ask and you shall receive- Learning my worth

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/000a88_fc694698c0f14fbba1541cfb0822aa6b/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Foxys, when I first started out in my career, I didn't realize I was asking for so little. First of all, I never knew what a tech rider was until I started performing in other countries outside of the States. A tech rider is a list of things an artist needs to be provided for the show. Then one day, I was invited to perform at a wedding in Dubai. Of course, they paid for my ticket to and from Moscow, where I was living at the time.

Then, the wedding coordinator called and asked me for my "backstage" tech rider. I had NO idea what he meant. But I didn't ask him because I didn't want to appear unprofessional. You see, they were paying me four times my usual price, obviously because they saw me as a much more valuable artist than I saw myself. So, after calling a few of my artist friends, they explained to me that the backstage tech rider included things I needed to make me comfortable like tea in my dressing room, food, music, and so on. Oh my, I thought that was quite extravagant.

So here is what I put on my tech rider, with the help of my artist friends. I sent the list, thinking it was ridiculous. But if they said no, I had nothing to lose:

Backstage Tech for my dressing room:

A bottle of white wine

Ginger tea

Non-smoking dressing room

Bottles of sparkling water

Coffee

The organizer called me back and said okay. Okay??? I was stunned. Then he asked me for my dress measurements so they could rent a dress for me. WHAT?????? Once I arrived in Dubai, they sent me to a posh rental store to pick out my dress. And that's what you see in the video. After that, I added more stuff to my tech rider for my local shows, which included an Uber to and from my home; VIP only. Makeup artists, full meals for my musicians, and my own go-to assistant. I GOT IT ALL.

Sometimes we undervalue our own selves, Foxys, and miss out on great opportunities and even money. So, I've learned not to just ask, but EXPECT the best from others. It elevated the value that I saw in myself. And to never be afraid to ask for what I want. The worst thing that can happen is the word "no" is on the other end.

Stay Foxy!