Are you stopping your business from growing?
Is getting stuck in the weeds holding up your business growth?
🌿 When you are growing and scaling a business, it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds… 🍃 🌿
This has come up with a couple of clients this week, so thought I would share my thoughts on this and some of Brene Brown's wisdom too.
The time comes when in order to progress you are going to have to delegate tasks and release control of some aspects of your business.
I know from experience that delegating tasks can feel like a leap of faith - especially if YOU built this thing from nothing and are understandably emotionally attached to it. Doing those “weedy” jobs can often be what is holding us back from the next level of success. But being in the weeds can often feel safe, cosy and familiar; even if you don’t actually like those jobs.
🥇 This is where the gold is! 🥇
Releasing these tasks and delegating them to others is going to free you up to do the more important and strategic work. It will feel uncomfortable at first, but that is how you know it’s the right thing.
💪 Personal growth for you and actual growth for your business. 📈
When thinking about and implementing delegation, step back and take a wider view. What knowledge do you need to share in order for this to be successful?
To assist clients with this thinking, I often share Brené Brown's insightful "5 C's" framework – Colour, Context, Connective Tissue, Cost, and Consequence – I find it offers a powerful lens through which small business owners can approach delegation with greater clarity and confidence.
🎨 Colour: Clear specifics of the task and desired outcome.
❓ Context: Why the task matters within the bigger business picture.
⛓️ Connective Tissue: Necessary relationships and communication for success.
💷 Cost: Resources and potential trade-offs involved in delegation.
🔨 Consequence: Potential positive and negative impacts of the task.
This framework can assist you to release control and step into the next phase of growth in your business.
Remember… (as Brene says) CLEAR IS KIND. Giving your team clarity and sharing this level of detail with your team is going to ensure everyone has what they need in order to operate in this new way.
How do you feel about releasing control? How easy do you find it to delegate? Is your getting stuck in the weeds preventing the business from growing? Let me know or pop me a message.
Two Years On… Lessons Learnt Since Selling My Franchise Business
It all begins with an idea.
(and how I now apply those to continuing to build my coaching business)
The Immediate Aftermath: The Importance of an Enforced Break
Deciding to take a mandatory two-month break from all work was crucial for my sanity and recovery!
This enforced rest helped combat self-criticism about "laziness" and reduced decision fatigue.
It provided invaluable space for restoration, reflection, and genuine relaxation.
Shifting Perspectives: Unlearning Habits / Reduced Anxiety
Sixteen years in a franchise creates deeply ingrained habits, processes, and mindsets.
Untangling from these required conscious effort and time, like "rewiring" my brain. Coming to terms with the fact I wasn’t feeling a constant, nagging worry was harder than you’d think!
The absence of the constant dread I had become accustomed to was a significant relief.
The specific pressures and anxieties from that time were lifted, fostering calm and control which enabled me to research and embrace new approaches and possibilities.
Well-being and Burnout: Prioritising Self-Care
I know first-hand that the intensity of long-term business ownership can lead to burnout with lasting effects.
I now have a heightened awareness of early warning signs and know how important it is to prioritise my well-being.
This experience fosters deeper empathy for my current coaching clients who are facing similar challenges and enables me to provide them with a toolbox of sustainable practices.
Transferable Skills: Leveraging Past Experiences
The hard-learnt lessons from running that business are now directly applicable to my coaching business.
But I also understand the pressures, triumphs, and resilience required in business; which allows for deeper client connection and experience-based guidance.
Renewed Priorities: Rebalancing Life
The constant demands of my old business often relegated important things like family, friends, and leisure time.
I am now able to consciously carve out time for loved ones and fun and leisure is now a priority. A balanced, fulfilled life is my focus.
Rebuilding Connection: Addressing the Loss of Team Collaboration
I genuinely (still!) miss the collaboration and the team I built within the franchise business.
I now know the importance of being proactive in my efforts to recreate this through networking, masterminds, and community building within the coaching profession.
These things also enable and enhance my learning and continued professional development, which is essential in order for me to be the best possible coach I can be for my clients.
All these things reinforce the importance of connection and shared experiences. Being self-employed can be lonely!
Personal Growth: Investing in Self-Development
The sale of the business was undoubtedley a catalyst for significant personal growth.
By investing in coaching & training, reading and committing to a meditation practice my personal development has been transformative and is an ongoing process.
All this learning enables me to serve the clients in my coaching practice in a powerful way.
Redefining Worth: Beyond Productivity
A crucial (and hard!) lesson learned is to not equate my personal worth with productivity. This is an ongoing battle I fight with myself - but I know when I practice self-compassion I actually achieve more and my self worth deepens.
My previous relentless need to always be "doing" has been replaced by an appreciation for rest, reflection, meditation and presence.
Managing Expectations: Understanding the Long Game
Remembering the peaks and troughs of running my old business can provide me with perspective now - especially when things feel difficult.
I am able to remind myself that growth isn't always linear. This can then serve to foster patience and resilience in navigating the inevitable ups and downs of self employment.
A New Chapter: Continuous Growth and Future Potential
Selling the franchise was a significant closing of one chapter and the opening of a fulfilling new one.
The lessons learned over the past two years are invaluable, shaping both my coaching business and the approach to life.
These lessons also enable me to support my clients with empathy, lived experience and compassion for their journeys.
For me, it's a journey of continuous growth, focusing on balance and loads of excitement for the future!