[Ago]

Truthfully, I have found, in my experience, the best way for me to deal with clients such as this is to not have them.

I have had this difficulty with about 20% of the companies (and clients) in the past and the best thing I can do is increase my client base as to make them unnecessary.

The thing they all have in common is they always push at the end of the job to renegotiate the terms of the agreement because I work so fast I "make it look easy" and get the job done so much faster then they ever could have imagined.

I make it look easy because of a few factors, one is the physical toll it takes on me, it's very physically demanding, and one is the actual physical danger I place myself in. At the end of each job, my face hurts from gritting my teeth and I have adrenaline pumping through my system at an alarming rate, and I'm usually covered with contusions and abrasions. Another reason I get it done so fast is because I am a specialist, there are very few climbers that can or will even do large wood, but after a few hours I am "done in" and as I mentioned earlier, one or two hard days will require me to take to my bed for a few days to recover, this is by no means something I can do 40 hours a week, unless I slow WAY down.

There are only a few of us that do this any more, it's a highly specialized, incredibly dangerous field, there were 12 of us when I started 15 years ago, four of those men are now dead, and four injured so badly they couldn't continue, either from just choosing not to, or literally physically unable to continue (one got paralyzed), the other four of us started our own companies, I sold mine when I took over my families restaurant a few years ago.

I didn't plan on returning to this line of work, but it became available, and it's highly lucrative, although "spotty" (sporadic)

Anyway, generally speaking, the few folks that want "just a little more" at the end of the job, and try to renegotiate the contract at the end of the job display "red flags" early on, with a broad enough client base I just choose not to work for them.

This started off being one thing, and evolved to what it is as he went into financial difficulty, for now, it's a means to an end until I finalize my relocation process, which should be in another week or two, then I can start advertising for new clients and see about decreasing my dependence on just one client.

Having the ability to "down tools" and walk away at any time greatly increases my negotiating leverage in these situations, right now, I am unable to "enforce my boundaries" from a position of independence which is "If you -don't pay me properly and promptly- I will -walk away-

As it is, right now I have to just "negotiate" and do the best I can to "fight for my rights" but not from a position of autonomy and independence, I can't afford to lose him as a client at this time, so the weekly "discussion" is part of the job description, what I can do right now is have gratitude I am working, try to be as clear as I can what I expect, and try not to "attach" and get frustrated by these ongoing "renegotiations" and just realize they are part of working for this man, and work going forward to increase my client base once I relocate.

After I get a little more financial autonomy I will look at other career opportunities, this is by no means a long term endeavor for me, the danger and physical toll it takes is just too much. At 35 I was already way too old to be doing this, at 43 it's just ridiculous.