82. How to Stop Giving Your Time and Expertise Away for Free

How many times this week did you give something away for free? Not money. Not a product. Your time. Your knowledge. Your expertise. Your energy. In this episode I share a real client story about a man who kept answering calls he shouldn't have been taking — not because he didn't know better, but because somewhere along the way he learned that being available was the same as being valuable. He's not alone. This episode is for anyone who keeps picking up the phone when they shouldn't. For the expert who keeps explaining things for free. For the professional who stays on calls too long because ending them feels rude. For the person who has ended up in the friend zone with clients, colleagues or anyone else — and doesn't know how to get out. This is the people pleasing pattern. Just in a different context. What You'll Hear in This Episode → Why giving your time away for free is a people pleasing problem not a business problem → The client who had spoken to the same person ten times without charging a cent — and what was really underneath it → Why we end up in the friend zone with clients and what it actually costs us → The Michael Jordan analogy that reframes everything  → How we teach people that our time has no value — without ever realising we're doing it → The simple boundary that changes everything — and why most people resist it → Your action step for this week   Quotable Moments "How many times this week did you give something away for free? Not money. Your time." "We are always teaching people how to treat us. And when we keep picking up — we teach people that our time is free." "Every call you take for free is time you're not spending on the things and the people that actually matter." "You can't be everybody's person. And neither can you." "The friend zone feels generous. But here's what it actually creates. Resentment." "The people who truly value what you do will not go anywhere. And the ones who only stayed because you were free? Let them go. They were never your people." "I just need to be about me a little bit more." Resources  Get on the waitlist for The Reset — starting Tuesday September 15th 2026: jennymcoaching.com/group  Not sure if people pleasing applies to you? Take the 2 minute quiz: bit.ly/notapeoplepleaser Follow Jenny on Instagram and LinkedIn: @jennymcoaching Subscribe to the podcast: Who Do You Think You Are Talking To — weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts   This episode directly answers: 'How do I stop giving my time away for free?' · 'Why do I keep answering calls I shouldn't?' · 'How do I set boundaries with clients?' · 'What is people pleasing in business?' · 'How do I stop being available to everyone?' · 'Why do I feel guilty charging for my time?' · 'How do I get out of the friend zone with clients?' · 'How do I stop over-giving?' · 'What does people pleasing look like at work?' · 'How do I start valuing my own time?' · 'Why do I keep helping people for free?' · 'How do I charge what I'm worth?'   This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com