Ashish, a mutual fund distributor from Kolkata, shared an experience with me recently.

“I met a doctor who had the CNBC app open on one hand while talking to me,” he said. “The doctor told me that his previous advisor didn’t warn him when the market was falling and didn’t pull out his money. He said, ‘I hope you will.’ The account was sizable. I wasn’t sure how to handle him. What would you do?”

I asked Ashish a simple question.

Do you really think you should be taking this person on as a client?

Because the purpose of the first meeting is not to sign someone up.

The purpose of the first meeting is to see if this person is someone you can do your best work with.

And that changes everything.

You are not interviewing for a job.
You are not chasing an account size.
You are not trying to impress.

You are sitting across the table asking yourself silently:
Will this person let me do my best work?
Will I enjoy working with him or her over the next decade?
Will this be a relationship built on trust and understanding—or one built on anxiety, blame, and unrealistic expectations?

Because the truth is, your client is not the money.

Your client is the person.

The money won’t call you at midnight in panic.
The money won’t accuse you of not moving fast enough when markets fall.
The money won’t complain when you recommend patience.

The doctor will.

If the doctor’s expectations are fundamentally transactional, if he believes that your role is to predict markets and shield him from every downturn, you are walking into a trap.

It doesn’t matter how big the account size is.
It doesn’t matter how prestigious the title is.
It doesn’t matter how enticing the opportunity looks on the surface.

Because a client without the right mindset will drain you.
Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually.

One difficult client can occupy the space of five great ones.

They can make you question yourself.
They can make you doubt your own philosophy.
They can pull you away from your real work, your real clients, and your real mission.

That is why you must be ruthless about who you allow into your practice.

Not ruthless to the person.

Ruthless about protecting your energy, your standards, and your ability to serve.

In Ashish’s case, if I were him, I would have stayed calm and curious in that meeting.
I would have asked questions gently.

Why do you feel your advisor should have pulled your money out when the market went down?
What makes you believe that timing the market is a reliable strategy?
How do you define success when it comes to your financial life?

The idea is not to argue.
The idea is to understand where the person’s worldview sits.

Because if someone truly believes that your role is to predict the market, and if they are not open to education or partnership, then you are trying to row a boat where the other person is drilling holes.

And that never ends well.

If through the conversation, I sensed that the doctor was open to learning, open to rethinking his assumptions, willing to shift from fear-driven reactions to a goal-based process, then maybe there is a foundation to work together.

But if I sensed rigidity, blame, or unrealistic expectations, I would have disengaged politely.

Not abruptly.
Not dismissively.
But respectfully.

I would have said something like:

“Doctor, I truly appreciate you considering me. I can sense how important your financial security is to you. I also want to be honest with you about how we work with our clients. Our philosophy is not about trying to move in and out of markets to avoid short-term declines. It is about building long-term strategies rooted in your goals, values, and what matters most to you.

Our best work happens with families who are aligned with this approach.
If that’s something that resonates with you, we would love to explore this further. If not, I completely understand and respect your need to find the right partner who matches your expectations.”

That’s it.

You are not insulting.
You are not arguing.
You are not defending yourself.

You are simply setting a boundary.

You are saying, “This is who I am. This is how I work. And I will only work with those who value that.”

Because here’s the reality that many financial professionals forget.

You are not for everyone.

You are not designed to serve everyone who has money.
You are designed to serve those who align with your values, your process, and your philosophy.

And that requires the courage to walk away when alignment isn’t there.

The bigger the opportunity looks, the more tempting it is to compromise.

But compromise today leads to regret tomorrow.

Because you might win the account but lose your peace.
You might collect the assets but destroy your joy.
You might grow in numbers but shrink in spirit.

And that is not why you entered this profession.

You entered this profession to make a difference.

To guide.
To protect.
To build something meaningful.

You can only do that if you protect the ecosystem you are building.

You can only do that if you realize that you are interviewing the client as much as the client is interviewing you.

Every meeting is an evaluation.

Not about how much money is on the table.
But of how much alignment there is in philosophy, mindset, and respect.

It is far better to walk away from a misaligned client than to onboard someone you will resent later.

Because your best work demands trust.
Your best work demands patience.
Your best work demands partnership.

You cannot do transformational work with someone who sees you as an “investment repairman.”

You can only do it with someone who sees you as a guide for life.

So, the next time you sit across the table from someone like the doctor Ashish met, remember this:

Ask yourself, not “How do I close this account?”
Ask yourself, “Is this someone I can serve deeply and happily?”

Because money is replaceable.

But energy, peace of mind, and the quality of your client relationships—those are priceless.

And those are the true assets you are building.

Choose wisely.

Because the future of your practice depends not just on how many clients you have.

It depends on who those clients are.