Tell me if you can relate to this newsletter reader who wrote:

“I really want to find ways to use my business skills to help my local community and neighbors instead of working 50+ hours a week so a bunch of rich guys in Connecticut can get even richer.”

!!!

I don’t know who the rich guys in Connecticut are, but in my mind’s eye, they look like this:

Is that how people in Connecticut dress? I don’t even know.

This dear reader was struggling to reconcile working for clients who can pay the big bucks while her heart belongs to the local nonprofits and small businesses.

The super pious among us might conclude that the only choices are to cast your lot with your community and commit to a low salary or sell out with Mr. Moneybags and beat yourself up with endless guilt.

Let me offer a third option.

Robin Hood Pricing

When you Robin Hood, you say yes to a few Connecticuts and use that income to subsidize your time working with your locals.

I know, I know. My cheeky “Robin Hood” name is a bit inaccurate. You aren’t stealing anything. You’re doing your job to the best of your ability. And getting paid handsomely.

Which gives you to the space to charge much less for those you want to help the most.

This means you charge higher prices for the work you do in the corporate world (where higher prices are expected).

Robin Hood Giving

To make this all sit right in my soul, I take my approach one step further. Robin Hood Giving.

When I work on one of these helping-the-rich-get-richer contracts, I take some of the profits from that project and give them directly to the local nonprofit that does the exact opposite thing as the big corporation.

Like, when I work with Facebook, I donate to local journalism efforts.

When I work with global credit card corporations, I give to an underground group here in town that provides cash seed money to launch baby businesses – no interest, not even a loan, just cash.

Every time I work with Chick-fil-A, I cut a fat check to Outfront Kalamazoo, my local LGBTQA+ resource center.

One way or another, you can Robin Hood your way through these seemingly irreconcilable duels in your heart. This isn’t an either/or proposition. This is, my friend, is using the power of AND.

Have you ever partnered up with someone slightly (or more) questionable? How did you make it sit right with your soul?