Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What?  🔗 **Source:** [Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [agency-business, client-retention, freelancing, wordpress-agencies, boundaries, paying-it-forward] > author: Kurt Von Ahnen, Toby Cryns > source: WP Minute Podcasts (Agency Action) > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > > # 🏷️ Title: Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What? > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - WP Minute and the Agency Action show. - TheMightyMo.com (Toby Cryns), Mañana No Mas (Kurt Von Ahnen). ## 📝 Summary - Two WordPress agency owners, Kurt Von Ahnen and Toby Cryns, talk through what to do when a client hires someone else to do work you're the expert at, then comes back asking for free help. - It matters because freelancers and small agencies keep getting cast as "the expert, rarely the paycheck" — clients want their expertise but shop the budget elsewhere, then expect rescue when the cheaper option breaks. - Key stakeholders: solo developers, agency owners, the clients who leave (and sometimes return), and the replacement providers who undercut on price. - Risks and tradeoffs: too much graciousness drains your business and trains clients to devalue you; too rigid a boundary can torch a relationship and your professional reputation. The episode lands on firm, paid boundaries delivered with humility. - Bottom line: set boundaries the moment a client stops paying, charge for training or access, own your own mistakes fast, and find fulfillment outside the invoice through paying it forward — teaching, mentorship, community. ## 📖 Main Content - The core argument: when a client leaves for a cheaper provider, they stop paying for the access and help they used to get, so your default should shift from "let's all hop on a Zoom and problem-solve" to "we're available for paid training if your new team needs it." - Kurt frames the recurring pattern: clients treat agencies as the expert for ideas and scope, then hire "my nephew's aunt's cousin's sister" to execute cheaper. The cheaper provider lacks the expertise, the project breaks, and the client returns expecting the original expert to fix it for free. - Toby's WordPress migration story is the concrete case: he warned a client that a managed host's must-use plugins and object caching would break a naive file-and-database migration. They ignored him, it broke, and the replacement guy accused Toby of intentional sabotage. His line: "I don't have the time to intentionally sabotage your efforts." - A second theme: scope creep driven by "false confidence" in the AI era. Clients assume everything is easy and everything integrates ("I'll just ask Claude"). Every added sentence — automations, conditional triggers, cross-plugin magic via Uncanny Automator or WP Fusion — adds complexity the original simple quote never covered. - The boundary itself: be professional and helpful, but draw a firm line. Offer backups and access to the server the client pays for; beyond that, it costs X per month or per hour. Share expertise sparingly — that's what the new provider is supposed to bring. - "Flaking" gets a long treatment as a catch-all for plans blowing up — client no-shows, staff missing deadlines, or yourself dropping a ball. The skill is how fast you adjust. Kurt builds padding into project timelines so a slip rarely cascades; a client no-show can even be "an absolute gift" of reclaimed time. - Owning your own flakes: Toby missed a paid invoice buried by a tech glitch and a mis-timezone'd coffee meeting. In both he led with "Wow, I'm sorry" regardless of fault, took ownership, and fast-tracked the fix. Kurt names that as leadership through humility — "professionalism and expertise while maintaining a sense of humility." - The back half pivots to paying it forward: speaking at schools and a youth detention center, coaching, board service, teaching WordPress, and contributor days. The pitch is that fulfillment and a rounded reputation come from contribution that isn't immediately monetizable. - A genuine disagreement surfaces on whether students leave school without revenue skills (Kurt) versus a small percentage of any class carrying the seed forward regardless (Toby) — they model disagreeing without "hating each other for it." Contested claim: "those who can do, those who can't teach," which both ultimately reject. - Caveat on public exposure: Kurt's gun-range social post drew criticism, a reminder to weigh positive and negative exposure before putting yourself out publicly. And you don't have to lead — being a "number three or four" who sets up chairs is a legitimate, fulfilling way to contribute. ### 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=0) The hypothetical that isn't hypothetical - Toby opens by asking how Kurt handles a client hiring another agency to replace him — "hypothetically," which both admit happens for real. - Kurt: his methodology is changing as the agency has grown into a recognized expert. #### ⏱️ [00:00:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=40) Expert, rarely the paycheck - Clients want ideas and concepts, then shop the budget to a cheaper provider. - The cheaper provider hits execution problems (platform, FTP access) and the client circles back. #### ⏱️ [00:02:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=120) From gracious to firm boundaries - Kurt used to put all parties on a Zoom and problem-solve together for free. Not anymore. - New script: "if your other team needs training, we are available for training" — paid. #### ⏱️ [00:03:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=180) The managed-host migration that broke - Toby warned the replacement that must-use plugins and object caching would break a raw migration. - They migrated anyway, it broke, and he got blamed for "sabotage." #### ⏱️ [00:05:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=330) False confidence and "I'll just ask Claude" - AI is fueling overconfidence; clients assume everything is easy and everything integrates. - LifterLMS example: scoped features (events, Zoom) were in the original quote the client declined. #### ⏱️ [00:08:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=480) Proposals as leverage and the Curb Your Enthusiasm leak - Clients share your proposal to undercut you with another provider. - The cheap roof repair destroys the whole house — pay the right amount or pay more later. #### ⏱️ [00:10:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=600) Every sentence adds complexity - "You said you wanted to host a course. The course is done." Then come the automations. - Simplicity is the product; clients keep bolting on cross-plugin magic that shouldn't exist. #### ⏱️ [00:13:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=780) Drawing the line professionally - Offer backups and paid access to the server they pay for; beyond that, it costs X. - Sharing specific expertise is the line — that's the new provider's job. #### ⏱️ [00:15:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=900) Flaking: clients, staff, and yourself - "Flake" as a catch-all for blown-up plans; the burden is the re-communication overhead. - Padding the schedule absorbs slips; a client no-show can be a gift of time. #### ⏱️ [00:20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=1200) Owning your own mistakes - Missed invoice (tech glitch) and a mis-timezone'd coffee — both met with "I'm sorry" and a fast-track fix. - Kurt names it leadership: humility plus expertise keeps the agency going. #### ⏱️ [00:24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=1440) Paying it forward — the why - Speaking at schools, a youth detention center, coaching, board service. - John Maxwell framing: add value to others daily; ROI is real but not immediate. #### ⏱️ [00:30:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=1800) The teaching disagreement - Kurt: kids leave school without knowing how to generate revenue from their skills. - Toby pushes back: a small percentage carry the seed forward regardless; it's a student variance, not pure instruction failure. #### ⏱️ [00:34:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ryXQZ7Ieno?t=2040) Why do the podcast, and public exposure - The show isn't profitable or great marketing — they do it for teaching, rounding out, anti-fragility. - Gun-range post drew flak; weigh exposure, and you don't have to be the leader to contribute. ## 📚 References - [The Mighty Mo (Toby Cryns)](https://themightymo.com) - [WP Minute](https://thewpminute.com) - [LifterLMS](https://lifterlms.com) - [Uncanny Automator](https://automatorplugin.com) - [WP Fusion](https://wpfusion.com) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - When a client replaces you with a cheaper provider, stop being the free safety net. They're no longer paying for your access or help, so your offer shifts to paid training and paid access — nothing more. - The cheaper-is-fine instinct keeps biting clients because expertise doesn't transfer with the lower invoice; the work breaks, the blame lands on you, and the only sane response is a firm, professional, paid boundary. - Scope creep and AI-fueled overconfidence make every casual request balloon past the original simple quote. Defend simplicity and price the additions. - Flaking is inevitable — from clients, staff, or yourself. Build schedule padding, adjust fast, and when you're the one who slipped, lead with ownership and a sincere apology regardless of fault. - Fulfillment and a rounded reputation come from contribution that doesn't bill — teaching, coaching, board service, contributor days — but weigh public exposure and remember you don't have to lead to add value. ## 📰 Newsletter - This week the Agency Action crew (Kurt Von Ahnen and Toby Cryns, with Matt Medeiros producing for WP Minute) tackles the gut-punch every freelancer knows: the client who hires someone cheaper, then crawls back when it breaks. The verdict? You're "the expert, rarely the paycheck" — so price accordingly and stop giving away the rescue. - Practical gold for WordPress shops: offer paid training to the replacement team, hand over backups and server access (which they pay for), and hold the line on everything else. The LifterLMS and managed-host migration war stories alone are worth the listen — must-use plugins and object caching will wreck a naive migration every time. - They also get real about owning your own flakes — a missed invoice, a botched-timezone coffee — and why "I'm sorry, let's fix this fast" beats defensiveness. Plus a warm turn into paying it forward: teaching, coaching, and contributor days. Eric Karkovic's teaching on the Minute blog gets a shout-out. - Helpful links: [WP Minute](https://thewpminute.com), [LifterLMS](https://lifterlms.com), [The Mighty Mo](https://themightymo.com). ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: turn the "expert, rarely the paycheck" pattern into a talk or demo showing how to scope and price expertise. - Education: build a short workshop on client-boundary scripts and paid-training offers for departing clients. - Developer experience: template a "departing client" handoff packet (backups, server access, scope of paid help). - Developer marketing: publish the migration war story as a cautionary case study to attract clients who value expertise. - Community management: run an office-hours session on pricing scope creep in the AI-overconfidence era. - Internal/external/cross-project: align on a standard SLA and feedback loop for clients who return after leaving. #### OSPO - Policy & Governance: codify a contributor-time policy so paying-it-forward (contributor days) is sanctioned, not ad hoc. - License Compliance: not applicable to this source — no licensing discussion. - Security Management: document the managed-host migration risks (must-use plugins, object caching) as a security/reliability runbook. - Software Inventory: track which client sites run host-specific MU plugins so migrations are scoped correctly. - Developer Support: offer consultation hours framed as paid expertise, not free rescue. - Community Engagement: sponsor or staff local WordPress meetups as a contribution channel. - Strategic Alignment: tie community contribution to long-term reputation KPIs, accepting non-immediate ROI. #### Community - Maintainers: treat contributor day as the model for sanctioned give-back; document onboarding for first-timers. - Contributors: create a "number three or four" lane so non-leaders can contribute (setup, logistics, support). - Sponsors: fund apprenticeship or mentorship programs for agency owners who want to teach. - Ecosystem: share host-specific migration gotchas across the community to prevent repeat breakage. #### WordPress - Core: not applicable to this source — no core development discussed. - Core Performance: not applicable to this source. - Core AI: note the "false confidence" risk AI introduces for non-expert clients; consider guardrail messaging. - **Core Program Team:** not applicable to this source. - Mobile: not applicable to this source. - Playground: build a reproducible demo of why naive managed-host migrations break, as an education module. - Community: package a meetup talk on agency boundaries and paying it forward. - Training: turn the episode into a Learn WordPress lesson on client retention and scope. - Marketing: narrative around "expertise has a price" for agency-owner audiences. - Support: document the FTP/object-cache/MU-plugin failure modes in a knowledge base. - Design: not applicable to this source. - Documentation: write an examples-first guide to migrating off host-specific WordPress configs. - Photos / TV / Polyglots / Meta / CLI / Hosting / Tide / Openverse / Themes / Plugins: largely not applicable; Hosting could contribute a cross-host migration checklist for MU plugins and object caching. - Accessibility: not applicable to this source. #### The WPCC - Programs: a fellowship or stipend track for agency owners who mentor and teach. - Projects: a documentation sprint on client-boundary and pricing templates. - Funding experiments: microgrants for community-organizing time that agency owners already donate. ### FAIR - Technical independence: not applicable to this source — no metadata/provenance discussion. - Policies and covenants: not applicable to this source. - Productized governance artifacts: a reusable "departing client" scope-and-pricing charter agencies can adopt. ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Agencies that present a written paid-training/access offer when a client leaves retain more goodwill (and more returning revenue) than those who improvise free help. - Building explicit schedule padding reduces missed deadlines toward zero, as Kurt claims for Bunyan and Associates. - Clients who decline a scoped quote and hire cheaper return for help at a measurable rate within a fixed window (e.g., 90 days). - Leading client-error recovery with an immediate apology and fast-track fix raises retention versus defensiveness, regardless of fault. - Agency owners who contribute community time report higher long-run reputation and referral volume despite no immediate ROI. ### 📊 Methodology - Survey agency owners on their departing-client protocol (free vs. paid) and correlate with returning-client revenue. - Time-track projects with and without padding buffers and compare missed-deadline rates. - Cohort-track declined quotes and log return-for-help events and elapsed time. - A/B client-recovery messaging (apology-first vs. fault-clarifying) against retention and NPS. - Longitudinal study of community-contribution hours against referral and reputation metrics. ### ❓ Questions - At what point in a relationship does graciousness stop building goodwill and start training clients to devalue you? - How do you price "training the replacement team" so it's fair but not a discount that invites more shopping? - Which scope additions should be flat-rate add-ons versus hourly, given AI-fueled request creep? - How much schedule padding is enough without making quotes uncompetitive? - What's the right public-exposure calculus for agency owners building a personal brand? ### 🔮 Future Research - A standardized "departing client" SOP and pricing template for WordPress shops. - Data on how often cheaper-provider migrations break on major managed hosts, by host. - The measurable reputation value of teaching, coaching, and contributor days for solo agencies. - Whether AI tools are demonstrably increasing client scope creep and false confidence. ### 💡 Implications - Practice: shift the default from free rescue to paid, scoped help the moment payment stops. - Policy: agencies need written boundary and pricing artifacts, not case-by-case improvisation. - Security/reliability: host-specific configs (MU plugins, object caching) must be documented before any migration. - Education: there's a real gap teaching skilled graduates how to generate revenue from their skills. - Funding models: community contribution is undervalued; sanctioned time and microgrants could formalize it. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment - Reading level estimate: Flesch-Kincaid Grade roughly 7–8 — conversational, spoken transcript with short clauses and contractions. #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: none — audio-only conversation. - Improve: a flowchart of the "client leaves → free vs. paid response" decision; a migration-risk diagram. #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: full podcast audio with two-speaker dialogue. - Improve: a 2–5 minute audio summary and chaptered timestamps. #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: analogies (Curb Your Enthusiasm roof leak, Michael Jordan), defined terms ("flaking," "anti-fragile"). - Improve: a glossary callout for "must-use plugins," "object caching," "scope creep." #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: none — no hands-on labs. - Improve: a checklist for handling a departing client; a migration pre-flight checklist. #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: cause-effect reasoning (cheap provider → broken work → blame). - Improve: a decision tree for boundary-setting and a pricing table for add-ons. #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: a two-host dialogue modeling respectful disagreement. - Improve: discussion prompts and a peer Q&A on boundary scripts. #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: reflection-friendly "why am I doing this?" framing. - Improve: journaling prompts on your own boundaries and contribution goals. #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: none directly. - Improve: frame the "plant a seed that germinates" teaching metaphor into a lifecycle model. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: not applicable to raw audio; depends on the publishing page. - Improve: ensure the show notes page uses proper headings and landmarks. #### Keyboard navigation - Present: not applicable to the audio itself. - Improve: keyboard-accessible player controls on the host page. #### Contrast and readability - Present: not applicable to audio. - Improve: ensure transcript and show-notes text meets 4.5:1 contrast. #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: not applicable to audio. - Improve: responsive transcript page at 200% zoom. #### Media and captions - Present: auto-generated captions only (this transcript is auto-captioned). - Improve: a human-corrected transcript and downloadable version; YouTube captions cleaned up. #### Forms and interactions - Present: not applicable to this source. - Improve: accessible comment/question form referenced at the end. #### Standards reference - Map gaps to WCAG 2.2 AA: 1.2.2 (captions), 1.2.1 (audio-only transcript), 1.4.3 (contrast) on the publishing page. ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: US-centric framing (selfish capitalism, American context, US tech billionaires). - Improve: acknowledge non-US agency contexts and global freelancer markets. #### Inclusive language - Present: mostly plain, friendly language; "some lady in the office... Marge" is a mildly stereotyped aside. - Improve: avoid the gendered "Marge" trope when illustrating legacy-tech holdouts. #### Neurodiversity support - Present: conversational, repetitive structure can aid or hinder focus. - Improve: chaptered timestamps and a summary for easier navigation. #### Representation - Present: two male hosts; references to a female superintendent and students. - Improve: broaden guest and example diversity across gender and background. #### Psychological safety - Present: strong modeling of respectful disagreement ("disagree on something and not hate each other"). - Improve: none needed; this is a genuine strength of the episode. ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Causal: "cheaper provider lacks expertise → execution breaks → client returns for free help" is a well-supported inductive chain drawn from repeated real cases (LifterLMS, migration story). - Analogical: the Curb Your Enthusiasm roof-leak analogy cleanly illustrates that underpaying now costs more later — strong because the mapping (cheap fix → total loss) is tight. - Inductive: schedule-padding claim ("we haven't missed a deadline since we started") generalizes from lived practice; clarify with actual hit-rate data. #### Fallacies - Hasty generalization: Kurt's "kids get out of school with zero information on how to generate revenue" overgeneralizes; Toby flags it directly. Fix: scope the claim to "many graduates" with evidence. - Appeal to anecdote: the Michael Jordan / injured-draft-picks point supports "talent plus luck plus no derailment" but leans on cherry-picked sports stories. Fix: cite base rates or frame explicitly as illustration. - Loaded phrase: "those who can do, those who can't teach" is invoked then rejected; treated fairly, not fallaciously relied upon. #### Tone of voice - Conversational, candid, self-deprecating, and warm. Examples: "I don't have the time to intentionally sabotage your efforts" (dry humor); "Wow, I'm sorry" (humility); "amen to that" (affable agreement). ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: the replacement provider denies fault by recasting Toby's accurate warning as deliberate "sabotage" — a denial-plus-blame move. The hosts themselves don't deploy DARVO; they describe being targeted by it. - Attack: the cheap provider attacks Toby's credibility ("this guy ruined the install... intentionally sabotaged us") to deflect from their own execution failure. - Reverse victim/offender: the client and replacement cast themselves as victims of sabotage when they were the ones who ignored expert advice — a textbook reversal. The episode is notable for the hosts NOT doing this; they model ownership instead. ## 🎯 Conclusion - Bottom line: once a client stops paying, your free help stops too. Offer paid training, paid access, and backups; hold the line on everything else, and deliver it with professionalism and humility. - Practical next steps for readers: write a standing "departing client" offer (scope + pricing) before you need it; document host-specific migration risks; build schedule padding; lead client-error recovery with a fast apology; and pick one non-billable way to pay it forward that you'd genuinely enjoy. ## 🔄 Refactor Appendix — Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What? > Density: 2–5 Literature atoms (H3), 0–3 Permanent candidates (H4). ### 📚 Literature Atoms (H3) #### [H1] Set boundaries once a client stops paying > [!quote] ID:rw_h1 > they no longer are paying for the access that they used to have **Context & use**: - ~02:00, Toby on the transitional period after a client leaves. - The core operating principle: access and help are paid privileges, not defaults. **Tags**: #xref #aphorisms <!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ --> #### [H2] Offer paid training instead of free rescue > [!quote] ID:rw_h2 > if your other team needs training, we are available for training **Context & use**: - ~02:30, Kurt's new script for the replaced-expert situation. - Converts free problem-solving into a priced service. **Tags**: #xref <!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ --> #### [H3] Every added request multiplies project complexity > [!quote] ID:rw_h3 > Every sentence you speak adds complexity, you know? This is not what you said. **Context & use**: - ~11:00, Kurt on scope creep past the original simple quote. - Defend simplicity; price each addition. **Tags**: #xref #articleseed <!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ --> #### [H4] Lead client-error recovery with ownership and apology > [!quote] ID:rw_h4 > Whether or not it's my fault, I'm sorry cuz this sucks for everyone. **Context & use**: - ~22:00, Toby on the missed invoice and mis-timezone coffee. - Humility plus a fast-track fix beats defensiveness. **Tags**: #xref #aphorisms <!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ --> #### [H5] Contribution pays back later, not immediately > [!quote] ID:rw_h5 > there's an avenue to success, fulfillment, uh you know, personal fulfillment when you do these things **Context & use**: - ~25:00, Kurt on paying it forward via teaching and community. - ROI on give-back is real but delayed; the puzzle pieces fit later. **Tags**: #xref <!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ --> ### 🧠 Permanent Candidates (H4) #### [P1] Expertise without payment is just a quote, not a service **Claim** (one sentence, Courtney's voice): When a client stops paying, your expertise reverts to a priced offer — backups, access, and training cost money, and free rescue trains clients to devalue you. **Evidence pointer**: [[#H1]] **Scope & conditions**: Holds when the client has formally left or declined a quote; breaks during an active, paid engagement where helpfulness is the product. **Links**: - [[Client retention]] — because extends - [[Scope and pricing discipline]] — because applies-in agency operations - [[Graciousness vs. boundaries]] — because contrasts on when to give free help <!-- atomicity: 1 idea ✓ --> ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue - [F1] Draft a reusable "departing client" scope-and-pricing template for WordPress agencies — episode at 13:00 #fleeting #inbox - [F2] Document major managed-host migration gotchas (MU plugins, object caching) as a checklist — episode at 03:00 #fleeting #inbox ### → Things 3 (max 2 actions) - [ ] Write a standing paid-training + access offer for clients who leave — agency ops #things - [ ] Pick one non-billable contribution channel to commit to this quarter — community #things ``` Processed: Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What? - Literature atoms: 5 / 5 cap - Permanent candidates: 1 / 3 cap - Fleeting items: 2 - Things 3 actions: 2 / 2 cap - Konik tags used: [#xref, #aphorisms, #articleseed] - Triage callouts populated: [Cross Reference, Article Ideas] - Quality gates: [verbatim ✓, atomicity ✓, link annotations ✓, YAML hygiene ✓, triage ✓] - Override conditions triggered: [5 Literature atoms — substantive long-form podcast] ``` <!-- deep-read:sections end --> 📄 **Full text:** [[Full Document Contents/Articles/Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What.md|Your Client Just Hired Someone Else. Now What? by WP Minute Podcasts]] ## Highlights - I used to say, "Hey, you know, I understand, you know, you're still our client. Let's Let's go ahead and let's get, you know, all parties on a Zoom call and let's problem-solve this together." But I don't do that anymore. And now now I say things more like, "Well, if your if your other team needs training, we are available for training. >> We we can help train them and get them up to speed if that's what you require. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kvxyeawbmd3kx2fbhvthx603)) - Note: The script shift: converting a free group-rescue Zoom into a priced training offer to the client's new team. - Tags: atom/literature/h2, client-retention - >> Yeah, I think it's really good to set boundaries once someone's leaving, just in general. Like like they no longer are paying for the access that they used to have. And I think like as a developer or agency owner, you want to maintain the integrity of your business and yourself and the projects that are paid for. There's also this weird like transitional period where like you want to be helpful. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kvxye7j3twfzqd5yrj0yvmpw)) - Note: Core boundary principle: when a client stops paying, the access and help they used to have ends — protect the integrity of paid work. - Tags: boundaries, atom/literature/h1 - Boom, we can do that. Bob's your uncle, man. Load that up and let's go. But then they always come back and go, "Well, I wanted this to do this and I want this to automatically do that and I want this message to get sent when this thing gets clicked." And you're like, "Okay, well, now you are Every sentence you speak adds complexity, you know? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kvxyee24xep7wapr5kkxfj31)) - Note: Scope creep in one line: "every sentence you speak adds complexity" — the simple quote balloons as the client keeps adding. - Tags: agency-business, atom/literature/h3 - I'm at the coffee shop." And so technically I flaked there even though it was no fault of my own. I might calendar at noon and And they're like, "Oh yeah, we were traveling." And but like they're like, "What do you want to do?" So in terms of how I reacted in both those cases, first of all I approached it like, "Wow, I'm sorry." Whether or not it's my fault, I'm sorry cuz this sucks for everyone. And And in the case of the coffee, she's like, "Do you want to meet up?" I'm like, "Yeah, I'll be there in 10 minutes." And you know, like so I dropped everything. I ran out in that case, met up with that person. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kvxyejnxgyk9ngx4ecqckfye)) - Note: Owning recovery: apologize regardless of fault ("whether or not it's my fault, I'm sorry") and move fast to fix it. - Tags: atom/literature/h4, client-retention - And so, I'm always trying to encourage people like there's there there's an avenue to success, fulfillment, uh you know, personal fulfillment when you do these things. I just don't think it's always immediately evident. It's like So, in the WordPress space, when people go to contributor day. So, you've been to WordCamps and they've contributor day. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kvxyen3mmndrygtnz15yzrnb)) - Note: The delayed but real ROI of paying it forward (teaching, contributor day) — fulfillment that isn't immediately evident. - Tags: atom/literature/h5, paying-it-forward ## Links - [[3. Resources/Permanent Notes/Agency Growth Is Healthy Only When Margin and Delegation Scale]] — applies-in: transition help becomes scoped paid work when it consumes the capacity an agency must price and delegate. - [[3. Resources/Permanent Notes/Protected Margin Defines a Sustainable Agency]] — evidence-for: free rescue work after a client leaves erodes the margin that keeps service delivery sustainable.