Why I fired a $5,500 /month client — and why you should do the same.

I've noticed a trend in this crazy online business game.

A common theme that seems to permeate the creators and one-person businesses out there.

Everyone scrambling to be the next Dan Koe or Justin Welsh, appear focused on one thing and one thing only:

Getting New Clients.

Everywhere you look, guys are dropping more content bombs than the RAF during the Battle of Britain.

Free giveaways, auto-DM campaigns and lead magnets abound.

Courses and cohorts galore.

The creator economy is booming.

And anyone with an 𝕏 handle and a Gumroad ebook to peddle, is busily working their backside off to hustle up their latest cohort signup or retainer client.

I'm not knocking it, btw.

I LOVE to see it in fact.

But it does make me think, about how many of us creator bros are focused more on client acquisition than something I'm going to call:

"Client Discernment"

Wtf is that, DJ?

Good question, so let me explain.

First, some background:

Just over a month ago, I had had a client on retainer for about a year who was paying me to make edits and updates to a couple of high-revenue website properties.

SaaS business websites that do tens of millions each month in revenue.

My role was to make updates and edits, and fix things when their team of retards broke something (which was a few times a month).

Not hard work then, not difficult at all.

I was rarely called upon to solve any real business problems, or even be creative, because they had their own marketing and design teams.

So, I would just implement their own ideas.

And they didn't care how many hours I worked either, as long as the work was done.

Plus, I had a project manager to handle the annoying stuff, like client calls.

So really, it was super easy money.

Now, don't get it twisted, it didn't exactly pay me millions.

The retainer was worth about $5,500 per month.

And that's not going to make you rich.

But for easy work that I could do in my sleep, from anywhere in the world, while also having time to work on all my other income streams and business interests.

It wasn't a bad deal, right?

WRONG.

This type of retainer may sound like a dream client to some, and if you're just starting out and struggling to find clients, this kind of deal could be a good learning experience for you.

But for me, this deal was just a massive distraction.

Yes, it added $5,500 a month to my bottom line.

But was it helping my business grow?

Not a chance, and here's why:

• I could never get a useful testimonial from these people that showed epic results, because the work I was doing was implementation only, not strategy or ideas.
• I wasn't getting more experience solving business problems, because I was just a hired pair of hands.
• The work was so easy it wasn't challenging me or forcing me to learn anything new.
• The time the work took was distracting me from my core mission.
• Plus, the services these companies offered didn't align with my values.

I'm in business to create content and products that provide real value, to help people make positive changes in their lives, and to build income streams that win me back more time with my wife and children.

This client, helped me achieve precisely none of the above.

So, I fired their asses.

As much as I hate to take a $5K hit to the monthly bank score, as entrepreneurs it's important we zero in with a laser like focus on only those activities that move us towards our goals and align with our values.

Which brings me back to my original point.

"Client Discernment", is just a fancy way of saying "Be Selective" with who you work with.

Don't just take on any client that waves a check book at you.

Ask yourself, does this client help me achieve my mission?

Does this client help my business grow?

Do I even like this mf?

You may enjoy the money for a while, but eventually, some clients can actually do more harm to your business than good.

Imagine all of the content I could have made over the last year, if I wasn't distracted by fixing these companies stupid website mistakes.

Imagine all of the connections I could have made, and products I could have produced.

So my friends, don't be afraid to fire a client or two when necessary.

Be discerning.

Be selective.

And always have faith that God will provide.