My Team – My Lifesavers

• Posted on Carolyn
• in Teamwork
• on March 6, 2015
• Comments Off on My Team – My Lifesavers

As a mom and a Type A, I often try to do it all. A husband, two kids, a house, a job, errands, activities; it seems it never ends. It felt easier to juggle things before the kids came along –  after that is when I realized the value of asking for help.  When I needed some alone time or time to run errands,  I arranged for a mother’s helper or a babysitter, and since I haven’t figured out how to clone myself, I coordinate carpools.

So why when I started my own business did I think I could do it on my own? As an entrepreneur, you need to become a jack of many trades – but not necessarily all of them.  At first you do everything – you sell, you market, you file, you invoice, you answer the phones. As time goes on (and sometimes after venting to colleagues, friends and coaches), you realize that something’s got to give in order to keep your sanity.  I realized that I needed to focus on what I did best and get help with the all that other stuff that was outside of my skill set,  in order to grow and thrive.

A great example of this was when I tried to develop my own website.  I’m not a designer, I don’t know anything about coding, so why did I think this was a good idea?  I did lots of research, started,  stopped and got frustrated.  I finally let go and hired someone to design the site for me, expecting to manage the updates on my own.  The site turned out great, but the managing it on my own part wasn’t ideal. I didn’t need a full-time assistant, so along came a virtual one to handle those updates, source graphics, and help me with marketing and database management.  Most recently, when I wanted to refresh to my site, I hired another expert who I had met through a recent workshop.  She understood my vision and I knew I could trust her judgment which allowed me to  focus on other areas. While working on the updates, her team was able to help troubleshoot some challenges I was having – saving me time & headaches.

I might not have employees, but I do have a team (sometimes I call them my lifesavers!).  My team is growing and I’m grateful. Once you realize you don’t have to do it alone, things become clearer.  It’s hard to let go, but I now realize that I’m not.  Instead I’m relying on the expertise of others which allows me to focus my efforts where they can make the most impact.