Kids and clients… It occurred to me recently that sometimes they can be very similar. We love them for the joy (cough, cough, or money) they bring to our lives, and get frustrated by all the grey hairs they give. As a parent, I’ve realized there are times when kids and clients needed to be treated in the same ways. (Read more)

1. sut t oncreat ivest udios.com http://suttoncreativestudios.com/kids-and-clients/
Kimberly Sutton May 19, 2014
Kids and Clients
Kids and clients… It occurred to me recently that sometimes they can be very similar. We love them f or the joy
(cough, cough, or money) they bring to our lives, and get f rustrated by all the grey hairs they give. As a parent,
I’ve realized there are times when kids and clients needed to be treated in the same ways.
Subdue the Hungry Grumpies – I don’t know about your kids, but mine
get the hungry grumpies, just like me. As a client occasionally myself , I
wouldn’t want to be my contractor when they’re working with me on a
hungry stomach. Coincidentally, I have clients who aren’t as pleasant when
they haven’t eaten either. If I have access to their calendar and I sense an
attack by the hungry monster, I will usually encourage my client(s) to take a
break to get a bite.
More times than not, I have not had an opportunity to eat recently (thanks
to the morphing client), and I will take my own break then as well. What
would happen if I didn’t f orce a break? Probably World War III. And when the Hungry Grumpies are involved, you
could wind up with ridiculous temper tantrums.
“Are You Listening to Me?” – Kids and clients can both have the f rustrating habit of
not listening. While I don’t ask my clients to repeat back what I told them to conf irm
they heard me (hey, they’re paying me, not the other way around!) – I do it to my kids
all my time. Either way, it’s obvious that kids AND clients can have listening problems.
Here’s a gentle reminder to all you small business owners: keep your cool, even
when you have to repeat yourself 1,000 times. Well, keep your cool AND send
whatever you told your client verbally in written f orm as well (ie. perhaps a, “per our
phone discussion, this is what we discussed” email) so that when he/she f orgets
down the road you can simply re-send or f orward your email. I hate to say it, but
having that copy available to re-send will make YOU look good and your client… eh.
Right now let’s worry about making you good, even though it should always be your
priority to make your client(s) look good as well.
Monkey in the Middle – Kids and clients both play games sometimes,
although the latter isn’t necessary intentional. A common game of both
parties is Monkey in the Middle. As a parent you may f eel like you are
constantly chauf f ering f rom Point A to Point B, trying to catch a break. The
same goes as a small business owner. Running f rom task to task it’s easy
to be emotionally AND physically exhausted by the end of the day.
As parents there is a point when we say “Stop the madness!” We tell the
kids they are driving us donkey bonkers (yes, that’s the expression in our
house), and they need to f ind something quiet to do f or a bit. But we don’t
dare tell the same to our clients. Continued success for our clients
makes us look good, so how can we tell them to stop swinging from
vine to vine for bit?
How about, “I’ve got a lot on my plate f rom you already. How about if we clean some of these tasks, or if we

2. re-prioritize bef ore anything else is added?”
Remember, you ARE a f ull time parent, but chances are you are not a f ull-time contractor to any of your clients.
Kids and clients both require a immense amount of time, care and concentration, but at the end of
the day you only live with one of those parties… THEY are the ones who need your love and nurturing,
and at 5pm you still need the energy to give them the hugs and kisses they deserve.
Kids and clients both require an overwhelming supply of patience, and Sutton Creative Studios has a
seemingly endless supply! If your clients are multiplying the gray hairs your kids already gave you, our
phenomenal staf f of graphic designers, marketing consultants and virtual assistants can help you get
your hectic lif e back in order! Contact us today f or more inf ormation.
*****
Kim Sutton is a f ounding partner of Sutton Creative Studios, an agency specializing
in social media management, graphic design and virtual assistance. She is a
graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she earned her
Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architecture. In her f ree-time, Kim cherishes the time
she gets to spend with her husband, Dave (her business partner), and three children.
She also enjoys reading, knitting and writing. You are invited to f ollow Sutton
Creative Studios by f ollowing our blog, subscribing to our newsletter, or
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