Even with systems and a team — too many decisions still came through me.
I had a massive realization last week, as I was reflecting on my Q3 review.
Even after all these years — after the systems, the SOPs, the team — almost half of my time was still being spent on things that didn’t really need me.
Not because my team can’t handle them, but because somewhere along the way, I’d trained everyone (including myself) to send every decision through me.
That worked in the early days. But now, it keeps me in the weeds instead of leading the business forward.
So this week, I’ve been documenting everything — inside my own business and for my students — as I rebuild the way we make decisions.
When something comes up, instead of answering it straight away, I’ll ask myself:
- Does this need me, or just a clear process?
- Is this a one-time answer, or something that keeps repeating?
- How can I teach the thinking, not just give the fix?
Every time I do that, I can feel the business becoming a little more self-sufficient.
And the real shift for me is from the identity of the operator – which comes really naturally to me – to architect.
The operator asks, “What needs to be done?”
The architect asks, “What needs to exist so this runs smoothly without me?”
The operator runs the business by doing.
The architect builds the business by design.
It’s not about running away from your business or being completely hands off; it’s about building something that runs because of how you’ve designed it, not how much you’re in it.
So here’s my question for you: If you’re honest, how much of your time right now is spent on things that don’t really need you? And are you clear on the difference?
What would change if you started documenting those things this week?
Because this is where real freedom begins.
Not when you just do less, but when you’re able to because your business is set up to operate outside of you.
This is the work I’m deep in right now — simplifying, codifying, and creating space for the next level of growth to feel lighter, not heavier.
And every time I do, I’m reminded: structure isn’t constraint. It’s what makes space for freedom to actually exist.
