Earning the Right to Be Strategic
This post is for anyone who’s ever felt disappointed by entrepreneurship.
If you’ve ever wondered if you were cut out for it.
If you’ve ever thought, “Is it worth it?”
If it’s ever felt too hard.
Running a business, I think, can seem like climbing an endless mountain.
You’re trying to scale (in all senses of the word) to the top, but the ground never seems to level off.
I’m here to tell you: you’ll never solve all your problems.
But it does get easier.
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Growing a business takes time.
Most companies we do business with need 12-24 months of cleanup. They need help building operational strength, and they need help getting the right people in the right seats at the right time.
And when you are deep down in the weeds of that struggle—acting as lead salesperson, head of delivery, and IT all at once—it’s hard to imagine you’ll ever stop being overwhelmed.
You can. You will. I see it happen with my clients.
There comes a day, if you get the right advice and follow it, when operationally, your company runs like a top.
When your only role is CEO.
Yes, you’ll face more challenges as you grow.
Bigger businesses create bigger problems.
But there is a threshold where you have enough cash, enough people, and enough capabilities that you can….breathe.
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Many of the clients I work with are now in this place. It doesn’t happen overnight.
That’s why they’re thinking about 10 years from now instead of next quarter.
And when you get there?
Then things get fun.
You’ve built the plane—usually in midair. Now you get to decide where to fly it.
At that point, strategy now starts to take on a much more important role.
But you need to earn the right to be strategic by getting your business strong (with few exceptions).
It is this operational strength that will allow you to execute on your big plans.
It allows you to see exactly what you’re capable of, which informs how those big plans get made.
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If you’re feeling stuck, grinding away, I see you. I’ve been you.
Know that you don’t have to do this alone.
There are many avenues for guidance and support, whether it’s our team, an entrepreneur peer group, or a mentor.
Get one.
Because you have the potential to build a great business.
And one day, I want you to look at your team and utter those magical words.
“Let’s fly.”
