When folks ask if I know what I'm doing, I now reply with "I saw a YouTube video once." Or " You can learn anything off YouTube now."
That said, I now work for a company with a triple platinum reputation, who's reputation proceeds them, and who maintains clients for literal decades. These are not just clients of the company, my name is attached, so they are MY customers too. It's important to me that I do not waste their time or money, just as it is important not to waste company time and money.
I have lived and worked in small communities my entire life. One's reputation, a man's word, still has value in these places. Call me what you will, but you cannot say that I don't do good work.
I am answerable to these folks who part with their coin for my skill. Stephen and I just pruned fruit trees for a lady I know from the Mariposa Story Swap. How could I ever show my face there, if I don't live up to the tradition of quality that Da Boss has established over the years?
How much should a contract climber make? What are you worth? I mean really. Sit down and actually think about it. Now weigh that against your love of the game. I spent a year living out of my truck, climbing for $20 and hour, when the little caulk-sucker could be bothered to pay me.
$200-300 plus travel expenses is perfectly fair, provided you bring both experience and equipment. This 1k day rate I see being bandied about the Internet? That's laughable. I'd pay that for some of the guys(and our ladies) here on the forum, but not for some rando. 1k a day is less than we(typically) pay our independent crane operator. You are not a 27 ton crane with a butter smooth operator, get over it.