Letting Go of Clients – to Focus 100% on Digital Content Creation: Month 6 of My Journey to Joyful Digital Marketing

In last month’s Rainmaker Marketing Journey update, I shared how my lack of so-called WIP (work-in-progress) limits clogged up my content creation process. Realizing that is indeed helping me unclog my content creation process. However, I also mentioned a few other factors hindering my content creation process from flowing freely. I’m referring to freelance web design done for clients.

That part continued to bother and frustrate me. So much so, that one afternoon I found myself complaining to my partner Heidi about “too much work to do” and “never having time for my real work – the digital content dear to my heart – and future”.

Although I was complaining rather loudly and forcefully, I noticed another voice deep inside me, shouting from the depths of my creative soul; desperate to make me listen:

1. You’ve complained about this before.
2. Why haven’t you done something about it?
3. The only one who can change it… is you!

I got the message.

I’m halfway through this digital marketing journey, and it’s proving itself a real challenge. Take a look at my latest metrics:

As you can see above, my digital content creation didn’t do better in October, than preceding months.

I know it sounds like a bad excuse, but distractions and too many commitments (like client freelance work) seems to be a big part of what’s obstructing the creation of my upcoming content: a super-exciting, truly revolutionary online course that I’ve been working on for years now, as well as other digital content, like the boatload of blog post drafts I have floating around, carrying out my website rebranding/realignment, and executing lots of other cool stuff I so deeply wanna bring to fruition. Lots I wanna do, and it’s all stuff I believe has huge value. But only if I bring it all to fruition.

Things gotta change. I deeply want to realize my digital content strategy. That, or I’ll go bananas.

The solution: firing my clients

I considered charging higher prices, but my rates have never been cheap to begin with, and truthfully:

My freedom – to create and realize my dreams – has no price. It is priceless. Not “priceless” in a funny way, but in a dead serious way. And yes: I am dead serious about it: I believe it’s toxic to your health to do something day after day that keeps you in a locked state. It literally drains your life force.

I had to ask my long-time trusty, loyal, super-lovable (really) clients to please… go elsewhere.

Not easy.

But the voice from within was clear: I’m the only one who can do something about it, to change things. Change my life and business, for the better.

As long as I’m doing client work: I don’t make progress towards my own goals. Part of the reason is accountability (when someones expects you to do something it tends to get priority over your own stuff) and of course: pay. Client work pays the bills, aka basic needs are met: you get complacent.

Change requires… change.

I realize those words could’ve been uttered by Dr. Seuss or Yogi Berra. But it’s true… and somewhat scary: if we don’t make a change – nothing will change. Think about it.

But yeah: I decided to “fire” my web design clients. Was really difficult sending that “I’m quitting” farewell email. It may sound like a scene from a romantic Hollywood flick, but yes: I really did send my farewell email from my iPhone, while walking through the rainy, dark streets of Copenhagen, on a dark and stormy Monday, a few minutes to midnight, October 31st.

I almost had to use my opposite hand to force my thumb to tap Gmail’s Send-button.

Still, it felt GOOD sending that email. Long-overdue. Like an orgasm when you haven’t had one for a looong while.

(okay… maybe it didn’t feel that good, but you get the picture……. oh… no no no… not that picture… of me naked… having an orga… nevermind, you get… what I mean, then ☺︎)

What do you think? Am I’m crazy doing this?