Today's podcast is being sponsored by the Get Your Act Together group coaching program. This is a program I built for online service providers who either want to start an agency or to grow the agency they have so that it's organized, sustainable and profitable. Over five months, you'll be working with me and the rest of your cohort to break down and rebuild different parts of your business so that they align with the life you really want to build. The modules include systems you'll need, offers you'll make the team you'll need to build, and the journey your clients will take. Most importantly, you'll have to look at all of these things through the lens of the goals and the values you bring to the table. For more details, go to Reynoldsobm.com and join the waitlist, you'll be the first to know when the program opens. See you there. 

Welcome to the Get Your Act Together podcast. I am your host, Kelly Reynolds. And today's podcasts. I think this is going to be one that my husband is very happy to edit because I'm here to remind you today that you don't know everything. We don't know everything. And that even includes me. So when I started growing a team, I thought I had to train them on everything. Because I of course, knew everything. I knew at all, I knew how to do things, I obviously knew the best way to do it, I knew the right way to do it, I knew the only way to do it. And I would get aggravated that they didn't know how to do it exactly like me. Because obviously, I was the only one who knew how to do it the right way, the good way. And I would freak out if they messed up. And I would then use this as proof that I was the only one who could do these things. And as proof that I shouldn't delegate. Does any of this sound familiar? This is a thing I hear a lot from other agency owners, especially in the beginning when you're trying to build a team. And some not in the beginning some way down the line, that are still the bottlenecks in their business that they can't get out of their own way. Because they think that they are the only ones who can do something, or do it the best or whatever. I get this a lot. And I and I think of it all the time when I hear people talking like this, I picture myself, you know, six years ago, started six and a half years ago, I think at this point. And I see, I feel that kind of feeling in myself from back then it comes rushing back to me that nervousness of being the only one who knows how to do everything, right? Because you especially if you come from a solopreneur kind of background, your service provider, you're the one doing all the stuff, you have figured out a way to do that thing. And you have to tell yourself that you're doing it the best way you can. So obviously, it's the only way. So I'm here today to remind you that you don't know everything. And look, I am not saying that you have to admit this as your significant other. I personally wouldn't be admitting this to my significant other if he wasn't my podcast editor. But you need to admit this to yourself. You don't know everything, you don't know the best way to do everything. You're not good at everything. And one of my favorite things about my agency is that I get to work together with like-minded people who may be better at things than me, it's almost a guarantee they're better at something than me. Right? They have ideas, they have good ideas. So don't block those good ideas out. They have ideas, good ideas. Like the time I told my team about the airtable base that I created. And then they went in and made it way better, and made all the I don't even know what they're all called the tabs, the tables, whatever they are, they all work together now. And there's links to things and there's forums. And if you apply to be on this podcast, you'll see part of that form and all your information goes to all these different places. And it's wonderful. I didn't do that. I could have learned it, Sure. But I just I've always wanted to learn airtable I've never gotten around to it. But there are people on my team that are way better at than me. So I let them help me. Or this morning with a client who has made an enormous mess of both their Gmail and their drive through migration. And my team showed me a better way and faster way to clean up some of that mess. I was doing it one email at a time. And they told me Hey, we could do this way faster. And then I was like, duh, that's That's so dumb. Like, of course you can. But I didn't think of that. Plus, I do love the monotony of going through and checking little boxes. So maybe that's part of it. Or how about the quick fix in QuickBooks for credit card fees when they come in? This is total nerd level but when you pay when someone pays an invoice on stripe pays you like less, the fees have you as $100, and they charge you $2 For fees, you would get $98, which is kind of a pain in the ass to match up in QuickBooks, they want you to match up the 100 bucks on the two bucks. And I was doing all this like messy stuff and frankly not doing it well. And then my team was like, Yeah, I have a way to do that. Without like journals and weird things that I didn't want to do to like, yeah, I just simple fix, and it takes two seconds. Or how about all of the processes they have taken and made way better? When they took them over? There's tons of things that I used to do exclusively in client businesses that I don't do anymore, that my team has taken over. And then they've looked at it, and they've said, Oh, we can do this way, when that'd be much easier. And it's just something that I hadn't thought of, I have thought of a whole bunch of things. But then they get to come in with fresh eyes, and different experiences, and be able to look at this project workout and go, Oh, did you think of this? And I'm like, No, I didn't think of this. That's amazing. Yes, you have to show them around. Yes, you have to train them. That's what all those systems and processes are for. But please remember to create a culture where the team feels that they can speak up, that they can give suggestions. Let them help you. For a long time. I didn't do that. I didn't let them help me. I just told them what to do. And they did it and they were great. But like, asking, “What do you think about this?”, they're gonna give you some really great ideas. And that is definitely made my business better. They will know things, they will know different things from you, they had a client that did a different thing already. So they can help you do that. There are so many times where I'm like, I would like to learn how to use the software, or I would really like to set up this process. But I don't, I don't have the time to go learn it. And I want to go learn it. I would love to sit and learn new software all day. Like that's like a down-the-rabbit-hole kind of thing that I adore. And I don't have time for right now. I don't have time to go and a deep dive in the airtable. Do I want to know it? Yes, but I don't have time for it. So asking for their help makes things better. It makes the services that we provide to our clients better, and it makes your business better. So having this culture around sharing, and frankly respecting other people's opinions, and honoring them. We've all worked with clients that didn't really care what we thought they just wanted us to do something. They were maybe condescending that they knew everything, right? We all know those clients, and we don't like them. We don't like being told that they are the only ones who know anything. And they've hired us and they don't trust us. When we work with clients that want us to help them that value or ideas. Those are exciting clients, I love working with those clients, how can I help? How can I make this better? I want to be that client, I want to be that that's that leader of the business, I want my team to know that they are really honored, hear their thoughts are really honored. I want them. I want my team to know that their ideas are valued. They really matter to me. I want to know what's going on. In fact, I'm trying to put together a new project and I'm going to send it out to my team be like okay, you guys, what do you think about this? Because I want them to tell me what they think they have those ideas. Even though this is nothing, this project is something I'm working on. It has nothing to do with them. But why wouldn't I ask them? They're awesome. I have the best team. And I know everyone says that, but I really mean it. My team is fantastic. And I love them to death. So if you're listening, I just want to say a quick thank you to my team for being awesome and keeping me sane, and for giving me great ideas. Thank you so much to Gwen, Valerie, Kristen, Heather, Jessica, Leah. And of course my husband Brian, who I drive crazy. But he helps me so much here. Thanks, everyone. I'll talk to you next week. 

Thank you so much for joining me this week. If you have an agency or want to create one, come join my Facebook community. Get Your Act Together, where we talk all the things growing and scaling your agency for show notes and more info on all the things head over to Reynolds obm.com Follow me on Instagram and Facebook at Reynolds OBM. And finally, if you enjoy this podcast, I would love for you to give us a review on iTunes.