In This Episode:

* Why management specialist Podge Thomas believes your team should be your biggest asset* How to prepare to hire—and how to take better care of your team member through careful onboarding* How our previous experiences with management shape the way we approach the prospect of hiring today

Managing has gotten a bad rap.

In fact, if I had to guess, I’d say that “not wanting to manage people” is the biggest reason people cite for not hiring.

Sure, there might be financial issues. There might be issues with finding the right person. There might issues about knowing what to hand off.

But almost everyone I talk to has either a fear or an unwillingness to manage people.

So why do so many of us have such an aversion to management?

Why have so many people sworn off hiring help?

Why has solopreneurship become such an enticing thing for people wanting to build a business?

Here’s my take: we grossly overestimate the risks & liabilities of hiring people and managing them. And we grossly underestimate the benefits of doing so.

Typically cognitive bias, especially for entrepreneurs, works the other way. We fixate on the upsides and ignore potential risk. That’s entrepreneurial optimism in a nutshell.

So maybe this is managerial pessimism?

I don’t know—but what I do know is that hiring might be the best thing you ever do for yourself and for your business.

That’s not to say that I think it’s the right decision for everyone—but I do believe it’s a good decision for more business owners.

This episode is going to be perfect for you whether you’ve avoided hiring to this point, whether you’re considering making the leap, or whether you’ve already got a team and looking to become a better boss and really receive the benefits of building a team.

But before we get into the meat of it, I want to paint a picture of the upside of hiring for you. Because there’s a very good chance that, even if you’re already paying people, you haven’t experienced this yet.

Upside #1: People have your back

Team members—especially employees—aren’t just there to get things done for you. They’re part of the fundamental support of the business. And sometimes, that looks like making sure you’re in a position to the do work that only you can do.

They might keep you from getting derailed by an unhappy customer. They might watch out for you when they know you’re under the weather. They might pick up an off-hand remark as an idea for a game-changing project.

I simply cannot oversell the benefit of having a team that has your back. Of course, building this kind of team takes work—management work—but it is so, so, so worth it.

Upside #2: Other people can create or deliver value for you

Most micro business owners—solo or not—operate as if they’re the only ones who can create value for the business. But team members can create value, too!

They can turn ideas into reality. They can work with your clients or lead conversations in your course. They can build systems that dramatically increase efficiency and effectiveness. They can even build offers for you!

Maybe that seems incredibly far-fetched at this point. Maybe you never even considered that as a possibility. But it’s all true. Of course, you’ve got to hire the right people and guide them...

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