Getting a “Yes Man” to Say “No”: Setting Boundaries as a Gig Worker

When I first began my journey in the New York City gig economy, I accepted nearly every job that came my way. No questions asked. I needed to establish myself in the scene and get experience, but I also wanted to stockpile my cash. Flexible work makes for a freeing lifestyle, but it often comes with the trade off of not knowing how much money you’ll be making next month.

I hurled myself into 60 hour weeks with a “hibernating bear” approach: fatten up my bank account now in the events of hibernation later.

The result? Doing loads of jobs I hated and totally burning out.

Not to mention, I’d frequently kick myself for missing out on fun, higher-paying gigs that popped up because I had already filled up my planner.

During my last stint in gig world, I NEEDED a stockpiling approach to save enough money to fund 2 ½ months in Mexico.  Go-go-going for six weeks was like running a marathon—exhausting, but I broke through the finish line feeling proud and accomplished. (Find out if I reached my savings goal of $4,500 HERE!)

This current stint in gig world is 2 ½ months, and I’m putting my mental wellbeing and future ambitions first.

First things first, I have set myself up nicely via flexing my connections and prior planning. My basic costs of living (rent, monthly subscriptions, groceries, etc) are covered by work that I’ve already booked: Mitzvahs and the 9 day New Yew Auto Show. Online work covers my added expenses. Meaning anything else is money to fund my next adventure.

The power is in my hands to choose what work I do, and I’ve made defined criteria to stick to.

Part 1: Assessing the Wage

After 5+ years of gig work, $25/hour is my minimum. But here are some factors that impact that minimum.

1. How long is the commute?
2. Is lunch/food included?
3. How many hours total will I be there?
4. Is there a possibility of going home early? (Some activations that involve giveaways allow you to leave once the product is gone while still paying you for the full shift)
5. Will there be downtime? (I’ve worked various jobs where I have been able to work on my own projects whilst on the clock.)

Part 2: Assessing the gig itself (which also impacts the wage)

1. Would I pay to attend this event?: Music festivals, award shows, and unique events and conventions like Comicon, the Formula-E Race, and the Fancy Food Show are examples of “yes” events for me.
2. Could I learn something new from this event?: Working forums, expos, and trade shows can be a great chance to broaden your mind. Some examples of informative events I’ve worked include the Kid’s Toy Fair, a beauty packaging convention, and a window trade show.
3. Will I be working for an agency I know and enjoy working for?
4. Will this lead to more work down the line?

Part 3: Setting My Boundaries of Nos

1. Anything outdoors when it’s cold.
2. Surveying: I’ve done it before, I won’t do it again.
3. Street team promotions that involve handing out flyers, getting people to download an app, so and so forth (unless it’s a special activation for a cool brand. IE I did an awesome Body Shop promo that involved a decked out truck and photo booth experience)
4. If I would be embarrassed to run into someone I know while on the gig, I won’t do it.

Setting boundaries is difficult.

As a dancer, a “yes man” approach was ingrained in me from a young age. Get across the stage in 2 counts and end in a split? Sure! Make that quick change in 5 seconds! I can do that.

In numerous facets of my life, a yes approach has served me well. It pushed me to exceed my own expectations of my physical capabilities as a dancer. It has led me to take risks and step outside of my comfort zone, resulting in amazing experiences and relationships. It has gotten me noticed as a valuable asset to any type of team I might be on, leading to more work. It has led to amazing growth and accomplishments as a human. And it has made me feel good about myself.

It has also led to extreme burnout, low weeks, emotional exhaustion, and winding up doing jobs that I utterly despised.

With years and years of yeses under my belt, I’ve racked up enough experience to know when to say no. I am now able to tell if my urge to say no is driven by fear and anxiety, or if I just flat out don’t want to do something and know it won’t serve me.

This time in the New York City gig economy I’ve set my boundaries, and I’m sticking to them.