How do I set boundaries with clients without losing them?

You have learned to handle hard clients, and now you are stuck on the fear that a boundary will cost you the relationship. That fear makes sense, but it rests on a shaky idea: that keeping someone happy and keeping your limits are enemies. Often the opposite is true. Clients respect clarity more than they respect endless yielding. A boundary said calmly, without apology or anger, tells them you are steady and worth trusting. The ones who leave over a fair limit were usually going to drain you dry anyway. A clean boundary sorts the workable relationships from the ones that only take. Next time, state your limit as a simple fact, not a request for permission: here is what I can do, here is what I can't. Say it once, kindly, and stop explaining. You will find most clients settle, and the few who bolt were never really yours to keep.