You people rock!
For a few months I've written some Diaries about web site development. WordPress specifically. It isn't rocket science for you to have a site if you want one. Now I do this for a living. I've never once promoted my professional site. Never once said I can't help you there in the comments, pay me first.
I want to empower folks to do shit for themselves. Not pay me if they have the elbow grease. I'd have no clue what would happen. It is kind of amazing.
I was making a pretty good living doing what I do. But I always had "downtime." It is the worse nightmare as a freelancer. Waiting to hear back from a client and not working. Time I was just sitting there (why I can spend the time I do here BTW). I thought maybe I should offer my time and/or help to somebody, some cause, and occupy that "free" time.
I told Sara R I'd do a site for her quilt project. Pro bono.
I had no idea what would become of that. None.
When the site first went live a few months ago she often put the URL of my business site in her Diaries. I asked her not to do that. Not why I helped. I am not religious, but I am a Karma guy. I think practicing a random of act of kindness here or there .... well that isn't a bad thing.
I could not have been more right. Karma is good ....
My phone started to ring and then it turned into what seems like a 24/7 kind of thing. Days for me are turning into 20+ work days. Going to have to turn away work :).
A little story to reinforce this point. I am going to be vague on purpose. I got a phone call from a firm. They wanted me to bid on me reworking their site. Not a small firm. I asked how they heard about me. Via Google and my site? I was told a referral. I have a long-time client in that part the state and assumed it was him.
I asked again. The response back I got was this:
I don't know what this means, but the Partner said you would understand. Sara R.
I mean how cool is that .....