There's nothing easy about striking out on your own as an independent marketing consultant. Work can be scarce and hard to come by, and when an opportunity does come along, there can be a lot of pressure to accept it no matter what. John Jantsch knows from experience. Before he was the founder, host and author of Duct Tape Marketing the agency, podcast and book, he was a go-getter looking to make his way as a consultant in Kansas City. But an association with one early client--a client that he wouldn't touch now as a wiser, more experienced marketer--was enough to get him called in front of a federal grand jury at the time. And he took away some valuable lessons about being discerning when it comes to whom you work with. We'll also glean some lessons from his more than 15 years as a podcaster, and catch a few tidbits from his new book.  John's new book is The Ultimate Marketing Engine: 5 Steps to Ridiculously Consistent Growth. --- Subscribe to the Podcamp Newsletter to score an invite to our upcoming studio grand opening in Milwaukee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices