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PODCAST

Client Horror Stories

Beloved by Clients

Tales from those on the front lines of dealing with clients. Tales of difficult clients, complex situations, relationship management - and how massive client management problems were solved, and what they learned. Largely those running agencies, but all across different professional services.

business management

All Episodes

00:17:45

That time when a client admits to stealing from his...

Client Horror Stories ·

2026/02/12

Tim Brownson, Coach & Author, moved to the U.S. in 2006 to start fresh and build his coaching career from the ground up. As a newcomer, finding clients was tough—so when a potential client from an elite Ontario neighborhood reached out, he saw it as a golden opportunity. Though it wasn't his usual practice to visit clients at home, Tim agreed to meet. Their first session went well and lasted two hours. When it came time to discuss payment, the client suggested they talk about it during the

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00:42:15

That time when a former partner tries to cash in...

Client Horror Stories ·

2026/02/05

Today's guest, Ed Hajim—Author, Philanthropist, and Mentor—joins us to share a collection of Client Horror Stories from his remarkable career. Trust us, these are stories you'll want to hear. During his time as Managing Partner of a mid-sized investment bank, Ed helped grow the firm's revenue from $20 million to over half a billion, eventually selling the company twice—the first time to Xerox. But success didn't come without conflict. One of the partners accused Ed of "doing

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00:30:03

That time when your boss is so scary that everyone's...

Client Horror Stories ·

2026/01/29

Have you ever felt that knot in your stomach before work, knowing you'll have to face a terrifying boss? This Client Horror Story captures that exact feeling. Cordell Robinson, CEO of Brownstone Consulting FirmWorking, recalls a time he worked on-site with a client whose team lived in fear of one particular person—their compliance manager. Known for being impossibly demanding and hypercritical, this individual made employees feel like even the smallest mistake could cost them their jobs. Despite

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00:54:16

That time when your business partner offers...

Client Horror Stories ·

2026/01/22

Today, we're joined by Eric Gee, Author, Life & Writing Coach, who shares a story that's almost too hard to believe. In his younger years, Eric and a close friend launched an education company focused on teaching and mentoring students. Everything ran smoothly—until one day, his business partner crossed a line. When a female student mentioned having a sore neck, the partner offered her a massage. While he saw it as harmless, given his background in massage therapy, Eric knew immediately

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00:52:47

That time when you warn a client of the repercussions...

Client Horror Stories ·

2026/01/15

Today's episode features Brad White, CEO of VARC Solutions, who shares one of his biggest frustrations in business—working with clients who simply refuse to listen. Brad's company specializes in bookkeeping, and one of their core tools is QuickBooks—a platform trusted by both small and large businesses alike. Over time, QuickBooks has evolved significantly, especially with the rise of cloud technology. However, not all clients understand that QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online (the

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00:49:26

That time when being too trusting costs you your...

Client Horror Stories ·

2026/01/08

If you're interested in real estate—and the stories that come with it—this Client Horror Story is for you. Spencer Sutton, VP of Marketing at Evernest, takes us back to his early days as a young real estate investor. At the time, Spencer was flipping houses but dreamed of building long-term wealth through rental properties. The problem? He had no idea how to be a landlord or set boundaries with tenants. Still, he pressed on and purchased his very first rental home—located 45 minutes from where

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00:49:04

That time when a real estate owner hid deals under...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/12/24

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Angela Thomas, Scaling Expert & Founder of Angel Success Consulting, who has built a thriving business through dedication and grit. Angela specializes in training and developing businesses, and she was invited to conduct a training session for a real estate business owner. The first session was a success—payment went through smoothly, and the client was pleased with the results. Encouraged, the business owner requested another round of training, this

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00:30:05

That time when a client threatens to sue you for 17...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/12/18

Today, Greg Digneo, Founder of Content Guppy, shares a Client Horror Story that proves some people really are as wild as they seem. In the early 2000s, Greg and a friend launched a solar panel company with no prior experience. To their surprise, two of their university professors became their first customers, and the money they earned from those projects was more than they had ever handled since graduation. Their third client, however, was a different story. At their first meeting, he proudly

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00:44:40

That time when you discover a respectable executive...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/12/11

Kate Viana, Founder of Viana Communications, shares a Client Horror Story like no other. In 2021, after leaving a nonprofit to strike out on her own, Kate was thrilled when a Texas-based client reached out. She began by improving their website—despite having little experience and doing it for free—before transitioning into consulting work. Eager to expand her expertise, Kate offered to visit the organization in person. What she discovered was shocking. At her very first dinner meeting, leaders

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00:34:25

That time when a six-hour job turns into a six-month...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/12/04

Today, Aleks Krylov, President of Stern Gutters, shares a Client Horror Story that dragged on for months. In October of last year, a retired woman contacted his team to install gutter protection at her home. By the first week of November, the installation was complete, and the final bill was charged. Just days later, Aleks began receiving emails and phone calls from the client claiming the technician had caused damage—breaking a patio lamp and chipping paint beneath the gutters. The technician

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00:37:05

That time when you're tasked to present a product...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/11/27

Today's horror story is a little different—it focuses not on a client, but on our speaker himself: Ron Reich, Founder of RLB Training & Development. Years ago, while working at an HR consulting firm, Ron received a surprising call from someone in Dallas who told him he was "the opposite of what he said he was." Odd as it sounded, the call turned out to be life-changing—the man was offering Ron an opportunity to become a trainer and facilitator at Toshiba, a dream role he had long

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00:32:40

That time when you help an employee become the best...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/11/20

In today's Client Horror Stories episode, Wes Towers, founder of Uplift360, shares a time when his good intentions as a leader took an unexpected turn.After years of working closely with one of his team leaders, Wes noticed the employee had grown bored and uninspired in their role. Wanting to reignite their passion, he brought in a bold new project they'd never tackled before: building a niche dating website. Excited for the challenge, the team leader eagerly accepted.But just weeks into the

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00:58:29

That time when you invest your whole life (and...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/11/13

Jody Durand, author of Country Boy Soul, shares a heartbreaking chapter of his life—navigating a failing business, a troubled marriage, the sudden loss of his mother, and ultimately, bankruptcy.In 1999, with no experience outside of farming, Jody was invited by a friend to help manage a U.S. call center selling cell phones, with the promise of becoming a shareholder. Trusting the vision, he invested $120,000—money borrowed from relatives and secured against his future. Despite early red flags, like

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00:43:42

That time when you sell only 50 tickets in an...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/11/06

Today, we welcome Tom Elliott—Corporate Event Host, Comedy Magician, and Public Speaking Coach—to share a client horror story that left a lasting mark on his career.Eager to grow as a comedy magician, Tom began booking small theater shows of around 100 seats. After gaining traction, he was offered what seemed like his big break: a contract to perform at an 800-seat theater. Convinced this was his moment, he signed on and began selling tickets.But reality hit hard—only 30 tickets sold. Despite

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00:58:05

That time when the Crypto Godfather turned my case...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/10/30

I’m telling you—if you skip this episode, you’re missing half your life. We finally had the chance to sit down with Ken Childs, Private Investigator at Paramount Investigative Services Inc., who got caught in the chaos surrounding the notorious “Crypto Godfather,” Adam Iza. It all started when Ken made the mistake of taking Adam on as a client. Adam requested full surveillance on someone who had stolen his laptop—an already sensitive case that soon spiraled out of control. Alongside Ken’s company,

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00:42:44

That time when a client drops you for taking them to...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/10/23

Today, we take an inspiring turn with Bryan Wetzel—entrepreneur, author, and producer—who shares a client horror story that eventually became a long-term success. In the 1990s, Bryan produced standout advertising work for Big Canoe, a resort-style community in North Georgia. Everything was going well until a new head of advertising arrived and commissioned an ambitious 10-minute video complete with helicopter flyovers, scripts, voiceovers, and a professional agency. Bryan secured all the talent and

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01:00:23

That time when a client demands feature changes like...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/10/16

Today’s episode features Alex Sanfilippo, Podcaster and Founder of PodMatch, who shares one of his wildest client horror stories—about a demanding software user who thought they could dictate major changes to his company. Shortly after signing up, the client insisted on a call to outline a list of changes—some reasonable, others impossible. Eager to help, and still new to the business, Alex agreed to explore them. But the demands escalated, with the client threatening to cancel their subscription if

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00:45:26

That time when you’re asked to sell a product and are...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/10/09

Today’s guest is Paul H. Flowers Jr., Founder & CEO of Superior Insurance Advisors, who shares a client horror story he’ll never forget. With a strong background in healthcare, Paul was hired by a company boasting a solid communication strategy to sell their products. Eager to bring value and make an impact, he quickly encountered an unexpected roadblock. Despite operating in the industry for 30 years, the company had never implemented a proper CRM—the backbone of modern client management

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00:40:39

That time the client asked for the truth and then...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/10/02

Today's guest is Derrick Van Mell, Principal of The Center for Management Terms & Practices, who recalls a client horror story from his days as a general management consultant. Derrick had set his sights on a massive, century-old manufacturing company and was thrilled when they accepted his proposal. Early in the engagement, he asked how they measured growth—only to discover they focused solely on their production schedule, ignoring their financial statements entirely. When Derrick raised

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00:37:03

That time when you singlehandedly bring down your...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/09/25

Multicultural turnaround executive Ori Elraviv opens up about the pivotal misstep that led to his company’s downfall years ago. Before the iPhone era, Ori founded a game development company that secured a major partnership with Electronic Arts—an achievement that opened doors for a potential deal with Sony Pictures.The pitch to Sony started strong, but things quickly unraveled when they discovered the company had developed a similar program for Electronic Arts. Sony questioned whether Ori’s team

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93 results

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