I raised hell
Three negotiation rules that have never let me down
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In today’s issue:
Influencers brought this bookstore back to life
Tweens are having birthday parties at this beauty retailer
The White Lotus has another clothing collab
I’m launching something soon…
Notes from a messy desk
I negotiated something this week that I’m really proud of. And—here’s the kicker—I walked away more liked by the person who I demanded more money from, not less.
Here’s what happened: Last week, I was asked—very last minute—to participate in a brand partnership—an easy trip to San Francisco to shoot for a day, back the same night. I quoted my standard rate, and they countered at a little over half. I thought that hey, it’s a quick trip, a cool brand, and a product I’m actually really excited about.
Then the details changed. And changed again. A few days later, not only were we not shooting in SF, but I was now expected to travel cross-country to the East Coast and shuttle at 7:30am to a town in Alabama I’d never heard of, all while in the last couple weeks of planning a transcontinental move.
And the contract? It was more like a rumor. Without an inked deal, I was expected to hop on prep calls, invest my time scripting content, and book flights for something that technically didn’t even exist yet—at least not on paper. The scope doubled, but my rate didn’t.
So I did what anyone who values their time, talent, and expertise should do: I raised hell. Instead of spending my flight grinding through prep work for free, I spent it writing an objective, compelling case for why my rate needed to reflect the reality of what was now being asked of me.
Because here’s the thing: when you’re doing anything—whether it’s negotiating a deal or remodeling a house—you only get to optimize for two of three things: speed, quality, or budget. You can’t have all three. If you want something last minute and you want it done well, guess what? You’re going to pay more. When I need a plumber tomorrow, it’s double the price. So why should I charge for my time any differently? I shouldn’t. And neither should you.
Three Negotiation Rules That Have Never Let Me Down
Know your worth. It’s one thing to accept a lower rate when the deliverables don’t compromise your self-respect. But if the opportunity cost makes you feel an existential malaise that has you doubting your entire career path? Think twice—money isn’t everything.
Be willing to walk. It’s not my style to leave money on the table, but I learned the hard way to take the money when it comes. That said, I also refuse to train people to expect me to work for less than I’m worth. Underpricing yourself isn’t just a financial hit—it’s a psychological one. It teaches you (and everyone else) to expect less next time, too. Over time, that amounts to exponential losses.
Use your silence. State your case and then shut the fuck up. Don’t negotiate against yourself. If they need you, let them sit with it. Their urgency is not your problem. Don’t hedge, don’t apologize, don’t overexplain. Let them squirm.
And guess what? Once it was all said and done, I texted the client with a kind of shrouded apology, which I immediately felt was a pussy move:
Her response, however, surprised me:
At the end of the day, negotiation isn’t just about money—it’s about self-respect and reinforcing the respect you deserve for being good at what you do. Every time you undervalue yourself, you’re telling the world that your work is negotiable in a way that someone else’s isn’t. I negotiated my rate up, I got what I deserved, and I left with both my integrity and my reputation intact, and I think I might have even impressed someone?
That’s a win. Now, go get yours.
Wheels up,
Sophia
Collabs on my radar
Bala, the brand behind the aesthetic wrist and ankle weights, partnered with label Pucci on a colorful collection of bands and bangles. The CEO of Bala wrote about the collab on Substack. Ariana Grande’s ear cuff for Swarovski is sick. Faux lash brand Velour made celebrity-quality self-stick lashes with Carolina Gonzalez, the makeup artist who most recently made up Sabrina Carpenter. You can now go on a “curated wellness adventure” in Alo Yoga’s new Sanctuary on Roblox. Kiehl’s is now Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s official skincare and SPF partner for 2025. This is so smart – of course I’ll trust a cream to keep my face moisturized if it works with a blast of ice cold wind to the face. The White Lotus marketing team is not messing around – it now has a resort collection with AQUA. L’Enchanteur and Spanx teamed up on a denim and jewelry capsule collection, specifically highlighting the launch of the SpanxSculpt ReDefine sculpting jeans. Creative director Juliana Salazar is getting her own ASICS sneaker inspired by her favorite artworks, personal style, and “ herknack for blending elegance with practicality.” Surfer Matt “Archy” Archbold launched a capsule collection with California beach brand Birdwell. You can buy your valentine a dozen bagels and a “risky DM” bouquet thanks to a collaboration between UrbanStems and New York bagelry H&H.
Last week, you were really into the Kith x Brooklyn Museum varsity jacket and Barbour x Flower Mountain trainers. They were the most clicked collabs.
Links to make you smarter and more interesting
A study of 750k teens found that exposure to entrepreneurs increased the odds of them launching their own business by the age of 35. Dutch researchers found that teens were 4% more likely to become founders when 16.7% of their female classmates had entrepreneur parents. When their own parent is an entrepreneur, that stat goes up to 59.3%.
A Michelin-star restaurant in Los Angeles usually sees 10-15% of diners order the non-alcoholic pairing menu. In January, it goes up 20-30%. Food journalist Khusbu Shah interviewed restaurateurs on trends they notice during and around Dry January. They unanimously agreed the trend is here to stay.
Novelist Ottessa Moshfegh wrote 10 short stories for a Prada campaign. The limited-edition publication, called 10 Protagnists, gets two things right when it comes to iconic branding: sharp storytelling and delivering a new reality potential customers can envision for themselves. It’s very cool.
Plot, the AI creative management tool that brands like Lululemon, STAUD, and La Roche-Posay use, raises $4.1M. I already knew this… because my venture firm, Trust Fund, is one of the backers.
Apple is coming for Partiful with its own invitation app. Called Invites, it works for any iCloud+ subscriber, which is 99 cents a month. Partiful is free, and has captured the cultural zeitgeist – I mean, it’s what powered the recent celebrity lookalike competitions. You can copy a function, but you can’t manifest the cultural climate of a particular moment. Partiful shared this tweet after Apple unveiled Invites.
Meta hired a TikTok exec to amp up metaverse engagement. Shadi Nayyer said she will focus on growing Meta’s virtual reality ecosystem by developing relationships with creators, community organizers, and developers. Her plans include hackathons, competitions, and other community events.
Barnes & Noble opened 57 stores last year and reorganized them to cater to BookTok. The bookstore is having what many would call a revival and it’s largely credited to book influencers. To capitalize on the trend, Barnes & Noble added more communal hang out spots and even dedicated displays of popular books among online creators.
“I’ll see a little group of people hanging around a certain section of books, and being like ‘Oh my gosh, I read that one!’ or ‘I heard that one on BookTok,’” online creator Simone Jung told Bloomberg.
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Neopets is also making a comeback with 250,000 daily active users. And more than 400,000 monthly active users. The company got new leadership in 2023 and grew through new mini games, partnerships, and storylines. Basically, a lot of new content and community engagement without sacrificing the nostalgia of the brand. Their social marketing is very good, too.
Another staggering stat: about 1 in 12 people on Earth is a Spotify monthly active user. Holy shit.
We’re in the “age of accessories” where statement tights and Teddy bear clutches are the star. People are starting to take fashion a little less seriously. L’Eggs creative director Cami Téllez – and my friend – is quoted in the article and points out that 45% of women plan to wear more colored and patterned tights in 2025, according to the brand’s customer research. We just want to have fun.
OpenAI is having a hard time striking a deal in Hollywood. The company has reportedly been trying to sell its AI video generator Sora to studios like Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros., but are meeting hesitation. That’s largely because of the pressure of labor unions and creatives, and the uncertainty of how OpenAI would use their data.
Blackbird Spylane decrees that “many time-honored brands are succumbing to Millennial Rebrand Syndrome and playing themselves.” They acknowledge it’s a play to stay relevant and attract millennial consumers who will drop extra cash on something if the packaging meets a certain aesthetic. It’s true, to a point, but have we reached peak millennial rebrand? When it comes to iconic branding, it’s not about following the trends, but setting them.
Tweens are having Glossier-themed bat mitzvahs. It’s part of a larger trend of Gen Alpha tweens turning toward the beauty brands they love the most to ring in milestone events. Like birthday parties at Sephora. Places like Glossier and Sephora don’t currently have set packages for these types of events… but maybe they should.
More from my rich universe of endeavors
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This is gold ... and what sharp writing. Welcome to London :)
You might be interested in this London pad in Notting Hill. https://youtube.com/shorts/PGsoz0tRZxE?si=PD-F_Dv91aurc1FZ 😊