Fall In Love With Your Clients

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 today’s episode is perfectly timed for February. Because it’s the month of love… and I want to talk about who you’re actually in a relationship with in your business. Not your partner. Not your dog. Your clients. Because here’s the thing no one tells groomers early enough: You can be booked solid. You can be making money. You can look “successful” from the outside. …and still quietly dread your day-to-day life. And most of the time, that doesn’t come from grooming itself. It comes from the relationships you’ve built your business on. So today, we’re talking about: Fling clients Ideal clients And soulmate clients And how falling in love with your clients doesn’t mean being softer, nicer, or more accommodating. It means building a business that actually loves you back. Let’s talk about fling clients. And before anyone feels called out, I want to be very clear: Most groomers did not choose fling clients on purpose. We were taught to accept them. Early in our careers, the message was: Say yes. Take what you can get. Be grateful for every client. And in the beginning, that makes sense. You’re building. You’re learning. You’re trying to survive. But somewhere along the way, temporary clients became the foundation of permanent businesses. And that’s where things start to hurt. Fling clients are the clients who: Book once and disappear Only show up when they’re desperate Don’t read your policies Don’t remember your boundaries And don’t feel invested in you They’re not bad people. They’re just not committed. Here are a few grooming-specific examples — and I want you to notice how your body reacts as I say them. The once-a-year doodle. They promise they’ll be on a schedule… but you don’t hear from them again until the dog is matted and they’re panicking. The “can you squeeze me in?” client. Not because of an emergency — but because they waited too long and now it’s suddenly your problem. The client who disappears the moment you enforce a boundary. You correct pickup time. You enforce a matting policy. You raise prices. And suddenly? Gone. These are fling clients. And here’s the part most groomers don’t realize until they’re exhausted: Fling clients are expensive. Financially, they: Create gaps in your schedule Require re-education every visit Take more time than they’re priced for Emotionally, they: Keep you on edge Create resentment Require constant mental energy Operationally, they: Create chaos Make staffing harder Make income unpredictable And the sneakiest part? You start reshaping your business around them. You loosen policies. You over-explain. You hesitate to raise prices. You make exceptions “just this once.” That’s not love. That’s survival mode. Fling clients are not the problem — expecting commitment from them is. Now let’s talk about ideal clients. These are the clients most groomers think they want. They show up. They pay. They’re polite. They mostly follow the rules. They’re… fine. Ideal clients feel safe. They don’t cause drama. They don’t stress you out the way fling clients do. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get said enough: Ideal clients often represent a comfort ceiling. They keep your business running — but not necessarily growing. You still remind them. You still explain policies. You still manage expectations. Let’s compare this for a moment. An ideal client: Asks questions about price Occasionally forgets policies Needs reminders Refers people similar to them A soulmate client: Accepts pricing without debate Respects systems Follows policies automatically Refers people who already trust you Ideal clients keep you busy. Soulmate clients make things easier. This is why so many grooming businesses plateau. They’re not failing. They’re not doing anything wrong. They’ve just built a business around “good enough.” And if you’ve ever thought: “I should be happier than I am with this…” That’s usually why. Let’s clear something up right now. Soulmate clients do not magically find you because you’re nice, talented, or have good vibes. That idea keeps groomers waiting instead of building. Soulmate clients are created through systems. Clear messaging. Strong onboarding. Consistent policies. And follow-through. Soulmate clients don’t require convincing. They trust your expertise. They understand how your business works. Every boundary you hold does two things: It repels a fling client… and signals safety to a soulmate client. People who value professionalism are attracted to structure. People who want exceptions are repelled by it. That’s not a flaw. That’s a filter. Soulmate clients: Respect your time Trust your recommendations Follow your systems Refer people just like them And here’s the part I really want you to hear: You don’t need more clients. You need better-aligned ones. When groomers shift toward soulmate clients, we see: Smaller schedules Higher income Better retention Less burnout More predictability Business stops feeling chaotic and starts feeling calm. And that’s not luck. That’s alignment. If you’re listening and thinking, “Why does this feel so hard for me?” Here’s the truth: No one taught us this. Most groomers were trained in: Safety. Technique. Breed patterns. Not client alignment. Not onboarding. Not de-alignment. So when things feel messy, we internalize it. We think: “I’m bad with people.” “I hate clients.” “This is just how grooming is.” No. You’re not bad at clients. You’re under-supported. Client alignment is a business skill, not a personality trait. And skills can be learned. Practiced. Refined. When you stop blaming yourself and start building systems, everything changes. If this episode hit close to home, that discomfort isn’t failure. It’s awareness. Most groomers didn’t intentionally build businesses that drain them. It happened slowly. Quietly. One “yes” at a time. And once you see the difference between fling clients, ideal clients, and soulmate clients — you can’t unsee it. Falling in love with your clients doesn’t mean overgiving. It means alignment. Clarity. Respect. And that doesn’t happen by accident. That’s why I created the Business Workshop Library. Inside, you’ll find on-demand workshops like: Identifying & Attracting Your Soulmate Clients Onboarding Clients & Dealing With Difficult Clients Once-A-Year Clients and whether they belong in your business at all ✨ It’s $200 for the year ✨ Or $50 a month You can watch at your own pace, revisit when needed, and apply what you learn to your real business. And if you’re looking for ongoing support instead of one-off fixes, that’s exactly what the Savvy Groomer Circle is for. Inside the Circle, you get continued education, monthly Q&As, real-time conversations, and support as you actively implement boundaries, policies, and systems in your business — not just think about them. And for those of you who want deeper access and closer support, the Inner Circle gives you just that — including direct access to me so you’re never figuring this out alone. You can learn more and join at savvygroomer.com/membership If you’re ready to stop building your business around flings and start intentionally creating alignment, you’ll find the Business Workshop Library at savvygroomer.com/gwg As always — stay savvy, stay greedy, and never apologize for wanting more.