Retainer clients… I don’t hate them, but I also don’t want a whole lot of them—and in this video I break down exactly why. For me, the whole reason I chose the freelance videography life was control: control of my time, my schedule, my rules, and the jobs I actually want to take. When you lock into a monthly retainer, you’re basically committing to set dates every single month, and now your entire life has to plan around that. Even something simple like taking a vacation gets annoying when you’re tied to “the 13th through the 16th” every month. Now, I’m not saying retainers are bad. I’ve got friends making crazy money—like $10K–$15K a month per retainer, and some production companies keep those budgets high because they provide an all-in-one package (shooting, audio, editing, strategy, everything). That’s the real key: the more skill sets you stack beyond just “hitting record,” the more value you bring, and the more clients will pay. But another reason I’m picky is the post-production side. A lot of higher-ticket retainers want editing, social cutdowns, and sometimes even thousands of photos turned around fast—and I’m just not trying to live that life. If you want stability and guaranteed monthly income, retainers can be perfect. If you value freedom like I do, maybe one retainer max—or just strong repeat clients—is the better play.