My client ended early and I panicked (June Recap)
A client handover, a mile long AI backlog, and why I'm spring cleaning in June.
Hi there,
Endings scare me. More than I’d like to admit. I slow down my reading to avoid finishing a beloved book; I avoid watching a TV show’s finale, and I hate goodbyes with long-distance friends.
So when one of my longest-standing clients rounded off our work this month, earlier than I’d initially planned for, my first reaction wasn’t pride.
It was panic. (Not my finest growth-consultant moment, I know.)
It took me a few days to see it clearly. The work hadn’t gone wrong; it was time for them to hire someone full-time to take over. I’d just thought I’d have a few more weeks to round off.
It was tempting to immediately look for a replacement, but, as if by serendipity, I was fortunate enough to be asked about a few potential projects.
But I stopped myself from taking them on.
I’d just been carrying too much, and I needed time to tidy up. To reorganize. To work out what I actually want more of, and what I’m finally ready to put down.
So that became the real theme of June: tidying up.
I know it’s nearly July and technically far too late (and hot) for spring cleaning. But clearing the clutter in my business, my life, and my head has felt so good.
So much has changed lately, in the world and in my own life, and I’m only human. I needed the room to process. This month, I finally took it.
Here’s everything that happened in June.
What I’ve been writing
Two articles went live this month:
The First 7 Days Are The Most Underrated CRO Opportunity (Convert)
Takeaway: The first week is where retention is quietly won or lost. Get those seven days right and everything downstream gets easier.
Monthly Plans Might Be Your Best Option (RevenueCat)
Takeaway: Annual isn’t always the smart default. Sometimes, monthly is the better call, and I make the case for when.
What’s been happening with clients
The client I mentioned at the top? Here’s the part that makes the ending easier to swallow.
Over the year or so we worked together, their sales grew 167%. Subscription revenue? Up 210%.
They’ve now grown to the point where they’re ready to hand the reins to someone else for a while.
And when I finally stop panicking long enough to actually look at it, that’s exactly what you want to happen. A client outgrowing you in the best way is a strange, proud, slightly sad thing all at once. The baby brand is flying out of the nest.
The lesson I keep relearning: an ending isn’t a failure. Sometimes it’s just space.
And this particular ending makes space that I feel like I’ve needed.
Such as time to build more automations to take the manual, repetitive tasks off my plate. Less admin, more thinking.
Clearing the clutter so there’s room for the work that actually needs me.
What I’ve been up to with Women in Experimentation
I’ve been deep in prep for a personal branding cohort, and I genuinely can’t wait for it. Every sign-up that comes through makes me giddy with excitement.
One reason it matters so much to me is that we’re giving spots to people who’ve lost their jobs or are going through a tough time.
Personal branding shouldn’t be a luxury for when everything’s already going well. It matters most when you’re rebuilding. That one sits very close to my heart.
If that’s you, or you know someone who could benefit, here’s the form for the free spots.
And if you’d like to join the cohort in general, you can apply here.
I’ve also been working with the judges to select the speakers for the WiE Summit. Reading through the submissions and getting to shape who gets the stage has been a huge challenge (120+ applicants) but also a quiet highlights of my month.
A little recognition
I won Best Educational Content for Community Content with Guest Test at the Best in Test Awards.
I’ve poured so much time into writing and content over the years, often wondering if any of it actually lands, so seeing that recognised meant more than I expected. I also got a badge, which is pretty cool.
This month’s flip flops
The panic when the client ended. I’ve already told you this one. My first instinct when something rounds off is to spiral rather than celebrate. I’m working on catching it faster. Progress, not perfection.
I tell founders to do less, then build myself a to-do list a mile long. I spent part of this month mapping out all the AI tools and automations I want to build, and ended up with a backlog so big I’d never actually start any of it.
I built some cool new things with AI this month.
Curious? Let me know, and I’ll include a “What I built” section in the next recap.
The irony of the “you need fewer, better things” person doing exactly the opposite was not lost on me. So I went back and made every idea smaller. The smaller the task, the more likely I’ll actually do it. (Funny how the advice I give is always easier to give than to take.) More on this next week.
I nearly stopped us from doing the Personal Branding Cohort. I let my own doubts fill my head: what if we don’t have PMF? What if no one signs up? What if my challenges on LinkedIn recently make me the wrong person for this?
I’m so glad Lucia and Marcella encouraged us to go ahead, because seeing the stories of the people who signed up for both paid and free spots has been such a motivator.
Just because I can do it doesn’t mean I should. I got asked a lot this month for meetings outside my usual time, process changes, and extra tasks. In the last few months,
I’ve been a bit too quick to say yes, but it’s come at a cost. This still happened a few times in June, but at least this month I was aware of it and managed to say no much more often than before.
What I’ve been enjoying
A month of less travel, which has been so nice. The one trip was at the very start of June, to see my sister who’s been in hospital in Bordeaux. Everything since has been lovely and local, and I’ve been soaking up the London weather while it lasts.
The highlight: I got to see Lily Allen with my younger sister. She’s a journalist and somehow managed to get us tickets, which was just incredible.
I’ve been a bit obsessed with her latest album, mostly because of how raw and emotional it is. The whole show was one beautiful theatre performance from start to finish.
If you missed my newsletters this month
Looking ahead to July
First up, a live SubClub episode tonight together with Alice Muir on Reactivation Strategies.
Then there are a few more articles on their way, focusing on fixing your first renewal and reducing churn due to ‘low usage’. First renewals and low usage are two of the most under-watched moments in the subscription lifecycle, and I’ve got a lot to say about both.
And of course, the live personal branding cohort is in July too.
Otherwise?
More tidying.
More AI automations (I’ve been nerding out building a second brain).
If June taught me anything, it’s that endings aren’t the enemy. Sometimes they’re just space, to tidy up, to reorganise, to choose what you want more of.
I’m only human (a fact I’m relearning constantly), and I needed the room to process. I’m taking it.
Till next time,
Daphne