The CEO shift: Why you need to step out of the day-to-day

Welcome back to another episode of the Unbreakable Business Podcast. I’m your host, Akua Kdu, and today we are going to be talking about what does it mean to be a CEO in your business. I know all of us, we say like, yes, I’m the CEO of my business. I own my business, but there is a difference between.

Owning your business and being an actual CEO in your business. And these are shifts that I have been making that I’m starting to see a difference. And so that is what I’m gonna talk about today of we talk about how being in the weeds can really slow you down as a business owners and what questions you need to be asking yourself to really show, okay, am I being a CEO in my business or not?

And I think that this is a conversation that. We just gotta keep having at the forefront as business owners, right? Because we have an incredible vision of what it is that we wanna do. And so this is a way to help make sure that we are putting our goals at the forefront all the time. And you know, like I said, if we have to adjust and shift, that’s okay, but at the end of the day, we putting ourselves first, putting our goals first in our business and making sure that we are truly staying aligned so that we are creating a business that truly, uh.

Brings us so much joy and also to makes an impact. So let’s get into the episode. Welcome to Unbreakable Business, the podcast where we uncover the untold stories behind entrepreneurship. This isn’t about polished success stories. It’s about the sleepless nights, unexpected roadblocks in unshakeable grit that builds businesses that last.

Every week we sit down with entrepreneurs who faced it all, sharing raw, honest conversations about challenges, growth, and the moments. That made them unbreakable. Whether you’re just starting out or chasing your next breakthrough, this podcast is your reminder that you have the strength to keep going.

Today’s episode, I am really excited to talk about it, kind of where I’ve been at these past three months, and I’ve really taken the time to really lean into what it really means to be a CEO in your business. I know. As we are business owners, we’re either solo, many of us are solopreneurs. We’re, you know, either building a small or we have a small team currently building a team, or you know, we already do have a team wherever we’re at in our journey.

I think that stepping more into a CEO role, we hear that a lot, but what does that actually really look like as business owners, and I know many of us, depending on your industry, we’re either, you know, summer’s here, so we’re either really in the. Thick of it with our busy season, or we’re really taking that time to just relax and enjoy ourselves.

And so either way, I really wanna encourage you as you listen to this episode, to really carve out some time to really process and reflect and really think about where you’re at in your business journey and where you honestly wanna go. Because I know that’s where I have currently. Currently been. And I think it’s just so important for us to be consistently revisiting that so we can stay grounded in what our vision is because it’s so easy to forget, I don’t wanna say forget, but maybe deprioritize what that vision is when you’re in your day to day.

Like I said, some of us are in our busy season. Um, and so what does that, what does that look like? And so that’s what we are talking about today because you have built something so powerful as a business owner, right? You are making such an incredible impact. Like the work that you do is so valuable. So.

If you’re looking to grow, how can we really make your vision come to life to where you can impact so many more people? And so that’s why I’m really excited to really, for us to talk about. You know how to lead like the business that you’re building. How can we start showing up as this, you know, whether I wanna be a, a hit six figures or more, how can I start to show up as that business owner?

How can I start to show up as that CEO? And so that is what I’m really excited for us to lean in today. But, you know, one of the major things that was, uh, come to Jesus moment kind of in my business was, you know, what got me here as a business owner to where I am at this current point. Is not going to be what gets me to where I want to go, right?

Like there are some changes that I really need to make. There are some ways that I really have to lean in and operate in a different way, really get to know myself in a different way in order to get to where I wanna get to. And so one of the main things for me is that I realized is that how being in the weeds, honestly, it really slows you down as a business owner.

You know, a lot of these everyday tasks. Can really buckle you down. And we hear this all the time of automate, right? But I think it’s just so important because number one is decision fatigue is real. And yeah, girl, I have absolutely, that is something I struggle with where I become, when you first start out with it, it’s so easy.

We’re like, okay, like it’s so easy to make a quick decision. You’re like, all right, yeah, no problem. You hurry and stop what I’m doing really quick and make this quick decision. And you do a couple times and you’re like, all right, yeah, that’s fine. I can get back and go into my work. But the more that you do it, that’s more times that you’re losing and that’s more.

Um, energy that you’re wasting. And so that’s something I do wanna lean into is that like, number one, the reason why you are being in the weeds and it’s really slowing you down as a growth as a business owner is because decision fatigue is so real and so, you know. If you are taking that time to fulfill every client, ask if you are, every single piece of content needs to be reviewed or you know, then your ability to think strategically evaporates that context.

Switching, right? Like that slows us down. I’m pretty sure research has shown that when you stop what you’re doing, especially when you’re in that deep work to go, you know, answer a quick email, you know. Stop really quick to go review something else that can really slow you down and that can eventually really burn you out and, and honestly can lead possibly to resentment in your business.

So that, that’s one thing that I have really been seeing and that’s something that I have even been dealing with with, of like, okay, like how do I get out of this decision fatigue? Number two is like, things get bottlenecked, right? Like if you feel like my business. Cannot run without me. Like if you take a day off and you feel like your business is gonna crumble, where like you are, like I can’t even take a week off.

And I know, again, we hear this all the time, but I know so many business owners who have been in the game and they’re still currently telling me right now, Akua, I have literally, I have been in business for over five years and I have never taken a vacation. And so again, that’s where you have to really sit down and really reevaluate of like what your systems are.

In in place, right to where like if you feel like you cannot take time to step away from your business, that’s where you really have to ask yourself some really hard hitting questions. And so I think that’s something important. If progress in your business stops when you’re try to rest, if you’re sick or if you have to take different meetings.

If progress in your business stops, then you gotta go back and really. Revise some things because life be lifeing, right? Like it doesn’t matter. Things always happen whether good or bad, whatever. Like life is an incredible, beautiful journey, but sometimes it can be hard and so. If anything happens in your life that can stop the progress of your business.

Um, and of course there’s naturally already extenuating circumstances, but just some general things, like I said, like if you want to rest, take that vacation. If that’s gonna halt the progress of your business, then you have to really take that time to really start asking yourself some really hard questions, right?

Because as a CEO, you are that person. You are that visionary. You are laying down the roadmap. You have to take that time to really. Recalibrate to really reset so that you are the best version of yourself to be able to build the business and uphold that vision because you have people that are right, like people care about your business because you have to make them care.

And if you already have those people that are there for you, right? You gotta make sure that you are the best version of you because they are excited too, to help you fulfill your dream. So that’s one thing I really wanna hone in on is of like, if you’re finding yourself in the weeds, it’s because like if everything is bottlenecked, like nothing can move without you.

Even if you have a small team, you still feel like, okay, I have people that I delegated things to and I, and all of that, but it’s still not making a difference for me. I still feel like I have to be involved in everything. Again, that’s where you have to really take the time to ask yourself, as business owners, what am I doing?

What do things look like for me? What do I want my future to look like? So that’s another point as well. And I think one thing that I want people to realize is, is that in your business, if you can’t step away. You have not built a business, and it’s like you have built a system, right? Because systems are all around us, whether we believe it or not, how we operate in our life is a system, how we operate in our business.

It’s a type of system. Now, it could be a system that’s serving you or not, and so if you can’t step away from your business. It is a system where you are at the center of it and a system like that is super fragile. A system like that is not sustainable. A system like that is not doable. And so again, you have to really start asking yourself as a business owner is like, what kind of system can I create where I am not the center?

Because you are human, right? And as humans we, things happen, you know, things happen. And that’s just the beauty of life. And so, you know, you have to really ask yourself of how do I take myself out of the center of that? So there’s that. That’s something I want you to think of. And the third thing is, and this is something that I realized and was very eye-opening for me, and I hope it is for you too.

We sometimes confuse chaos for commitment in our business. And I. Let me explain what that is because this was something I was so guilty of and I find myself getting into those habits constantly where responding to endless messages, not honoring yourself. Not honoring yourself by like taking a break, not honoring yourself, but like even taking the time to make yourself lunch.

You know that constant hustle 24 7, where you are sacrificing your health, your peace of mind. We view that as well. This is my commitment to my business and. You know, I don’t, I don’t think that’s what it is. You know what I mean? I think. That doesn’t mean that you care more for your business. I think, you know, again, it’s about working smarter and not harder.

And I, and a lot of the times we find ourselves kind of in this, this downhill battle of, you know, that constant hustle and we are going to get to wherever we want to go, no matter the cost. And now, don’t get me wrong, I do think that of course as a business owner, sacrifices have to be made. Absolutely.

But are they the right sacrifices that are going to help you get from point A to point B? That’s the type of thing that you want to be thinking about and that’s what’s gonna, you have to be more strategic because of course I always say that everything in life, business, whatever, always comes at a cost and it could be good or bad.

And so like, again, really taking that time to reflect of am I making this decision here and what is this gonna cost me? And if what it costs you outweighs what you can gain from it, then really then you gotta really reevaluate and re-strategize. I think. We have to really take that time to be a lot more strategic in our business and stop confusing chaos for commitment.

Because the more chaotic and the more you keep dishonoring yourself and your boundaries, you know, you don’t get a reward for that. If anything, you just end up resenting your business and being frustrated, um, and feeling like you’re never enough. And so that is. Those three key things that I think really just keeps us slowing down as business owners just being in the weeds, right?

That decision fatigue, you know, everything’s being bottlenecked and really confusing chaos for commitment. There are some subtle signs in your business that can show up as that you are not fully operating as a CEO and. Like I said, I’ll be in my day to day and then all of a sudden I have to actually take the time to really pause and reflect and be like, damn, do I need to be doing this right now?

Or is this something that I can automate? Right. Or is it something I can give to somebody else? And so one of the main things that popped up for me was where we confuse urgency. I. With importance. That was that. That was a major one for me, right? Like I’m spending, again, all of my day reacting. Everything that I was doing was reacting from emails, text messages, client work.

Everything about me that I was doing was very reactionary. It wasn’t where I felt a lot of ease, where I felt like there were smooth transitions in between my day. That was a one thing for me where I was like, I’m not operating as a CEO. The second major thing is not protecting your time, and I always go back to think of one of my top episodes that I listen to.

From our previous show, the Independent Business Podcast, we had an episode with Shea Cochrane. And you know, she built a multi six figure business by only 16 hours a week. And so that’s all that she had because she didn’t want to sacrifice the important things in her life, like being a mom, being a wife, you know, being there for her family, you know, being there for her friends, whatever that looks like for her, she did not wanna sacrifice that.

And I think a lot of the times we. We think that in order to be successful, again, we have to sacrifice some of the things that really value that are important to us. And I love her story because she shows us that you truly can have it all. It’s absolutely possible. We don’t have to have this black and white thinking of like, okay, in order for me to build this business, I can’t show up and be and, and show up for the people that I truly care about.

She did it with, with 16 hours a week. And how did she do that? She protected her time. She was very strategic in the task that she chose to do. And sometimes what can be so hard as business owners, especially when we see people who are successful and that we feel like, okay, yes, like this person has made it, you are like, I wanna hurry up and get there.

Like, we get so frustrated with our progress and all of that stuff. And sometimes it can be hard because you’re like, okay, fine. I wanna protect my time and focus on these strategic tasks. But then these other things, you know. That I feel as of equal importance are going to also, you know, slow me down and like it’s, I’m not gonna be able to make progress in the way that I want to.

And, and I hear you. ’cause I’m also guilty of that, where I’m like, I really wanna hurry up and get to where I am now. And so I gotta do all the things. And it just, it’s just not possible. Really. Taking the time to take things in bite-sized chunks makes all the difference because again, it’s step by step by step and before you know it, you’ve reached the journey and like you’re in your journey where you, you have.

Come so much further because you’ve actually taken the time to protect what it is that you do so that you can show up again as your best. And so we’re definitely gonna link that episode into our show notes because it’s just so impactful. It’s a really great first step to really teach you, okay, like how can I really show up more as a CEO in my business?

The next step will shift that I see business owners doing is that we can’t name our goals besides revenue and. Okay, look, I love money just like the next person. Okay. And revenue is so important in our business and I think sometimes when we focus so hard on hitting those revenue goals, it makes it harder to reach them.

I dunno. That’s what I think. And I, because for me, like I’m not a big Zodiac person, but I’m a Capricorn honey. And one thing I will say about Capricorn is we love money. I love money, so I’m not gonna. I’m not gonna deny that. And so for me, I was like, okay, I really wanna hit this revenue goal. And that was all that, like my focus on where it wasn’t even enjoyable anymore.

I wasn’t enjoying the journey as. A business owner. So, you know, really I had to take that time to really ask myself, okay, cool. What do you wanna focus on this quarter? Okay, yes, this is the revenue goal I wanna hit, but what else do I also wanna focus on? Right? Do I want to build and deepen my relationships with my community?

You know, do I want to connect again with more business owners? Like whatever it is that you wanna do, of whatever your goal is, that’s always going to feed into your revenue. That’s something I really want people to think about as a business owner is. There’s more things to focus on besides revenue, though revenue is really important, but it’s not the end all, be all of a business.

And sometimes that can remove the fun out of being a business owner and, and why you do what you do. Another subtle sign that I noticed that kind of showcase that, you know. We are not really being a CEO, even though we think that we are, is that we are doing tasks that we’ve outgrown. You know, whether you’ve been in business, you know what you’re doing a year from now, two years from now, five years from now, 10 years from now, you know, you start to kind of get annoyed with some of the tasks that you’re doing.

Like for me, I would just get so annoyed when I had to onboard every client. And so that’s why, you know, my, I have really created those systems, especially in my HoneyBook. So smooth, where like I don’t have to worry about it because those were things I just didn’t enjoy. And because I didn’t enjoy it, I dropped the ball and then I lost more money.

So I think again, that that is such an important piece to think about. You know, whether you are writing every caption on social media, onboarding every single client, you know, you’re holding onto tasks that you just don’t. Need to anymore that there is a solution for. And so really think about, okay, like what are some tasks that I have done in my business that I no longer need to do that will really be able to free up that space for you to lean into being more of a CEO.

So I’ve kind of just thrown a lot at you, but these are some key things I wanted you to really just be thinking about because it’s something that I have been currently thinking about and, and really just revising how I wanna show up, especially right now in this season. And so here’s some things that I think can be so helpful, and they’re just really important for us to really make that CEO mindset shift.

So here are a couple of tips on that. Number one, I think that we just really need to redefine our role as a business owner, as a CEO. One thing, again, I’m gonna go back to that episode with Shay Cochran on the Independent Business Podcast where she says, you want to build your business. The business that you want tomorrow, whether six months from now, whether a year from now.

So really think about redefining your role of like, okay, like what is that gonna look this role gonna look like six months from now, a year from now, five years from now, 10 years from now? Really take that time to really plan out your role and your business that way, because again, you’re building for tomorrow and it doesn’t feel that way when you’re in the day to day like in the here and now.

But at the end of the day, the choices that you make, the decisions that you make in your business today will absolutely affect how your business will run and operate. In the future. And so really take that time to really redefine your, that role to where it shows where you’re going, not where you’re currently at.

And I think it’s just a reminder that every decision that we make in our business is so important. So when you have that and you’ve, and you’ve redefined that role and are thinking about the future, it makes making decisions a lot easier in your business. I remember how I talked about decision fatigue earlier.

It makes it to where decision fatigue just doesn’t exist. Because now you feel a lot more confident saying yes to the right things and saying no to the things that don’t serve you. Saying no to the things that are not gonna move you or propel you forward in your business. That’s one of those key things is redefining that role and building it out for tomorrow, where your business is going, where you want it to be in the future.

And another thing to even add to that is to really create a list. That has tasks that only you can do right where you are working, where it’s like the bread and butter of your business. Like for me as a storytelling strategist. I, my services are very specific and very tailored to like, I’m the only person that can do it.

So tho that’s an area really redefining my services, really working on that client work. Those are things that I really want to focus on that’s gonna help me propel further in my business, not. Like onboarding a client, that is something that people can do that, or that you can automate yourself. Like I said, my HoneyBook saves me so much time when automating a client.

I have my welcome packet that I’ve made and all it, it takes me less than 10 minutes to be able to go in there and just redefine a couple things and send it off to a client. That saves me so much time where I, again. Don’t have that decision critique and where I’m not getting burned out. Also things are not getting bottlenecked through me.

That’s a task that either somebody can do or HoneyBook can do it for me. Right. So really take that time as you’re defining that role to add. The only I can do list and list out all of those tasks that only you can do. And again, that’s gonna make a big difference for you of really like, okay, what can I automate in my business?

Like there are so many. Um, ways now with AI that’s just so accessible to us, that makes it a lot easier to build out our business. And so really think through of like the tasks as well when you’re redefining that role of what can I do? The only things I can do. Another thing is to really redefine what.

Ownership looks like in your business, whether you have a team or you don’t. I think that’s something that’s really important to talk about, because I always say, and I’m, I say this all the time too, you know, either when I think of what you can automate or delegate, and a lot of the times we always say like, you know, I gotta delegate tasks to somebody.

And this and that. And a lot of times when a lot of us are trying to build a team, it’s so hard for us to let go because we’re just delegating a task. And, you know, on, uh, the podcast, a previous episode that we also have had on the independent business podcast is we had an amazing episode with Audrey Joy Quan, who talks all about hiring and learning your style and how, and the leadership.

Styles that you want to lean into as you’re us wanting to start building a team. And so we’re also gonna put that show in the show notes. I want people to also listen to that one as well. ’cause it was phenomenal. But I wanted to highlight that episode because I remember this specific piece that she said that was so impactful is, you know.

It’s more than just a sign, delegating a task. You really wanna give people ownership. And so when you are giving people ownership over something, I feel like that excites people. That makes people more, will like more willing and excited and. To do the job. You know what I mean? Of whatever it is that you’re giving them because you’re saying to them, Hey, I trust you.

I trust you and your expertise to really be able to deliver this in a way that’s going to help propel me forward. And I think that is so important. So I think a lot of times. When we are assigning tasks that might even seem a little bit mundane, even for example, for marketing, I have now decided to bring somebody on from a marketing for my business because I’m like, I need a little bit more help.

I need a little bit more support because I don’t have the capacity right now. And that was the main thing I thought of. When I decided to bring her on, because I’m like, well, I’m also a marketer and she’s a marketer. Well, then that means if I’m a marketer, I feel like then, like that means, uh, does, is that gonna reflect that I don’t know what I’m doing as a business owner, that I have to have her come in and help my business.

I, that was a mindset shift that I had to really work through, and it was like, no, Akua, you just in the season of life just don’t have the capacity. And so you want somebody that you can trust and so. I let her run with it, and she has already delivered in terms of really building out a content system for me that will make it easier for me to create content so that she can go off and edit it, and I trust her.

I trust her expertise to where, again, I don’t have to hound her down. I don’t have to look over her shoulder, right. So really think about how can I, instead of delegating, how can I have this person really own this? I’m giving this as them to something to own, like really empowering them to own this so that they can move forward and feel more confident and excited in the work that they do.

Because I will tell you like that mindset shift for me has made it a lot more fun to work with her because I am more creative. She brings such amazing, uh, stuff to the table, as do I, and it’s been fun to really think through about like what we can start creating together. And so, and I think it just builds like a really, really beautiful relationship.

So again, really think about. And redesign how you build ownership in your business. The last tip I think is so important and it is truly the basic, and it’s something that you can literally do today, is to protect that time on your calendar. You need to put CEO time on your calendar, and I know sometimes it’s easier said and done.

I know sometimes when things are busy, I know when things are happening, even if it’s 30 minutes. Put it on your calendar because that is what’s going to have you reset because I know, I have just seen it within myself and so many other business owners. We get so caught up, like I’ve said before, in that day to day or like when we’re so busy that we lose sight of what’s important to us.

We lose sight of what we value as business owners. And so I really want to remind you to honor yourself, put yourself first. Right? Put yourself first and put that CEO time on your calendar, whether that is to, and I don’t, and I separate. CEO day from finance day. I know sometimes too, I know some business owners will have them together of like, okay, CEO time, I’m looking at revenue and this and that.

I actually have now separated the two, um, because I. I also, I’ve realized, and I think I talked earlier about context switching, I realized I slow down a lot more when I am context switching and I’m like, okay, I’m focusing on this and now I gotta switch over to finances and it takes me a second to get resettled into this new task.

So I have now even separated that where on Mondays I focus specifically on. Revenue, money. Where are things at? What do I need to be doing in terms of that? And like, just the really financial health of my business. And then now my CEO days are on Fridays where that is specifically where that is dedicated to where, okay, like what does ownership look like in my business?

How can I, what are some, some things that I can only do? And then what do I need to really automate in my business and move forward with? Right? So these are some things that I really want you. To think about as a business owner. And, um, that to me is such a key, key thing when you are able to even just put some of that protected time in your calendar.

I don’t care if it’s 10 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour, two hours, whatever that is, put that on your calendar and, and when it comes up, do it. Take that time aside. Either have an accountability group, whatever that looks like, to really honor that time for you as a CEO so that you have the space to dream so you can consistently make sure like.

Is this still the dream that I even want? Because sometimes we are like, okay, I originally wanted this, but things shifted. Things changed, we change, and so now it’s like, do I even still want this? You wanna always be making sure that you’re having that conversation with yourself, and that’s what the CEO time is all about.

Having that conversation with yourself as a business owner of like, and as an individual that does this business sustain me my life. Right, because I say this all the time, that business should fit into your life, not the other way around. So does this, the business that I’m creating, does it fit into my life and what I’m trying to do?

So those are the three main things, those three shifts that have really helped me as a business owner to, to step into a CEO and I. One thing I always ask myself now, even to close out this episode, I always say now as well as like a good, a good, uh, meter to see, okay, like, how am I doing? Am I being a CEO or not?

Is, is this something that. Seven figure business owner Akua would do. And it’s either a yes or no. And that has been so helpful for me to make sure that I am staying aligned, right? Because I know my goals as a business owner and where I want to go to, and I know we all have the goals, so whatever that looks like for you, but asking yourself, is this what you know?

Akua would do, is this what future Kura would do? Is this what your future self would do? And ask yourself that question. And it really helps make it a lot easier to make decisions in your business. So that is all I have for you today, you guys. Thank you so much for tuning in and listening, and as always, until next time, thanks for tuning into Unbreakable Business.

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