Q: What are you doing now?
A: TED Global 2009 was a highlight of my life for sure, but time marches on. I’m currently working on getting a TEDx license to host a TEDx event in 2011 or more likely, 2012. I’m also an associate editor for Airstream Life Magazine, and I blog for Change.org and ghost blog for several other blogs. I have several clients I work with as a coach, as a ghostwriter and on various writing and ebook projects. I also have several charities I work with.

Q: Are you traveling?
A: Not as much as I was. I’m working on getting a new van for 2011 so I can get back out on the road. My trips now are limited to where I can fly, rent a car or take the train. For the winter months I’m mostly hibernating in my office or with friends.

Q: You write a lot about being homeless. Why? What else do you write about?
A: I do write a lot about being homeless - mostly because people keep asking me to and because a lot of people seem to enjoy hearing about it. I also write about other things. I write about RVing and camping for Airstream Life. I just had an article in Motivated Magazine about an interview I had with Dan Pink, a piece in Trailer Life, and I have an upcoming piece in Dog Fancy. None of those are about homelessness, although a recent (2011) article on Salon.com was about being homeless and living in my van.

Q: I’d like to hire you but your prices seem awful high. How come?
A: How come you want to hire me? Because I’m very good at what I do. How come you can’t afford me? I don’t know. Maybe you don’t manage money well, or you have different priorities. I know that in the past when people said, “I can’t afford it,” what they meant was, “I’d rather spend my money on ski trips and $100 baseball tickets than on the value you can bring my business.” I suffered financially while they played.

Bummer. I thought so too! So, I don’t bother myself so much with trying to help people make ends meet anymore. I figure if they value their business and value what I can do for them they’ll find a way to afford my rates. It’s not that I charge too much, you just can’t afford me. That’s okay. I can’t afford a lot of things either - and if I keep dropping my rates I never will be able to afford them!

There are thousands of good writers out there who will work for less. There are very few people who will also connect you to other people who can help you, or who will promote your work and project for no extra charge, who won’t nickel and dime you to death on changes, who will be patient, who will explain, in detail if you want, what the entire process entails, help you brain storm marketing ideas and teach you how to do things to make even more money - as part of the fee.

I’m a wealth of resources, information, connections, networking and ideas that are included in my fee. You don’t get bread and water with me. You get a feast. If you value that, and most do, you quickly see that I’m worth every dime I charge and then some.

Q: We’re a non-profit. Can you lower your rates for us?
A: No, not unless you can show me that you are an all volunteer organization. Non-profits pay their vendors, their office supplies, their directors, their rent, their employees a standard wage. Why wouldn’t they pay me the same? If you work for a non-profit do you work for less than minimum wage? Do you get all your supplies, rent and utilities free? If so, then I’m happy to work for the same rate.

There are non-profits that I do pro-bono work for because I know them and know their financial situation, but on the whole no, I’m sorry. My rates stay the same unless you can show proof that other vendors (not just one or two) lower their rates. My landlord and my utility company charge me full rate no matter how generous I am.

Q: You interviewed me for a magazine or newspaper article. Can I proof the article before it goes to print?
A: No. I’m asked that a lot and the answer is, I’m sorry. Ethically journalists don’t do that. Generally if a person reads the story before it goes to print and they don’t like something in the story, or like how they were portrayed, they will attempt to persuade the journalist to change it. And if a journalist allows a source to alter their story, they give up journalistic or editorial independence and the story becomes a piece of free public relations, not news. The article becomes less objective and more controlled and the reporter/writer becomes a mouthpiece for the source instead of an independent and objective observer.

I tape-record all my interviews and am happy to send you a copy of the tape recording (I do that to ensure accuracy) if you’d like. Or, you’re free to tape the interview yourself. If the subject is complex I will also send you your comments/quotes in context of the portion of the article to ensure you were quoted accurately in context of the topic - usually on a technical subject. I work very hard at quoting people accurately and in context. In 23 years of reporting I notice that I rarely get something wrong, but I may write or say something you might prefer be emphasized differently. That’s a matter of the interview and writing process, not a matter of err. If you would like to have control over an article or feature you may hire me to write it for you.

Q: I can hire someone a lot cheaper on Elance.
A: Indeed you can! And you’ll get what you pay for too. You have my blessings. If money is your only criteria for your project then we won’t work well together. If you want to pay fast food prices, don’t expect five-star fare.

Q: Are you available for speaking gigs, interviews and whatever?
A: I am indeed! Email me with your questions and I’d be happy to set something up.