3Spoonies On Setting Boundaries with Clients and Partners: Community Questions

3Spoonies Episode Number 51.1, 26th March 2026 With Karen Duncan , Jo O’Neil and Claire Napper    In this community questions episode of 3Spoonies, we talk honestly about setting boundaries with clients — especially around messages, interruptions, notifications, and business hours. If you’ve ever felt pressured to reply the second a client messages you… If seeing “online” makes people assume you’re available… If voice notes, constant pings, or out-of-hours messages drain your energy… You’re not alone — and you’re not being unreasonable. We answer real community questions about how to explain to clients that “just a quick message” can be a big interruption, especially for neurodivergent business owners and people with limited energy or capacity. This is a supportive, real-life conversation about boundaries in business — without hustle culture, toxic productivity, or pressure to be constantly available.   Feel free to come and join us on any of our socials  Website - www.3spoonies.co.uk Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/3Spoonies Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/3spooniespodcast/  Blue Sky - https://bsky.app/profile/3spoonies.bsky.social  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3spoonies  Newsletter Sign Up - Get the weekly episode straight to your inbox: https://subscribepage.io/Spoonieletter      If you’d like to find out more about our hosts; Jo O’Neil Website: https://bright-cat.co.uk/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-oneil/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrightCatBusiness    Claire Napper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-napper Website: www.blackveilstationery.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/Blackveilstationery   Karen Duncan Website: http://www.ponyponypony.co.uk  LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/PonyPonyPony  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PonyPonyPonyCourses    Sponsors A HUGE thank to our main episode sponsor:   Outside the Box: Neurodiverse Coaching and Mentoring® Supporting neurodivergent adults to finally thrive in a world that sees their brilliance Website: https://amandamckay.com/  Support Needs Wheel download: https://amandajharman.com/supportneedswheel/ Book a discovery call with AJ: https://calendar.app.google/DoCLrD9DhaFv3w7B8   Would you like to buy us a coffee? Check our Ko-Fi at Ko-fi.com/3spoonies   _____ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:23 Sponsor 00:59 Community Questions Intro 01:36 Dealing with Capacity Questions from Clients 04:52 Being Honest About Availability 07:42 Managing Expectations and Boundaries 10:58 Handling Last-Minute Requests 13:44 Communicating Your Limits Professionally 16:52 Building Sustainable Client Relationships 19:38 Final Thoughts _____