Another 3-month project drags on into its second year, another client misses a deadline, and you’re stuck cleaning up the mess. Again.

That’s because your timelines are built around your expectations - not you and your clients’ actual capacity to execute. Let's explore how you can finally clear that backlog of unfinished client projects that's draining your time and profit...

James stared at the email, his stomach sinking like a stone.

“We’re still waiting on the final revisions. This is taking longer than expected. What’s the ETA?”

A sharp pang of frustration shot through him. Longer than expected? This project was supposed to be done two years ago! Instead, it had ballooned into an endless cycle of tweaks, delays, and scope creep. The client had ghosted him for six months, only to return with “urgent” requests. His team was drained. And worse? He was doing half the work himself—again.

James rubbed his temples, staring at the untouched dinner his wife had left on his desk hours ago. He was exhausted. His schedule was packed with backlogged projects just like this one. Clients who dragged their feet, missed deadlines, and then expected him to pull miracles at the last minute.

And deep down, he knew the truth. This was his fault.

Because James hated disappointing anyone—even when it came at his own expense.

And now, he was paying the price.

The Flamingo Spotlight: Three Years Into A Three-Month Project

He still remembered the first call with this client. She had been so excited about working with him. But as she rattled off her needs, a quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered: She doesn’t have the time or resources to pull this off.

But instead of voicing his concerns, James silenced that voice. He wanted to help. He told himself; I can guide her through it.

So, he signed the contract.

From there, he mapped out a three-month timeline—tight but “doable.” The client needed it done yesterday so his timeline matched their urgent need for results.

But then, the first deadline passed. Then the second. Then the third.

Each time, the client swore they’d get him what he needed. Each time, James believed them.

By month six, the project was at a standstill. The client had disappeared. His team was stuck, waiting. Bills needed to be paid.

So, James did what he always did, he jumped in to fix it himself. He rewrote documents, chased down missing pieces, and became the client’s execution team. He knew it wasn’t his job, but what choice did he have? If he didn’t, the project would never end.

And that’s how a three-month project turned into three years.

Now, here he was. Stuck in another round of revisions with a client who barely remembered what they originally asked for.

The frustration boiled over. I can’t keep doing this.

That night, he called Freida Flamingo.

The Flamingo Fix: Setting Timelines That Stick

Freida listened as James spilled his frustrations. He spent 15 minutes ranting about his never-ending projects, the clients who disappeared for weeks, and the ones who missed deadlines like it was a sport. Plus the exhaustion of constantly picking up the slack.

When he finally paused, Freida sighed.

“James,” she said finally, “we both know what’s happening here. You’re not running a business. You’re running an adult daycare for clients who don’t have the structure to succeed.”

She ticked off the issues on her fingers.

🛑 You’re setting deadlines based on what’s realistic for you, not your clients.
🛑 You’re taking on clients who aren’t equipped to get results.
🛑 You’re chasing clients instead of holding them accountable.
🛑 You’re setting boundaries—but not enforcing them.

James exhaled. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. But what am I supposed to do? Fire my clients? Burn it all down and start over?”

Freida smirked. “Not today.” She leaned forward. “If you want to stop these endless service loops, we need to fix one thing first: your timelines.”

James frowned. “What do you mean? I set deadlines all the time.”

“James, how long do you think it takes your clients to complete the tasks you give them?”

James shrugged. “Depends. Some could do it in an afternoon. Others might need a few days.”

Freida arched a brow. “And how do you know that?”

Silence.

Freida shook her head. “That’s the problem. Just because something takes you 30 minutes doesn’t mean it takes them 30 minutes. That assumption is based on your ability, not your clients’ and the project’s reality. Plus we know you have time blindness. That’s why your projects stretch from three months to three years and your business suffer from cashflow problems.”

James sighed. “So, what do I do?”

Freida tapped the table. “Three things. If you do these, you’ll start seeing a shift almost immediately. Now, before I continue, I am making one big assumption here. I’m assuming that you already did a good job at mapping out the things that your clients need to do vs what you or your team need to do.”

🦩 STEP 1: Understand the Path To Realistic Enforceable Deadlines

“The first step,” Freida said, “is to stop guessing how long things should take and start using a real framework. Use the Three-Point Estimation Method. It averages three different time estimates for the project or each task to arrive at a more realistic project duration.

☕️ The worst-case time—when everything that could go wrong does go wrong.
☕️ The best-case time—when everything runs smoothly (which, let’s be real, rarely happens).
☕️ The most-likely time—when some things go well, and others don’t.

It also gives you some buffer because it accounts for uncertainty and potential risks in the project timeline. When you start estimating deadlines this way, you stop setting up your clients, your team and yourself for failure.”

James scribbled notes, nodding. He had never considered this before. He quickly realized that what he thought would take a client two days was more like two weeks in the real world. No wonder things kept running late.

Then Freida drilled in the next piece: accountability.

“Deadlines only work if they matter to your clients and you uphold them,” she said. “Right now, you’re setting dates, but there are no consequences when they’re missed. That ends today. Instead of constantly following up, build a system that makes it clear what happens if they don’t follow through.

🚨 If they miss a deadline, what’s the consequence?
🚨 If they disappear, how long before the project gets put on hold?
🚨 If they delay too long, do they lose access to your service?”

James frowned. “That feels… harsh.”

Freida shook her head. “What’s harsh is sacrificing your time, energy, and peace for people who aren’t holding up their end of the deal. If you keep giving grace without accountability, they’ll keep taking advantage of it. Not because they’re bad people, but because you’ve trained them to expect it.”

James exhaled slowly. Damn.

Freida’s voice softened. “You’re not their backup plan, James. You’re their service provider. The moment you start doing their work for them, you teach them that their deadlines don’t matter—because you’ll always pick up the slack.”

She let that sink in before continuing.

“So, what’s going to change?”

James clenched his jaw. “I’m going to stop letting projects drag on forever.”

Freida nodded. “Good. Now, let’s go into implementation mode.”

🦩 STEP 2: Fix Current "Grey Flamingo" Projects

“Now that you know how timelines should work, go fix the client project messes you’ve already got. You can’t leave past mistakes to fester. They are already sucking you, your business and team dry of your pink. Look at you, those projects have turned you into a grey flamingo - a shell of your vibrant self.”

James went through his active "grey flamingo" projects and met with each of his clients. Together, they:

🚀 Recalculated the timelines using the Three-Point Estimation Method.
🚀 Reset expectations and deadlines—with accountability baked in.

It was uncomfortable at first—some clients pushed back. But to his surprise, most of them were relieved. They hadn’t been dragging things out on purpose. Some were struggling to deliver in the tight timelines while others hadn’t realized how unrealistic the old timelines were.

And just like that, everyone aligned and started moving in the same direction. Progress finally started happening.

🦩 STEP 3: Create Templates & Structures for Future Projects

“Last step,” Freida said. “You can’t keep making the same mistakes. We need to build a repeatable system so this doesn’t keep happening whether you are involved or not.”

James got to work:

📌 He and Freida documented the Three-Point Estimation Method so his team could use it. Then he hired Freida to train his team on how to use the method going forward.
📌 He created structured templates for all his client project types. Thay set realistic deadlines from Day 1 and included milestones that gave him the foundation he needed to hold clients accountable and protect his and their interests without him having to chase them.

By the time he was done, James wasn’t just fixing a one-time problem. He had built a system that would keep his projects on time forever.

🦩The Ripple Effect: No More Endless Projects

Within weeks, James saw the difference that only grew more obvious as time went by.

His inbox, once filled with excuses and “Can we extend this?” messages, was suddenly quiet. Clients were actually meeting deadlines. Not because they magically became more responsible, but because the new structure made it easy for them to succeed—and impossible for them to drag things out indefinitely.

His team stopped waiting on clients who ghosted for months. Instead, they had clear timelines, realistic expectations, and a process to follow. If a client didn’t meet a checkpoint, the project didn’t stall—James’ team moved on without getting tangled in the delay.

Cash flow became more predictable. No more revenue bottlenecks from clients who disappeared mid-project. The structured timelines meant clients completed their work on time, so payments weren’t delayed for months (or years). In fact, James even raised some of his prices because the estimation technique made him realize that he had underpriced a few services based on how much work he and his team did.

He regained control of his time—and his sanity. No more working late nights trying to “catch up” on projects that should have been done ages ago. No more chasing clients like an unpaid project manager. No more feeling like his business owned him instead of the other way around.

For the first time in years, he had space to breathe. Space to think strategically, instead of constantly putting out fires. Space to serve new clients, because he wasn’t drowning in unfinished projects. Space to take a vacation without guilt—knowing that his business would keep running smoothly in his absence.

And most importantly—James was no longer stuck in the endless service loop.

He had built a business that supported him, too.

And that changed everything.

And the best part?

James finally had time to focus on growing his business. Because he wasn't drowning in unfinished work, James finally stepped into his role as a CEO.

The Flamingo Touch: Timing Is Everything

Flamingos don’t just wade into the water and hope for the best—they time their movements perfectly. Whether they’re feeding, nesting, or migrating, their survival depends on understanding the right moment to act.

Your business should do the same. James learned that perfect timing isn’t luck—it’s strategy. By setting realistic, enforceable deadlines, he ended the cycle of endless projects and reclaimed his time.

Set timelines that work for you and your clients. When you get it right, your business (and life) can flourish.

💡 Need a Fix?

Still stuck in endless project loops? If client delays, shifting deadlines, and last-minute scrambles are draining your time (and sanity), it's time to take back control. Let’s fix your timelines and create a structure that actually works. Book a strategy call here and let's get you back on track.

Our Flamingo Flow Framework isn’t just about getting your project timelines right—it’s about designing a service delivery process that lets you scale without sacrificing your sanity, team, or client experience.

If you are not ready for a call, here are other ways we can help.

OPTION 1: Join CEO Like A CEO - our high-touch mentorship for growing CEOs and leaders. Step out of the weeds, scale smarter and lead stronger with structure, strategy, and sanity backed by human-centered business optimization tactics and data-driven decision-making.

OPTION 2: Invite us to speak or do a business workshop/training. Drop us an email.

OPTION 3: Grab the "How to Train Your Clients" Workshop. Just $99 to learn how to set rock-solid boundaries (and get clients to actually respect them).

OPTION 4: Subscribe to Flamingo Fix. Weekly, no-BS strategies to scale smart, enforce boundaries, and build a business that actually feels good to run and grow. As a bonus, the first issue shares our proven client onboarding process, complete with the tools to create a red-carpet onboarding experience that wow your clients without utter chaos or losing your sanity.

Because your next-level business? It’s built on true leadership where you aren't holding everything together—you've built a business that holds you up, too.

Here’s to running a business on your terms—without the guilt. 💕

Be amazing,

Danielle & Chanel