David B. alias The Astro

guess I'm having new friends here 😲😁 no wonder I noticed a reduction in my followers count. I was having 98.1% of Nigerian mutuals, but here, the story has changed with new mutuals from different regions let's see how it goes!!!!

I recently had to fire a client. When we started, they promised high engagement as a bargaining chip to negotiate a discount, which I agreed. Another reason I agreed to work below my rate was because the project had potential, and I had space for it. But after working with the client for over two months, there was barely any engagements or noticeable progress. Just a lot of unnecessary stress. For context, only three tasks came in during our time together, but with a lot of back and forth because the client couldn’t decide what they wanted. I kept getting more contradicting feedback, shifting requirements, and poor communication, which was the worst part. In fact, the last payment request I sent sat unaccepted on Upwork for two whole weeks. And I didn’t get any update until Upwork auto-released it. That was the last straw for me. Because after two months of unclear project direction, I can’t add poor communication to the things I’m willing to tolerate. When I take on projects, I love to fully commit to them. I don’t see myself as just a freelancer but as a stakeholder in that project. So how do I commit to a process I don’t even have faith in? At some point you really just have to ask yourself: what exactly am I holding on to here? Because for me, the math wasn’t mathing. The rate itself was already low. When you now add low engagement and poor communication to the mix, it’s almost insulting. And no amount of “maybe it gets better” fixes a client who still can’t give you clear direction after 60+ days. So I ended it. The craziest part was that I had so much to say, but I chose to stay professional and avoid drama. 😆 As a freelancer, always remember that it’s okay to end a contract. Clients are not the only ones that have that privilege. Ending a contract is not failure. It’s a business decision. And it’s one of the perks you have as a freelancer. A lot of freelancers stay in bad contracts because they’re afraid of having the awkward conversation. Some are afraid it’ll look bad on their profile. But staying in a contract that pays you poorly, drains your energy, and goes nowhere isn’t loyalty. It’s just fear and poor business management. Your time has a cost. Every hour you spend managing a difficult, low-paying client is an hour you’re not spending finding one who pays you what you’re worth. Know when to walk away. Walk away clean. And don’t look back.

Dear freelancer, it’s okay to fire clients. 🫵🏾 Protect your peace as much as you protect your reputation.