I just negotiated my first raise. I've gotten raises before, but I never negotiated them. I've never turned down an offer and asked for something better.

On a total whim last night while at work with nothing to do, I called up my boss and told him I was giving him my 2 weeks notice. I told him I found a studio willing to offer me a substantial raise and guarantee me more hours. This was all total bullshit. I've found no such secondary job. My boss became very upset, "You're leaving now? Right before the holidays?" "I told them I wasn't available until January because I didn't want to bail on you and the studio right before crunch time, but they said the deal was off if I didn't start in December and I need the money, so I'm sorry." Then the other line rang, so I told my boss I'd call him right back. I answered the other line, took the appointment, and then decided to wait an hour or so until after my business shoot was done to call him back. I wanted him to sit with the news for a while. Next thing I knew, my manager was calling me, asking me why I'm quitting, etc. I tell her the same thing. She asks what studio and I tell her I'd rather not say, but I make up enough details about this fictitious studio and their commission structure that I think I have her convinced as well. Then my business shoot arrives so I redirect my attention on that for an hour. After about 3 hours, I decide to call my boss back. He doesn't pick up so I leave a message and just as I'm hanging up I see him come through the front doors. He decided to drive in at 9pm at night from where ever the heck he was, probably at home (an hour away), to talk to me in person. He tells me flat out he wants to keep me, that he will give me a raise and more hours. He will even fire the girls I don't get along with in the studio if it will make my working environment better. Realizing that he's not only actually buying this but he's scared enough that he's come running in, it dawns on me that I suddenly have an incredible amount of negotiating power so I decide to lay out my demands. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, but I know my manager has been trying to get him to let her do weddings for almost a year and he's been dragging his feet on the issue because he's scared to take them on. We could easily do weddings and our location gives us an enormous amount of free advertising to do so. I tell him I want to start doing weddings. I want our manager to be our main wedding photographer and I'd be a second shooter since she has more experience doing them than I do. This is my gift, my peace offering, to my manager. I also tell him I want more mandatory meetings. They do more for us than just going through the points at the meeting. They build camaraderie and a team atmosphere. They get us all on the same page and give us a chance to share ideas and help each other with any problems. I KNOW relations will improve at the studio if we have more meetings. Our meetings are really kind of fun. We all bring food, sometimes practice shoot, etc. They are very relaxed and feel more like a party than a meeting. Things are always much better for the whole week after a meeting. This is my gift to the other girls, giving them more opportunities to practice and improve with more oversight. I know they need this and I know they'll be happier at work if we do this. Then I tell him how many hours I want guaranteed every week and I ask him how much he's willing to offer me as a raise. He gives me a number. I then get out the calculator and pretend to punch numbers. I frown, then pretend to punch some more. Then I say, "I'll stay here for this much, but I can't to any less than that." "Okay. Done."

OMFG!! MONEY! POWER! MONEY! POWER!!! MUAHAHAHAHHA!

That could have gone so terribly wrong in so many various ways. I have no back up. I could have very well just lost my job. And in a down economy... lordy. It was a total bluff. Not even a well planned one. It was irrational and impulsive and I can't believe I got away with it. In one evening, on a whim because I was bored, I just completely restructured our whole business and got myself a huge raise.

Oh my god, I'm making more money now than I ever have in my entire life.

Then he tells me I'm his favorite.