth! 🖤
I’m a nobody 😂 but I did a video about a product giving them a bad review and criticising their company.. they got in touch with me, admitted all the things I complained about - including outright lies on their website (to me in messages) and asked me to take down the video.
I’ve not taken down the video 😂
I don’t understand if they’re utterly naïve or just happy to lie to their customers.
The first story really resonated with me. I’m a business owner, and I’ve learned you have to be very careful offering customers special rates on your products. Unfortunately, when you offer a lower price, it does not engender gratitude from your customers. It tells them that is the actual market value of your product, and also undervalues competitors’ similar products. Also makes them angry when you raise your price later. It’s like selling your house at a cut rate. It might be a great thing for you and the buyer, but it immediately lowers the value of all the houses in your neighborhood.
Thank you for telling us sort of what you charge or don't charge. I think people don't really know what influencers make and charge and smaller creators could get low balled like crazy
Happens SO OFTEN. Literally the Wild West out here in influencer world, so crazy.
Love hearing that this happens to large creators too- because sometimes I think it is a “me-thing” ❤
James is so real for this
This honesty is the key to longevity in the industry
Absolutely LOVE this... thank you SO much for a true BTS peek. I appreciate your respect of brands and creators, and to me it never matters the who or the what, but it is extremely entertaining to hear of what can happen. Thank you again!! Absolutely subscribing!!
Thank you for sharing!! I wish I knew names of brands so I can stay away. Not people you wanna be involved with, it’s sad it’s so common as well!
My family run a blacksmith business and so many TV producers have reach out to them to film in the smithy and get free stuff in return for "exposure". Mind you, they are very well known and regularly turn away customers because they don't have the capacity for all the requests they get. The last straw was when an interior design show starring a famous "Idol" judge asked for a handmade gate for free. My uncle promptly informed them that their prices start at £10.000 and hung up. They have had several famous and influential customers over the years but as far as I know only TV producers have asked for free stuff.
One for the algorithm before watching💜 Thanks for posting I was so bored😭
When my oldest daughter or I am looking at skin care, I always say, “ Let’s see what James has to say first”. We do the same with Robert and makeup. For the best laughs we watch the twins channel. My 5 yo daughter and 8 yo son always ask if the Welsh Twins have a new episode today!!
I have seen several brands/agencies ask to “hide” the fact it is gifted even. I won’t, and it’s annoying they even ask
Videos like this are a huge wake up call. I've watched Utubers for years, never realized they are mostly commercials until this year! 😮
I find this so helpful to hear the behind the scenes and appreciate the context about rates etc ❤.
I have a very small channel and have never had a sponsor, but I had a brand reach out to me one time and ask what my rates were. I replied with what I thought was reasonable for a small channel x how much work they were asking for. They then wrote back saying my channel was too small to meet THEIR RATES and they would share my video on one of their facebook pages instead of monetary compensation. I left them on read.
You're the reason I've been taking care of my skin thank you so much...
I want Robert's tea about this topic on his channel 🍵
As a small creator, so many companies want so much in exchange for product. They want exclusive rights to your content. I won't give any brand/company the right to use my content in exchange for products. I have done many paid videos and have charged accordingly for my channel size and reach. Just found you on YT and look forward to watching a lot more....thanks for sharing your experiences.
Ooh, I just bought that Beauty of Joseon biphase toner yesterday. I can't wait for it to arrive!
The big one I've experienced is brands being extremely vague about whether I've made a commission via an affiliate scheme for them. Or just outright changing the goal posts and refusing to pay (e.g some weird thing about links etc that means they decline half or more of my sales on any given affiliate network platform). I'm also guilty of accepting low or no pay, just because I really need the work. Honestly, I wish I was slightly bigger than I am to be able to attract a responsible brand manager to help me because I feel like I get taken advantage of a lot unfortunately.
This why we trust you and your brother..honesty and integrity!!! 💜🖤💜🖤 xxxxx
Always appreciate your restraint James. 😊
Thanks for the insights into dodgy marketing requests. Love it
Love you and your content, keep up the amazing work!😘
That`s why I`ve started to unsubscribe some influencers. Watching so many videos we end up understanding who is honest and who isn`t. Now a days I`m selective with what I watch on youtube.
I was working for a small start up band under a main lead singer as a digital artist and photographer. It was on a volunteer basis mostly- as in the other band members weren’t getting paid, and I sometimes (but not always) got $20-$50 for a show poster or album cover (never for camera work). I was alright with it to start, because it felt like a great way for rock bottom artists to climb the ropes together and make it out of obscurity, and I was gaining portfolio pieces.
But the lead singer started paying for other instagram and tiktok artists to write or sing for his songs- like $500-$600 for a feature. Our lead guitarist was passed up to write a solo in favour of paying another artist to feature (though none of the artists ever promoted the songs they featured on).
On the night of our last show this year, I’m setting up my camera gear and hear the lead singers partner ask staff “what do we do when our other photographer gets here” and I was floored. I’d been filming for them at every rehearsal and show for a year, and without telling me they brought on an additional photographer that I now had to figure out working my shots around.
I called out the lead singer for that being unacceptable and unprofessional, and he told me I’m “fired” (which is funny because I was unpaid so I was never his employee) because I don’t know how to work in a team.
I filmed a years worth of footage and individual interviews to make a band documentary for them, and now all that footage is just sitting on my computer and I don’t know what to do with it other than delete all the evidence of my time and effort.
I now have contracts for my art and photography work, and I don’t even trust helping friends with projects for free anymore. It’s incredibly frustrating to realise how undervalued I was and how often I was taken advantage of as an art resource.
Loved listening to this tea, while drinking my tea ☕
I'm so early! I love the transparency you always give. These brands need called put.
I used to post art content a lot and early on I had a brand offer to send a pack of markers for me to use in a video. No pay, no contract signed, just free markers and if you like them please show them off. They downloaded and posted my video on their product website after! They didn't ask or tell me they were doing it. Another art creator friend saw it and told me.
It’s possible the marketing agency were given a decent budget and just decided to keep the majority for themselves! This happens a lot with production companies as well
Great video James, very informative. I admire your integrity 🎉
4:52
THIS is why i will always ALWAYS support James, even if i am a bi**hy know it all that doesnt agree with most opinions, James is honest and dedicated. i cant wait to run my own firm and start holding companies like this accountable for their actions.
Ugh! It sucks so much that no one can be trusted! Besides you and Robert, Johnny and Kevin, and Rose from Roseandben, I trust no one!
On another note, I wanted to ask you, when applying your skin care, is it necessary to press the product onto your skin? Will there be no benefit if I simply or quickly swipe the products on my face?
Thank you for all that you do! 😉
I apprrciste and respect you got your decisions. Love how you presented this to us. It reaffirms my faith in what Ive always believed you & your btother to be. Men of high chstacter and ethics. Applaudes!!!
James I’m so happy you let them have it!!!! WTF 🤬. You and your brother built your reputation on truth and integrity. So awesome for you to be true to yourself ❤☮️🖤