I have two fiddle leaf fig plants in my house.
One is in rough shape. The other one beside it is doing quite well.
Whenever I pass them in my hallway, my attention always goes to the one that’s not working out.
My instinct is to water it. To check the soil moisture. To prune the dead pieces. Anything to help it thrive.
And while I have no problem doing that, it reminds me of something about working with clients who aren’t a fit.
You can always tell when a client isn’t a fit. You feel it, they feel it. There’s usually an element of stress and tension. That’s how you know.
I’m not talking about fledgling clients. I’m talking about the stressful ones. The ones where you just know it’s not a good situation.
And the problem is, if the situation becomes stressful enough, it pulls you away from your good clients. The ones who value your expertise, listen to your advice, put in the work, pay you on time, and trust the process.
So yes, do what you need to do to pay the bills. But know that when the poor-fit clients come around and create stress in your business, it draws you away from helping the people you are better suited to serve.
And there’s a very real cost to that distraction.
I did a 4-minute video on this today and published it on Twitter if you feel like going deeper on this idea.
—k