How do you know when you need help with your business?

This post originally appeared as a newsletter to my list on May 17th, 2022.

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You don’t have to do everything yourself to be good at business.

This was a lesson that I have learned the hard way. And then I learn it again. And again. Pretty much every year I learn this lesson.

Just me, over here, in a constant state of learning.

I am the worst at asking for help

For the first 5+ years of my business, I rarely ever contracted out work. I did my own stone setting, my own website updates, my own books, my own IT troubleshooting, my own marketing, my own SEO, my own ad management.

I was scrappy. I was hardworking. I was good at research.

I was burning out.

As it turns out, I am not an IT person, nor am I a graphic designer. I am also not a photography editor.

I was “smart enough” to hack my way through the projects in front of me, but it was sucking up all of my mental bandwidth.

After years troubleshooting my tech issues using YouTube videos and blog posts, I was tired of having my time and headspace taken up by problem-solving issues that I had no business problem-solving.

What am I doing differently now?

This year, I hired an IT person! He helped me fix an email problem that had plagued me for over a year, one that I thought I could figure out on my own.

He is also helping me fix my Google Analytics tag (one of those dull, but very important issues that needed to get done). What a revelation that I didn’t need to struggle my way through this problem on my own.

It felt like I gave myself the gift of having a guide through the process. I didn't feel alone.

As much as I love researching and learning for projects, that energy is best saved for my clients and their projects. For my own issues, hiring is the way to go.

Last year, I switched my email platform from MailChimp to ConvertKit*. This year, I will be switching my email service provider again to MailerLite. And you know what? I hired someone to switch my platform and set it all up. When I switch to MailerLite, I will also hire someone to do this for me.

Why? Because I am good at writing emails. I am good at sticking to a schedule. I am good at marketing. I am good at strategy. I am good at helping my clients and students.

I am not, however, a technician for switching email platforms. For that, I need a professional. There is also the peace of mind of having someone else there to make sure it gets done correctly.

My wish for you, and by extension, for myself, is to always feel engaged with your business, art and process. And if it takes delegating out the projects that don't bring joy, and that suck up your attention, then it is well worth it.

Where have I gone for help? I contract some of my photo editing to Molly at WebGem. I use casting companies like Snell for the jewelry that I can't make myself. To transfer from MailChimp to Convert Kit, I used Sophia Ojha and when I find my person to guide me through switching to Mailer Lite, I will be sure to share that here too.

What can you do today to ask for the help you need?​

*EDITOR’S NOTE: I was recommending the free version of MailChimp until recently. Unfortunately, they have made many changes to their free version and stripped a lot of the value from it - and their paid versions are now comparable to pretty much every other platform out there.

If you are using Squarespace, their email service is a fine choice. Another easy to use and comparably-priced platform is FloDesk - really pretty templates and a powerful platform in general. Easy to use for first-timers too!

Also note that if you are already using MailChimp, you may have had some features that are grandfathered in. Anyone signing up for a new account will not get those same features.