The most expensive lessons come from cheap clients.

Stop working with broke people

Author

Stephen Stanberry
October 5th, 2025

In partnership with

friend!

Back when I first started freelancing, I said yes to everyone.

Didn’t matter what they offered.
Didn’t matter if it made sense.
If they said “budget is tight,” I smiled and said, “No problem.”

I thought being nice would build my reputation.
I thought more clients = more security.

But here’s what really happened:

Every “budget client” drained me more than the high-paying ones ever did.

They’d argue over invoices.
Take forever to pay.
And expect 10x more than they could afford.

I’d spend hours tweaking $50 projects while $1,000 opportunities passed me by.

That’s when I learned:
Working with broke people costs more than it pays.

Because broke isn’t just about money.
It’s about mindset.

Broke people see everything as an expense.
They want shortcuts, not solutions.
They drain your energy instead of fueling your growth.

Meanwhile, people who value transformation will always find a way to pay.

They invest, show up, and follow through, because they want results, not discounts.

Here’s the truth no one tells you when you start:
You don’t build a business by helping everyone.
You build it by helping the right ones.

So if you’re stuck serving clients who nickel-and-dime you, try this:

• Double your prices.
• Cut your lowest-paying clients.
• Say “no” more often than “yes.”
• Create one offer that attracts commitment, not convenience.

Because when you stop working with broke people, you stop thinking like one too.

And when you stop thinking like one, everything changes.

Till tomorrow,
“raise your rates and your standards”
Stephen

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