What to do when people quit on you.

I’ve been in business long enough to tell you something plainly:
People will quit on you.

We don’t talk enough about this part of leadership.
How to handle departures.
How to handle endings.
How to handle when the tide shifts and you weren’t the one steering it.

If you’re wired like I am—if connection matters deeply to you—those shifts can hit harder than you expect. You feel it in your chest. You replay conversations. You wonder what you missed.

But here’s the truth: movement is part of the design.

I still remember leaving my first real, adult job. I was 21. I had fought for that role. I had moved my entire life for it. That job gave me more than a paycheck—it gave me my first real network, my footing in entertainment, and yes, the literal bowls in my kitchen.

When I decided to leave, I was terrified. I walked into my boss’s office with notecards. I had written out exactly what I was going to say because I wanted to get it right. I wanted to be respectful. I wanted to honor what she had given me.

She laughed—kindly—and said, “Why do you have notecards?”

But then she gave me grace. She made it easy. She understood. And I walked out realizing something important:

That kind of grace is not guaranteed but I wanted to continue to model it as I grew as a leader.

As leaders, as founders, as partners, we have to get good at transitions.

Here’s what I’ve learned to do:

1. Decenter myself.
It’s not always about me. Someone leaving doesn’t automatically mean I failed. Sometimes it simply means they’re evolving.

2. Accept the new normal.
The moment something shifts, reality has changed. Resisting it wastes energy. Accepting it gives you power.

3. Plan the next 30–90 days.
Emotion first. Strategy second. Once I’ve felt what I need to feel, I get tactical. What does this mean for operations? For revenue? For culture? Movement creates opportunity if you respond quickly.

4. Look at endings as blessings.
Not in a toxic positivity way. In a grounded way. Every ending clears space. And space is where reinvention lives.

If you lead long enough, you will experience people leaving—clients, employees, collaborators, even friends. The goal isn’t to avoid it. The goal is to handle it with steadiness.

Because leadership isn’t just about building.
It’s about releasing with grace, too.

And if you’re in a season of shift right now, I promise you this:
The tide always turns again.

Hope this was helpful. And if you need coaching - consider my offering.

-T

P.S. Check out my latest Instagram Post where I reflect on the steps that brought me to the career I possess today.

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