This went viral on LinkedIn, and based on the response, a lot of people have dealt with some version of this.

A potential client once told me to choke on a chicken bone. Twice.

This happened before he ever became a client.

He had reached out about hiring my agency and seemed interested, but never actually moved forward.

But that didn't stop him from copying me on emails with business updates, personal news, and political opinions. (He was very concerned about who used what bathroom. I should've known trouble was coming.)

Eventually, I told him, politely, that I did not need to be copied on company emails unless and until we were officially working together.

He did not take that well.

He responded with a series of wildly unhinged emails, including not one but two separate instructions to choke on a chicken bone. I’m only sharing two of them, but yes, it was as bizarre as it sounds.

As funny as it is now, there was a real business lesson in it for me.

Someone who wants your attention, your time, and your mental bandwidth without a signed agreement is not a client.

I’m headed to Nashville this weekend with three pairs of cowboy boots, which feels excessive until you remember I’m me.

Pray I make it there without getting stuck at the airport with unpaid TSA and paid ICE agents. Don’t even get me started.

Christina

Currently Reading: I just finished Theo of Golden and was not as impressed as the rest of the world. Hidden Pictures is next up, thanks to my TBR jar.

Currently Listening: In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde (I'm obsessed with this Windy City series and know this book will already be five stars.)