The Uncomfortable Truth About Being 'Your Own Boss

You started your business to be your own boss. To have freedom. To build something meaningful.

But here you are, working more hours than you ever did as an employee. Answering emails at midnight. Skipping family dinners. Taking "vacations" where you spend half the time putting out fires back at the office.

Sound familiar?

If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. I've been exactly where you are. And I have some hard truths to share with you.

The Prison of My Own Making

I remember the conversation that changed everything. My son, who was probably 8 or 9 at the time, looked at me with innocent eyes and said, "Hey, Dad, could you ask your boss if you could work less?"

I smiled and replied, "Well, buddy, I own the business. I am the boss."

His face lit up. "That's awesome! So you can take off from work whenever you want!"

That simple exchange hit me like a freight train.

Here I was, technically the owner, technically the boss. But I was no different than anyone else who worked for the business. In fact, I was working harder and longer than any of my employees.

I reflected on the idea that I was in a prison of my own making. I was the boss. I was in control. But I was acting like a victim of circumstance.

The Real Problem: You're a High-Paid Employee

Let me paint you a picture of where I was before everything changed:

My time was 100% absorbed in the business. And by "in the business," I mean working in the business, not on the business. If I were to categorize it based on Covey's four quadrants, the majority of my time was spent in the "urgent and important" category—putting out fires, answering urgent questions.

Almost no time was spent in the "important but not urgent" quadrant where real business growth happens.

The impact was devastating:

• Revenue wasn't growing because I wasn't spending time on business development

• All my time was consumed by operational fires

• I was constantly stressed because there was no time to relax or take my foot off the gas

For three or four years, I dealt with this problem before I finally took action. Three or four years of missing life events, working on vacation, and just generally not enjoying life.

The Entrepreneur's False Belief

Here's what I discovered: As high performers and entrepreneurs, we tend to believe no one can do things as well as we can. And that is patently false.

This belief becomes our prison. We hold onto every task, every decision, every process because we think we're the only ones who can do it right.

But here's the truth that will set you free: You truly can't grow a million-dollar business doing $10 tasks.

You can be willing to do anything and everything that you would ask someone else to do. But that doesn't mean you should be the one doing it.

The Framework That Changed Everything

When I finally decided to take action, I learned about a framework called Eliminate, Automate, Delegate. This became my roadmap to freedom.

Step 1: Eliminate

First, look at everything you're doing and ask: "Does this actually need to be done at all?" You'd be surprised how many tasks we do out of habit rather than necessity.

Step 2: Automate

What processes can be systematized or automated? Technology can handle many repetitive tasks better than humans.

Step 3: Delegate

For everything else, delegate to team members who can do it as well (or better) than you can.

My First Delegation Win

To determine what to delegate first, I looked at what was taking the most time and sucking the most energy out of me, as well as what someone else could potentially do better.

The first thing I delegated was our client reporting structure. Instead of me creating reports for our clients, I worked with a team member to develop a better process, and she took it over completely.

The feeling was palpable. Before delegating the task, I was on edge and close to burnout. While there was still a long way to go, I could tell I was less stressed and we were moving in the right direction.

The obstacles I encountered were mostly self-induced—just letting go of the process was challenging. But once I did, something amazing happened.

The Bigger Win: A Mindset Shift

The delegation itself was helpful, but the bigger win was the mindset shift. I got away from the idea that I was the only one who could do certain things. I recognized that delegation was effective not just in freeing my time, but in helping my employees grow and improving what I had built.

I've come to recognize that there's much more power as a leader and business owner in delegating what you can and leaning into those things that only you can do.

My goal in my business became clear: to have every person doing the tasks that represent their highest and best use.

What Would Have Happened If I Hadn't Changed?

This is an easy answer: The business would likely not have survived.

I could not have kept up the pace of work. If your time and energy are spent on tasks—if you are a high-paid employee instead of being the visionary and leader that the business needs—then you risk missing opportunities and missing changes in your industry.

You can't scale yourself. But you can scale systems.

Your Next Steps to Freedom

If you're reading this and seeing yourself in my story, here's what you need to do:

1. Conduct an Honest Time Audit

For one week, track every hour. Categorize your activities as:

• Only I can do this (true visionary work)

• Someone else could do this with training

• This doesn't need to be done at all

2. Start Small

Pick one task that's draining your energy and taking significant time. Document the process and delegate it to a team member.

3. Measure the Freedom

Success isn't just measured in time saved—it's measured in the peace of mind and mental margin you create.

4. Apply the Framework Systematically

Once you see success with one delegation, apply the Eliminate, Automate, Delegate framework to more areas of your business.

The Freedom You're Looking For

The transformation from being a high-paid employee in your own business to being a true visionary and leader isn't just about working fewer hours (though that's a nice side effect).

It's about building a business that can grow without you being the bottleneck. It's about creating systems that allow you to focus on what only you can do. It's about finally getting the freedom you started your business to achieve.

You don't have to stay in the prison of your own making. The keys to your freedom are in your hands—you just need to be willing to use them.

Ready to break free from being a high-paid employee in your own business? Book a free strategy call with me today, and let's create a custom plan to systematize your operations and reclaim your time. During this call, we'll identify your biggest time drains and map out a step-by-step delegation strategy that fits your unique business. Click here to schedule your breakthrough session now.