Hey, there. AmyK here.

Just a few weeks ago I was collecting event attendees’ food preferences and dietary restrictions.

We were serving a feast, and I wanted everyone to feel respected and included. We had requests from lactose intolerant, corn-free & gluten-free individuals, to those with nut allergies, a need for low FODMAP, and zero tolerance for deli meats & high-mercury fish [pregnancy related].

Got it! On it!

I was delighted – truly! It was an honor to pull all of their preferences together and create something that was nutritious, delicious and wow’d!

Why? Because their comfort and well-being was important to me.

But. Big BUT …

Going out of my way to accommodate someone else’s needs has not always been my best choice. Nor should it be yours.

Early in my entrepreneurial journey, I found myself jumping through hoops and going above and beyond to please prospects. I lowered my prices, offered extra services for free, and bent over backwards to accommodate every request. I was so eager to hear “yes” that I sacrificed my boundaries and undervalued my work.

And, as you may have already anticipated, despite all these efforts and discounts, sometimes the prospect would ask for even more, get offended when I hesitated, or still come back with an emphatic “No!” if I didn’t meet every one of their demands.

Hmmmm.

Can you relate?

And … here’s what took me too long to realize.

Their “no” was actually a blessing. It was the Universe’s way of making space for better opportunities. Ones that I could not yet see and doubted I might ever see. The Universe believed in me more than I believed in myself.

When you lower your prices and overextend yourself, you’re not just giving away more—you’re signaling to the Universe that you don’t truly believe in your worth or the worth of your service offering or your product.

When you bend over backwards, you end up exhausted and resentful.

When you lower your prices out of fear or desperation, you attract clients who don’t fully value what you offer. These clients are often the most demanding, least satisfied, and quickest to negotiate even more. It’s a vicious cycle that leaves you feeling depleted and undervalued.

All those “no’s” and soul-sucking “yeses” taught me to trust that the right clients—the ones who see my value—don’t need me doing back flips or providing numerous extra perks to say yes. They’re willing to invest because they recognize the worth of what I bring to the table.

Standing firm in your pricing and boundaries, aligning with your values, and knowing your worth, attracts clients who are ready to work with you on your terms.

If you find yourself bending over backwards, lowering your prices or terms, or piling on extras only to face rejection—or worse, even more demands—consider this: maybe the Universe is clearing space for clients who truly value you.

Maybe it’s your turn to say, “No thank you,” to the nonsense and make room for the clients who see your worth.

Because the most powerful “yes” comes after you’ve boldly said “no” to everything and everyone who dims your brilliance.

Hugs,

AmyK