Delegation

It was 2009 and I was 26 years old. I was sitting in the office of my VP for another yearly evaluation. She mentioned something about "...good work..." , " yearly progress", "delegation..." and.... My brain stopped at "YOU need to learn to delegate". I had no idea WHAT this meant, let alone WHO I was suppose to "delegate" to. I was 26, independent, five years into my career, newly married...I'd never delegated ANYTHING. I had always been the delegate. I was a do it yourselfer. If I didn't know how to do it or couldn't afford to hire some one else to do it (which was often the case) I learned to do it myself. It wasn't even a control issue. I knew others were capable and competent and I trusted them but I'd never been given permission to ask for their assistant. It was just second nature to check my list off on my own. It wasn't until I started my own business that I realized just how imperative my boss's advice would be. I almost killed myself trying to be everything to everyone in my business(es) in a desperate effort to save a dollar. 

In 2012 my world changed. I was the owner of 2 businesses, a wife and the mother of a precious baby boy. I worked 24/7, literally. Up for hourly feedings throughout the night and officially "up" at 5 checking emails, editing, and placing orders.  I was the book keeper, the purchaser, the marketer, the social media manager, and if I'd owned a power saw I probably would've tried to build the built ins we had made for the shop. You get the point. It was the only way to get it all done, yet, it still wasn't all getting done. I was late on projects, late on billing, late on orders. I was even behind on taxes! I had no clue what I was doing. Things were completely out of control. I was no longer focused on my passion or doing the things I loved, I was just maintaining. Seemingly uncovering everything I was awful at, in life. Something had to give or I was going to....I needed to delegate. 

 One of the most liberating days of my career (and potentially life) was the day I hired an accountant. She came to my office and stayed for 2 hours, pouring through boxes of receipts and explaining tax law, accessing my online accounts, and setting up auto payments. When she left I could breathe for the first time in 3 years. I realized in that moment that just because I could do something, didn't mean I should or had to. I could have spent a week on the Department of Revenue's website (don't think I didn't) and still wouldn't have (didn't) known everything I needed to know, especially all the things that would save me money and time. It was a simple fact, I didn't have time to become an expert at everything, nor did I want to. I finally gave myself permission to not have all the answers.

Over the past the years I've had my ups and downs. I've made tough decisions. One's that kept me up at night and ones that left me in tears. But the choices to pass along things that I didn't know how to do, didn't have time to do or honestly didn't like doing were all decisions well made. It freed me to do the things that I'm gifted at and that make me happy doing them. But most importantly it gave me time. Time to spend with my family, my friends and ultimately improved my business.

Allow us to give you the gift of time. Let us build your beautiful brand, create your website, photograph your products, and strategize your marketing campaign, things we are pretty great at doing, so you can get back to what YOU are great at doing. You won't regret it. I promise you might even start to breathe again.