The Best Advice I Got in a Client Debrief

“I need you to tell me what you really think.”

That’s what a client told me during a debrief last year.

He runs a 9-figure company.

We had just wrapped a few weeks of content: strong posts, healthy engagement, early traction.

I figured we were in a good groove.

But on the call, he stopped me.

“You’re saying yes to too many of my suggestions.”
“And I’m wise enough to know…I’m not that good at this.”
“I need you to be the expert.”It wasn’t criticism.

It was a challenge.

He didn’t want someone to follow his lead. He wanted someone to take it.

And that shifted everything for me.

From that day forward, I started showing up differently:
→ More direct
→ More opinionated
→ More invested in the outcome, not just the deliverables

Because the truth is, being “easy to work with” only gets you so far.

People hire you to lead.

The Tip: Feedback Is Fuel

That moment taught me something a lot of creators and consultants forget:

Deference kills authority.

You don’t earn trust by nodding along.
You earn it by telling the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable.

→ Push back when needed
→ Back it up with strategy
→ Lead the room like it’s your job—because it is

The best clients want your edge.
The worst ones want a mirror.

Know the difference.
And be brave enough to act on it.

Da Vinci Revised Himself Relentlessly

Leonardo da Vinci questioned, corrected, and rewrote constantly.

His notebooks span thousands of pages. Not because he was unsure, but because he was committed to mastery.

He treated feedback from the world and from within as fuel.

He continually sharpened his ideas.

That’s what real creators do.

The Invitation

If you’re ready to build a personal brand that actually drives deal flow (not vanity metrics)…you need a system, and a coach who won’t hold back.

The Creative Catalyst 5-Step Program helps you:

→ Define your positioning
→ Create content that builds trust
→ Turn your brand into a pipeline

I’ve opened 3 coaching spots this month.

Reply “EXPERT” to this email or DM me directly.

Let’s build something worth following.