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I had no idea that Special Projects Leadership was a thing until I had been doing it for half a decade: It was a normal-as-anything day in late summer, circa 2018 when a friend and colleague bridged an introduction over email. “Copied here,” the email read, “Is Eric Michael, a good friend, and US-based Special Projects Lead that I know can bring your ideas to life… He’s the best!” (That last excerpt because: butterflies.)
My first thought was, “Is this what we’re doing now? Handing out professional titles?” My second thought was, “Did I do this? Have I put ‘special projects’ somewhere in my messaging?” (No.) And then, I’ll admit, “That’s exactly what I am.” (And then I immediately added the title to my LinkedIn, business cards, and everything else.)
Doing this felt like taking a long (exaggerated) look over my shoulder to learn a whole corner of my creative practice had been completely concealed. I had done so much in presenting the traditional creative services I carry out for clients—print, graphic, and web design—that I had left all of my Special Projects in the dark. Plus, I thought, if I didn’t know I was a Special Projects Lead, surely there had to be others. Maybe?
There weren’t. Turns out most of my network, including past and prospective clients, considered me a reliable (aka “solid”) Special Projects lead. Mostly because of my work with Airthings, The Home Depot, Visit Philadelphia, and countless other collaborators (ranging across fashion, psychedelic medicine, wellness, tech, and travel and tourism) had built me a pretty solid reputation in the space. Groovy.
My hope for this article is to hold some space and shed some light, through some frequently asked questions (aka supplemental reading material), as I work to assemble a dedicated Special Projects page on my site. There you’ll be able to dive deeper into my practice and explore some of the previous work.
Let’s get started but, before we do, if you’re interested in being alerted when the Special Projects page goes live, drop your email below.
A Special Projects Lead, by my definition, is an individual that works to assume the role and execute duties required of leading projects or assignments towards a productive goal.
Special Projects run the gamut, for me. I consider anything appealing, attractive, or attainable to be a Special Project. Sometimes a Special Project can be purely conceptual, assisting an organization or brand with a new product or identity. Whereas, other times, a Special Project can be more complex and multi-disciplinary, like designing and presenting unique brand activations and integrated marketing initiatives.
I even look at and approach some digital property (website) design and development assignments as Special Projects, like those requiring content creation or intro-to-market support. It’s safe to say that you (or any client) would want any partnership requiring the activation of 2+ services would be tackled and treated as something special.
This too is a sliding scale. Historically speaking, Special Project terms have spanned between three and six months—depending on the need and style of collaboration.
At the end of the day, aside from relational and (corporate) cultural compatibility, I make the decision to propose or accept Special Projects on a case-by-case basis; on the appeal and (probable) success rate of the identified desire or need.
Eric Michael is a multi-passionate, multidisciplinary creative collaborator, special projects lead, and career and life coach with a passion for high-stakes branding, business, and reputation management initatives.
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This is our complete Terms of Payment as outlined in the formal EM&A Master Service Agreement. We’ve highlighted the areas within the document that pertain to online purchases and electronically initiated on-demand service requests.
All sales transactions are final. No exceptions.
ERIC MICHAEL & ASSOCIATES REQUESTS PAYMENTS IN FULL, IN ADVANCE OF SERVICE AND/OR AT THE TIME OF ACCEPTANCE AND EXECUTION OF ANY REQUESTS FOR WORK.
Eric Michael & Associates bills all clients at one of three hourly rates, depending on turnaround time demanded, requested, or set by the client.
The Standard billable rate, or hourly rate for projects with delivery requested in ten (<10) business days or more, are quoted and billed at $150 USD per-hour. On-Demand projects, assignments, or tasks requiring delivery in ten (>10) business days or less, are billed at the rate of $225 USD per-hour.
Rushed projects, assignments, or tasks requesting delivery in less than five (>5) business days are serviced at a rate of $300 USD per-hour.
Eric Michael & Associates bills all Administrative, communication, and project management time at the discounted rate of $100 USD per-hour and includes said time and expenditure in flat rated quotes and proposals.
Coaching, training, and “Productivity” Session, where clients are requesting or benefiting from or receiving tactile support, skill share, or trade secrets, are billed at the rate of $225 Per-hour or the self-served pricing available on the website at EricMichaelCreates.com/sessions.
The Client understands and agrees to be charged Procurement Fees whenever required. Eric Michael & Associates charges clients an thirty percent (30%) Procurement Fee for the activation, engagement, or procurement of any and all products, services, and commitments that are met by third-party manufacturers, servicers, and providers such as branded merchandise manufacturers, licensed softwares, tools, and other resources, and sub-contractors when required by the client or not already previously affiliated with EM&A. Procurement Fees show up as individual line items when applied to invoices.
The Client understands and agrees that Eric Michael & Associates must be reimbursed for any and all costs and third-party expenses related to assignments, projects, or maintaining the relationship overall. The Client agrees to repay these debts in a timely manner, as requested via invoice or other electronic settlement and payment gateways. Eric Michael & Associates considers ‘expenses’ to be investments, purchases, licenses, registrations, travel/hospitality costs, and other applicable payments required to begin, develop, maintain, and serve the requests of The Client or any of the collaborative initiatives. Expenses appear itemized on invoices and are due upon receipt.
The Client understands there are multiple ways to satisfy or settle a balance with Eric Michael & Associates, including tools within the Client Dashboard (available online at EricMichaelCreates.com/my-account) or via traditional invoice. Invoices are serviced and sent at the acceptance of work and are due in-full upon receipt. Invoices that carry a past-due balance for more than ten (10) business days are considered ‘overdue’ and are subject to immediate and automatic late fees valued at two percent (2%) of the overdue amount.
To better protect investments and increase return, The Client may choose to place a respective creative project in a ‘Paused’ status for up to three (3) months. Placing a project, individual assignment, or task into a ‘Paused’ status requires written authorization from The Client as well as a monthly retainer of $999 USD. Pausing an assignment respectively reschedules all checkpoints, deadlines, and financial commitments.
During this time, The Client must remain in open communication with the firm to ensure progress is being made and continuity is achieved; if communication dips below anything other than a respectful and/or satisfactory level or lapses for more than thirty (30) calendar days, Eric Michael reserves the right to cancel the project, assignment, or task and terminate the relationship and Agreement.
ERIC MICHAEL & ASSOCIATES RESERVES THE RIGHT TO PAUSE ANY AND ALL OPERATIONS ON CLIENT ACCOUNTS, ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS, OR TASKS UNTIL ALL RESPECTIVE BALANCES ARE RECEIVED, CONFIRMED, AND CLEARED
Eric Michael & Associates requests and requires all Clients keep a reliable funding source on file with the studio to ensure the prompt and reliable fulfillment of payment requests. The Client understands that such accounts and records can be self-managed via the Stripe dashboard and agrees to regularly ensure such accounts and records are up to date to the best of their knowledge. The Client may access the Stripe payments dashboard at any time by logging into their EM&A Client Dashboard or by written request.
The Client understands that all subscription services and partnership options requiring automatic recurring payment are accessible, with individual terms and conditions, via EricMichaelCreates.com and agrees to self-manage subscriptions and retainers with accuracy and diligence.
“AutoPay” is an abbreviated term for ‘automatic payment’ and is used throughout various internal service agreements (terms of purchase, use, subscription, or service) to commit the following terms and conditions. AutoPay is required for all recurring service agreements ordered or entered into via the website (such as product licensing or Managed Digital subscriptions) but is deemed an optional (but requested and highly recommended) benefit and convenience in supporting traditional collaborative working relationship.
(i) The Client understands that AutoPay requires personal (manual) enrollment via any one of the EM&A authorized payment gateways including but not limited to the EM&A Client Dashboard and Stripe Payments dashboard; (ii) The Client understand that enrolling in AutoPay authorizes Eric Michael & Associates to treat that approval as evidence of consent to initiate electronic payment transactions from the designated bank, debit card, or credit card account. Authorization via electronic acceptance, signature, or written consent has the same effect as a handwritten signature on a paper-formatted agreement; (iii) The Client understands that AutoPay enrollment applies to the bank, debit card, or credit card account that is designated only; (iv) The Client understands the need and agree to make manual payments to Eric Michael & Associates until AutoPay enrollment is established and they have written confirmation that they no longer need to make manual payments; (v) The Client authorizes Eric Michael & Associates to automatically charge debit card, credit card, or bank account, as applicable, for any/all recurring and incurred account charges; (vi) The Client understands and agrees that AutoPay payments are withdrawn on or around the fifth (5th) day of each month, or on the overwritten dates specified in another formal agreement, date of activation, or individual invoices which Eric Michael & Associates will provide no less than five (5) days prior to the AutoPay date; (vii) The Client understands and agrees that in order to cancel AutoPay they must telephone or provide a written (emailed) request to Eric Michael & Associates no less than ten (10) business days (two (2) calendar weeks) prior to the requested cancellation date.
(i) The Client understands and agrees that by enrolling in AutoPay also requires Paperless Billing; (ii) The Client understand Eric Michael & Associates will issue and deliver statements of work, estimates, quotes, purchase order requests, and invoices directly via email, and hereby authorizes EM&A to do so; (iii) The Client understands that it is their responsibility to alert Eric Michael & Associates of any/all virtual or email address changes in addition to ensuring proper forwarding is in place from the previous address; (iv) The Client confirms and agrees that Eric Michael & Associates has their most accurate and reliable email address on record to date; (v) The Client agrees to have Eric Michael & Associates notify them via email and/or SMS text message each month, at least five (5) days before their payment is to be debited or charged of the amount of their bill and that their bill is available for round-the-clock online viewing and manual fulfillment; (vi) The Client agrees to promptly and immediately self-service the management of their accounts online via the EM&A Client Dashboard and/or Stripe payments dashboard including updating any and all email address, phone numbers, and billing accounts with Eric Michael & Associates if necessary.
(i) The Client understand that if there is a need to change their debit card, credit card, or financial institution on record—including billing zipcodes, expiration dates, and security codes—The Client must self-serve such requests via the EM&A Client Dashboard or the Stripe payments dashboard or provide written notice along with the necessary revisions to Eric Michael & Associates; (ii) The Client understands and agrees that Eric Michael & Associates may, by way of our payment processing partners (Stripe), automatically receive updated card information from the financial institution issuing the cards or accounts.
(i) The Client understands and agrees that Eric Michael & Associates is not liable for erroneous bill statements, incorrect or accidentally authorized debit/credit charges; (ii) The Client understand that, if a billing error occurs, Eric Michael & Associates is responsible for correcting it after proper investigation, if and when The Client when notified of the error.
(i) The Client understands that if their payment is rejected, refused, returned, disputed, declined, or reversed by their financial institution or card issuer for any reason, Eric Michael & Associates maintains the right to charge a returned item fee ($75 per-item) and cancel their AutoPay and respective Client account; (ii) The Client understands that their participation and AutoPay enrollment is subject to Eric Michael & Associates’ approval and AutoPay may be paused, suspended, or removed from their account for any reason; (iii) Eric Michael & Associates and participating financial institutions reserve the right to terminate their participation in this payment option at any time, as authorized by applicable law.
(i) The Client understands and agrees that AutoPay is a free and complementary feature provided to clients as a convenience by Eric Michael & Associates and that there is no fee for participation in the program; (ii) The Client understands that The Client should verify with their financial institution to determine if additional charges apply with respect to processing payments from their account.
From time to time, Eric Michael & Associates may revise these AutoPay Terms & Conditions. Eric Michael & Associates will provide notice of such revisions by posting revisions in any number of ways, including posts to the EricMichaelCreates.com website, Client Account Management tools, and even the EM&A Newsletter.
Material revisions to the Terms & Conditions shall be effective no sooner than 30 days after posting any/all necessary alerts. If you do not agree to Eric Michael & Associates’ revision(s), you must terminate your AutoPay enrollment immediately in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. By continuing to use AutoPay after revisions are in effect, you accept and agree to all revisions and changes.
These terms are reflected in our Master Service Agreement, agreed to by all studio clients at the time of registration and/or project acceptance.
Please direct all inquiries or clarification requests to: hello@ericmichaelcreates.com
Thanks for your interest in collaborating. The below form will help to gather the information needed to ensure Eric Michael is a good fit for collaboration. Please be as detailed as possible with your responses.
Client understands and agrees that (i) EM&A Small Biz Ignition is a convenience service crafted in partnership with a variety of strategic providers to serve the client with a number of consulting, design, production, and development services; (ii) engaging Eric Michael & Associates for Ignition services constitutes a thirteen (13) month EM&A service commitment including two primary phases of collaboration; (iii) collaboration begins at the time time and date of agreement with the request and reservation of sixty-five-plus (65+) hour commitment from EM&A over a twelve-week period and a Client financial investment of ten-thousand-five-hundred dollars ($10,500 USD); (iv) payment responsibility is due by way of a single (1) one-time five-thousand-dollar ($5,000 USD) deposit (“Start-Up Fee”); (v) collaboration and commitment continues with eleven (11) consecutive monthly payments of five-hundred dollars ($500) due/on the first (1st) day of each month until the remaining service balance of five-thousand-five-hundred dollars ($5,500 USD) is paid; (vi) EM&A Small Biz ‘Ignition’ includes complementary domain registration, secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate, data and content hosting, analytics, and monitoring as described as ‘Parked’ EM&A Managed Hosting; (vii) complementary provision and service of ‘Parked’ EM&A Managed Hosting auto-renews at the rate of ninety-nine dollars ($99 USD) per-month with a twelve (12) month commitment; (viii) EM&A AutoPay Terms apply; (ix) final deliverables of EM&A Small Biz ‘Ignition’ include standard customized brand collateral under the direction and approval of the client (a) strategic positioning (consulting), (b) logotype, (c) identifier, (d) tagline, (e) identity lock-up, (f) brand style guide, (g) two (2) basic print/digital marketing assets at the request of the client, (h) one (1) comprehensive digital property comprised of no more than ten (10) static pages in-line with a free theme of the clients choice; (“i”) twelve (12) consecutive months of complimentary ‘Parked’ EM&A Managed Hosting as outlined at EricMichalCreates.com/hosting. Content Creation, Photography, and Videography services not included. General Terms of Service apply.
