If you want to start working with better clients there is an essential first step that can be easily missed.

You have to first start saying NO to the wrong clients!

This may mean:

Letting go of CURRENT clients who are no longer a fit – If you have a glass of water that is already full and you try to pour more water in the glass, what happens? It overflows and creates a big mess! The same thing happens with clients. If you try to take on a new (better!) client when you are already too busy with existing clients you are NOT going to be able to show up and do your best work. First impressions count and if you don’t have the space/time for that new client you may even run the risk of losing them.

OR when your business is full your ideal clients might walk right on by and not even ‘see’ you – because energetically you don’t have room for them. This can sound a little ‘woo-woo’ but I’ve seen it time and time again – you wait and wait for better clients to start showing up but try as you might it’s just not happening. But you don’t want to let go of your current clients because they are safe & sure. Then the moment you let go of a client and create space for a better client things start to happen.

– It can be equally as tempting to continue to say yes to non-ideal prospects either for the money (which is always a consideration, of course!) or because you know you can do the work even if you don’t want to work with that person. So you say yes, suck it up and do it anyways… which leads you right back to our first point – with a business full of non-ideal clients and no room for anyone new!

The more you are willing to say NO to your non-ideal clients the more likely you are to find BETTER clients.

To be clear, I don’t recommend going crazy here and putting yourself into a state of desperation – I’ve seen people fire ALL of their clients overnight (or be advised to do so – eek!) and get themselves into trouble.

This isn’t about ripping off the band-aid, crossing your fingers and hoping that someone will show up. That rarely works out well.

This is about being purposeful about who you want to work with, and being willing to let go of those who are no longer a fit in a strategic and purposeful manner. And being ready to start connecting with the right kind of people.

When you have the courage to let go of what no longer serves you, then you are creating space for what is next. <– This is where change happens.