I’m telling you—if you skip this episode, you’re missing half your life. We finally had the chance to sit down with Ken Childs, Private Investigator at Paramount Investigative Services Inc., who got caught in the chaos surrounding the notorious “Crypto Godfather,” Adam Iza.
It all started when Ken made the mistake of taking Adam on as a client. Adam requested full surveillance on someone who had stolen his laptop—an already sensitive case that soon spiraled out of control. Alongside Ken’s company, Adam involved law enforcement and a hired thug, who forcefully recovered the laptop and blew the situation wide open.
When it came time to get paid, things got worse—Ken was never able to collect his retainer. He sued Adam, but that only escalated the madness. Adam dug up Ken’s personal information, began calling nonstop, and even spoofed a terrifying call to Ken’s in-laws in the middle of the night, making them think someone was in danger.
To make matters worse, Adam reversed his AMEX charges for the retainer and accused Ken of wire fraud, causing Wells Fargo to freeze all of his assets. Eventually, the FBI got involved—turning what should have been a routine surveillance job into a legal and emotional nightmare.
Tune in to hear how Ken navigated this harrowing ordeal, what he learned about protecting himself, and how he came out stronger on the other side.
Today, we take an inspiring turn with Bryan Wetzel—entrepreneur, author, and producer—who shares a client horror story that eventually became a long-term success.
In the 1990s, Bryan produced standout advertising work for Big Canoe, a resort-style community in North Georgia. Everything was going well until a new head of advertising arrived and commissioned an ambitious 10-minute video complete with helicopter flyovers, scripts, voiceovers, and a professional agency. Bryan secured all the talent and logistics for the four-day shoot, only to have the entire project canceled the day before filming—because a TV channel offered to do it for free. To add insult to injury, they demanded their deposit back.
Bryan stood his ground, took the matter to court, and won—not only keeping the deposit but receiving additional compensation. Remarkably, five years later, a new advertising director from Big Canoe reached out, praising his earlier work. Setting the past aside, Bryan returned to collaborate with them—for the next 16 years.
His story proves that how you conduct yourself in tough moments can shape opportunities years later. In both business and life, respect and professionalism during conflict can turn setbacks into future wins.
Today’s episode features Alex Sanfilippo, Podcaster and Founder of PodMatch, who shares one of his wildest client horror stories—about a demanding software user who thought they could dictate major changes to his company.
Shortly after signing up, the client insisted on a call to outline a list of changes—some reasonable, others impossible. Eager to help, and still new to the business, Alex agreed to explore them. But the demands escalated, with the client threatening to cancel their subscription if his requests weren’t met.
Wanting to please, Alex dove in, even agreeing to attend a coaching session arranged by the client. That decision proved costly: he spent six months developing a new feature that alienated other users—only for the client to leave anyway. The detour not only delayed more important projects but also shook his business partner’s confidence in him.
Tune in to hear how Alex overcame the setback, rebuilt trust, and learned one of the toughest lessons of his entrepreneurial journey.
Today’s guest is Paul H. Flowers Jr., Founder & CEO of Superior Insurance Advisors, who shares a client horror story he’ll never forget.
With a strong background in healthcare, Paul was hired by a company boasting a solid communication strategy to sell their products. Eager to bring value and make an impact, he quickly encountered an unexpected roadblock.
Despite operating in the industry for 30 years, the company had never implemented a proper CRM—the backbone of modern client management. Instead, they relied on SharePoint, Microsoft’s platform for document storage and team collaboration—effective in some contexts but “very old school” compared to today’s dedicated CRM systems.
This made organizing client data a logistical nightmare. But instead of backing down, Paul got creative—using two computers to manually email roughly 500 people in order to make a major event a success.
Tune in to hear how he pulled it off, and the lessons he learned about adapting under pressure.
Today's guest is Derrick Van Mell, Principal of The Center for Management Terms & Practices, who recalls a client horror story from his days as a general management consultant.
Derrick had set his sights on a massive, century-old manufacturing company and was thrilled when they accepted his proposal. Early in the engagement, he asked how they measured growth—only to discover they focused solely on their production schedule, ignoring their financial statements entirely.
When Derrick raised this concern in a meeting, one executive exploded, declaring, “I’ve never gotten so angry in my life!” before storming out. Soon after, Derrick met with the company president and other leaders. Following a CEO friend’s advice, he simply asked, “What do you want me to do?” While the conversation cooled tensions, it wasn’t enough to save his role.
This story is full of sharp turns, unexpected reactions, and lessons on the power—and limits—of listening. Keep listening to hear how Derrick navigated the situation and what it taught him about truly hearing clients.
Multicultural turnaround executive Ori Elraviv opens up about the pivotal misstep that led to his company’s downfall years ago. Before the iPhone era, Ori founded a game development company that secured a major partnership with Electronic Arts—an achievement that opened doors for a potential deal with Sony Pictures.
The pitch to Sony started strong, but things quickly unraveled when they discovered the company had developed a similar program for Electronic Arts. Sony questioned whether Ori’s team held the rights to reuse the technology—and when EA caught wind of the situation, the fallout was swift and severe.
The root of the problem? They hadn’t read the fine print. A costly oversight that ultimately led to the collapse of the business. Tune in to hear Ori’s full story and the lessons he took from the experience.
Michael Patino, Founder and CEO of Patino Associates, shares a cautionary tale from a partnership with a large global manufacturing organization. At the time, Michael had successfully placed a senior executive within the company—only to be stunned when, just a month later, the executive was suddenly terminated.
Wanting to understand what went wrong, Michael reached out and discovered that the executive had lied about holding a collegiate degree. The issue came to light after the individual repeatedly delayed submitting required documentation. When Michael reviewed the situation internally, he found that although the degree verification process had flagged the discrepancy, it had been overlooked by his assistant during the final review.
The experience was both frustrating and eye-opening. It pushed Michael to reevaluate internal workflows and reinforce checks and balances—lessons that now guide how his team handles candidate reviews and verifications.
Today’s guest is Devin Sizemore, owner of ACES Connection Group, who shares a wild client horror story about teaming up with a group of individuals to launch a motorcycle business. Things took off quickly—in just 14 days, they had a promising investor on board and a successful launch event that drew in custom orders and buzz.
But beneath the surface, betrayal was brewing. One partner secretly cozied up to the investor, taking credit for work he didn’t do, while also plotting with another co-founder to cut out the rest of the team. With his business instincts kicking in, Devin chose to walk away before things got worse.
It’s a jaw-dropping story of ambition, deception, and the hard lessons of trust in business. Buckle up—this episode doesn’t hold back.
Bill Gruber, Medical Device Executive and Author, shares a client horror story that starts off puzzling—but ends with a powerful lesson in emotional intelligence and professionalism.
The story dates back 20 years, when Bill was head of sales and marketing for a spinal products company. His team was preparing to launch a new device and had secured a respected surgeon to perform the first-ever procedure on a human patient. Everything seemed on track—until they entered the operating room. The once upbeat, easygoing doctor suddenly turned volatile—screaming at nurses, cursing at the team, and even causing the patient to slide on the table. Then, just as abruptly, he returned to his cheerful self after the procedure.
It wasn’t until later that Bill learned the doctor was in the middle of a brutal divorce—and the anesthesiologist in the room was his soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law.
This eye-opening episode is a masterclass in understanding how personal issues can spill into professional settings. Don’t miss it—you’ll never look at “doctor demeanor” the same way again.
Today, franchise expert Max Emma shares a client horror story about owning a bookkeeping franchise.
A woman who had recently left corporate America wanted to become her own boss by starting a franchise. She had the technical skills to understand the process but had never run a business before.
After Max helped her get everything set up, she suddenly announced she was going on a family vacation. Max was stunned—had he known, he would have advised launching after her trip to avoid losing momentum.
When she returned, Max hoped she would be ready to move forward. Instead, she told him she was facing financial issues and needed to find a job, meaning she could no longer continue with the franchise.
It was a roller-coaster experience—and one you’ll want to hear about. Tune in to this episode to learn what happened next.
In today’s episode, we’re joined by Andrew Bolton, CEO & Co-Founder of TechRescue—a tech support helpline dedicated to helping seniors navigate technology with ease, all at the press of a button.
Andrew shares a few wild client horror stories that pushed his team to the edge. One involved a new Tinder user trying to send disappearing videos via WhatsApp, while another escalated into chaos when an angry customer sent 150 emails in just five hours—all because they were stuck on hold for too long.
These incidents led Andrew to step back and completely reevaluate their systems to prevent future breakdowns and better serve their users.
If you're curious about the challenges of building tech solutions for seniors—and the unexpected lessons that come with it—tune in to this eye-opening episode.
Today’s guest is Paul Byrne, President & Founder of Razoyo, and he’s here to share a wild ride of a client experience that began with promise—and spiraled into chaos.
It all started when Paul was approached by a well-funded startup in the ecommerce space. Their niche? High-end products sold to professional designers. They were looking to upgrade their website and infuse it with fresh, innovative ideas—and Paul and his team were up for the challenge.
The initial collaboration was smooth, even friendly. Paul developed a solid rapport with the company’s executives. Despite some red flags—namely, payments arriving late—Paul gave them the benefit of the doubt, committed to building trust and avoiding early friction.
But as weeks turned into months and invoices remain unpaid, things took a troubling turn. Paul eventually discovered the root of the issue: the startup’s primary investor had died suddenly.
What followed was a descent into dysfunction. The late investor’s son, described as erratic and irresponsible, took over the company. Instead of stabilizing the business, he drained its funds, abandoned operations, and left chaos in his wake.
Caught in the storm, Paul and others were left unpaid and confused. But the story didn’t end there. Legal proceedings ensued, and Paul was eventually called in as a witness to help the original team fight to regain control of the company.
In this episode, Paul walks us through how he weathered the financial hit, preserved his professional integrity, and—remarkably—managed to stay on good terms with the startup’s original team.
Tune in to hear this unforgettable tale of trust, turmoil, and tenacity—and what it taught Paul about navigating client relationships in the world of ecommerce.
Steven Perry, Founder and CEO of The Well Recruiting Solutions, shares a client horror story that unexpectedly became a turning point in his career—and one that helped earn him a major promotion.
Early in his career as a young financial adviser, Steven and his partner were assisting a married executive couple in organizing their finances for retirement. Steven’s partner was responsible for follow-ups, but instead of maintaining professionalism, he overwhelmed them with daily messages. These were high-level executives with packed schedules, and the persistence came off as pushy rather than helpful.
Things took a turn when Steven received a call from the husband, informing him they no longer wanted to work with the firm. The reason? Steven’s partner had accused their secretary—who happened to be their daughter—of failing to forward messages to the wife.
Steven knew the damage was done, but he also knew how he responded could make all the difference. He waited 40 minutes at the husband’s office just to offer a sincere apology, taking full responsibility for his partner’s actions. Weeks later, he received an email from the couple thanking him for his professionalism—and asking to continue working with him exclusively.
Tune in to hear how a near-disaster taught Steven the power of ownership, humility, and grace under pressure.
Kathryn Smith, founder of Walton Birch, shares a client horror story unlike anything we’ve heard before.
In the early days of launching her custom web development company—with just herself on the team—Kathryn expected the usual startup challenges. But nothing could’ve prepared her for this.
A former client referred a woman who needed help with her Shopify site. What seemed like a routine job quickly spiraled out of control. The client had no login credentials, so Kathryn contacted Shopify for support, followed a string of verification steps, and even reached out to the client’s former developer. After more than three months—and repeated threats from the client to terminate the contract—Kathryn finally gained access to the site.
That’s when she discovered the shocking truth: the website didn’t belong to the client.
Despite being informed that she had no legal ownership or rights to the site, the client insisted on proceeding as if nothing was wrong. Was it a scam? Misunderstanding? Fraud?
What began as a simple project turned into a digital identity crisis. Tune in to hear how Kathryn navigated this bizarre and stressful ordeal—and the lessons she learned about due diligence, boundaries, and trusting your gut.
There’s nothing crazier than Andy Reinhold’s client horror story, and you’re gonna want to listen.
A few years ago, Andy, founder of Studio Spark, was working in the tech division of a major consulting firm, maintaining outdated government software. With each change in administration, the system grew harder to decipher—so much so that they had to track down long-retired employees just to understand the codebase.
Andy and his team manually reviewed over a million lines of legacy code to help determine who qualified for Social Security checks. For three weeks, everything ran smoothly—until it didn’t.
One day, Andy received a call warning him of a serious issue with the SSI system—and, strangely, to avoid watching the news. Naturally, he did the opposite. Headlines revealed a holiday disaster: people were receiving significantly reduced Social Security checks right before Christmas. While the team scrambled and successfully patched the issue within a week, the cause remained a mystery.
It wasn’t until after the holidays that they discovered the culprit: a single missing character buried deep in the code.
Tune in to hear how one tiny oversight led to a nationwide ripple effect—and how this experience reshaped Andy’s understanding of accountability, precision, and career purpose.
In today’s episode, Matthieu Mehuys, Co-Founder of Paulownia Landscape Architects, shares a client horror story that most professionals hope they never have to face.
Matthieu’s love for plants began at just three years old. That passion led him to study landscape architecture, explore the depths of the Amazon rainforest, and master the art of cultivating breathtaking gardens. But it wasn’t until a life-threatening encounter with dengue fever that he had a wake-up call—one that pushed him to start his own business.
In his very first year, a wealthy client from Germany reached out with a lucrative garden renovation project. Sensing a major opportunity, Matthieu took it—and even brought in a trusted contractor from Belgium, who made a 12-hour journey for the job. But chaos struck on day one: another contractor, still working on the home’s façade, threw everything off schedule. Despite completing the garden, the situation spiraled into disaster when the client sued for damages.
What went wrong—and what did Matthieu learn from the ordeal? Tune in to hear how he weathered the storm, the lessons he took away, and how it reshaped his approach to future clients and projects.
Have you ever worked with people who insisted they knew best—even when they clearly didn’t? In early 2017, when blockchain was the buzzword of the moment, Tamara Adlin of Adlin, Inc. was referred by an investor to help a rising startup build smart contracts, enabling smoother collaboration for developers.
At first, things looked promising. Tamara brought strong, strategic ideas to the table. But instead of focusing on foundational planning, the team wanted to do everything all at once—charging ahead without stopping to think things through. As a seasoned expert, Tamara tried to guide them by slowing things down to ultimately speed up progress.
But tensions rose when the founders asked her to "label the elevator buttons" before the building’s foundation was even poured. The misalignment was too great, and eventually, both sides decided to part ways.
Tamara now shares stories like this—and the insights they offer—on her podcast, Corporate Underpants, where she helps strip down what really goes wrong in business.
There’s a lot more to this story—and it just might make you question how much anyone really knows in fast-moving industries. Tune in to this episode to hear Tamara’s lessons on expertise, ego, and building things that actually last.
Running a business often means putting out fires—but some fires should never have been lit in the first place. In today’s client horror story, Melinda Spaulding, Author of "Finding Insight", shares a frustrating tale from her early years that highlights just how chaotic procurement can get.
Everything had been going smoothly with one client—contracts were signed, terms agreed upon, and work was underway. But out of nowhere, a representative from the company called Melinda's business line one evening with alarming news: they were canceling the contract because "we shouldn't have agreed on the billing terms in the first place."
With everyone else aligned and the original agreement in place, Melinda was blindsided. Panic set in. What would happen next? Days of uncertainty followed until a new contract arrived—only for her to realize that the purchase order reflected the original billing terms all along.
So what was the point of this wild goose chase? What did it teach her about corporate miscommunication, emotional resilience, and trusting your gut?
Listen to the episode to hear how Melinda turned this chaos into clarity—and what you can learn from the fire that never should've started.
In this episode, Sheila Butler, Founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Butler Marketing Group, FL LLC, tells us about the time when she forged a partnership to launch 20,000 hotel rooms. What was once thought to be a huge and successful project turned out to be underwhelming and disappointing for everyone involved.
Due to tech issues, overwriting part of their database did not go as planned. Instead of advertising each room as a luxury stay, they were shown as regular rooms—boring, right? Likewise, it didn’t help that the moment they launched their product, COVID happened and the lockdown started.
While they banked on the fact that things would pick up soon and they could leverage coupons and such, they failed to see that their chosen payment platform didn’t cater to all the countries they were targeting.
Tune in to know more about Sheila's experience!
Imagine being your own bubbly self and getting so much hate from someone who projected their insecurities on you. This is what happened to the author and creator of Confused Girl in the City, Giovanna Silvestre.
At 25, fresh out of college, Giovanna had the opportunity to become the second assistant to a big-time director of a big-time movie at a big-time studio. As someone fresh in the industry, she assumed she worked directly under the director. Anyhow, that was cleared up as the first assistant clearly hated her guts and gave her a lot of random tasks which backfired.
When Giovanna was asked to help the director’s wife in arranging his birthday, she formed a deep relationship with the wife and immediately became everybody’s favorite—she even ended up dating their friend! The first assistant was so pissed and thought to sabotage everything by making up stories about her and eventually firing her.
There’s so much more to learn, so listen in and join the adventure!
