She mentored me for 1 year and it was great.
Now 1 year later im doing well for myself. Im also an independant contractor in digital marketing with one main client who is amazing to me.
That same client is also in the same exact industry as my mentor, they're almost competitors but not exactly. Anyways my mentor wanted me to help her design a retreat and coaching packing and that's part of what I do for my main client. My mentor also started asking if I could help with her calender and I said yes and I told her how I could help and she said Great she would hire me for that. Then next call she says she can do the calander herself and thanked me for my idea. I felt uncomfortable with that.
Then when it came for the coaching design she told me I can create it and it would be a freelance so basically I would create the package for free and ONLY get paid if anyone purchases. That sounds like a waste of time to me. Then I suggested hourly and she kind of stuttered and said "ok well if you want hourly, I need to see your work and judge based on that" so she's fine me going this shit for free/freelancing and wants to see my work to get paid hourly. This bothered because it feels like she just wants to use me. If she had started with let me see your work and I'll pay hourly, that's fine BUT she only mentioned that after I wasn't okay freelancing this. I'm feeling taken back by her and also the fact she was my mentor makes me have shit bounderies with her. Am I overreacting here? Also during our calls, she talks a lot of about her life lmao and I just zone out out as it feels like she's venting
From what you described, it sounds like the power dynamic has shifted.
She feels entitled to your free help because she "made you" as your mentor. Your mentor should be the person who pays your rate and encourages you to go after more. It's a terrible sign that she's bargaining you down, expecting free work and balking at your rightful insistence for payment.
I have been in marketing for 16 years and you'd shake your head at how many ppl still believe I should work for free for "exposure" or "experience". Get the fuck out, I've been at this for almost two decades.