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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.
Episodes
Sep 18, 2025
Sep 18, 2025
33 min
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 repeatedly delayed submitting required documentation. When Michael reviewed the situation internally, he found that although the degree verification process had flagged the discrepancy, it had been overlooked by his assistant during the final review.
The experience was both frustrating and eye-opening. It pushed Michael to reevaluate internal workflows and reinforce checks and balances—lessons that now guide how his team handles candidate reviews and verifications.
Sep 11, 2025
Sep 11, 2025
42 min
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 to cut out the rest of the team. With his business instincts kicking in, Devin chose to walk away before things got worse.
It’s a jaw-dropping story of ambition, deception, and the hard lessons of trust in business. Buckle up—this episode doesn’t hold back.
Sep 3, 2025
Sep 3, 2025
48 min
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 upbeat, easygoing doctor suddenly turned volatile—screaming at nurses, cursing at the team, and even causing the patient to slide on the table. Then, just as abruptly, he returned to his cheerful self after the procedure.
It wasn’t until later that Bill learned the doctor was in the middle of a brutal divorce—and the anesthesiologist in the room was his soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law.
This eye-opening episode is a masterclass in understanding how personal issues can spill into professional settings. Don’t miss it—you’ll never look at “doctor demeanor” the same way again.
Aug 27, 2025
Aug 27, 2025
26 min
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 she returned, Max hoped she would be ready to move forward. Instead, she told him she was facing financial issues and needed to find a job, meaning she could no longer continue with the franchise.
It was a roller-coaster experience—and one you’ll want to hear about. Tune in to this episode to learn what happened next.
Aug 13, 2025
Aug 13, 2025
44 min
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 long.
These incidents led Andrew to step back and completely reevaluate their systems to prevent future breakdowns and better serve their users.
If you're curious about the challenges of building tech solutions for seniors—and the unexpected lessons that come with it—tune in to this eye-opening episode.