Took me 3 breakdowns to realize turning down work is part of the job

I was hauling 60 hour weeks for like 4 months straight, taking every single gig that came my way. Figured more work = more money = more security, you know? Then I crashed hard around week 14, couldn't even look at my email without getting nauseous. Had to cancel on three regulars who still haven't come back. Now I cap myself at 35 hours and just say no to stuff that doesn't fit. Has anyone else lost clients after setting a boundary like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyallen1d ago

Hate that you lost those regulars, that's rough.

joseph481d ago

Saw a similar thing happen to a bakery in Portland last year, and what people missed was how the regulars leaving actually made the menu better. The owner started rotating in seasonal items that the old crowd never would've tried, and ended up drawing in a younger crowd that spent more per visit. I bet your 5pm customers shifted to 7pm and are just hitting your competitors right now out of habit, not loyalty. If you change up a couple of your evening specials for a month, you might pull some of them back once they hear about it on social media.

william_craig71d ago

Well, that Portland bakery story is a good one but the 5pm crowd shifting to 7pm seems unlikely given dinner rush.