A client cancelled on us right after the onboarding call. Not because anything w
By Liranhirschkorn · May 20, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
A client cancelled on us right after the onboarding call.
Not because anything went wrong or the team wasn't sharp or the strategy wasn't solid. A previous agency had burned them with constant turnover and account handoffs, so when they saw a full team on the call instead of just me, it triggered something.
They let fear make the decision.
They even asked their Amazon SAS manager if he knew us, and he told them about one of his other brands who left us and came back a month later because the other agency messed up.
The audit we did was strong. They liked everyone on the call. And before they even officially cancelled, they asked if they could come back if things don't work out with the freelancer they have in mind.
This happens all the time in business and life. A bad experience in the past becomes a filter for every decision going forward. You stop evaluating what's actually in front of you and start reacting to what hurt you before.
Fear is a signal. It's worth listening to. But it shouldn't be the one making the call.
Before you walk away from something that checks every box, ask yourself honestly am I making this decision based on the evidence in front of me, or based on the last time I got burned?
Those are very different things.
As for me, I try not to make reactive decisions. I pause, talk it through with someone I trust (usually just speak outloud to the Creator), sleep on it, and then decide. Fear and FOMO are terrible business partners.