Why I want you to build yourself out of your business
It's better for everyone
There’s something I need you to know - something that is true for every business owner, no matter what your long-term goals are…
Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) would be better off if you built yourself out of your business.
Let me explain.
When I founded Podcast Ally, my goal was to transition from a traditional agency model into a business that would be more compatible with my goal of full-time travel.
I knew I was going to be unreachable much of the time, with a shifting and unpredictable schedule, so I had to remove myself from day-to-day operations—things like launching new projects, answering questions, and handling client challenges.
If I couldn’t be reached for hours (or days), the business needed to keep running.
Now that I’m on the other side of this process, it looks like the end result was inevitable. But that’s just the benefit of hindsight.
In reality, I had to shift the way I thought about my work to get there.
In doing so, I built a company I ran working 20 hours a week, while traveling to national parks and off-grid locations.
Three years later, I was able to sell the business.
You may have zero interest in long-term travel. You don’t need to stop working with clients if that’s what you love.
But here’s the important part:
Whether you want to sell your business or not, designing your business so it can thrive without you makes it stronger, more resilient and creates room for growth and innovation.
You might think that my company stalled out while I was on the road. But in my first year running Podcast Ally, the company experienced more growth than any other business I launched in the 10 years of entrepreneurship leading up to this point.
I started my first full year with 6 clients, nearly went under during Covid, only to recover and experience the fastest growth of 10 years of self-employment. 🎢
We entered our second year with 17 clients and more booked revenue than I’d made the entire previous year.
I also paid myself more than ever before.
By every objective measure, this was my most successful company.
This kind of business gives you:
Freedom to take vacations or sabbaticals without stress,
Peace of mind when life demands your energy elsewhere, and
Space for creative projects like writing, developing new ideas, or diving into a hobby.
But it's not only better for you. I know you are worried about the effect stepping back will have on your clients.
After all, most of us develop companies that lean into a skill set that we excel in or a framework that's different from our competitors.
It can feel like you're the only person that can do the work up to the standard your clients expect.
This is partially true. No single person can duplicate the way you approach your work.
But a small group, all with their own unique strengths and skill sets and supported by systems that make delivery fail-proof?
A well-led business is stronger than even the strongest individual team member, including their leader.
And here’s the best part: None of this is any harder than what you’re doing now.
It’s just different.
Let this be the year you create a resilient business – starting with the Build Yourself Out of the Business Scorecard to find opportunities to create more freedom and independence in your company.
Each of the 10 questions represents a system or leadership framework that will help you get out of the daily grind of your business, freeing up your time to use however you’d like.
When you get your score, I also provide recommendations on how you can get started and an opportunity to meet with me to go over your results.
I hope you’ll use this quick tool, and take at least one step this year towards building an agency or service-business that practically runs itself.