Business Baddies Embrace Support
Hey, self-sufficient baddie 👋🏾
Have you uttered these words or thought these thoughts?
- "This will only take me a few minutes...I should do it myself instead of passing it along like we discussed."
- "Everyone else is managing all of this (and then some). I should be able to as well."
- "If someone else does [bookkeeping, estimates, scope outs, call backs] what would I do? What would I be needed for?"
If so, you may have over-functioning-itis. Symptoms are:
- Declining help (aggressively).
- Being resentful if you don't receive help, and being resentful if you do.
- Feeling like your business momentum has plateaued, even though you're busy af.
- A panicky feeling when you think of spending more than a day away from work.
The prescription? Navigating what pieces of your identity are wrapped up in your "utility" and nourishing them so they unmesh. That is a life-long journey for many of us in capitalistic societies.
A powerful baby step is simply making the choice to bring in more support in our business. Getting support can feel like more of a hassle than a help, though. And it honestly often is at first. However, like most good things, the hiccups at the beginning are worth the returns:
You onboard a new sub. It's clunky as you learn to communicate, schedule and the rest. But a few jobs in, you wonder how you ever survived without them.
Learning a new yoga pose or workout form—it's awkward, tight, uncomfy. But as you put in reps, you unlock new flexibility and range that leaves you feeling stronger than ever.
You finally organize your goddamn kitchen cabinets. Of course, you go to the left, not the right, for cups. You fumble to remember where the cutlery is housed. But after a few weeks, you are seriously vibing with your new kitchen flow (and now your spices are within reach when you're frantically trying to stop your sauteed onions from sticking to the pan).
The same can be so very true when it comes to shifting from doer to director—shifting from handling it all to handing it off.
Yes, your bookkeeper will need time and attention to get onboarded.
Yes, your marketer will need your input and guidance to make the most of your ads.
Yes, your virtual administrator will need to put in the reps to begin offloading from your plate.
But what does life look like on the other side of delegation?
- 5, 10, 20 hours gained a week?
- Creative space to develop a strategy that adds tens of thousands to your bottom line?
- More moments with friends and family without the hum of stress and tension running underneath them.
What does that greater capacity look like to you?
Need help getting to that greater capacity? I place vetted virtual administrators with home service business. Unlike traditional VA agencies that plop a person in and leave the onboarding to you, we have a 12 week managed process—crafted from my years in the construction + home service industry—that prepares your systems and then trains your virtual administrator for you.
Member discussion