[Brenda Ellis]

I just dropped off some cards at an upscale Bridal Boutique in the "very nice" part of town. The owner of the shop gives her customers Bridal Packages that include ads/coupons/gifts from other vendors of services a bride-to-be might be interested in.
She's asking for a $25 referral fee for each customer I get through her. I had to tell her that she should ask for 10%, and then told her that's what I would give her if I got business through her. She's got her own business and she doesn't want to be an art agent. And fair is fair.

It sounds like this guy wants to be some sort of part time "agent" for you and that smells like trouble. I don't know where he goes when he goes "on the road" but do you think that the people who will deal with him would be in the market for portraiture at your prices? And you can't control his attitude or what he says as he is out there "drumming" for you. If he's an abrasive sort of fellow, people could make a bad association between him and your art.

My clients refer me by word-of-mouth for free because the people they are referring are their friends, and they want to give a good tip to them. I think it's rather gauche of him to want to make money off of what he tells his friends.

Risk...reward...risk.....reward. Sounds like a bit of risk and no guarantee of any reward.