Even when we do start to talk about money, it's not always productive. Before jumping feet-first into freelance/consulting work, I asked my female self-employed friends "what should I charge?" and got a never-ending list of vague advice. "It depends", "You don't want to price yourself out of a job", "Don't undervalue your rate or no-one will take you seriously". But no concrete: this is a good target. I've been at this since June and only one thing has been clear: even though I thought I was offering what I thought was a fair rate given the "newness" of my business, I was severely underselling myself. By half, sometimes three times the going rate. Now I tell women "think of a number you would pay someone for this service. Now double it. If they try to negotiate, at least you're starting at your ceiling"