Scaling Up and Staying Real

Picture this: You start a business, you’re practically BFFs with every client. It's all high-fives and personal texts.

Fast forward, and suddenly, you’re running a whole new show.

The vibe shifts; you're not the chief emoji sender anymore. There are other points of contact in the mix.

How do you keep that personal and relational feel while you scale?

Let’s take a look at how your business morphs, stage-by-stage:

Stage 1: Coffee Chats

Remember those days when you'd chat with customers over coffee or sneak in a quick Zoom call? Yeah, those were the times. It's your business baby, after all. Your vibe, your flavor, and your personal touch.

Stage 2: Growing Pains

Fast forward, and your business hits a growth spurt. More clients, more teams, more virtual high-fives. You're juggling more hats than a magician. But as the business expands, you realize there's a bit of distance now. Clients might not get the direct hotline to you anymore.

Stage 3: Passing the (Relational) Baton

You decide it's time to let someone else play messenger. A trusted teammate becomes the go-to for client interactions. You're hoping they've got the charm, the wit, and the occasional GIF game that you had. It's a shift, but a necessary one.

Stage 4: The Grand Return

Yet, amid all this growth, there's a twist. Cue the founder’s reprise. Every now and then, you decide to pop back into the client chats. Not for everyone and not always, but you do for one what you wish you could do for all.?

Stage 5: Strategic Wow Moments

These moments aren't accidental. They're orchestrated like a surprise birthday party. An unexpected email, a random call, or, like Taylor Swift, surprising a fan by showing up to his wedding and performing at the reception.

It’s your way of saying, “Hey, we might be bigger, but I still see you and you matter to me!”

Stage 6: Keeping it Real

Scaling up doesn't have to mean losing the essence of your business. You can still find those sweet spots to bring back the founder’s touch. In a world of corporate emails, an occasional "Hey, how's it going?" can be as impactful as a well-timed GIF.

So, in the grand dance of business growth, the founder's comeback is like your favorite song on shuffle – unexpected, nostalgic, and a reminder that even as you grow, every relationship that has been added along the way is of the utmost importance.

"But, Micah, what does this have to do with maximizing my investment in my EA?"

Everything.

I find that most people come to me while they’re in the Growing Pains stage of their journey (which happens a few times, btw). While there, leaders know something must change in order to accommodate for further growth. You need to get out of some details and move to Passing the Relational Baton or maybe just get yourself out of the weeds that prevent you from handling more relationships!?

Of course they can provide support at any step, but that’s when the pain is felt the most and an EA can help you move to the next level.?

-Micah

If you’re just getting started with an EA, I recommend using my HOW TO START pdf, and revisiting it at least once a quarter. And if you’re currently working with an EA, but think you might need a little recalibration, use my RECALIBRATION method.

If you haven’t started with an Executive Assistant yet, I’d love to help. I remove the headache of sourcing, testing, and vetting your EA and provide ongoing support and training for them in the form of a private Slack community. Reply with “interested” and I’ll reach out to get started or reply with “I need help” if you want some help recalibrating with your Assistant.