I had hoped to avoid addressing this issue in public, preferring to instead focus my energy on giving value to my clients and being a positive force in alignment with my personal values.
But unfortunately, an escalating onslaught of harassment, defamation, attempted blackmail, and single-minded slander from an ex-client has forced me to speak up publicly.
This client was until very recently a raving fan of our program, after achieving many positive results in their business as a result of our methodology and coaching.
I have plenty of evidence of this person’s positive feedback and enthusiasm for the program. They were in fact so pleased with their results that they paid a deposit to get their friend into our program as well.
Sometime earlier this year, they sent a brief email asking to put their membership on hold. Despite our many attempts to connect with this person to discuss their issues and offer support, they declined to go through our protocol for situations like these.
This is not the place to go into detail, but suffice to say the relationship has broken down.
I have made a generous offer that would give us both a clean break, so we can both walk away and get on with our lives. They refused my offer, and made their own demands.
Since then, the behaviour this person has lowered themselves to is not only morally reprehensible, it’s illegal.
I have been threatened and harassed daily.
My staff have been intimidated and abused verbally.
My reputation has been attacked in an online smear campaign.
My personal information including my home address has been published online alongside encouragement for others to also harass me.
Incredibly, it doesn’t stop there.
I’ve been copied into emails sent to multiple media outlets and government bodies defaming me and my business.
The final straw?
My extended network of clients, joint venture partners, Podcast guests, associates and friends have received emails full of vicious libel against me and The Game Changers.
Every time one of these emails go out, I receive another text from this person taunting me that they’re systematically destroying my reputation and business, with threats to continue if I don’t agree to their demands.
This disgusting behaviour goes against everything I stand for personally, and is also in direct opposition with the values we live by at The Game Changers.
One of the values we hold is transparency – we talk about the good, the bad and the downright ugly sides of doing business. Unfortunately, I am not the first business owner who has been in this situation, and I won’t be the last.
To business owner reading this, use it as a cautionary tale. Have a look at your contracts and procedures, and make sure your business is using them correctly so you’re protected in situations like these (as I am).
Also, make sure you have a good lawyer if this kind of thing ever happens to you (which I sincerely hope it doesn’t).
I have no intention of giving in to bullies.
Be assured I am pursuing my rights within every legal channel available to me.
I will not let this person bring me down and destroy everything my team and I have built.
I’m focusing instead on the lives we’re changing for the incredible business owners I have the privilege to work with.
I look forward to adding more success stories to the multitude of case studies detailing the proven results our clients have achieved with me and my team.
I encourage you all to not let this person speak for me. Rather, let my results speak for themselves.
– Barry Magliarditi