"It's not you… but we're cancelling."

Here's what I learned when those six words landed in my inbox...

A client cancels delivery at the 11th hour.
What do you do?

It happened to me recently and I'm trying to turn it into a learning moment (because what else do you do?).

I was literally reviewing my session notes, getting excited about the workshop I'd been planning for weeks, when the email came through.

🧠 Rationally? It's a reasonable decision for good reasons. They're my client, and they need to do what's right for their organisation.

But the impact?

💬 Externally I'm professional - of course I am.

😵‍💫 Internally, it's a cocktail of disappointment (I'd prepped and was genuinely raring to go), anxiety about what this means financially, and that familiar fear creeping in - what if they pull the whole project?

It's just one day. One bump in a much longer road.

And yet, it stirred up something deeper - that vulnerability that comes with learning to let go of the predictability of a steady paycheck.

This was the first piece of substantial income I'd generated in this new chapter. And now, delayed.

What if this wobble is actually teaching me something about the difference between employed security and entrepreneurial resilience?

So… what do I do?

I shake it off.

🎯 There's no sign this is a strategic pivot. They just need more time.
Client changes like this are part of running your own business.

And honestly, it's part of leadership - full stop.

In a corporate role, a cancelled project might not hit your wallet directly, but it still comes with consequences: reputation, performance, team morale. It all needs managing.

So what's the learning?

• Tighten up client boundaries
• Get clearer on what's contracted vs. optional
• Maintain regular dialogue to reduce surprises

No blame here. Just the honest experience of navigating what it means to build something on your own - and stay steady when the ground wobbles a bit.

👉 If you've navigated this too - that moment when plans shift and you have to recalibrate - what kept you steady?

Because honestly, sharing these stories helps normalise what can feel pretty isolating.

Let's make space for these moments. They're part of the journey.