I’ve spent most of my life as a lone wolf.
Not totally sure what originally tipped me into extreme independence, but various self development books, and a couple of therapy sessions thrown in for good measure suggested any number of causes including fear of abandonment, loss of trust, or just a wayward and curious spirit.
Doesn’t matter.
I’ve done most things alone. For better or for worse.
But last year, I began hankering for collaborative work. I wanted to surround myself with teammates, and yearned for weekly update calls, camaraderie and a shared vision.
I dreamed of the collective experience of reaching a milestone or debriefing an effort, where all of us were focused on the outcome together, celebrating or analyzing the results.
It’s funny, one of the most common laments I hear from clients when they consider expansion are that they don’t want to manage a team.
That’s fair. It’s not for everyone, and people-ing can feel like a constraint.
But here’s the kicker: it’s a gateway to growth.
In a recent conversation with one particular client who has finally seen the light and hired my colleague to support her in her growth plan, she reflected:
“I kept losing stamina every time I took a run at growth. I thought I was just burned out, and not cut out to be a marketer. But what I finally realized was that my loss of stamina was actually about just not feeling supported or confident in the work. Now that I am, I can’t believe I waited this long to get some help.”
Even better, because she hired someone who was experienced, mature and intuitive, she doesn’t have to “manage” those who support her. Instead, she has a thought partner who can execute on her vision and help her design her growth plan in real time.
(Want to work with her? Send me an email and I’ll hook you up, but spoiler alert - she also works with me so if she’s all booked up… my bad!)
I’ve learned this lesson myself in the past year, with my small team in the business I purchased a couple of years ago. Standing back, giving them guidance, and letting them truly own the work has been liberating.
I used to spend 40+ hours a week working on that business, and now I’m focused just on coaching our clients and driving our vision forward.
I have space to think about where we need to go when I’m not burdened by trying to do all the things myself.
It’s also why I’m launching an agency this year - I want to build this leverage for all my clients, and to create a supportive infrastructure of thought partners for other small business owners who don’t want to have to find the right resources and/or manage the work.
I’m taking an intentional approach to building offers that elevate and amplify the unique skill sets of my team (who are currently enrolled in a 12-month mentorship program where I am teaching them all of the aspects of supporting online business).
Every team member will have spent a year with me, where I can get to know them intimately (as professionals), coach them into their unique service offerings, and teach them what I know in preparation to support our clients.
The rapport they are building with each other is amazing, and I love how they are all emerging in their own identities, with confidence and focus.
But I digress.
The bottom line:
Support is an accelerator for your growth.
Find the areas in your business that are currently an anchor, and then make it your top priority to find support to eliminate these from your work.
The investment you make in building support will pay off in spades, and take you out of burnout, stagnation and apathy, clearing the way for a new role in your business.
One in which growth is finally a possibility, not just a frustratingly inaccessible dream.