Why We Turned Down A $50,000 Fee

In business, we often talk about values. They appear in mission statements, get printed on office walls, and feature prominently in company handbooks. But values aren't really values until they cost you something.

Recently, we were approached by a prominent real estate business to build their new website—a $50,000 project for the client.

The initial engagement was promising. Their marketing team had done exceptional preparatory work, demonstrating thorough research and asking insightful questions about the project. As we progressed to a meeting with the directors, I opened by commending their marketing team's diligence and professionalism.

What happened next changed everything.

One of the directors responded to my praise with an utterance that I won't repeat here—a deeply misogynistic slur directed at a member of their marketing team, who was also expecting a child at the time. The virtual room fell silent. The comment wasn't just inappropriate; it was a clear window into a culture that we wanted no part of.

Despite the shock, we maintained our professionalism and completed the meeting out of respect for the marketing team's preparation. However, immediately afterwards, I contacted the other director to decline the project, explaining that we couldn't proceed for two fundamental reasons:

1. We do not tolerate misogynistic behaviour or language, regardless of intended humour
2. We have a duty to protect our team from toxic workplace dynamics

This decision wasn't just about one inappropriate comment. It was about recognising that we're all responsible for the standards we accept in our industry. As leaders, we don't just manage projects and profits—we shape culture and set examples for our teams and peers.

The agency eventually completed its website with another provider, implementing many of the recommendations we'd made in our initial discussions. Notably, the talented marketing team members we'd worked with have since moved on to new opportunities.

Some might view turning down a $50,000 project as poor business sense. Some might say "suck it up and get it done". But what's the real cost of compromising our values? What message would we send to our team if we prioritised profit over principle? What precedent would we set for future interactions?

The reality is that we're not just building websites—we're building a legacy. Every decision we make either reinforces or undermines the culture we're trying to create. As the saying goes, "We are the standard we walk past every day." When we ignore inappropriate behaviour because it's convenient or profitable, we become complicit in normalising it.

To fellow leaders in our industry, your actions speak louder than any mission statement or marketing collateral. Your responses to inappropriate behaviour matter more than your policies about it. When faced with the choice between profit and principle, remember that your decision will echo through your organisation and ripple across our industry.

The $50,000 we declined wasn't just a fee—it was an investment in our values, our team's well-being, and the kind of industry we want to help create.

It's a reminder that sometimes the most profitable decision isn't the most valuable one.

As we continue to grow and evolve as an industry, let's remember that our choices today shape tomorrow's workplace culture. We can either be passive observers of inappropriate behaviour or active architects of positive change.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. What standard will you set?