Picture this: An old client reaches out two years after you completed a branding project. Their new marketing manager wants to make some tweaks internally, and they’re asking for the original InDesign files. Your gut reaction? Panic. Won’t handing over those files mean losing future update work?
This exact scenario landed in our inbox from Kevin, a designer who completed a rebrand for a work colleague’s company. The project went well, everyone was happy, but now that colleague has hired a marketing manager who wants the source files. Kevin’s torn between maintaining the friendship and protecting his potential income stream.
It’s a dilemma many freelancers face, and the answer might not be what you expect.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
– If the client paid you for the work, hand over the files—they’ve already purchased ownership of that work
– Don’t be petty about holding onto files; you lose more goodwill (and future referrals) than you gain in potential work
– Turn the exchange into a win by requesting a testimonial or Google review in return for the files
The Ownership Question: Who Really Owns Your Work?
Before we dive into strategy, let’s address the legal elephant in the room. Technically speaking, unless you signed a work-for-hire contract, you own the copyright to everything you create for clients. This applies to designers, writers, and other creative professionals.
But here’s the thing: there’s a massive difference between technical law and good business practice.
As Clay points out in the episode, when clients pay you for custom work, they reasonably expect to own it. Regardless of what copyright law might technically allow, holding those files hostage leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
The real question isn’t “Can I keep these files?” but rather “Should I?”
Put Yourself in the Client’s Shoes
The most useful mental exercise here is simple: flip the script.
If you paid a designer to create a brand identity for your business, would you expect to own those files? Of course you would. When you commission custom work from scratch and pay the agreed-upon price, ownership feels like part of the package.
This perspective shift changes everything. It’s not about what you can legally get away with—it’s about what reasonable business relationships look like.
You’ve Already Lost the Work
Kevin’s concern about losing future update work is understandable but misguided. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: **the work is already gone**.
The client hired a marketing manager specifically to handle this type of work internally. They’re not reaching out to Kevin because they want to cut him out—they’ve already made the strategic decision to bring marketing in-house. Whether Kevin hands over the files or not, that ship has sailed.
By holding onto the files, Kevin isn’t protecting future income. He’s just burning bridges.
The Real Cost of Being Petty
Preston shares a cautionary tale from his own freelancing days. When an old client asked for source files after hiring someone in-house, he either refused or quoted too high a price for the handoff. The result? That client never called again, never referred anyone, and the relationship effectively died.
The opportunity cost of pettiness is staggering:
– Lost referrals to other potential clients
– Damaged reputation in your network
– Missed opportunities when the client has overflow work
– The mental energy spent worrying about a battle you can’t win
Contrast that with the cost of just handing over the files: roughly 10 minutes of your time to package and send them.
Turn a Loss Into a Win
Instead of viewing this as a pure loss, reframe it as an opportunity. Here’s the move Clay recommends:
Respond with something like: “Absolutely, happy to send those over! Would you mind leaving me a Google review or testimonial in exchange? We’ll call it even.”
This approach is brilliant for several reasons:
**You’re positioning the handoff as valuable.** By saying “we’ll call it even,” you’re subtly communicating that you’d normally charge for this, without being aggressive about it.
**You’re getting something tangible in return.** A strong testimonial or Google review is marketing gold. It can lead to multiple future clients, far more valuable than one update project.
**You’re maintaining goodwill.** The client feels they’re getting a fair deal, you feel compensated, and everyone walks away happy.
**You’re being professional.** This response demonstrates maturity and business savvy, the kind of qualities that lead to referrals.
The Long Game Always Wins
Business success isn’t about maximizing every single transaction. It’s about building a reputation that opens doors over time.
Being generous, professional, and easy to work with creates a compound effect. People remember how you made them feel. They tell others. They come back when they have different needs. They recommend you when opportunities arise.
Pettiness, defensiveness, and transactional thinking do the opposite. They close doors, limit options, and keep you small.
When Delayed Gratification Pays Off
As Clay notes, people want to get paid yesterday instead of practicing delayed gratification. But the biggest wins in freelancing come from playing the long game.
That Google review you get today could lead to five clients over the next two years. That goodwill you bank with your old colleague could result in a referral to a much bigger client next month. The reputation you build as someone who’s easy to work with becomes your most valuable marketing asset.
None of this happens if you’re fighting over source files.
The Exception to the Rule
There is one scenario where holding onto files might make sense: if you never got paid in the first place.
If this was a free project for a friend or a heavily discounted favor, you have more room to negotiate. Even then, though, the math probably favors handing them over with a smile and a request for a testimonial.
But if the client paid your full rate for the original work? There’s no debate. Send the files.
Kindness Is a Competitive Advantage
Here’s something that gets overlooked in freelancing advice: **just being kind to people will get you incredibly far in business**.
Most people’s natural instinct is to be defensive, guarded, and transactional. They’re always worried about getting taken advantage of, so they put up walls and fight for every perceived slight.
When you choose a different path—when you’re generous, reasonable, and focused on long-term relationships—you stand out dramatically. You become the freelancer people actually want to work with and recommend.
This isn’t about being a pushover. It’s about recognizing that most battles aren’t worth fighting, and that kindness often generates better returns than conflict.
Move On With a Clear Conscience
Once you’ve sent the files and (hopefully) received that testimonial, let it go completely. Don’t dwell on what might have been. Don’t second-guess whether you should have charged more.
You made the mature, strategic choice. You preserved a relationship. You gained a marketing asset. Now move forward and focus on finding your next great client.
The mental energy you save by not fighting this battle can be redirected toward actually growing your business. That’s where the real opportunity lies.
The Bottom Line
Should you fight when an old client wants your source files? No. Not even a little bit.
Hand them over graciously, request something valuable in return like a testimonial, and move on with goodwill intact. The cost of pettiness far outweighs any perceived benefit, and the long-term value of being known as someone who’s easy to work with is immeasurable.
As Preston and Clay learned through their own mistakes, doing it wrong enough times teaches you what not to do. Consider this your shortcut to doing it right the first time.
So the next time a client asks for those InDesign files or WordPress backups or whatever else you created for them, take a deep breath, package them up, and hit send. Your future self—and your bank account—will thank you.
