They Don't Care Why It Went Wrong: How to Talk to Clients When Things Go Sideways
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About this episode
Blame might feel satisfying in the moment, but it is quietly torching your reputation, your team culture, and your profit. In this episode, we unpack why the buck really does stop with you as the business owner, and how owning that actually gives you more control, not less. We walk through real stories from our shop and our clients where shipping disasters, customs delays, and vendor mishaps could have turned into finger pointing, and instead became opportunities to reinforce trust and integrity. You will learn how to talk to clients when things go sideways without throwing your team or your circumstances under the bus, how to design policies that protect you from "unforeseen" issues, and when it is actually helpful to share context or responsibility. We also tackle the classic line "you have to spend money to make money" and show you where that is true, where it is killing your cash flow, and what to stop spending on immediately so you can run a profitable, high end business you are proud of.
Highlights
00:00 Rat boy summer, fat boy fall, and why this episode is really about blame.
04:30 How casual blame creeps into everyday conversations and business stories.
09:15 Why throwing your own team under the bus makes you look insecure and unprofessional.
14:00 Handling mistakes in house without making your client part of the internal drama.
18:45 Blaming circumstances like shipping, weather, and vendors and how that lands on your client.
23:30 Real stories from customs delays, snowstorms, and missing packages that test your policies.
28:15 Building timelines, boundaries, and rush rules that protect you from "unforeseen" issues.
33:00 When it is actually appropriate to share responsibility or context with a client.
37:30 Why the buck stopping with you is the price of freedom in business and how to accept it.
40:45 Breaking down "you have to spend money to make money" for small, high end businesses.
44:00 What new businesses should avoid spending on, including swag and overbuilt branding.
47:30 A simple filter for deciding what to invest in next so you are not blaming your spending later.
Resources + Links
Apply for Luxury Clothier Collective Mastermind HERE
More resources for custom clothiers HERE
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Appointment Only in IG: @appointmentonlypod
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