Back in December, I lost my entire content team.
And when I say we create a lot of content each month — I mean a lot. (Content Club members, you know )
We don’t churn out generic, AI-generated stuff like most content programs give you…
Everything is built in-house — by real humans, real coaches, and people who actually understand this industry.
Because that’s what it takes to create content that actually works.
So when the team fell apart…
I did what most business owners do:
I jumped in.
I put my head down, got to work, and made sure nothing dropped.
Because clients come first. ALWAYS. That’s non-negotiable.
And for a while, it worked.
We kept everything running.
We hit our deadlines.
Nothing blew up.
But somewhere along the way…
What started as a short-term “step in and help” turned into me Lesson #2: I should’ve known better living inside the grind… for months.
The problem was that I didn’t have the margin to fix it.
So I fell into the same traps I’ve helped so many of my clients avoid:
Trap #1: “It’s faster to do it myself.”
Trap #2: “No one can do it as well as me.”
And listen, I know better.
I preach this stuff. I build systems around this stuff. I literally created an entire program to help people avoid this exact situation.
But there I was…
Back in it. Burnt out.
Just being honest (even though it sucks to admit this out loud) because I’m hoping that something in here will truly help you in YOUR business.
I was doing everything from brainstorming and writing, to designing, editing, formatting, uploading, tweaking — all while still leading the team and running Coach Engine.
Now don’t get me wrong — I don’t mind the work.
I actually love rolling up my sleeves and building things. Always have.
But it’s never about “whether or not you can do it”…
It’s whether you’re willing to let go of the control that’s keeping you stuck.
Because here’s the truth most coaches won’t tell you:
Lesson #2: Being the one who “does it all” isn’t noble. It’s self-sabotage disguised as dedication.
Oof. I know.
But I say that with love — and from experience.
I thought I was being a good leader by jumping in.
I thought I was being efficient by doing it myself.
I thought I was saving time, protecting the brand, holding the standard…
But what I was really doing?
Getting in the way.
I was blocking my team from growing.
I was keeping myself trapped in a role I had long since outgrown.
And I was slowly eroding the very business I worked so hard to build.
I wanted to remove myself, but I kept repeating the lies:
“I don’t have time to train someone.”
“No one can do it like I can.”
“This is just temporary…”
But it wasn’t.
And it won’t be for you either — unless you change it on purpose.
So what’s the fix?
✅ Identify the tasks that drain you — the ones that pull you out of your zone of genius.
✅ Stop waiting for the perfect time to hire. It’s not coming. The longer you wait, the deeper the hole.
✅ Build the systems before you need them — or you’ll be duct-taping things together in the middle of a breakdown (ask me how I know ).
Let me leave you with this:
If your business can’t function without you, it’s not a business… it’s a dependency.
That’s the lesson I had to re-learn the hard way.
So there’s lesson #2 in a nutshell. If you missed lesson 1, you can catch up over here.
And lots more coming…
Because as they say… never let a good crisis go to waste
Make it an AMAZING day,
Alicia
