How to Address the Energetic Red Flags in Client Relationships
When I first started freelancing (100 years ago...), I absolutely undercharged for my time. In my full-time job, I was making about $25/hour, so charging $50-75/hour sounded outrageous to me. But even then, I had clients who clearly thought my ($35/hour) rate was too high.
Projects would begin with questions like:
“How many hours will this take?”
“Can you keep it to just one hour?”
Then came the “quick” calls that ran long, and the “small” revisions that somehow turned into eight rounds. Even with a clear scope and proposal, I ended up making closer to $15–$20/hour.
I didn’t say anything... I felt bad bringing it up, and I didn’t want to seem difficult. But that first “Can you keep it to one hour?” should’ve been my sign that this would be a difficult relationship.
Below, I’m diving deeper into the energetic red flags empaths should be on the lookout for — and how to address them with grace, clarity, and firm boundaries (so you don’t lose your mind or your magic).
3 Energetic Red Flags in Client Relationships
1. You feel anxious or heavy before interacting with them.
Your body is wise. That pit-in-your-stomach feeling before a call? Or the way your body tenses when their name shows up in your inbox? That’s not you being dramatic — that’s your nervous system doing its job.
I used to override those feelings (people pleasing and imposter syndrome in full force...) But if your gut is throwing up a flag before the Zoom room even opens, something’s off.
2. They love your work… but don’t respect your time.
Late replies, missed meetings, asking for “just one more tweak” 8 times — those are signals of a lack of energetic respect.
I once had a client who raved about my support — yet nearly every project came with a “can you keep this to just one hour?” request (when we both knew it would take 2-3). She was essentially asking me to respect her budget, while showing a clear disrespect for my time. Then came the “quick calls” that weren’t quick, the late feedback, the revision requests that never ended.
Loving your work doesn’t mean much if your time, energy, and expertise aren’t being respected.
3. Your boundaries start bending.
This can be a sneaky one. It starts small — a discount here, a favor there. Then suddenly you’re rewriting your contract to make them more comfortable… while completely abandoning the original scope.
Maybe you stay quiet because you don’t want to seem “difficult.” But when you’re giving more than you’re getting — energetically, financially, or emotionally — you’re not in an aligned client relationship. You’re in a slow leak.
How to Address Red Flags in Client Relationships — Without Burning Bridges
1. Pause + Check In
Before you respond, take a breath. Step away from the email, the Slack message, the creeping sense of “Ugh, here we go again.” Ask yourself: Am I feeling resentment, dread, or depletion? Those emotions aren’t random — they’re signals that something’s out of alignment. Listen to them before you react.
Keep Things Neutral
2. Keep Things Neutral
You don’t need to be defensive or apologetic. In fact, this often creates a trigger response on their end, which almost never leads to positive resolution. Instead, keep it factual and grounded with something like:
“I’ve noticed some of the recent changes have added time outside our original scope. I’d love to revisit expectations and outline any additional support you might need.”
Keep it simple and clear. You’re not being dramatic — you’re being a professional who values clarity.
3. Hold the Boundary, Kindly
When a client crosses the line, it’s tempting to either people-please or over-explain — and you don’t need to do either. You can stay kind and firm, with something like:
“I can absolutely support that — it would require an additional hour of work, billed at my regular rate.”
No justification needed — just clarity and compassion (for both you and your client).
4. Give Yourself Permission to Exit.
Sometimes, no amount of revisiting, reframing, or boundary-setting will fix things — and that’s okay. Not every client is meant to stay forever. If the relationship no longer supports your energy, your growth, or your goals, it’s okay to walk away. Just let it be a lesson, not a failure.
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