The Hidden Debt That Nearly Sank My Business
Burnout-Proof Business Series
A few years ago, I couldn’t figure out why my business felt stuck.
I had leads coming in.
My offers were solid.
My audience seemed engaged.
But no matter how much I launched, posted, or promoted…
Revenue wasn’t growing the way it should.
And then it hit me like a punch to the gut:
I was losing money and I didn’t even realise it.
Not because I didn’t have enough leads.
Not because my products weren’t good enough.
Not because my audience didn’t “get it.”
I was losing money because I was carrying a debt I couldn’t see.
It’s called Relationship Debt.
And it was draining my business like a slow leak in a sinking ship.
The Revenue Leak I Never Saw Coming
Here’s what no one tells you when you’re focused on growth:
Your biggest threat isn’t a lack of new leads.
It’s the people who already trusted you and quietly disappeared.
Every time I skipped a follow-up...
Every client who faded away without a word...
Every person who bought from me once and never heard from me again...
I was stacking up Relationship Debt.
A quiet, invisible weight pulling my profits down, month after month.
How It Crept In Without Me Realising
It happened slowly.
I was busy chasing the next launch, the next client, the next dopamine hit of “new business.”
Meanwhile:
My Reason Clients, the ones who’d bought once, weren’t coming back.
My Season Clients, the ones who joined my memberships and programmes, were slipping away.
My Lifetime Clients, the ones I thought would stay forever had gone silent.
And then one day, I looked around and realised:
My repeat sales had dried up
Referrals had stopped
My engagement was flatter than a pancake
It wasn’t bad luck.
It wasn’t the algorithm.
It wasn’t because I wasn’t working hard enough.
It was Relationship Debt.
And it was costing me more than I could see.
The Brutal Cost of Ignoring Relationship Debt
Back then, I did what most business owners do:
I obsessed over getting new clients.
I poured time, money, and energy into chasing fresh leads.
And I ignored the people who’d already said yes to me.
Here’s the thing:
It costs 5-7 times more to get a new client than to keep an existing one.
Existing clients are 5x more likely to buy again.
They’re 4x more likely to refer others.
And if you improve retention by just 5%, your profits can soar by up to 95%.
(Harvard Business Review said that, not me.)
I was paying to ignore the people who could’ve doubled my revenue.
The Warning Signs I Missed
I thought I was doing enough.
I was sending newsletters.
I was posting on social.
I thought my past clients would naturally come back when they needed me.
But if you’ve seen any of these signs, like I did:
Clients who ghost after one purchase
Referrals slowing to a crawl
Old clients who never reply, no matter how good your offer is
Audience engagement nosediving
You’re carrying Relationship Debt.
And it’s growing every day you ignore it.
How I Finally Fixed It
Once I realised what was happening, I knew I couldn’t keep bleeding revenue like this.
That’s why I created the Relationship Debt Scorecard.
I built it for myself first, because I needed a clear, honest look at where I was losing people.
It’s quick, free, and ruthless.
In less than 3 minutes, you’ll uncover:
Exactly how much Relationship Debt your business is carrying
The hidden cracks in your Reason, Season & Lifetime client relationships
The top three mistakes you’re making right now (I was making them too)
How much potential revenue is leaking out of your business
Once you know your score, you’ll finally see why your clients keep slipping away and what to do about it.
What Happens If You Don’t Fix This
Here’s the thing about Relationship Debt:
It doesn’t go away on its own.
It keeps growing, quietly sabotaging your business.
If you do nothing, you’ll face:
Fewer repeat sales
Fewer referrals
A disengaged, shrinking audience
More money wasted on cold leads
You can’t build a sustainable brand when your best clients are walking out the back door.
Ready to Pay It Down?
Here’s where to start:
👉 Take the free Relationship Debt Scorecard now
In under 3 minutes, you’ll see exactly where your relationships are breaking and how much it’s costing you.
And when you’re ready to fix it?
I’ve built the Relationship Debt Repair Kit the exact step-by-step system I used to reconnect with past clients, reignite referrals, and rebuild long-term, profitable relationships.
Because when your relationships are strong, your business doesn’t just grow, it becomes unstoppable.
With courage & conviction
PS:
I spent years chasing new clients, without realising how much revenue I was losing from the ones I’d already served.
Your next big wave of growth might not come from new leads, it might come from the clients you’ve already earned.
Start paying down your Relationship Debt today.