I barely checked my email for the past two weeks and drastically reduced my workload. It’s summer, and I’ve been traveling through Europe. On my way to Bulgaria, I had breakfast with Janet Bell, who happened to be here as well. Janet and I have known each other for years, going back to our time in OPWIL (Office Products Women in Leadership).
Even though so much has changed around us, our connection was instant. We enjoyed coffee in the sun and talked about the changes AI is bringing to the office supply space.
That conversation reminded me of something I’ve come to appreciate deeply: as business owners, we need to build companies that can run without us. If my business can’t operate while I’m away, while I’m traveling, then it’s time to redesign the system.
Here’s what made that possible for me:
✔️ Delegation rooted in trust
✔️ Systems that carry the weight
✔️ People who show up and take ownership
It sounds so obvious and even banal, yet it took me years to get right. And I see so many business owners who know this, yet still struggle to find the right people who allow them to let go.
This trip gave me gratitude for the freedom I’ve been able to build.
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The Real Cost of Hiring Cheap
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”
—Red Adair
Every time I see this quote, I’m reminded of how true it is in hiring. The cheapest option almost always turns out to be the most expensive.
Expertise saves you money, time, and headaches, always. The hard lesson is this: what looks like a good deal usually isn’t.
Quality has its price.
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When Effort Stops Being the Answer
When Effort Stops Being the Answer
One of the hardest shifts for high performers is realizing that effort is no longer the problem.
At a certain level, working harder doesn’t create better outcomes.
It just creates fatigue.
What actually moves things forward is precision.
Knowing where your attention creates the most leverage.
Knowing which decisions matter and which don’t.
Knowing when to stop pushing and start designing better systems.
I see so many leaders burn energy on things that shouldn’t require them anymore. Not because they’re incapable of letting go, but because no one ever showed them how to replace effort with structure.
The goal isn’t to do less.
It’s to do what only you can do.
When you make that shift, work feels lighter.
Decisions feel cleaner.
And progress stops feeling forced.
If everything feels heavy right now, it might not be because you’re doing too little.
It might be because you’re doing too much of the wrong things.
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