Today is the day I can finally kiss goodbye one of the hardest contract business I have ever had in my life. After 18 years of exhausting digital marketing duties in one of the top tech companies in the world, I handed in my company laptop and said goodbye to my colleagues in US.

I’m now officially and only 100% freelancer and (free) entrepreneur. Future, this glass of champagne is for you! Cheers to the unknown ahead!

All these years I was behind the scenes for top notch clients and now is time to step up and show my face to the public. Last Sunday I had a meeting with other female entrepreneurs in technology, SEO and digital marketing strategy field.

We had amazing conversations, exchanging ideas, strategies and sharing valuable info about the industry of high-end marketing strategy. Felt so nice hearing my tribe talking for the future of our field. I realized how much has blogging sharpen my conversational skills. Indeed, blogging has made me a better listener!

Women in tech have a better understanding for values which improve real life. Baking strategies for companies bring astonishing results but lucks in creativity, freedom and inspiration.

Embrace the Right of Rejection

For many years I have been in and out of the corporate environment, building my path to complete business freedom. I learned to reject business offers in the most delicate and sophisticated way, without compromising my position in the business world.

Being able to handpick your business accounts is not an easy task, when you are working under a strict corporate structure. It’s not easy but is doable. Everything is doable!

I used one simple technique. Honesty and kindness. Rejection in the business world is a common thing, but doing without wanting to hurt the other person is not that common.

So, everytime my regional supervisor assigned me a new project, I had the time to review it and negotiate so both the company and me, could win equally. Year after year this process became a standard procedure. Rejecting accounts that were not a good fit for my skills, made me more confident to define what works best for my personal & professional development.

I learned to speak my mind and back up my arguments with solid facts & numbers. As soon as, the financial reports proved a remarkable business growth in my area ( South & Central Europe), although more new digital marketing clients were rejected, the CEO of the company showed interest to meet the person behind this.

There I was. Me having coffee with the CEO. He asked me how I was doing my selection in the potential clients. My answer was this:

“I ask the person next to me what are his or her dreams for the future. If they seek only money then I tell them that I am not the right person to work with. If they wish to make something to improve the world for them and the next generations, then I do everything in my power to close the deal with them.”

Show your Gratitude

I am grateful that I had the chance to grown into a company that made me the better version of myself. It was the CEO’s personal mentality & culture that offered me the space to embrace my right to rejection and maturity.

Never lose track of your deeper values and ethics in life. Everytime you say NO to something that tests your integrity and mission in life, you earn a happy place on earth.

Despite the fact that I can not reveal the name of the company, due to a confidentiality agreement, this post is dedicated to L., the best CEO ever!

Areti Vassou, Founder IDEADECO.CO

If you want to improve your life then learn to say NO like a Princess!