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Just realized a chat with my old boss changed how I see my own business.
Three years ago, I was fixing a leak at his house after I'd left his crew. He asked how my own small team was doing, and I said it was fine, just busy. He looked at me and said, 'Tara, are you building a job or a business? You're the best plumber I ever had, but you're still just a plumber with helpers.' That one line made me stop and think. Has anyone else had a simple question flip a switch like that?
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janah831mo ago
Wasn't there a book about working on your business instead of in it? That's basically what your boss said. It's a total mindset shift from doing the work to building something that can run without you. Sounds like that question was a real lightbulb moment.
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sean_cooper581mo ago
That book is the E-Myth. Read it years ago. The whole "work on not in" idea gets repeated a lot. My issue is it assumes every business should run without its founder. Some jobs are hands-on by nature. A chef, a mechanic, a therapist. Trying to remove yourself can ruin what made it good in the first place. Not every business needs to be a system you escape from.
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the_simon1mo agoTop Commenter
Totally agree with you. That whole idea gets pushed like it's the only way, but it just doesn't fit some things. Like @janah83 mentioned the mindset shift, but forcing a system can kill the soul of the work. A great barber's shop feels different when he's not there. A baker's special touch can't be put in a manual. The goal shouldn't always be to build a machine you can leave. Sometimes the point is you're the key part, and that's okay.
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