Client Horror Stories

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 the tension, Cordell managed to build a working relationship based on patience and strategy. He learned to pause before responding, carefully organize his thoughts, and communicate with clarity and respect—turning anxiety into professionalism.

 

If you've ever had to deal with an intimidating boss or client, this episode will show you how calm composure and clear communication can turn fear into confidence.

 

Morgan Friedman
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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 that it was deeply inappropriate.

 

Eric took swift action—apologizing to the student, addressing the situation with his partner, and trying to move forward. But months later, his partner admitted to another troubling incident that caused a student to leave the program altogether. That was the breaking point. Eric knew it was time to reevaluate their partnership and rebuild with stronger boundaries and integrity.

 

Tune in to learn how Eric turned this painful chapter into a defining lesson about leadership, accountability, and protecting the trust of those you serve.

 

Morgan Friedman
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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 cloud version) are completely different systems.

 

Despite Brad's efforts to explain these differences and the challenges of migrating, some clients stubbornly ignore the warnings and then blame the company for a "failed" migration.

 

Tune in to hear how Brad handled this recurring dilemma—and the lessons he learned about communication, patience, and guiding clients through technological change.

 

Morgan Friedman
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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 he lived.

 

For nearly five exhausting weeks, Spencer showed the property to potential renters. Finally, an older woman seemed like the perfect tenant, offering to pay two to three months' rent upfront. Excited and eager, Spencer handed her the keys—skipping the screening process entirely.

 

That decision came back to haunt him. After the initial months, rent payments became late, then stopped altogether. Communication broke down, the police had to be called, and Spencer was left with a property in shambles.

 

This episode is a raw look at humble beginnings and the hard lessons that come with them. Tune in to hear how Spencer navigated the setbacks, what he learned the hard way, and how you can apply those lessons to your own real estate journey.

 

Morgan Friedman

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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 time for his new sales agents, and agreed to a commission-based partnership with Angela.

 

During the program, Angela helped set up the company's structure and guided the sales team step by step. But soon, she sensed something was wrong—the agents seemed withdrawn and uneasy. She invited them out for coffee, and when they admitted they couldn't afford it, Angela graciously treated them.

 

Over coffee, the agents revealed a shocking truth: the business owner had taken away their deals, dismissed their proposals as inadequate, and secretly opened a new real estate company under his wife's name—closing deals there to avoid paying commissions to Angela and the team.

 

After processing the revelation, Angela encouraged the agents to take action. They filed a case against the owner, who ultimately lost his real estate license.

 

Tune in to hear how Angela turned this betrayal into a powerful learning experience and what it taught her about protecting her work and standing up for fairness.

 

 

Morgan Friedman

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