The red flags were there.

You see, the client…

Scoffed at the need for a written agreement,

Pushed back on following our process,

And before kickoff, dramatically changed the scope.

Then, two weeks into a project that takes 3+ months, the client expressed dissatisfaction with the results.

The client BERATED us.

It stung.

I worried, “have I lost my mojo?”

I’ve always been a high-performer.

I was never spoken to that way before.

Were we at fault?

Was what the client said true?

It was clear the client didn’t align with our values.

But should I walk?

We needed the revenue.

I had a sleepless night.

But the next day, I terminated the relationship.

Difficult clients come with a huge cost.

They’re more likely to dispute invoices, pay late, or not at all.

They drain resources.

Problem clients contribute to turnover and stress.

We’ve all had challenging clients.

But, remember, you can choose your clients.

It’s a tough decision to fire a client, but often it’s what’s best.

I’d be lying if I said the situation didn’t hurt and instill self-doubt.

But moving on was the right decision.

As fate would have it, two days later, two new opportunities came through.

I forgot about the tirade.

The self-doubt vanished.

My mojo was back.