Are you tired of compromising your standards for the sake of a paycheck?
In this episode, Ana Laskey shares her raw, unfiltered story of firing a client for the first time ever—and why it was the best decision she could have made. Like many consultants, she had fallen into the trap of saying "yes" to projects that didn't align with her values or pricing minimums. But she discovered that walking away from the wrong clients actually attracted better opportunities and helped her reclaim her integrity. For consultants struggling with difficult clients or feeling undervalued in their work, this episode provides the permission and framework needed to finally stand their ground.
Show Notes
- Discover why Ana made the difficult decision to refund a client's money and walk away from a project mid-engagement
- Learn about the red flags she missed during the sales process and how she plans to avoid similar situations in the future
- Hear about the surprising business outcome of firing a client (it led to two bigger deals!)
- Understand the importance of creating and maintaining both "minimum standards" and "ideal standards" for client engagements
- Explore how the "beggars can't be choosers" mentality can sabotage a consulting business
- Learn practical strategies for vetting potential clients—even when they come through trusted referrals
- Gain insights into creating an "essentialism deal filtration rubric" to evaluate future opportunities
- Discover why focusing on client psychographics is often more important than demographics
- Understand how setting and enforcing clear boundaries actually increases client respect
- Learn why protecting one's integrity is ultimately the best business decision a consultant can make
