Who's On First?

Everyone thinks I've got all the stuff in my business dialed in, figured out, and running smoothly at all times. HELL NO! Clearly, you must live in some fantasy world.

I have a secret and I am willing to be vulnerable with it.

At times, I have no clue who's on first. If you don't understand that reference, allow me to paint a picture with this classic Abbott and Costello skit from the last century. Watch it after you finish reading, though. OK?

Even I Don't Know Who's On First

As the founder and CEO of a global business service that's written over 100,000 ads for clients across every industry you can name, you'd think the Ad Zombies machine would be well oiled. It mostly is, but, like you, sometimes I get caught up in all the things I have to do while running the business. At times I feel the weight of content creation crushing down on me, and that's when I have to take a breath and assess the situation -- the same way I'd tell a client to stop and rework a headline that isn't earning the read instead of just pushing forward and hoping it works.

The Solopreneur Trap

The reality is, most of us business owners have highly capable teams around us. But because we started out as a solopreneur or an entrepreneur with no team, we build a bad habit of going it alone. I've run this shop for over 40 years and I still catch myself trying to do six people's jobs at once. That can-do attitude feels noble, but it's actually killing your productivity and revenue -- it's the same trap I see agency owners fall into when they won't hand off client relationships either, which is its own kind of boundary problem.

This past Monday we were in a team meeting. One of the topics being discussed was blogging and getting back to blogging. As a copywriting service you'd expect to see masterful blogs coming out weekly, right? I know, I say the same thing to myself all the time. About the blogs, it's my fault we stopped. We went dark in the blog space just before the holidays and then I fell ill with COVID-19. I welcomed in the new year with a virus that knocked me on my butt. After a near 50-day recovery period, I was ready to hop back in the saddle, but quickly discovered I was so far behind I couldn't take the pressure, I couldn't breathe.

We decided to divide and conquer our blogging dilemma. I got to work on thought pieces like this one you're so thoroughly enjoying reading. Meaghan, our Director of Creative Services, started working on creative and operational stuff, and Kaetlynn, our Director of Content & Marketing, began working on… guess what? Content & marketing, duh!

Stop Going It Alone

Just because you started this journey alone, doesn't mean you have to do it all by yourself.

Remember, as you grow, delegate. As you delegate, you grow. I learned that the hard way after 40 years of trying to hold every headline, every client call, and every piece of content strategy in my own two hands. It's a simple formula: lather, rinse, repeat -- but only once you actually let go of the shampoo bottle.