Fire the wrong clients

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Hey there!

There was this one client — let’s call her Stephanie (not her real name, but close enough to trigger a cortisol spike).

Stephanie set off every possible red flag during our first interactions.

She showed up late to our sales call. Then to our kickoff call. Then late again. And again.

She asked me to reduce my fee, “just because.”

She pushed back on every new idea.

And she changed course so many times, I felt like a human Etch A Sketch.

I could see the train wreck coming from miles away, and still…

I stayed on for way too long.

By the time I finally let her go, I had racked up a solid balance of resentment, exhaustion, and what-the-hell-was-I-thinking energy.

So today’s issue is for anyone who’s been there. Or is currently there.

Let’s talk about the underestimated power of saying no to the wrong clients — and filtering out your Stephanies, pre-contract.

Not every “yes” is worth it

Most consultants don’t end up with nightmare clients because they love pain.

They end up with them because they’ve been told to:

• “Get reps in”

• “Never turn down a deal”

• “Build relationships”

• “Prove yourself”

That advice might make sense when you’re just starting out and desperately need a win. But once you’re established?..

Saying yes to every client isn’t brave. It’s business self-sabotage.

Let’s break down the fix for this in two parts:

1. How to avoid them in the first place

2. How to (professionally) kick them out when they sneak in anyway

1. Catching the red flags before the contract

The best bad clients don’t reveal themselves fully on the first call (unless you’re Stephanie).

They’re subtle. Friendly. Charming, even. Then they weaponize that charm to make your life hell.

But the signs are there… if you’re paying attention.

Here are a few client green lights disguised as red flags:

“We’re super agile!”
Translation: We change our minds weekly and blame you when nothing ships.

“Oh, I guess that budget shouldn’t be a problem.”
Translation: Budget is definitely going to be a problem.

“We just need help executing.”
Translation: We have no strategy, no focus, and no idea what we’re actually trying to execute.

What to do instead: