There’s a line in the show Suits when Harvey Specter says:
“I AM the best. And I didn't get that way by letting other people call the shots.”
By “other people,” he’s referring to his clients, of course, all of whom have paid him very good money to do what he does best—and yet still attempt to drive the boat themselves. They’re difficult; they disagree; they push back; they become little green monsters the moment money has changed hands. Because that’s what it is, isn’t it?
Money changes the dynamic.
And sometimes when a client gives you money, that dynamic changes to one of slave ownership. You're viewed as an order-taker instead of an advisor; a hired hand instead of an expert. The attitude is this: “They’re doing you a favor by giving you the work.”
This is not a healthy way to do business.
But here’s the catch: it’s not about the way your clients treat you. It’s about the kind of behavior you’re willing to accept.
So if you know best, you better damn well say so.
If you insist, then insist.
Because you won’t become the best by letting people who are untrained in your craft, tell you how to do it.