Client Horror Stories

Today's guest, Ed Hajim—Author, Philanthropist, and Mentor—joins us to share a collection of Client Horror Stories from his remarkable career. Trust us, these are stories you'll want to hear.

During his time as Managing Partner of a mid-sized investment bank, Ed helped grow the firm's revenue from $20 million to over half a billion, eventually selling the company twice—the first time to Xerox. But success didn't come without conflict.

One of the partners accused Ed of "doing everything wrong" and predicted he'd run the company into the ground. Because they felt this, they decided to leave and sell their stock back to the firm. About 12 months later Xerox offered to buy the firm at about triple its private valuation.

When the departed partner learned of the possible transaction he sued. Xerox refused to close the deal until the lawsuit was settled, so the firm paid the ex-partner off just to move forward.

And that's only one of Ed's incredible stories. Tune in to hear more about his rollercoaster experiences in finance—and the lessons he learned about leadership, conflict, and resilience along the way.

Morgan Friedman
Ed's Website
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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
Cordell's Website
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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
Eric's Website
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Eric's Facebook

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
Brad's Website
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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

Spencer's Website

Spencer's LinkedIn

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

Angela's Website

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Today, Greg Digneo, Founder of Content Guppy, shares a Client Horror Story that proves some people really are as wild as they seem.

In the early 2000s, Greg and a friend launched a solar panel company with no prior experience. To their surprise, two of their university professors became their first customers, and the money they earned from those projects was more than they had ever handled since graduation.

Their third client, however, was a different story. At their first meeting, he proudly bragged about suing a flooring company to get his floors done for free—a red flag they overlooked in their excitement to keep the profits rolling. They went ahead and installed the panels, unaware of the chaos that would follow.

For the next 17 years, the client repeatedly contacted them, threatening lawsuits over various issues. Eventually, Greg and his friend stopped engaging—only to later learn the man had been arrested for impersonating a police officer.

This is just the beginning of the story. Watch the full episode to hear how Greg and his partner navigated years of bizarre threats and what they learned about trusting their instincts when red flags appear.

Morgan Friedman

Greg's Website

Greg's LinkedIn

Kate Viana, Founder of Viana Communications, shares a Client Horror Story like no other.

In 2021, after leaving a nonprofit to strike out on her own, Kate was thrilled when a Texas-based client reached out. She began by improving their website—despite having little experience and doing it for free—before transitioning into consulting work.

Eager to expand her expertise, Kate offered to visit the organization in person. What she discovered was shocking. At her very first dinner meeting, leaders openly backstabbed each other and spread negativity. Survey responses later confirmed what she had witnessed: a toxic, abusive workplace. During a site visit, Kate saw it firsthand when the executive director screamed at employees in front of her.

Still committed, Kate compiled a detailed report outlining her observations. Instead of appreciation, she was abruptly let go. Months later, when the organization demanded access to the website and files she had created, Kate requested payment before handing anything over. That's when things spiraled.

The executive director launched a campaign of harassment—bombarding Kate with emails, calls, texts, and even social media attacks. She went as far as contacting her new employers to berate her.

Tune in to hear how Kate endured this ordeal and the changes she made to protect herself and her business moving forward.

Morgan Friedman
Kate's Website
Kate's LinkedIn

Today, Aleks Krylov, President of Stern Gutters, shares a Client Horror Story that dragged on for months.

In October of last year, a retired woman contacted his team to install gutter protection at her home. By the first week of November, the installation was complete, and the final bill was charged.

Just days later, Aleks began receiving emails and phone calls from the client claiming the technician had caused damage—breaking a patio lamp and chipping paint beneath the gutters. The technician firmly denied the allegations, noting he hadn’t even accessed those areas and that such damage was physically impossible.

When the client realized her credit card had been charged for the balance, she became furious and demanded a full refund. Taking it further, she filed a dispute with the bank. Aleks responded with all the required documentation and ultimately won the case. After that, the customer went completely silent.

Six months later, in April, the client’s husband finally reached out, offering to be home after Memorial Day to resolve the matter. Aleks and his team handled the situation, and on June 3rd, the project was officially closed.

Tune in to hear how Aleks navigated this long ordeal—and the lessons he learned about patience, persistence, and professionalism along the way.

Morgan Friedman
Aleks' Website
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Today's horror story is a little different—it focuses not on a client, but on our speaker himself: Ron Reich, Founder of RLB Training & Development.

Years ago, while working at an HR consulting firm, Ron received a surprising call from someone in Dallas who told him he was "the opposite of what he said he was." Odd as it sounded, the call turned out to be life-changing—the man was offering Ron an opportunity to become a trainer and facilitator at Toshiba, a dream role he had long aspired to.

Soon after, Ron was tasked with leading a five-day product knowledge sales training class. While he excelled at the training aspect, his lack of product knowledge quickly showed. By day three, two attendees walked out, and Ron was later berated by his boss's boss for being unprepared.

The painful experience became a defining lesson for him: no matter how skilled you are, preparation is everything. Tune in to hear how Ron turned this low point into a cornerstone of his growth as a leader and trainer.

Morgan Friedman

Ron's Website

Ron's LinkedIn

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Ron's Facebook