I agree, well said.

I am with you Fred! That has bugged me for awhile. I run a rawfood meetup. I ran it for a year for free. When I started charging a nominal fee $2 to cover paper products etc…… some people stopped coming! How dare I make $$ off them!! It was okay when I was paying all the costs though. I would love to have a web based business so I could travel as you are. You know you are doing the right thing….and hopefully you are laughing all the way to the bank.

Fred, some people don’t get it, but I think most of your other readers do.

To the person who wrote in: what do you do for a living? Do you do your work for free? Do you think you do more good through your work than Frederic through his? (Not that that is anyone’s business, or even necessarily relevant).

What makes you think you have a right to preach to anyone? Who put you in charge of deciding what is right and wrong, good and bad? Have you got it all worked out? Congratulations.

Are you buying your family gifts for Christmas? Why? Shouldn’t you give that money to the poor? After all, they have no food. Do you really have a right to give a present when there are people in the world with no food?

What about all those clothes in your closet? Do you really need all that stuff? Bet you don’t.

When was the last time you took a homeless person into your house? Why haven’t you done that yet? Isn’t that selfish?

You are deluding yourself by concluding you are morally superior.

Wake up before it’s too late. Look in the mirror and try to perfect yourself instead of other people.

Well said!! Fred, I’m glad that you have learned how to make money doing what you love, traveling and enjoying life. I’m glad that you discovered the key to being healthy and happy at a young age, before any permanent damage was done. You are a great person, doing an awesome job of helping and educating others.
I think people get ENVIOUS because they haven’t accomplished that. People get awful critical when jealousy rears its ugly head.

Right on Fred,

Some people won’t like hearing a truth such as this one. They’d rather slave away at some corporation, complain about it and about you instead of working towards bettering themselves and the world.

I’m sure you’re savvy enough to realise that this is their issue not yours. Keep on doing what you’re doing!!!

Bravo, Frederic! I wanted to pick out a piece of the article to quote here, but there were too many gems to choose from!

Like you, I get so angry with people who think that anyone in the health field (unless they’re a pill-pushing “professional”) shouldn’t charge for their e-books, coaching, etc. It’s ludicrous!

Money isn’t evil, making money isn’t evil, and making money doing what you love CERTAINLY isn’t evil!

Swayze

wonderful post Frederic!
I am currently doing case studies for my nutrition diploma, and I tell you, it involves lots of hours of research and hard work! I will be done the course soon, and will start practicing, and I was thinking of charging a little less then other peole who do this. Now though I am convinced it is not a good idea to undervalue all my hard work and research that I was doing for my schooling and will be doing to help clients. I think I will just be bitter if I undercharge especially after focusing on how unique each client is with respect to its needs and not doing a cooke cutter approach, which involves lots of work especially when I will be only starting out.

another thing. I am always wondering why do people think that if your work is helping people, you should do it for less. if you work as a computer programmer, for example, you get paid a lot. but in a way you help your company by providing good code for their programs and you earn your employer money. So everyone should get their worth, no matter the job. i think some people are just envious that some people are following their dreams , and they do not realize how much determination, hard work (visualizing, writing down your goals, etc includes hard work that most people do not do) and trial and error that involves..

Thank you for this response!! You nailed it! I’m the owner of a wellness day spa, just recently my staff and I had a conversation regarding all the little “massage” places opening up offering $25 hour massage. Our therapists have paid anywhere from $8-15 thousand dollars for their education and have invested several years receiving that education. Income earned is either commission 20-40% or rent $50-70 per day. How is it possible to make a living performing $25 an hour massages? Sadly our country has been slow to acknowledge that modalities such as massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture , etc are preventative health care measures, and that it is worth seeking out the best and paying a fair price!

That was an amazing post Frederic.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. So many people have a hang up with money or they think a product or seminar is too expensive.

That it’s morally wrong to charge such money or to make a profit while doing something good for others.

To those people I’d recommend they’d read a classic book, “How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World,” by Harry Browne and prepare to have your eyes opened to a new way of thinking.

You’d be surprised the sources and the reasons for these beliefs about money. But in actuality they’ve been implanted by the 1% of the richest people of the world to keep the rest of us from competing with them.

Yes isn’t that funny. We are actually taught this way of thinking which leads to a poverty consciousness in public schools, in movies, in the news, on television and in many religious organizations.

Even whole political parties try to make out anyone as being wealthy as being a bad person and taking advantage of others. Why do you think they try to steal money from the rich by taxing them at higher rates?

What most people don’t understand is that if these rich ultra rich and just semi rich people get higher taxes then we the public pay for it in higher prices for their goods and services.

But most people don’t understand economics enough to realize this simple truth. A tax on anyone is also a tax on you. So don’t applaud a higher tax on the rich because it either means higher prices of goods and services or higher unemployment rates because they don’t want to hire anyone.

And remember that money is neutral. It can be used to feed your family or it can be used to hire a hitman or buy drugs.

But it’s not the money itself that does anything bad. Money is just a way of showing gratitude.

So be grateful for money and be happy about it and then more can come your way.

For there is no limitation in this Universe.

If we here in the United States were running a truly capitalistic society (we’re a million miles away from that and have been for a very long time – read “The Creature From Jekyll Island” and you’ll understand) then we’d have so much technology and riches that I’m quite certain each person would have at least triple their current income.

And truly the new levels of technology would be staggering. So much technology that already exists is being held back from the general public. Technology that for instance can make free energy, technology that get us half way around the other side of the world in 20 minutes. Ways to create rubies and precious stones with the use of oxygen.

If these technologies were not suppressed it would seem in comparison that we’ve advanced 1,000 years into the future already.

Another thing that most people don’t know is that major governments of the world are actually trying to waste tax payer money on purpose. It’s not an accident.

They don’t want us having a lot of money. It’s a game they want all for themselves. Their uses of money are often with an evil intention. But they’re so smart they always make it look like they have the best intentions for the public.

For instance the Global Warming scam. This whole thing was concocted and planned out in the 1960′s. They knew they could use our righteous desire to keep the planet clean to further tax and control us. Now after the Climate Gate leaks we discovered that virtually all of the top ‘scientists’ who were promoting the belief that humans were the cause of global warming were actually manipulating the data.

Maybe I need to put it more strongly. They were lying through their teeth. The human caused Global Warming Myth is being used to create new taxes to further drain money from the average Joe while creating in essence a global governmental system of control.

So lets not demonize the money itself but the people who misuse it for keeping others down.

Roger Haeske
The 43-Year Old Teenager

Hi Fred,
I’d like to say thank you very much for all your emails, posts, videos and so on. I always find them really encouraging and inspirational.

I guess you can’t please all the people all the time!

You had some really great points. My question to the guy who wrote you is “why are you subscribed to this newsletter if you weren’t wanting to make money?” Fred my apologies to you on behalf of this other person. It was not right for that man to say those things when he has no clue what you do every minute of the day. Your emails only give us a glimps of your life. He should have asked you questions about issues he has with you rather than make accusations with no knowledge. Keep doing what you love and ignore this memo from hell.
Dustin

I totally agree with you. Poverty doesn’t serve anyone. Who pays the property taxes for the land that the retreat is held on? The permits? The food? The staff? A profit NEEDS to be made.

It’s quite simple. If you can’t afford to go to a retreat, then don’t go. The library is free. Do it on your own. Gerson and Shelton lived in different times. Their cost of living for a year likely equaled a few weeks or a month of what life costs now. Times have changed. Obviously they also had paying clients who were able to carry them. Geesh, you can’t even camp for free these days!

Hi Fred,

You hit the bal out of the park with your response to Jeff Fergusan. I am afraid he has the mentality of those who think welfare is owed to them. I am certain he also believes in distribution of wealth.

Well, my Bible teaches that the poor will always be with us……if a man doesn’t work – he doesn’t eat…..if you take a job and agree to work for a penny a day and another worker comes along and agrees to work for a dollar a day, you have no grounds for complaint.

I am afraid there will be those, like Jeff, with us for as long as the world stands.

Keep up the good work and responding to the greedy beggars and hangers-on as you know well to do. He most assuredly is a Democrat. They think everyone owes them a living. We Conservatives think we should make our own living…..and be free to keep it, if we wish, without penalty or confiscation: Albeit for the honest taxes we must pay. I totally disagree with property tax and the so called “death tax.” That, my friend, is immoral.

Fred, you are more tolerant that I would be. I would have unsubscribed him myself.

Great post Frederic!

I work in the natural health field and have dealt with this attitude and these people for years. I know many people who sacrificed their businesses and financial futures to appease these people.

Unless you have a financially successful business, ie. one that is making a profit, you’re finished. And all the people that you could have helped aren’t going to hear your message. People happily spend money on their cars, TVs, junk food, their $7 cappuccinos, but when you ask them to spend a small amount on their health, or they figure out that you making a good living in the natural health industry, they are vehemently opposed to the idea and resentful of your success. I think on some basic, fundamental level, it’s a self esteem issue. Maybe they don’t feel their worthy of spending money on their most valuable asset – their health!

Glad you brought up this topic Frederic. At the end of the day, you’re better off without the naysayers. Work with the people who value what you do, who value their own health and are willing to pay for it. There are plenty of them out there.

Keep up the great work!

The Powers That Be don’t want anyone making money from helping others increase their physical or spiritual health and wellbeing because then the people won’t be so easily controlled. For ages those in charge have been spreading lies that it is not okay to charge for spiritual truths and/or for genuininely helping people. Sadly, those who are incapable of making these simple mental connections continue to propagate these lies against their fellow man.

I totally agree with you. I like the analogy with the doctor charging all his fees and you not getting better, only the symptoms are masked, because if we did get better under dr.”s care, then we wouldn’t need to back to dr. and he wouldn’t make any more money. I am a nutritional consultant and I totally preach ‘preventative natural medicine. I want unhealthy people to get better. and we should not feel guilty for charging money to educate people, and we feel good about helping people and we’re making a living doing what we love. Keep up the good work, Fred. Oh and be careful when you call waitresses jobs mundane. It was very profitable for me when I was a ‘mundane waitress’. And I got to meet a lot of interesting people.

Good for you, Frederic!

I was fortunate enough to be in Frederic’s first “Do What You Love” course, and I can assure you that Frederic gives much time and info away for free. He is a very generous soul, who truly cares that others succeed, and would rather us not make the same mistakes that he and others he knows have already made.
Thank you Frederic for telling it like it is, and giving us the information needed to go out and succeed, rather than just enough for us to get in over our heads and fail. That kind of knowledge is priceless.

Fred, I totally agree with you. I’ve got a lot of information from you for free. And it was really useful and educational. I’ve been raw for two years and I love it . I feel great. I also bought your do what your love info and I’m working on a web page. I think what you’ve done in the last 10 years is amazing and I’m going to try some of your ideas myself .

Thanks, Nick D.

Those same “type” of people are chastizing former raw vegans for changing their diet. I have been reading lately how some vegans have announced publicly they are eating some animal products. One woman got so mkuch hate mail and threats. What is up with people thinking their principles are the only ones that matter? To each their own!! Tolerance and acceptance damn it! Treat people how you want to be treated!
How would that person like someone dictating to them how to live and enforce their beliefs?
I like your rant Frederic. And if I didn’t I would at the least respect YOUR opinion.
sincerely, Bonnie

Frederic, awesome response/article. Perhaps the responder doesnt realize s/he just commented on a article with FREE information. Im sure many, like myself, fully appreciate the information in each of your posts. I say, keep it up! I love it!

Some of the most valuable principles I have learned in health and business were from you, Fred. Thank you for expressing yourself with clarity and honesty, everytime, regardless of how politically correct it may be.

That is what I call authentic.

Fred, Even if you were to become a multi-millionaire doing what you’re doing, it wouldn’t make it any less right or any less good.

I personally think people like you should be paid AT LEAST millions of dollars to help bring true health to the world.

And I’d like to know what’s wrong with staying in a 5-star penthouse in a third-world country, or what’s wrong with laughing all the way to the bank.

Wait let me guess, I guess now I’ve already been categorized by some as a selfish, money-loving, cold-hearted tycoon for making such statements.

Actually, I am a strong Christian and have a strong desire to help people and to change the world for the better. The best way I can do that, since I have a gifting in business, is by making enough money for myself and family to be in a strong position to use the extra money to benefit others.

It’s all about the heart. You had better believe that there are miserly, cruel people that are poor, and kind, loving, charitable people that are rich. (And vice versa.)

Frederic, do get up we all appreciate all your mails,some people are just there to destroy one another, you are doing good to the society, keep up the good work.

If you do not charge sufficiently for your time, expertise and energy, people will not value it. When you make a good living, you can give more, whatever your field.
“For those that understand, no explanation is necessary. For those that do not, no explanation is possible.”

Thank you Fred for all the good you do, and the free stuff you give us. Keep doing what you do, the world is a better place for it. Everyone is entitled to be paid for their services and deserve to live a good life – negative comments come from a place of lack.

Fred,

Just sell to who’s buying! There will always be haters, and they will remain so as long as you continue to not only be successful -( as in happy, healthy, unselfish, and financially sound), but also respected. Due to long term job loss – my resources are quite limited as I seek ways to earn money for me. Yet and still – I continue to subscribe to your services – wishing that I both KNEW of and was RECEPTIVE to receive and implement your information like 2 years ago. I realize though, that timing is everything – I would have thought you were a crack pot just 12 months ago talking about going 100 raw! But, even then, my mind set had already been shifting, and quickly, in the right direction for at least 6 months prior, due to stubborn health issues..

I can tell you – whether you get rich or not – what ever! All I can say is, had I been aware and receptive of the free and for fee services and information you provide – I would have saved THOUSANDS (that’s right $1,000′s) over the past 24 months in health care costs. That is both conventional, as well as many a useless (at least to me) natural/naturalpathic service, herb or supplement! Keep doing what you are doing! Your information set me squarely in the steady upward motion of returning health within TWO WEEKS, All of the other “experts” combined couldn’t even do that in two YEARS! God bless you!

Fred, you were too nice in this article to this guy. The market pays for the value you bring, and you bring alot of your experience and knowledge. When ever people run this crap to me about how evil profit is I ask them what they do for a living and usually they say like they work for some company. Then I ask them how long would they have there job if the company they work for didn’t make a profit? How would they put food on there table and pay there bills? They usually put there foot in there mouth.

PROFIT IS GOOD, PEOPLE!! Read the parable of the talents story. When the master asked the third servant who sat on his laurels and didn’t make his talents multiply the master was furious! An excellent Bible story for us all!! Perhaps this gentleman feels the government should control everything and everybodys profits!! No, No, and No!!
Use people like this Fred to motivate you! Frank Sinatra once said: “Massive Success Is The Best Revenge In The World”

A FINE IS A TAX FOR DOING WRONG!
A TAX IS A FINE FOR DOING GOOD!

“Money” is actually a symbol for “Gratitude” and recognition for something good and substantial which is given. If we gave, and received and rewarded with this in mind, the love, abuse and hate of money would not be a problem, but giving and gratitude – of which money should be a symbol – would flow more freely. Yes, I impoverished myself by pouring out endlessly but not balancing it with valuing, truly valuing what I did and gave out, and that attracted takers.

We’re the ones who should feel ashamed for grabbing the huge amount of freebees & sales & youtubes you keep offering.

Thank you thank you thank you Frederic!!!! It’s nice to know there are some capitalists in the natural health movement, not just bunch of hippies! Amen. No one is forcing anyone to buy your products, and I’m glad you can make a living doing what you love.

Great essay, Fred. But, the rich keeping us down? Is that true? The government keeping me down? No wonder i thought it was odd they never asks me what I want to do…. my instinct paid off, I use their pension money for researches into health, and prosperity thinking, fields… as it took a long time, the pension are not that great, and I absolutely hated the damn pittance they gives me, it’s an insult. I’m 40 years old and I’m still living in a tiny little room, a combo-room, I call it. It’s nothing more than a bedroom crammed full of my stuff, books, and stuff. God, I hate my room. This is motivation enough for me to keep seeking. After ten years I finally got my home-based business, this Starscapes thing that I paid off for a long time, and that was hard. I quit smoking three or so years ago and that was not so hard, close enough. I did it with sheer mental strength, and then it got easier. Last year I started driving again and bought this clapped out ratty car. I painted it black with white dots to represents stars, and took to wearing my Stascapes cap and t-shirt, but so far no one ever commented. I mean, what gives? So now I need to learn how to market this and I find it even harder. How the hell does it work? I thought up ideas, starting with “Starscapes” lettering on the car, putting an ad in the newspapers, or just door-to-door knocks. I have no idea. I never done anything like this. God, I wonder if the bloody pension have somehow caused me to atrophy? I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.

Then I see Fred’s info and I wonder, maybe I can learn something that will nudges me to go and see the hotels, motels, people, etc and see if someone will buy my services as Starscapes Artist-Illusionist. I’ll do that. Why not. I got nothing to lose, anyway.

I also loves Harry Brown’s book, fantastic stuff. Maybe I need to reread it again. I also embraces Libertarianism, as I have lost faith in other one, democracy are useless, evil people using it to get elected and wrecks their evil collectvisms. I’m sick of them. I chose to cut all ties and be free rather than endure their shit for another wasted second.

Liberty and freedom for ALL!

I really appreciate all the materials I’ve received from you, the encouraging emails and the awesome videos. I receive value for the money I spend. Thanks!

I like how Paul brought up the parable of the talents in the bible to illustrate his point. Was it not God who said in Deut 8:17,18 to the children of Israel when, after 40 years in the wilderness depending completely on Him for everything, they were about to possess the land that He had promised them:

“And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

God gave us all gifts and abilities – it is not the smartest or the strongest or the swiftest that always excells. Success consistantly belongs to the one that puts his/her mind to developing the talents that God gives them, and learning how to employ them into something they love and derive satisfaction from, and as a meanss to make a living. If you are honest in your affairs and do well – then you have given Him the glory by producing a return on His investment of gifts and the power to produce!

Come’on haters, free your mind! Don’t be so shallow and narrow minded!

Just keep doing what you’re doing, Frederic. You’re an inspiration to so many people, and I want to say thank you – keep it up!

Some people just don’t realize the value of information. It’s not like you’re selling cracao or other “natural” food drugs to make a buck like many of the other so called leaders in the natural health movement that have sold out. Not to mention you’ve shared a mountain of information without charge in your e-zines and videos as is, which I hopefully will continue to enjoy for along time coming.

Very good article. Thanks Frederic. I have learned a lot from you

I learned long ago that I get compensated directly according to the benefit I produce. One of my teachers along the way said that “The Universe owes no debtors”. By this statement he pointed out that we all get what we deserve in the long run. When I see very wealthy people (Bill Gates, Sam Walton etc). I realize that these men caused positive change for every human on the planet. Like them or not they changed our lives and continue to. Want to become wealthy? Change our lives for the better. It is simple and it works consistently. Fail to realize this and fail every time. Produce more earn more.

i’m a health care provider with my own small business.
after reading your words and all the comments, my eyes have been opened a bit wider to the truth….i’ve spent the last 10 yrs trying to provide every ounce of my energy and expertise for practically nothing in hopes that patients would realize how much i care and want to help. i thought it would put a line of waiting and paying patients outside my door, but i have barely survived and have often come close to closing. i’ve ran myself down, gotten used and abused and worn out, and remain unappreciated.
they SAY they appreciate the service, but seem unwilling to pay.
what your words and the comments afterward have shown me that i have done this to myself….
why should anyone value and appreciate what i provide if i dont show i value it myself by not charging enough?
i’ve always tried to charge less than others to help those that otherwise might not afford to come as well as to undercut my competitors in hopes of gaining more business. but it has backfired big time! while i see my competitors buying new cars and homes with full parking lots when i happen to drive by, yet i’m almost worn out and still wondering why i’m broke and facing old age as a bag lady on the street if i can’t bring more money into the business! i see now that a fair exchange benefits both parties.
i’ve been voted in the top 3 chiros in my town many times over years i’ve been open, so it’s not a skill problem. i believe the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to change things around and reduce the stress i deal with everyday. i deserve t;o get paid for what i do, what i spent all those years and dollars in school for. after all, if this were easy….everyone would be doing it! and you’re right fred, i just assumed you must be rich traveling around the world as you do. it sounds like a dream come true.

You know Fred, not only do I want to thank you for sticking to your guns and asking for what your decades of personal experience, education and dedication has done for the raw food commnunity and marketing what you love. Adding to that I also want to thank you for taking the bull by the horns with your response above. That fact alone shows you value quality over quantity. I support ,value and am inspired by what you and Roger are doing. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve been wanting to get into selling my services in various ways as a raw foodie “expert” but I’ve been feeling like it would somehow be wrong to get paid to do it. I feel silly for admitting it, but I often say to myself, “How can I charge others what I can not even afford?” But if I didn’t charge others, how would I afford anything…? It’s a moral dilemma that’s bothered me, and this has really cleared it up for me. Why shouldn’t I get paid for hard work?