“Just take me out to lunch.”

This is what I tend to tell the people I help with their technology needs when they ask what I charge ¹. Money is nice, but causes more headaches than it solves. Lunch is a way to build up friendships.

When I headed up to Dr. Spitzer’s house yesterday so I could help him finalize a draft of his book Baptists, Jews, and the Holocaust I was ready to burn some mental calories. But when his wife’s first words to me were, “Good morning, do you want pancakes?” I knew I was in the right place.

If the job I’m asked to do is huge I still don’t like charging money ². I usually ask for a tool which can help me pursue a hobby or vocational goal — a piece of software or camera lens, for example. My current Nikon, in fact, was my compensation for both converting several of Dr. Spitzer’s self-published books into eBook format and offering Scrivener support as he wrote his dissertation. It was a terrific deal for both of us, and photography is a great way to build a friendship.

Calling myself a “communications professional” in the comic stretches credulity to the point of snapping. I’m really just a guy who likes to press buttons and knows how to search Google. But the pancakes were totally worth it.