When to Say “Yes,” Artemis Tears & Morning People
Last week, we talked about how to say yes to work you haven’t done before—without compromising on quality.
The goal wasn’t to get you to say yes to everything. It was to expand what feels like a possible yes. Now, the question becomes: which ones are actually worth it?
Here are six questions to help you decide.
🧭 Is this a direction you actually want to grow?
The work is new—but adjacent to where you want your business to go.
Instead of: “I could probably figure this out…” → Try: “Is this something I want to become known for?”
It’s a yes, if:
It aligns with your long-term positioning
It expands your offering in a way that feels additive, not random
You’d be excited to do more of this if it goes well
It’s a no, if:
It pulls you into work you don’t want to repeat
It muddies your positioning
It’s only appealing because it’s available
🧠 Do you have the capacity to learn and deliver well?
The opportunity requires you to stretch—and you can. The question is whether right now is the right time to do it.
Instead of: “I can figure this out…” → Try: “Do I have the time and mental energy right now to figure this out well? If not, what would I need to create it?”
It’s a yes, if:
You have space to learn without rushing
You can build in margin for iteration
You’re not already operating at capacity
It’s a no, if:
You’d be learning under pressure
It would compromise existing client work
You’re already stretched thin
💸 Will this create repeatable value?
You’re not just doing the work—you’re building something you can use again.
Instead of: “This might be worth it once…” → Try: “Does this pay me once—or keep paying me?”
It’s a yes, if:
You can reuse the skill, system, or asset
It leads to a new offer, process, or product
It makes future work faster, easier, or more profitable
It’s a no, if:
It’s highly custom with no reuse
It requires starting from scratch every time
There’s no clear path to leverage
This could be a new service you can sell again, a training deck you can reuse, or infrastructure you only have to build once.
🤝 Does this create a strategic relationship?
The opportunity involves a partner you’ve wanted to work with—or puts you in proximity to people you want to know.
Instead of: “I can’t do this alone…” → Try: “Is this a relationship worth building?”
It’s a yes, if:
It connects you with a high-quality collaborator
It opens the door to future referrals or joint work
It strengthens your ecosystem
It’s a no, if:
The partnership is purely transactional
There’s no long-term relationship potential
You wouldn’t choose to work with them again
📣 Will this strengthen your proof?
Even if the pay isn’t perfect, the outcome meaningfully builds your credibility.
Instead of: “The budget is a little low…” → Try: “Does the proof make this worth it?”
It’s a yes, if:
You can turn it into a strong case study
The client is credible and willing to give a testimonial
It fills a gap in your portfolio
It’s a no, if:
You won’t be able to discuss the work publicly
The client name or outcome doesn’t add value
It’s similar to other work or proof already in your portfolio
🗝️ Will this unlock future opportunities?
The opportunity requires something new—certification, insurance, a capability—that could open additional doors.
Instead of: “This is a lot to take on…” → Try: “What does this make possible next?”
It’s a yes, if:
It qualifies you for future work you want
It expands the types of clients you can serve
It removes a barrier that’s held you back
It’s a no, if:
The requirement is one-off and not reusable
It doesn’t meaningfully expand your opportunities
It creates complexity without clear upside
You don’t need every answer to be “yes.” But if you’re seeing multiple yeses across these questions, what looks like a stretch opportunity may actually be a strategic one.
And if you’re seeing mostly noes?
That’s not you “missing out.” That’s you making a clean decision.
Next week, we’ll talk about something we don’t discuss nearly enough: The cost of saying no—and how to make sure it’s actually the right call.
Need a trusted community to pressure test your yeses and noes? Our April dinner is next week and there are still a couple tickets left!
🪢 Laura & Lauren
Things We Loved This Week
LaurA’s Things
🏺 Obsessed with this Sydney-based ceramicist.
🍳 How FUN is this mosaic floor?
👀 I’ll have what she’s having.
Lauren’s Things
👶 This A+ system.
🌅 We gave the morning people too much power.
🎶 This weekend, Drunk Me decided that The Cars made the best ever end-of-the-night song, and Sober Me agrees enough to repeat it now.
