CHANGE: The One Constant

When clients unexpectedly run out of budget and say, “We have to hold off on moving forward,” it’s natural to feel a wave of emotions: shock, surprise, frustration, anger, confusion, or all the above. This recently happened with our company with a client we have on retainer. We had just pitched an exciting event calendar for 2025, and we were eager to help our client succeed. We had invested so much time in research, and our energy was building as we looked forward to the coming year and the stability of our ongoing relationship. But everything changed with just a few words

After the meeting, I sat down with another cofounder to discuss our next steps: what to do about the client who just pushed pause and hadn’t yet paid the monthly retainer, and how to approach the situation moving forward. During our conversation, something quickly became clear: none of those anxious emotions had taken hold. We found ourselves talking about why that was, and the answer was simple: life is bigger than this situation.

We enter every client relationship fully committed, enthusiastic, confident, and knowing we’re good at what we do. But we also recognize that we have very little control over how our clients manage their business.

The decision to put projects and plans on hold was not a reflection of our efforts, contributions, character, business practices, conduct, or relationship-building strategies. It was simply the result of circumstances we may never fully understand. We take our clients at their word, unless we learn otherwise.

When the client shared their situation with us, we responded with calm, understanding, and reassurance. We said, “We understand. We know this isn’t easy for you. We value this relationship and enjoy working with you. We’ll stop what we’re doing and provide you with the work in progress.”

I’m not trying to paint an overly rosy picture here. Admittedly, it was a challenging situation, but some factors were out of our control. The things we could control were our reputation, our character, and our resilience. What our client saw in us was empathy and strength above all else. First impressions are undoubtedly important, but last impressions carry just as much weight.