Yesterday was a tough day for many Moms- myself included. The baby boy that inspired the birth of my company, Glamajama, isn’t such a baby anymore. He started Kindergarten at a new school with no friends at his side, a teacher he’s never met, and all kinds of new rules and procedures he’d have to memorize to get his “star” for the day. He greeted all the unknowns with eager excitement and walked right up to his new teacher, introduced himself, and gave her a big hug. I couldn’t help but admire his fearlessness and resolute optimism that this whole school thing was going to be “super awesome”. After getting him settled, I kissed him goodbye and went home to spend the rest of the day anxiously waiting for the clock to strike 2:30pm. As I stared at the minutes ticking by, I couldn’t help but wonder- “Maybe it IS okay for me to let go a little?”
My theory was instantly confirmed at pick up when he spent the entire car ride telling me about his best day ever. He loved his new teacher, made several new friends, and was ecstatic that he was going to raise a tadpole for his class project. In an instant, my fears were calmed and I knew that my big boy was going to be just fine. At with that- I learned a valuable lesson, sometimes its okay to let go. I’ve always raised him to trust his abilities, view challenges as opportunities, and embrace change with open arms. He had learned quite well and had succeeded at the challenge before him. I began to wonder, could this same lesson apply to the business as well?
I have spent the past year documenting policies and procedures at Glamajama, streamlining our processes, and hiring consultants and independent contractors that can help take some of the day to day responsibilities off my “to do” list. It’s been a great start, but I must admit- I am still a huge part of the equation when it comes to running the company. I realize that this is a huge hindrance on the company as I am only sabotaging its growth. With my current business model, the business is only as scalable as I am. And that’s not very scalable. There’s only 24 hours in a day and the majority of my time is spent caring for my 3 children and running the household. If the company is going to grow, it is going to have to spread its wings and stand on its own two feet. I can’t be holding its hand day in and day out. So how can I accomplish this?
As I search for the right answer I’ve come across some great options. I could completely outsource order fulfillment, hire a national sales manager, or maybe even license the line to help increase our product offering? I’m not sure which answer will be right for me and the company, but I do know that there are plenty of options out there. The lesson of “letting go” has opened my eyes to a whole new level of possibilities for the company and I can honestly say I like what I see.
Are you anxious to see your company spread it wings -but don’t know how? Did your company achieve new highs when you finally learned to let go? Please feel free to comment below or email me [email protected] – I’d love to hear your stories!
