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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

00:58:29

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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00:33:55

That time when you’ve successfully completed your...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/09/18

Michael Patino, Founder and CEO of Patino Associates, shares a cautionary tale from a partnership with a large global manufacturing organization. At the time, Michael had successfully placed a senior executive within the company—only to be stunned when, just a month later, the executive was suddenly terminated. Wanting to understand what went wrong, Michael reached out and discovered that the executive had lied about holding a collegiate degree. The issue came to light after the individual

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00:42:42

That time when your business partner teams up with...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/09/11

Today’s guest is Devin Sizemore, owner of ACES Connection Group, who shares a wild client horror story about teaming up with a group of individuals to launch a motorcycle business. Things took off quickly—in just 14 days, they had a promising investor on board and a successful launch event that drew in custom orders and buzz.But beneath the surface, betrayal was brewing. One partner secretly cozied up to the investor, taking credit for work he didn’t do, while also plotting with another co-founder

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00:48:44

That time when the doctor berates your product in the...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/09/03

Bill Gruber, Medical Device Executive and Author, shares a client horror story that starts off puzzling—but ends with a powerful lesson in emotional intelligence and professionalism. The story dates back 20 years, when Bill was head of sales and marketing for a spinal products company. His team was preparing to launch a new device and had secured a respected surgeon to perform the first-ever procedure on a human patient. Everything seemed on track—until they entered the operating room. The once

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00:26:17

That time when you train a franchisee only to have...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/08/27

Today, franchise expert Max Emma shares a client horror story about owning a bookkeeping franchise.A woman who had recently left corporate America wanted to become her own boss by starting a franchise. She had the technical skills to understand the process but had never run a business before.After Max helped her get everything set up, she suddenly announced she was going on a family vacation. Max was stunned—had he known, he would have advised launching after her trip to avoid losing momentum.When

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00:44:18

That time when you receive 150 angry emails in a span...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/08/13

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Andrew Bolton, CEO & Co-Founder of TechRescue—a tech support helpline dedicated to helping seniors navigate technology with ease, all at the press of a button. Andrew shares a few wild client horror stories that pushed his team to the edge. One involved a new Tinder user trying to send disappearing videos via WhatsApp, while another escalated into chaos when an angry customer sent 150 emails in just five hours—all because they were stuck on hold for too

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00:42:14

That time when a promising client project unraveled...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/07/30

Today’s guest is Paul Byrne, President & Founder of Razoyo, and he’s here to share a wild ride of a client experience that began with promise—and spiraled into chaos. It all started when Paul was approached by a well-funded startup in the ecommerce space. Their niche? High-end products sold to professional designers. They were looking to upgrade their website and infuse it with fresh, innovative ideas—and Paul and his team were up for the challenge. The initial collaboration was smooth, even

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00:29:38

That time when you get dropped by a client for...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/07/16

Steven Perry, Founder and CEO of The Well Recruiting Solutions, shares a client horror story that unexpectedly became a turning point in his career—and one that helped earn him a major promotion.Early in his career as a young financial adviser, Steven and his partner were assisting a married executive couple in organizing their finances for retirement. Steven’s partner was responsible for follow-ups, but instead of maintaining professionalism, he overwhelmed them with daily messages. These were

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00:30:59

That time when you get contracted to work on a...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/07/02

Kathryn Smith, founder of Walton Birch, shares a client horror story unlike anything we’ve heard before.In the early days of launching her custom web development company—with just herself on the team—Kathryn expected the usual startup challenges. But nothing could’ve prepared her for this.A former client referred a woman who needed help with her Shopify site. What seemed like a routine job quickly spiraled out of control. The client had no login credentials, so Kathryn contacted Shopify for support,

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01:05:37

That time when you ruin Christmas nationwide for...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/06/18

There’s nothing crazier than Andy Reinhold’s client horror story, and you’re gonna want to listen.A few years ago, Andy, founder of Studio Spark, was working in the tech division of a major consulting firm, maintaining outdated government software. With each change in administration, the system grew harder to decipher—so much so that they had to track down long-retired employees just to understand the codebase.Andy and his team manually reviewed over a million lines of legacy code to help determine

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01:12:21

That time when you land a huge client only to end up...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/06/11

In today’s episode, Matthieu Mehuys, Co-Founder of Paulownia Landscape Architects, shares a client horror story that most professionals hope they never have to face.Matthieu’s love for plants began at just three years old. That passion led him to study landscape architecture, explore the depths of the Amazon rainforest, and master the art of cultivating breathtaking gardens. But it wasn’t until a life-threatening encounter with dengue fever that he had a wake-up call—one that pushed him to start his

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00:48:48

That time when an expert is brought in to build...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/06/04

Have you ever worked with people who insisted they knew best—even when they clearly didn’t? In early 2017, when blockchain was the buzzword of the moment, Tamara Adlin of Adlin, Inc. was referred by an investor to help a rising startup build smart contracts, enabling smoother collaboration for developers.At first, things looked promising. Tamara brought strong, strategic ideas to the table. But instead of focusing on foundational planning, the team wanted to do everything all at once—charging ahead

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00:37:34

That time when you’re provided an entirely new...

Client Horror Stories ·

2025/05/28

Running a business often means putting out fires—but some fires should never have been lit in the first place. In today’s client horror story, Melinda Spaulding, Author of "Finding Insight", shares a frustrating tale from her early years that highlights just how chaotic procurement can get.Everything had been going smoothly with one client—contracts were signed, terms agreed upon, and work was underway. But out of nowhere, a representative from the company called Melinda's business line one evening

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81 results

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