10 truths you'll hate

Hey there,

Back when I still thought client work was a form of gratitude performance art, I believed in things like custom proposals, “strategic retainers,” and becoming so bespoke I could barely describe what I did at family dinners.

14 years later, my Mom still can’t tell you what my first business did. Me either.

My calendar was full. My bank account… less so.

And that’s because a lot of the conventional business advice I followed, or peers I imitated was more about staying busy than being profitable.

So, for your benefit (and my catharsis) here are 10 business truths I had to learn the hard way. Feel free to dig your heels in against them. They’ll still be true.

1. Retainers are lazy
They’re your way of saying, “I haven’t put the time in to package and promise a specific outcome, so I’ll just sell you a block of hours each month where you have to continually wonder if you’re getting your money’s worth.”

2. Custom proposals are costing you clients
While you spend 3 days crafting the Wagyu steak of customized proposals, your competitor confidently sold their classic-but-proven signature offer during their sales call - and then tailored the actual delivery as needed (after the sale).

3. “Bespoke” means you lack focus
You say, with pride, that you work is “bespoke.” You claim it’s your differentiator, even though the word is more overused in the agency world than AI. In reality what it means: You’re never sure what you’ll be offering or who you’ll be working with. (and prospects know)