Hey, how much for those ideas?

I recently watched The Social Network for the first time. I walked away from the movie trying to figure out which character I most identified with. Was it the rebounding, serial entrepreneur, looking for "the next big thing" or the betrayed best friend fighting for justice when all he really wants is his friend or maybe I am the cunning main character who would have everyone believe none of this was intentional? Maybe it's all of them or none of, I haven't exactly figured that out yet but one thing's for sure, I learned from all of these characters that you never know when an idea, your idea could change your world. This movie and its cast of characters has taught me to never underestimate the power of my ideas, my intellectual properties. As a PR professional this is an important lesson I had to learn the hard way. While working as a (highly underpaid) freelancer at company that I thought I would someday have ownership in I freely gave of my ideas. I gave this company ideas, strategies and even worked to bring many of them to fruition. About a year or so into the contract, the owners claimed they could no longer keep me on as a freelancer. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to see this company launching and profiting from the ideas I shared with them. This was a great lesson in knowing my worth. Today I'm a lot smarter! I don't take anything for granted. I have a clear understanding of what I bring to the table and while I'm not running to the printer to get business cards that say "I'm CEO, bitch" I surely not sitting quietly in the corner with my 0.03% ownership. Know your worth, protect your ideas and have integrity. Valuable stuff!