Stop Settling For Pickle Juice
Do you ever have one of those moments where you are just chilling, and then all of a sudden you remember a video clip that you saw 10+ years ago?
(Sorry if this is too niche of a reference, but it is what happened to me earlier this week that spurred the concept for this article, so we are just going to roll with it).
Straight up, I was just minding my own business on a walk earlier this week,
When I was hit with a memory of watching Nicki Minaj talk about pickle juice and self-worth.
(Go with me on this one, it’s actually a super great video and had a great takeaway)
A (very brief) history of Queen Nicki
For some context for those who do not know:
It is undeniable that Nicki Minaj is one of the most prolific rappers of my generation.
(She has 23 certified platinum songs, rivaling her musical catalog with the likes of Eminem and J. Cole).
Her bangers like Starships, Anaconda, Super Bass, and my personal favorite, Chun-Li, all have multiple hundreds of MILLIONS of streams on Spotify,
(And in my opinion, that is for a very, very good reason).
She is also a very outspoken person,
(Sometimes about topics I agree with, sometimes, about things I definitely do not)
But something I have always admired about Nicki is her strong stance on the importance of self-worth and demanding respect, especially for women in male-dominated fields.
And that’s where the pickle juice story of today’s article comes in.
The best pickle-based metaphor I have ever heard
In a super old (and super random) video clip that I must have watched while in high school, Nicki Minaj says some straight BARS about self-respect that I am so glad I remembered.
(I’m going to break down the important parts of the video in this article, but here is the video if you want to watch it for yourself. The first half is what I will be addressing directly in this blog. The second half is unnerving to watch because it’s her talking about Trump pre-presidency, which feels so 2000s-coded and makes me wistful for simpler times).
In the video, she talks about the amount of effort, time, and energy she puts into your work,
(Which, as freelance creatives, we can surely all relate to),
Before jumping into a very important rant about prioritizing your worth.
In the clip, she talks about how if she’s doing all this work to make the best possible music she can,
So why would she (or should she be expected to) settle for a photo shoot with a $50 clothing budget and a spread of pickles on the side?
(Sound familiar, fellow freelancers who have taken on work well below their going rate? Hi, hello, it is me. I need to stop doing this.)
Then, she goes on to say possibly the most hard-hitting pickle-based metaphor of all time:
“But you know what, next time, they will know better. But had I accepted the pickle juice, I would be drinking pickle juice right now.”
🤯🤯🤯
Stop settling for pickle juice
This is your reminder to value your worth and to be OK with saying NO to opportunities and clients who are offering you less than you deserve.
You do great work. You deserve nice things. And anyone or anything that offers you less than that isn’t worth your time, energy, or skills.
As business owners, it is a skill to know how to say no to opportunities that do not align with your personal mission, values, or sense of self-worth.
It’s super easy to just go along with things, be “thankful for the opportunity,” and avoid confrontation.
But by doing this, you are inadvertently signaling that you are OK with being served pickle juice.
(And unless that’s your drink of choice, you are going to need to learn to stand up for yourself and say no to get better opportunities).
So, I hope Queen Nicki’s words help inspire and empower you to say NO to situations that do not meet your standards.
Get out there and get yours, girl. Pickle juice be damned!
Until next week,