Firing Myself Was the Best Decision I ever made
At a certain point in my business owner life, I realized that despite hiring people to help me, I didn’t feel like a CEO. Instead, I was micromanaging my team, constantly handing out to-do lists and worrying about what was happening when I wasn’t there. The truth was, I didn’t have a leadership team—I just had employees. Now, this isn’t necessarily bad if you are in the start-up phase of your business, but I was still operating this way after 20 years! This realization led to a critical mindset shift that transformed my business and personal life.
When you have employees, it’s easy to fall into the “negative boss mindset.” As a boss, you’re thinking, “Let me figure out what needs to be done, delegate tasks, and let me ensure things are done the right way—usually my way.” But when you operate this way, there are no clear metrics, KPIs, or ways to measure success or progress.
Things get done sometimes, but more often than not, bosses end up frustrated, feeling like, “I’m the only one who can do it right.”
I was tired of playing that game.
The tipping point came during a rare vacation with my children. My phone rang, and it was a customer with a complaint. I took the call, and 45 minutes later, I looked up to see my kids patiently waiting for me. I felt a wave of guilt. I had just lost nearly an hour of quality time with them. My son, who was around 19 then, said something that changed everything: “Aren’t you the boss? Why do you need to take these calls?”
He was right.
At that moment, I knew something had to change. I realized I didn’t want to be the one taking those calls anymore, and I didn’t want to feel like the business couldn’t function without me. I wanted the freedom to enjoy my life, and I knew the only way to get it was to step back and build a real leadership team.
I started by understanding that every business, no matter the industry, has four core parts: operations, marketing, sales, and traffic. I learned this through my work with Pinnacle Global Network, where I now have the privilege of mentoring other business owners. Using this framework, I created a leadership team that could take over those four critical areas. I handed over all of my roles and responsibilities to those team members and tied their performance to specific KPIs so that I could measure success and hold them accountable.
This wasn’t an easy shift—it required a lot of trust and a massive change in how I approached my business. But once I empowered my team with the tools, responsibilities, and incentives they needed, something incredible happened: they thrived. My employees were happier, more motivated, and more productive. And I, for the first time in years, had the freedom I craved. I wasn’t micromanaging anymore, and my business didn’t need me to function daily.
That decision to “fire myself” allowed me to enjoy life outside of work. I was approaching 50 years old and had worked in my business long enough. I was ready to spend time with my family and focus on things I deserved. I didn’t realize then that if I had made this shift ten years earlier, my business would have been more valuable and profitable.
“FIRE YOURSELF TO FIND FREEDOM”
Now, I teach my clients how to do the same. Firing yourself from the daily grind doesn’t mean you don’t care about your business—it means you care enough to make it STRONGER and more sustainable. It’s a shift that gives you both the freedom you deserve and the ability to grow a more valuable business.
