CEOs: Stop Trying To Do It All Yourself
I’m not a guy who trades much in free time.
I run two fast-growing businesses. I lead 70+ employees. I consult 15+ companies directly. I have a wife and two very active kids.
Oh, and every week for the last 3+ years, I’ve published this newsletter.
I receive a fair number of comments about the Voice of the Entrepreneur. The question I get the most, though, is this:
You don’t actually write that thing…do you?
The short answer is: no. Of course I don’t.
I’m not a writer. I don’t know anything about the mechanics of launching a newsletter.
But what I did know, 3+ years ago, was that I wanted a way to connect with our firm’s audience on a regular basis. I was passionate about sharing stories and advice from my journey as an entrepreneur and my experience as a consultant.
If I had tried to create this newsletter myself, it never would have happened. I’d still be trying to get it off the ground today, spending agonizing hours trying to write down my thoughts—or, more likely, pushing the whole thing off in perpetuity.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
I met Kristen Sweeney, and the rest is history.
Kristen had a process that made everything simple.
I think it.
She writes it.
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Kristen and I review every single topic that appears in this newsletter. We have a conversation—sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes longer—to make sure I’ve conveyed my thoughts and that she understands them.
This process has pushed me to constantly come up with new ideas. I’m always on the lookout for insights and examples to help our audience.
I’m deeply invested in this effort, but I’ve managed to offload the parts of it that would be too difficult for me to manage.
Instead, I can become a thought leader with the kind of consistency most companies can only dream of.
All it takes is a phone call, some money, and the right partner.
***
Three things I hope you’ll take from this newsletter:
1. I didn’t write this myself, but that doesn’t mean I’m not passionate about it. In fact, I consider this newsletter one of my biggest accomplishments at Crews & co. I delegate parts of it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. Clinging too tightly in your business is a mental block that will keep you stuck.
2. If you want help creating thought leadership content, work with Kristen. I’m serious. She’s the best at what she does, and she has a whole team that specializes in exactly this kind of content. You can reach out to her directly at kristen@everylittleword.co.
3. Stop putting things off because you don’t know how to do them yourself. Great leaders don’t know how to do everything. They know how to get the help they need to get things done. So think about that back burner initiative that’s important to you—somewhere, there’s an expert who can help you execute it. (We might be able to help you find them.)
I’m Eric Crews, and I approve this message.
