Data Don't Lie: Fix, Freeze, or Fire

December 16, 2025

Hello, hello — and welcome back to Greedy Bitch, the podcast for groomers who are done apologizing for wanting more. I’m your host, River Lee, founder of The Savvy Groomer, and if you’re new here — this show is where we talk about the real stuff behind running a grooming business. The money, the mindset, the boundaries — and all the messy middle that comes with it. And listen… we’re hitting that time of year again. The holidays. When every human being on Earth seems to lose their mind just a little bit. Clients are calling last minute. Everyone suddenly “forgot” that Christmas comes the same day every year. People are cranky, tired, stressed — including you. But here’s the truth, my friend: This isn’t just about the holidays. This is the highlight reel of who people really are under pressure. So today, we’re going to talk about recognizing the patterns we’ve been ignoring. Today's episode is “Data Don’t Lie: Fix, Freeze, or Fire ” I’m going to help you decide how to tell when someone — a client, an employee, even a coworker — has crossed the line from stressful… to unacceptable. And even better — how to stop guessing, and start collecting data so that come January, you’re making clear, confident decisions instead of emotional, exhausted ones. Alright — deep breath. Grab your notebook, grab your coffee, and let’s get into it. Alright, so last podcast we talked about the patterns we may be been ignoring,from clients, the staff, the people who are testing your patience. Now we’re going to flip the script — because this isn’t just about them. It’s also about you. You can’t talk about red flags without looking at your own dashboard lights. Because burnout doesn’t show up with a neon sign that says, “You’re done.” It creeps in quietly. It starts small — and before you know it, you’re running on caffeine, resentment, and survival mode. Let’s be real: groomers are masters at pushing through. We’ll skip lunch, ignore back pain, and say, “It’s fine, I’ll rest after Christmas.” But spoiler alert — “after Christmas” never actually comes, does it? Then suddenly it’s March and you’re wondering why you’re crying in your van between grooms. Sound familiar? So, let’s treat burnout like what it really is — data. It’s feedback from your body, your brain, your business. Let’s talk about your stress metrics. Here are a few I want you to start tracking this month. Nothing fancy — just awareness. How many meals did you skip this week? How many times did you vent about a client or coworker instead of celebrating a win? How many nights did you go home too tired to eat or shower? How many mornings did you wake up with dread instead of drive? If those numbers are creeping up — that’s not weakness. That’s information. We tend to think of data as spreadsheets and numbers — but this? This is emotional bookkeeping. Your skipped lunch is a data point. Your frustration is a data point. That Sunday night anxiety that makes your chest tight? Yep — that’s data too. And if you’re feeling “off,” you don’t need to explain it away. You need to listen to it. Your mind and body are basically the employees that never stop working — and they’ve been filing complaints for months. You just keep ignoring HR. If your business had an HR department, you’d already have three write-ups from your own nervous system. So here’s your wake-up call — start treating your burnout like a KPI. You track revenue, you track bookings, you track shampoo inventory — why not track your energy? Because if your stress is up 40% and your patience is down 80%, it doesn’t matter what your profit margin looks like. You’re not actually winning. Now, I know some of you are thinking, “River, it’s the holidays — of course I’m tired!” Sure. But there’s tired… and then there’s tapped out. Tired is normal. You rest, you recover, you’re fine. Tapped out is when you wake up and think, “I physically can’t do this anymore.” Tapped out is when you start fantasizing about quitting grooming entirely, moving to a cabin, and living off grid with twelve cats. (And listen, I’ve been there.) That’s why these stress metrics matter — because they help you catch it early. Here’s the pattern I want you to start noticing: When you’re at or near capacity, your behavior shifts. You start snapping at small things. You start resenting the clients you used to adore. You start dreading calls and messages that didn’t used to bother you. And that’s not you “being negative.” That’s your energy account going into overdraft. You cannot keep writing checks from a balance that’s already empty. So instead of powering through December like a martyr, I want you to start collecting proof. Proof that your business model might need adjusting. Proof that certain clients or staff members are draining more than they’re contributing. Proof that you’re not crazy — you’re just overloaded. Maybe you’ve outgrown your current schedule. Maybe you need a buffer day each week. Maybe your prices don’t actually reflect the level of effort you’re giving. Whatever it is — your burnout is trying to tell you something. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you find yourself venting about the same client every week — the one who constantly picks fights or questions your prices. That’s not “just venting.” That’s an alarm bell. Or you notice that every Friday, your body feels wrecked, your temper’s short, and your employees avoid eye contact. That’s not “holiday stress.” That’s a system issue — maybe scheduling, maybe culture, maybe leadership load. Whatever it is — it’s not a moral failure. It’s a data point. Take your feelings seriously. They’re not random. They’re reporting. If you’re venting more than you’re grooming — it’s time for a change. And that change doesn’t have to be dramatic. It might just mean saying no to one extra dog a day. Or finally letting go of the client who’s been emotionally exhausting you since 2018. Or maybe it’s delegating — hiring that assistant you keep saying you can’t “afford.” Because here’s the truth — you can’t afford not to. You can’t grow a sustainable business on burnout. You can’t build wealth when your health is tanking. And you sure as hell can’t lead others if you’re falling apart behind the table. So here’s your assignment for this week: Keep tracking your external red flags — but add yourself to the list. Ask: Am I respecting my own boundaries as much as I expect clients to? Am I honoring my own needs as much as I demand others honor my policies? Because if you don’t treat yourself like a valued employee, no one else will either. You can’t attract respectful clients while disrespecting your own limits. You deserve a business that doesn’t burn you alive every holiday season. You deserve to come home and still have enough energy left to eat dinner, to laugh, to actually live. So start using your burnout as a compass. If something keeps draining you — don’t shame it, study it. Because that’s where your next boundary belongs. Alright — you’ve been collecting data. You’ve tracked the red flags. You’ve been observing the patterns — not just in other people, but in yourself. Now what? It’s time to make decisions. And not emotional, spur-of-the-moment, “I swear if she texts me one more time…” decisions. No — I’m talking about strategic, intentional decisions that protect your peace and your profit. And to do that, I want you to use my favorite end-of-year framework: Fix, Freeze, or Fire. This is the moment where you stop surviving the season and start designing the next one. FIX Let’s start with the most hopeful one: Fix. This is for the relationships — clients, team members, even vendors — that are worth saving. Not every problem means someone’s toxic. Sometimes it just means someone needs direction. If a client’s late but apologetic, or a bather keeps forgetting to restock but genuinely wants to improve — that’s fixable. You fix those situations with conversation, not confrontation. That means pulling them aside and saying something like, “Hey, I noticed you’ve been late a few times. I know it’s a busy season, but I need you to plan to arrive ten minutes early so we stay on track.” It’s calm, it’s clear, and it’s actionable. Or for clients, “I totally understand you’re running behind, but I have to stay on schedule for everyone else. In January, I’ll be enforcing my late policy again so I can protect everyone’s time.” Boom. You’ve reestablished the boundary without turning it into a battle. Fixing is about leadership. It’s choosing to teach, not tolerate. To redirect, not resent. Sometimes the people in your business don’t even realize what they’re doing until you show them. But — and this is key — once you’ve taught, once you’ve communicated clearly, once you’ve documented it… If it still keeps happening? You move to phase two. FREEZE Now, this one’s my secret weapon. Freeze means pause, limit, or put a boundary in writing. Think of it like business probation — not punishment, but structure. You’re saying, “Hey, something’s not working here, and before I make a final decision, I need to see some change.” Maybe that means reducing how often you see that client. If they always flake on Saturdays, move them to a weekday. If they keep arguing about price, switch them to prepay only. Or for staff — maybe you take that bather off certain dogs until they’re retrained. Maybe you limit how many big dogs your team handles per day to reduce burnout. It’s not punitive — it’s preventative. You’re freezing the pattern before it becomes permanent. And listen, sometimes “freezing” just means putting your own damn self in timeout. You ever get so frustrated with someone that you think, “If I respond right now, I’m gonna say something I can’t unsay”? Yeah. That’s a self-freeze moment. Walk away. Breathe. Write it down. Then come back when you can lead from logic, not adrenaline. Freezing gives you time to see if someone’s coachable — or just comfortable. Because if you freeze the relationship and they use that time to grow, awesome! You’ve salvaged something worth keeping. But if you freeze it and they just keep proving your point? Then you’re ready for the last phase. FIRE You knew this one was coming. Sometimes you’ve given the grace, the guidance, the boundaries — and they still don’t respect you. That’s when it’s time to bless and release. Now, I know that sounds easy, but I also know how hard it really is. Because firing — whether it’s a client, an employee, or a friend in the grooming community — triggers all the people-pleaser guilt we’ve been trained to carry. You start thinking, “What if they badmouth me?” “What if I lose income?” “What if I’m overreacting?” But let me tell you something — You’re not losing money when you fire a toxic client. You’re reclaiming the emotional bandwidth that’s been costing you far more than they ever paid you. You can’t attract soulmate clients or healthy team members when your roster is full of energy vampires. And listen — “fire” doesn’t always mean dramatic or nasty. It doesn’t need to be a soap opera moment. It can sound like: “Hey, I think we’ve outgrown each other. I wish you the best.” Professional. Calm. Final. You don’t have to light bridges on fire — but you also don’t need to keep rebuilding ones that collapse every time someone walks across them. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do — for both of you — is let them go. Now, let’s talk about the ripple effect of that decision. Because when you fire someone — client, staff, or even a process that’s no longer serving you — you create space. Space for peace. Space for profit. Space for better people to find you. The universe doesn’t reward tolerance; it rewards alignment. And when you release the wrong people, you make room for the right ones to show up. January isn’t about resolutions — it’s about realignment. The data you collect this month tells you who stays, who goes, and what needs to change so next year actually feels different. Because here’s the truth — you can’t fix what you refuse to face. And you can’t scale what’s secretly suffocating you. So as you go through your notes — all those little observations you’ve been writing down all December — ask yourself: Who’s adding to my peace? Who’s neutral? And who’s constantly taking more than they give? That’s your Fix, Freeze, Fire map right there. You know how we say, “Not every dog is a good fit for every groomer”? Well, not every human is a good fit for your business, either. And that’s okay. That’s not failure — that’s discernment. This is the power of this process. It’s not emotional — it’s intentional. It’s about reclaiming your authority as the leader of your business. You’ve spent too many years apologizing for wanting respect, for needing boundaries, for saying, “This isn’t working.” But the truth is, your peace is profitable. And the sooner you start honoring it, the faster everything else falls into place. So take that notebook, take your red-yellow-green lists, and start deciding who and what gets to come with you into next year. Because you’ve earned the right to be selective. Alright, my friend — take a deep breath. This season will test you, no doubt. But remember: the chaos isn’t here to destroy you. It’s here to reveal you. You’ve worked too hard to build a business that makes you miserable. You deserve peace. You deserve profit. You deserve respect. Start collecting your data now, because come January, you’re going to make moves — not excuses. And when you do? You’ll be stepping into the next season of your business as the boss you were always meant to be. If this hit home, share it with a fellow groomer who needs permission to say “no” without guilt. And don’t forget to grab your Free Holiday Boundaries Script at SavvyGroomer.com/HolidayBoundaries. Until next time, stay savvy, stay greedy — and never apologize for wanting more. 💋

Episode Transcript

I’m going to help you decide how to tell when someone — a client, an employee, even a coworker — has crossed the line from stressful… to unacceptable.
And even better — how to stop guessing, and start collecting data so that come January, you’re making clear, confident decisions instead of emotional, exhausted ones.
Alright — deep breath. Grab your notebook, grab your coffee, and let’s get into it.
Alright, so last podcast we talked about the patterns we may be been ignoring,from clients, the staff, the people who are testing your patience.
Now we’re going to flip the script — because this isn’t just about them.
It’s also about you.
You can’t talk about red flags without looking at your own dashboard lights.
Because burnout doesn’t show up with a neon sign that says, “You’re done.”
It creeps in quietly.
It starts small — and before you know it, you’re running on caffeine, resentment, and survival mode.
Let’s be real: groomers are masters at pushing through.
We’ll skip lunch, ignore back pain, and say, “It’s fine, I’ll rest after Christmas.”
But spoiler alert — “after Christmas” never actually comes, does it?
Then suddenly it’s March and you’re wondering why you’re crying in your van between grooms.
Sound familiar?
So, let’s treat burnout like what it really is — data.
It’s feedback from your body, your brain, your business.
________________

Let’s talk about your stress metrics.
Here are a few I want you to start tracking this month.
Nothing fancy — just awareness.
* How many meals did you skip this week?

* How many times did you vent about a client or coworker instead of celebrating a win?

* How many nights did you go home too tired to eat or shower?

* How many mornings did you wake up with dread instead of drive?

If those numbers are creeping up — that’s not weakness.
That’s information.
________________

We tend to think of data as spreadsheets and numbers — but this?
This is emotional bookkeeping.
Your skipped lunch is a data point.
Your frustration is a data point.
That Sunday night anxiety that makes your chest tight?
Yep — that’s data too.
And if you’re feeling “off,” you don’t need to explain it away.
You need to listen to it.
Your mind and body are basically the employees that never stop working —
and they’ve been filing complaints for months.
You just keep ignoring HR.
________________

If your business had an HR department, you’d already have three write-ups from your own nervous system.
So here’s your wake-up call — start treating your burnout like a KPI.
You track revenue, you track bookings, you track shampoo inventory — why not track your energy?
Because if your stress is up 40% and your patience is down 80%,
it doesn’t matter what your profit margin looks like.
You’re not actually winning.
________________

Now, I know some of you are thinking,
“River, it’s the holidays — of course I’m tired!”
Sure. But there’s tired… and then there’s tapped out.
Tired is normal. You rest, you recover, you’re fine.
Tapped out is when you wake up and think,
“I physically can’t do this anymore.”
Tapped out is when you start fantasizing about quitting grooming entirely, moving to a cabin, and living off grid with twelve cats.
(And listen, I’ve been there.)
________________

That’s why these stress metrics matter — because they help you catch it early.
Here’s the pattern I want you to start noticing:
When you’re at or near capacity, your behavior shifts.
* You start snapping at small things.

* You start resenting the clients you used to adore.

* You start dreading calls and messages that didn’t used to bother you.

And that’s not you “being negative.”
That’s your energy account going into overdraft.
You cannot keep writing checks from a balance that’s already empty.
________________

So instead of powering through December like a martyr,
I want you to start collecting proof.
Proof that your business model might need adjusting.
Proof that certain clients or staff members are draining more than they’re contributing.
Proof that you’re not crazy — you’re just overloaded.
Maybe you’ve outgrown your current schedule.
Maybe you need a buffer day each week.
Maybe your prices don’t actually reflect the level of effort you’re giving.
Whatever it is — your burnout is trying to tell you something.
________________

Let me give you an example.
Let’s say you find yourself venting about the same client every week —
the one who constantly picks fights or questions your prices.
That’s not “just venting.”
That’s an alarm bell.
Or you notice that every Friday, your body feels wrecked, your temper’s short, and your employees avoid eye contact.
That’s not “holiday stress.”
That’s a system issue — maybe scheduling, maybe culture, maybe leadership load.
Whatever it is — it’s not a moral failure.
It’s a data point.
________________

Take your feelings seriously.
They’re not random. They’re reporting.
If you’re venting more than you’re grooming — it’s time for a change.
And that change doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It might just mean saying no to one extra dog a day.
Or finally letting go of the client who’s been emotionally exhausting you since 2018.
Or maybe it’s delegating — hiring that assistant you keep saying you can’t “afford.”
Because here’s the truth — you can’t afford not to.
You can’t grow a sustainable business on burnout.
You can’t build wealth when your health is tanking.
And you sure as hell can’t lead others if you’re falling apart behind the table.
________________

So here’s your assignment for this week:
Keep tracking your external red flags — but add yourself to the list.
Ask:
* Am I respecting my own boundaries as much as I expect clients to?

* Am I honoring my own needs as much as I demand others honor my policies?

Because if you don’t treat yourself like a valued employee, no one else will either.
You can’t attract respectful clients while disrespecting your own limits.
________________

You deserve a business that doesn’t burn you alive every holiday season.
You deserve to come home and still have enough energy left to eat dinner, to laugh, to actually live.
So start using your burnout as a compass.
If something keeps draining you — don’t shame it, study it.
Because that’s where your next boundary belongs.
________________

Alright — you’ve been collecting data.
You’ve tracked the red flags.
You’ve been observing the patterns — not just in other people, but in yourself.
Now what?
It’s time to make decisions.
And not emotional, spur-of-the-moment, “I swear if she texts me one more time…” decisions.
No — I’m talking about strategic, intentional decisions that protect your peace and your profit.
And to do that, I want you to use my favorite end-of-year framework:
Fix, Freeze, or Fire.
This is the moment where you stop surviving the season and start designing the next one.
________________

FIX
Let’s start with the most hopeful one: Fix.
This is for the relationships — clients, team members, even vendors — that are worth saving.
Not every problem means someone’s toxic. Sometimes it just means someone needs direction.
If a client’s late but apologetic, or a bather keeps forgetting to restock but genuinely wants to improve — that’s fixable.
You fix those situations with conversation, not confrontation.
That means pulling them aside and saying something like,
“Hey, I noticed you’ve been late a few times. I know it’s a busy season, but I need you to plan to arrive ten minutes early so we stay on track.”
It’s calm, it’s clear, and it’s actionable.
Or for clients,
“I totally understand you’re running behind, but I have to stay on schedule for everyone else. In January, I’ll be enforcing my late policy again so I can protect everyone’s time.”
Boom. You’ve reestablished the boundary without turning it into a battle.
________________

Fixing is about leadership.
It’s choosing to teach, not tolerate.
To redirect, not resent.
Sometimes the people in your business don’t even realize what they’re doing until you show them.
But — and this is key — once you’ve taught, once you’ve communicated clearly, once you’ve documented it…
If it still keeps happening?
You move to phase two.
________________

FREEZE
Now, this one’s my secret weapon.
Freeze means pause, limit, or put a boundary in writing.
Think of it like business probation — not punishment, but structure.
You’re saying,
“Hey, something’s not working here, and before I make a final decision, I need to see some change.”
Maybe that means reducing how often you see that client.
If they always flake on Saturdays, move them to a weekday.
If they keep arguing about price, switch them to prepay only.
Or for staff — maybe you take that bather off certain dogs until they’re retrained.
Maybe you limit how many big dogs your team handles per day to reduce burnout.
It’s not punitive — it’s preventative.
You’re freezing the pattern before it becomes permanent.
________________

And listen, sometimes “freezing” just means putting your own damn self in timeout.
You ever get so frustrated with someone that you think,
“If I respond right now, I’m gonna say something I can’t unsay”?
Yeah. That’s a self-freeze moment.
Walk away. Breathe. Write it down.
Then come back when you can lead from logic, not adrenaline.
________________

Freezing gives you time to see if someone’s coachable — or just comfortable.
Because if you freeze the relationship and they use that time to grow, awesome!
You’ve salvaged something worth keeping.
But if you freeze it and they just keep proving your point?
Then you’re ready for the last phase.
________________

FIRE
You knew this one was coming.
Sometimes you’ve given the grace, the guidance, the boundaries — and they still don’t respect you.
That’s when it’s time to bless and release.
Now, I know that sounds easy, but I also know how hard it really is.
Because firing — whether it’s a client, an employee, or a friend in the grooming community — triggers all the people-pleaser guilt we’ve been trained to carry.
You start thinking,
“What if they badmouth me?”
“What if I lose income?”
“What if I’m overreacting?”
But let me tell you something —
You’re not losing money when you fire a toxic client.
You’re reclaiming the emotional bandwidth that’s been costing you far more than they ever paid you.
You can’t attract soulmate clients or healthy team members when your roster is full of energy vampires.
________________

And listen — “fire” doesn’t always mean dramatic or nasty.
It doesn’t need to be a soap opera moment.
It can sound like:
“Hey, I think we’ve outgrown each other. I wish you the best.”
Professional. Calm. Final.
You don’t have to light bridges on fire — but you also don’t need to keep rebuilding ones that collapse every time someone walks across them.
Sometimes the kindest thing you can do — for both of you — is let them go.
________________

Now, let’s talk about the ripple effect of that decision.
Because when you fire someone — client, staff, or even a process that’s no longer serving you —
you create space.
Space for peace.
Space for profit.
Space for better people to find you.
The universe doesn’t reward tolerance; it rewards alignment.
And when you release the wrong people, you make room for the right ones to show up.
________________

January isn’t about resolutions — it’s about realignment.
The data you collect this month tells you who stays, who goes, and what needs to change so next year actually feels different.
Because here’s the truth — you can’t fix what you refuse to face.
And you can’t scale what’s secretly suffocating you.
So as you go through your notes — all those little observations you’ve been writing down all December —
ask yourself:
* Who’s adding to my peace?

* Who’s neutral?

* And who’s constantly taking more than they give?

That’s your Fix, Freeze, Fire map right there.
________________

You know how we say, “Not every dog is a good fit for every groomer”?
Well, not every human is a good fit for your business, either.
And that’s okay.
That’s not failure — that’s discernment.
________________

This is the power of this process.
It’s not emotional — it’s intentional.
It’s about reclaiming your authority as the leader of your business.
You’ve spent too many years apologizing for wanting respect, for needing boundaries, for saying, “This isn’t working.”
But the truth is, your peace is profitable.
And the sooner you start honoring it, the faster everything else falls into place.
So take that notebook, take your red-yellow-green lists, and start deciding who and what gets to come with you into next year.
Because you’ve earned the right to be selective.
Alright, my friend — take a deep breath.
This season will test you, no doubt.
But remember: the chaos isn’t here to destroy you. It’s here to reveal you.
You’ve worked too hard to build a business that makes you miserable.
You deserve peace. You deserve profit. You deserve respect.
Start collecting your data now, because come January, you’re going to make moves — not excuses.
And when you do? You’ll be stepping into the next season of your business as the boss you were always meant to be.

If this hit home, share it with a fellow groomer who needs permission to say “no” without guilt.
And don’t forget to grab your Free Holiday Boundaries Script at SavvyGroomer.com/HolidayBoundaries.
Until next time, stay savvy, stay greedy —
and never apologize for wanting more. 💋

Data Don't Lie: Fix, Freeze, or Fire

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