Have you ever hesitated to hire someone who knows more than you… because it felt risky or intimidating? In this episode, Melissa breaks down why not hiring up is one of the fastest ways to cap your business growth and why your job as a CEO is not to be the most qualified person in every function.

Sparked by a controversial take on Diary of a CEO (where a guest said small business owners should never hire more experienced people), Melissa shares why she completely disagrees – and what actually works inside real companies.

She walks through her own story of becoming a COO overseeing functions she’d never done herself, and how learning to trust and leverage true experts transformed results, retention, and growth.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why “never hire someone more qualified than you” is dangerous advice for small business owners
• How talent determines your growth trajectory and why A-players cost more (and are worth it)
• Melissa’s story of becoming COO and leading cybersecurity, procurement, vendor management, and a PMO she’d never personally worked in
• What great leaders really do: identify, harness, and retain talent (not out-execute their team)
• When it’s the right time to hire at the bottom vs. hire strategic, senior roles
• The real reason “hires don’t work out” (hint: it’s often unclear expectations and weak integration, not skills)
• How to set clear expectations around:
  • Core values and how they show up in behavior
  • Quality standards and timeliness
  • Brand representation and public-facing work
• Why you must “close the loop” with employees when work is late, incomplete, or off the mark
• How adding a strong new hire can create “storming” on your team – and what to do so the team evolves instead of implodes
• Why only hiring people who know less than you guarantees your business will be limited by your own knowledge

If you enjoyed this episode

• Share it with another small business owner who’s stuck trying to do everything themselves.
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• If you are looking for help in your business go to https://www.melissafranks.com to learn more.

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