April 21, 2025

The Change Paradox: Why Business Owners Resist the Very Solutions They Need

Michael and Chuki explore why even the most knowledgeable business owners resist implementing strategies they know would improve their businesses. Discover the hidden barriers that keep entrepreneurs trapped in comfortable but limiting patterns, and...

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Michael and Chuki explore why even the most knowledgeable business owners resist implementing strategies they know would improve their businesses. Discover the hidden barriers that keep entrepreneurs trapped in comfortable but limiting patterns, and learn techniques for overcoming resistance to change. Whether you're struggling with implementation paralysis or simply looking to accelerate your business growth, this episode provides the roadmap for turning knowledge into action.

Powerful Business Strategies is broadcast live Mondays at 12 Noon ET Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). Powerful Business Strategies is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).

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WEBVTT

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The topics and opinions expressed in the following show are

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solely those of the hosts and their guests and not

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those of W FOURCY Radio. It's employees are affiliates. We

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make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,

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or products mentioned on air or on our web. No

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liability explicitor implies shall be extended to W FOURCY Radio

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or its employees are affiliates. Any questions or comments should

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be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for choosing

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W FOURCY Radio.

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Welcome to Powerful Business Strategies, where you will find out

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that everything you have ever learned about growing your business

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is wrong. Finally, a show where you'll learn the right

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way to grow your business by learning business and financial

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strategies that your competition isn't doing. And now here is

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your host. Resident of Next Step CFO Michael Barbarita and

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joining Michael for today's show as an executive moderator is

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chooky obio.

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Yes, this is chookey in I believe that gratitude is

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undefeated and growth is about the next step. It is

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an honor for me to moderate today's discussion with my

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good friend Michael. Michael, how are you fantastic cheer k?

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Thank you. My name is Michael Barber, the president of

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Next Step CFO, and next Step CFO is a fractional

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CFO and strategic implementation firm, and business owners hire us

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to double and triple their profit using business and financial

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strategies that their competition isn't doing. And our vision is

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to ensure that overwhelmed business owners achieve the time, freedom,

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and consistent profits to build a legacy and the life

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they desire. While our mission is dedicated to guiding small

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business owners to leveraging their time, exploding their profits, and

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building a meaningful legacy, this show Powerful Business Strategies in

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our book of the same name, is a step toward

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accomplishing that vision and mission. So with that, I'd like

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to hand it back to my co author and moderator

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for the show, Chicky Obio.

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The title for today's show is really intriguing. So Michael,

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here's the title, The Change Paradox. Why business owners resist

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the very solutions that they need. And Michael, I've got

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to say, given a lot of the feedback that we've

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been getting from business owners through the years, you might

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provide some powerful insights today. I think Michael, are you

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prepared to change lives today?

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Michael, I am prepared to change lives and perspectives.

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Okay, I love that, so look we jump in, folks.

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Michael and I were both affiliated with a number of

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different organizations. I currently serve as a managing director of

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business development for Vetter Price, a global business focused law firm.

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In addition to that, it's truly an honor to collaborate

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with Michael to moderate business roundtables and document best practices

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from these roundtables. In fact, we packed all of those

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best practices into our book, Powerful Business Strategies. But please

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note that the views expressed on this show are personal

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views based on those successful experiences. My mission today as

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a fearless moderator is to ask the right questions to

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help you, the listener, learn the best strategies that the

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competition isn't doing. With that, back over to Michael.

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Thank you, Chicky. So before we get today's show, I

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do want to clarify that while we'll be discussing some

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psychological aspects of business ownership, I'm not a psychologist, neither

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Chucky or I. I'm psychologists or mental health professionals, and

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the insights that we share come from our experiences as

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business advisors and fractional CFOs, not from any clinical expertise

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or perspective. If you're experiencing significant distress related to your business,

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I do encourage you to seek that support from qualified

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mental health professionals. So business owners, I see the late nights,

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the constant worry about cash flow, the misfamily events because

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something came up at work. I see the weight of

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the responsibility you carry for your employee, for your employees,

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your customers, and your family. But here's what I know

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to be true. You didn't start your business to become

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a prisoner to it. You started it to create freedom,

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financial freedom, and time freedom and the freedom to make

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your own choices and the gap between where you are

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and where you want to be. Is it about knowledge

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and it's not about working harder. It's about your relationship

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with change. Today we're going to explore why even the

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smartest business owners resist the very changes that would set

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them free. And more importantly, we'll show you how to

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break through that resistance to create the business and the

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life that you truly want. And your breakthrough is it

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just possible. It's waiting for you. On the other side

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of change. So let's discover it together. And let me

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start by addressing something that might sound a little counterintuitive.

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The greatest obstacle to business growth isn't external, it's internal.

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And I've worked with hundreds of business owners across dozens

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of industries, and I've observed a really interesting pattern. When

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I ask owners what's holding their business back, they typically

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point to external factors like lack of capital, tough competition,

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maybe even challenging market conditions, economy and that type of thing,

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or even staffing staffing difficulties. But here's the reality that

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I've witnessed time and time again. Two business owners in

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the exact same industry, facing identical market conditions, with similar

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resources can achieve dramatically different results. And one remains stuck

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in constant firef mode, working seventy hours a week to

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just stay afloat, and the other bills a thriving enterprise

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that operates smoothly even when they're not present. And the

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difference is that market conditions, competition, or even capital. It's

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their relationship with change.

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Interesting.

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So think about it. If have you ever noticed yourself

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knowing exactly what you should do in your business, yet

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you're not doing it. And maybe it's implementing the new

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customer management system or finally delegating something like bookkeeping, or

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raising your prices to reflect your true value. You know

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these changes. Would you know these changes would improve your business,

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But something always holds you back. And this is what

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I call the change paradox. The tendency is resist the

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very solutions we know what help us. And I'm experiencing

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this firsthand in my own business journey. I mean this

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show to me, it is like a therapy session for

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myself as well. I need to delegate more to create

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better system and focus on high value activities, and I

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could even articulate exactly what needed to happen, but I

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kept falling back into old patterns. And I keep falling

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back into old patterns, doing everything myself, working longer hours,

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high on low value activities, and wondering why nothing's changed.

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So I'm realizing that my resistance wasn't logical. It was

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it was emotional and psychological. I'm not avoiding change because

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I don't know what to do. I'm avoiding it because change,

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even positive change, triggers uncertainty, and uncertainty triggers fear, not

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wiring you know, our brains are wired to prefer the

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certainty of current pain over the uncertainty of potential improvement.

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It's not but it's deeply human. And this insight is

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changing my approach to business growth, both for myself and

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for my clients. And I recognize that implementing effective business

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strategies isn't just about knowing what to do, It's about

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navigating the emotional terrain of change to They will explore

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three primary barriers that keep business owner is stuck in

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patterns that no longer serve them, and practical strategies for

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overcoming these barriers. Because when you change a relationship with

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change itself, everything else becomes possible.

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Michael, this is absolutely fascinating and I'm just shot in

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some notes down here. Look, you mentioned that resistance to change,

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and I really want to dig in on this now,

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that resistance to change is not logical, it's emotion, it's psychological.

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Can you elaborate on how specifically this shows up for

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business owners?

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Yeah, sure, Chicky, so so the emotional resistance to change

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kind of manifests in very specific patterns that I see

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over and over again among among business owners, and one

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of the most common is what I call implementation delay.

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A business owners will a business owner will invest in

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learning a new strategy. They'll attend to workshop, they'll read

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a bunch of books on it, they'll hire consultants and

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get genuinely excited about implementing changes. And then they'll even

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they'll even start planning the implementation. But then something happens. Urgent,

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client issues arise, employees need attention, or some other emergency

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demands focus, and the implementation gets put back a week,

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then a month, then definitely. And what's happening beneath the

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surface is that the brain is manufacturing distractions to avoid

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the discomfort of change. It's not conscious sabotage. It's a

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subconscious protection mechanism. And another patent is perfection analysis. The

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owner convinces themselves they need more information, more planning, more

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resources before they can begin. I'll delegate when I find

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the perfect person, or I'll implement that system once we're

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less busy. And this appears rational on the surface, by

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the way, but it's actually the brain creating plausible excuses

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to maintain the status quo. And then a third patent

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is what I call the comfort zone pull. After briefly

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venturing into new territory, perhaps delegating an important task or

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implementing a new process. Many business owners experience a strong

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urge to to their previous patterns, and they find themselves

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might go managing the person that they just delegated to

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or bypassing the new.

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Process because and they'll say to themselves, I'm bypassing it

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just this once, because it feels uncomfortable to operate differently.

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And these patterns aren't signs of weakness or lack of commitment.

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They're natural human responses to change. And when business owners

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understand that these responses are normal and predictable, they can

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develop strategies to work with these tendencies rather than being

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derailed by them. And so let's dive a little deeper

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into this first major barrier that prevents business owners from

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implementing change. And it's what I call the identity anchor.

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Your identity, your sense of who you are, is one

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of the most powerful forces influencing your behavior. And for

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business owners, their identity is deeply interwined with their role

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in the business. They're the problem solved, the expert, the

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person everyone depends on. This identity has likely been reinforced

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for years creating a strong sense of self type, type

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of specific behaviors, and when a change threatens this identity,

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even when that change would be beneficial, it creates profound

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psychological resistance. It's not just about doing things differently, it's

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becoming someone different. That's the fear. And let me give

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you an example. So a skilled craftsman built a successful

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custom furniture business, and he knew he needed to step

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away from production and focus on growing the business. But

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every time he tried to delegate crafting work, he felt

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physically uncomfortable. He'd find himself taking tools out of employees'

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hands to show them how it's done, or even redoing

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their work after houts. But when he done deeper, he

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discovered that his entire sense of self was wrapped up

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in being the craftsman who makes exceptional furniture. The thought

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of becoming just a business owner felt like he was

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losing his identity, even though intellectually he understood it was

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necessary for growth. So this identity anchor was keeping his

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business stuck and then him along with it. And he

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was working those eighty hour weeks and the business had

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plateaued because he couldn't scale beyond his personal production capacity,

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and the breakthrough came not pushing harder delegation, but helping

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it expand his identity to include master craftsman who builds

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both beautiful furniture and an exceptional team. And this subtle

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shift in psychology or name or whatever you want to

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call it allowed him to see developing crafts people as

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an extension of his craftsmanship, not a replacement for it,

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And within six months he had successfully delegated seventy percent

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of production while maintaining high quality standards. And more importantly,

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he found genuine satisfaction in his new role because it

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aligned with his expanded identity rather than conflicting with it.

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And this patent repeats across industries. The account who can't

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delegate client work because I'm the numbers person. The marketing

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consultant who can't hire other creators creative people because my

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ideas are what the client's paid for. The contractor can't

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let go of site visits because I'm the guy who

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ensures quality. The key insight is that lasting change requires

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identity evolution. You try to change behaviors that are tied

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to your sense of self without addressing the identity level

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you're simply fighting against one of the most powerful sources

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in human psychology. So how do you overcome the identity anchor? Well,

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here are three practical strategies to do this. First, practice

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identity expansion rather than replacement. Try to stop being that

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expert craftsperson, a consultant, or technician. Instead, expand your identity

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to include developer of other experts or builder of systems

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that deliver expertise. This allows for growth without loss. Second

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is find role models who have made similar transitions. You know.

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Connecting with others who have successive successfully evolved their identity

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creates both a roadmap and psychological permission for your own evolution.

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These could be mentors, they could be peers in your industry,

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historical or public figures, even whose stories might resonate with you.

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And then, third, create identity affirming rituals for your new role.

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If you've always derived satisfaction from hands on work, find

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ways to experience similar satisfaction in your own activities. This

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might mean celebrating team achievements as enthusiastically as you would

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as you once celebrated personal accomplishes, or creating visible metrics

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for business growth. They give you the same tangible feedback

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as completing a project yourself. Remember, changing what you do

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without changing how you see yourself creates internal conflict that

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almost always results in reverting to all patents. But when

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your actions align with an expanded sense of identity, change

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becomes not just possible but natural. Let me say a

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question from a listener.

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Yeah, yeah, really impladful stuff, Michael. So let's by the way,

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there are actually quite a few questions from listeners. But Michael,

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let's just go with this one. You mentioned this idea

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of identity evolution and how powerful it is, So let's

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explore that when a business owner recognizes the need to

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expand their identity, how long does this process typically take

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and what might the experience as part of that transition.

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Michael, excellent, excellent question. Well, identity evolution, it's really an

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overnight change. It's more like growing into a new version

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of yourself gradually. In my experience working with business owners,

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meaningful identity expansion typically takes three to six months to

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begin feeling natural through the through the timeline, although the

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timeline does vary based on several factors, how deeply entrenched

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the current identity is, how different the new identity feels,

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how intentionally the person approaches the transition. So during this

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transition period, business owners typically experience what I call the

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identity stretch, as sometimes uncomfortable period of holding both the

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old and new identity simultaneously. And it's it's similar to

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how they are trapees artists must hold on to their

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new their new bar before fully releasing the old one,

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and this stretch period often includes predictable phases. Initially, there's

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usually experimentation, trying on new behaviors that align with that

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expanded identity but still having the safety that of established

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identity to fall back on, and a business owner might

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delegate and important tasks but still still checking, still check frequently,

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or they might raise prices for new clients while maintaining

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old rates for existing ones. And then next comes a

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phase of what I call oscillation, to moving back and

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forth between the old and new behaviors as a person

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experiences both successes and setbacks. I know I do this

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a lot. During this phase, business owners often report feeling

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like they're faking it in their new role, even when

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they're performing it well. But this imposter syndrome is a

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normal pot of the identity transition and certainly not a

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sign of failure. And finally, there's integration. When the expanded

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identity begins to feel authentic and natural, the business owner

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no longer has to consciously think about operating from their

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new identity. It becomes who they ought. And what's interesting

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is that this transition follows up predictable emotional pattern. There's

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typically an initial excitement about the possibilities, followed by a

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value of discomfort. When that novelty wears, often challenges of

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change become a parent. This is where many people abandon

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the process and refer to the old pattern, but those

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who persist eventually reach what I call that plateau of

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a new normal, where the expanded identity feels increasingly comfortable.

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Supporting business owners through the value of discomfort is one

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of the most valuable things a business advisor can do,

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and so with the right support and expectations, the transition

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period becomes manageable, even if it's not always comfortable. So

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before I continue this discussion, we're going to take a

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ninety second break. Hey, their business owners, let me ask

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you something. Are you tied of blending in with your

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00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:04.000
competitive Frustrated with slow growth and slim margins? Well, I've

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00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:07.400
got news for you. Everything you've ever learned about growing

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00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:11.759
your business is wrong. Don't worry. I'm here to let

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you in on a secret weapon, your position of market dominance.

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00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.200
It's what sets you apart, makes you irreplaceable, and has

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customers lining up at your door. My name is Michael

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00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:26.440
Babarrita from Next Step CFO. I know what you're thinking.

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00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:30.039
Sounds great, Michael, How do I find my position of

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00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.720
market dominance? Well, that's exactly why we've created our game

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00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:38.480
changing impleitation program called Next Step to Market Dominance. In

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00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:40.920
just ninety days, we'll guide you step by step to

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00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:44.559
a position of market dominance by uncovering your unique strengths

305
00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:48.200
that competitors can't touch. By crafting a message that resonates

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00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:51.440
deeply with your ideal customer, by building a strategy that

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00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:54.000
turns you into the go to expert in your field.

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00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:57.559
Now this is in theory. These are battle tests and

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00:21:57.640 --> 00:22:00.640
strategies that have helped businesses like you as double, triple,

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00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:04.960
and quadruple their revenue. Don't let another quarter go by

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00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:09.279
struggling the standout. It's time to dominate your market period.

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00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:14.240
Go to NEXTSTEPCFO dot net, forward slash contact fill out

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00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:17.279
the form and in the message section put the word

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00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:21.279
dominate or call us at seven eight one three two

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00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.960
six three A two two. That's next step CFO dot

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00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:28.319
net forward slash contact or call us at seven eight

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00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:33.079
one three two six three A two two. Welcome back,

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00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:35.799
and remember any any part of the show you may

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00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:37.720
have missed, or if you're driving, you could go to

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00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:41.640
Powerful Business Strategies dot com and check out all of

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00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.759
our replays. So now let's explore the second major barrier

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to change, what I call the control illusion. So many

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business owners they struggle to implement changes because they're trapped

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in the illusion that directly controlling every aspect of their

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business creates security. In reality, this approach creates exactly the opposite.

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It builds a business as potentially perpetually vulnerable because it

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depends entirely on one person. The control illusion manifests in

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familiar statements, no one could do it as well as

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I can by the time I explained it, I could

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just do it myself, or I can't trust anyone else

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to handle this correctly. These beliefs seem rational, but they

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mask a deeper emotional attachment to control as a safety mechanism.

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So financial advisor who was working seventy plus hours weekly

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because he personally reviewed every single transaction, every single report,

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and every single client communication. When I asked why he

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didn't delegate more of this work to his qualified team,

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he explained that his particulous oversight was what kept the

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business from making costly mistakes. But when he finally analyzed

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actual error rates, he discovered something surprising. In areas where

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he had reluctantly delegated due to absolute necessity, the error

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rates were actually lower than in areas he personally handled.

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So why well, because his team had implemented systematic quality

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controls while he was relying on mental focus that it

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heavily faulted after long hours. His tight grip on control

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wasn't creating the security he thought. It was creating a

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single point of failure, which was himself. And more importantly,

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it was preventing him from doing that high level work

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that would actually secure the business's future, like strategic planning

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and key client relationship development. The irony of the control

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illusion is that trying to control everything actually puts your

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bill has a greater risk because it creates scalability limits

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that constrain growth. Knowledge silos that make the business vulnerable

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if the If the owner becomes unavailable, it creates decision

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bottlenecks that slow response times to market changes, and it

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creates owner burnout that threatens the business. The business is

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very existence, and breaking free from the control illution requires

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really a good understanding that real security comes not from

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controlling everything yourself, but from building systems and teams that

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maintain standards even without your direct involvement. So here are

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three practical strategies for overcoming the control illution. First, start

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with the control what what I call it control audit,

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So identify everything you currently control and categorize each item

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as either only I can do this based on unique

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skills and legal requirements, others could do this with proper

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training and systems, or others could do this immediately, and

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that audit often reveals that surprisingly few tasks truly require

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the owner's direct control. Second, implement progressive delegation. So, rather

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than taking an immediate leap from complete control to complete delegation,

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create a staged approach. For example, a marketing agency owner

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might move from personally writing all client proposals to reviewing

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proposals before they're sent, then only reviewing proposals above a

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certain dollar value, and then finally just auditing a sample

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of proposals periodically. This progressive approach builds comfort and confidence,

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gradually reducing the anxiety that triggers resistance to change, and

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it also allows you to refine systems and training before

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fully releasing control. Develop control alternatives that provide security without

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requiring your direct involvement. These might include things like CHECKLISS,

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quality standards, approval threshold, regular audits, or performance metrics. These

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tools give you confidence that work and will meet your

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standards without requiring your constant presence. So a business owner

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in the construction industry created a photo documentation process where

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project managers sent him daily site photos with annotations, and

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this simple system gave a visibility into project quality without

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requiring his physical presence at every job site, allowing him

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to grow from three simultaneous projects to twelve while actually

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improving quality standards. And this fundamental mind shift is from

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I need to control everything to to ensure everything is

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done to stand it. The first approach requires your constant involvement,

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and the second allows for systems and teams to maintain standards,

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creating true security and scalability.

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Michael, this is profound inside. In fact, let's take on

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a question from a listener just related to this. So,

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some business owners might worry that implementing these systems might

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make their business feel impersonal, rigid, maybe even robotic. How

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do you help them maintain the human touch while reducing

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personal control.

397
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Yeah, that is a legitimate concern and deserve some thought.

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So the goal of systemizing isn't to create a cold,

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robotic business, but to ensure your human touch can reach

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more people in a sustainable way. And that the solution

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lies in what I call value you based systemation, an

402
00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:08.319
approach that captures not just what you do, but why

403
00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:12.559
and how you do it. And this begins with explicitly

404
00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:16.799
identifying the human elements that make your business special. Perhaps

405
00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:20.920
it's the way you listen to customers. Maybe it's the

406
00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:25.240
extra attention to certain details, or let's see, maybe even

407
00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:29.920
the flexibility you offer in certain specific situations. But once

408
00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:35.880
identified these elements, a delivery deliberately built into your systems

409
00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:42.440
and training. For example, a healthcare provider was concerned that

410
00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:46.880
delegation would compromise the personal connection she had with patients,

411
00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:52.559
so instead of just creating clinical protocols, she developed connection

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00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:57.519
points specific moments in the patient experience, where team members

413
00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:02.480
were trained to provide personalized IT tension in ways that

414
00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:07.759
reflected her values. And Another effective approach is to strategically

415
00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:14.359
reserve your personal involvement for high impact moments while systemizing

416
00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:18.279
routine operations. So, for example, a real estate agent implemented

417
00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:23.640
systems for transaction management and property marketing, but continue to

418
00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:28.319
personally deliver good news to clients and handle difficult conversations.

419
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This allowed her to maintain the personal connection with MATTED

420
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:37.920
most while freeing up enormous time previously spent unadministrative tasks.

421
00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:44.759
And finally, remember that well designed system systems actually enable

422
00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:49.319
more constant, consistent delivery of your human touch. And without systems,

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00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:54.880
the quality of customers experience often it just varies their

424
00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:58.799
experience varings based on how busy or tired the owner is.

425
00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:03.799
Appropriate systems your values, that approach can be delivered regardless

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00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:10.359
of circumstances. The businesses that most successfully balance systemization with

427
00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:15.039
personal touch don't see these elements as contradictory. They see

428
00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:19.319
well designed systems as the very thing that enables their

429
00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:25.160
human values to scale beyond the business owner's personal capacity.

430
00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:27.839
Michael another question.

431
00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:31.119
Yes, it's also remarkable, Michael, is you know one of

432
00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:32.880
the things that we're focused on in this show is

433
00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:35.200
powerful action, Right, So there's a question that goes to

434
00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:37.880
the heart of that. For business owners that are deeply

435
00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:44.039
entrenched in the control illusion, what's one simple, powerful experiment

436
00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:47.880
that they could start to do right to listening that

437
00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:52.240
kind of grip without triggering overwhelming anxiety.

438
00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:57.200
Michael excellent, Yeah, that's a good question. Well, for control

439
00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:03.119
oriented owners, I would recommend starting with what I call

440
00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:08.160
a controlled release experiment. So it's a it's a deliberately small,

441
00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:15.240
time limited exercise in letting go that minimizes risk while

442
00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:19.599
creating an experience of successful delegation. So let me give

443
00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:22.279
you an example how that works. So you select a

444
00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:26.119
single specific task that you currently control, but that has

445
00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:29.559
three of these three characteristics. Number one, it's relatively low

446
00:32:29.640 --> 00:32:33.960
risk if something goes wrong, it has clear success criteria

447
00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:39.599
so result results can be objectively measured, and it's something

448
00:32:39.640 --> 00:32:44.319
that consumes your time regularly. So examples might include drafting

449
00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:50.359
customer emails, preparing routine reports, handling certain customer service inquiries,

450
00:32:50.759 --> 00:32:55.640
or managing social media posts. Next, identify someone on your

451
00:32:55.680 --> 00:32:58.519
team with the potential to handle this task and create

452
00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:02.720
a simple, clear process document, just one or two pages

453
00:33:02.720 --> 00:33:06.160
outlining how you currently perform the task and what success

454
00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:08.039
looks like and by the way, you can use AI.

455
00:33:08.920 --> 00:33:14.839
Remember that, then implement a three stage release. First, have

456
00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:19.359
them shadow your doing the task, Next, have them do

457
00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:23.240
the task while you observe, and then finally have them

458
00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:28.200
perform the task independently but with immediate review. And the

459
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:32.680
key psychological safety feature is setting a specific timeframe to

460
00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:37.400
the experiment, perhaps just two weeks with a predetermined evaluation date.

461
00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:42.839
This is yours your control oriented brain that this isn't

462
00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:46.960
permanent and that you'll have an opportunity to assess the results.

463
00:33:48.400 --> 00:33:52.359
When I implemented this approach with a controlling marketing agency owner,

464
00:33:53.160 --> 00:33:56.279
we started with just one client's weekly social media content.

465
00:33:56.400 --> 00:34:01.240
After two week experiment showed equal or better engagement metrics

466
00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:04.480
than his own content, and he was ready to delegate more.

467
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:08.239
It was just a confidence builder, and so within six

468
00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:11.760
months he had released control of all routine content creation.

469
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:15.079
By the way, they used AI as well, fringing over

470
00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:19.159
fifteen hours weekly for strategic work. And the beauty of

471
00:34:19.199 --> 00:34:23.599
this approach is that it creates an evidence based pathway

472
00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:28.719
away from the control illusion, and rather than trying to

473
00:34:28.760 --> 00:34:34.840
convince yourself intellectually that delegation works, you develop concrete experience

474
00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:41.400
that challenges your control assumptions, making the next step considerably easier.

475
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:45.320
So before I continue this discussion, we're going to take

476
00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:48.840
a ninety second break. Hey, dear business owners, let me

477
00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:51.679
ask you something. Are you tied of blending in with

478
00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:56.039
your competitors? Frustrated with slow growth and slim margins? Well,

479
00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:59.360
I've gotten news for you. Everything you've ever learned about

480
00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:03.880
growing your business is wrong. Don't worry. I'm here to

481
00:35:03.960 --> 00:35:06.800
let you in on a secret weapon, your position of

482
00:35:06.920 --> 00:35:10.800
market dominance. It's what sets you apart, makes you irreplaceable,

483
00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:14.639
and has customers lining up at your door. My name

484
00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:18.119
is Michael Barber Rita from Next Step CFO. I know

485
00:35:18.199 --> 00:35:21.639
what you're thinking. Sounds great, Michael, How do I find

486
00:35:21.639 --> 00:35:25.280
my position of market dominance? Well, that's exactly why we've

487
00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:29.159
created our game changing implementation program called Next Step to

488
00:35:29.239 --> 00:35:32.639
Market Dominance. In just ninety days, we'll guide you step

489
00:35:32.679 --> 00:35:35.679
by step to a position of market dominance by uncovering

490
00:35:35.719 --> 00:35:39.239
your unique strengths that competitors can't touch. By crafting a

491
00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:43.000
message that resonates deeply with your ideal customer. By building

492
00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:45.760
a strategy that turns you into the go to expert

493
00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:49.119
in your field. Now this is in theory. These are

494
00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:51.800
battle tests and strategies that have helped businesses like you

495
00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:56.519
as double, triple and quadruple their revenue. Don't let another

496
00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:59.920
quarter go by struggling to standout. It's time to dominate

497
00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:05.679
or market period. Go to NEXTSTEPCFO dot net forward slash contact.

498
00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:08.920
Fill out the form and in the message section put

499
00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:13.039
the word dominate or call us at seven eight one

500
00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:16.400
three two six three A two two. That's next step

501
00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:20.119
CFO dot net forward slash contact or call us at

502
00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:23.440
seven eight one three two six three A two two.

503
00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:28.360
Welcome back. So the third major barrier to change is

504
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:33.119
what I call the competence comfort zone, the tendency to

505
00:36:33.239 --> 00:36:37.320
stay within familiar skills and activities where you already feel

506
00:36:37.400 --> 00:36:42.599
confident and competent. Business growth it evitably requires owners to

507
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:47.480
develop new capabilities and step into unfamiliar roles. This creates

508
00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:51.880
a powerful form of resistance because moving from competence to

509
00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:56.800
temporary incompetence feels deeply uncomfortable. And at times even threatening.

510
00:36:57.559 --> 00:37:00.440
So a successful sales consult that knew he needed to

511
00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:05.639
build systems and processes to scale his business beyond just himself.

512
00:37:05.719 --> 00:37:09.199
So we had purchased software he hide and operations consultant,

513
00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:11.760
and even block time in his calendar for system development.

514
00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:16.599
Yet month after month he found himself filing or filling

515
00:37:16.639 --> 00:37:21.840
that time with more sales calls instead. And when we

516
00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:26.079
explored what was happening, he realized that sales activities gave

517
00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:30.760
him immediate positive feedback. He was excellent at sales, received

518
00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:34.880
regular validation through closed doors, through closed deals, and enjoyed

519
00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:38.480
the confidence that came with operating in the zone of genius.

520
00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:43.119
In contrast, systems development made him feel awkward, an amateur,

521
00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:46.440
didn't know the right approach, couldn't see immediate results, and

522
00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:51.840
felt his confidence diminish when working in this unfamiliar territory.

523
00:37:51.880 --> 00:37:55.320
And he wasn't avoiding systems work because he didn't valuate.

524
00:37:56.000 --> 00:38:00.719
He was avoiding the uncomfortable feelings of temporary incompetence that

525
00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:05.960
are triggered, and this pattern repeats across industries and roles.

526
00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:11.920
The technical founder avoids marketing activities. The visionary entrepreneur avoids

527
00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:18.719
financial analysis. The operations expert avoids strategic planning, not because

528
00:38:18.760 --> 00:38:21.800
these activities aren't important or they don't think they are important,

529
00:38:21.840 --> 00:38:26.320
but because they they require stepping outside of established competence

530
00:38:26.960 --> 00:38:35.400
into uncontrollable and uncomfortable new territory, the competent zone. The

531
00:38:35.400 --> 00:38:39.920
competent's comfort zone creates a particularly insidious form of resistance

532
00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:46.119
because it often masquerades as productivity. I'm too busy whether

533
00:38:46.119 --> 00:38:49.840
an important client or important client work to focus on

534
00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:54.239
systems appears a responsible statement, but may actually be a

535
00:38:54.280 --> 00:39:00.760
form of avoiding that discomfort of developing new capabilities. Breaking

536
00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:05.800
free from this comfort zone requires understanding that temporary incompetence

537
00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:10.719
is not just an inevitable product growth. It's a necessary

538
00:39:10.920 --> 00:39:18.880
phase of developing new capabilities. Every expertise you now possess

539
00:39:19.559 --> 00:39:24.840
begin with a period of awkwardness and uncertainty. The willingness

540
00:39:24.880 --> 00:39:27.880
to move through this phase is what separates business owners

541
00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:31.400
who will evolve with their growing businesses from those who

542
00:39:31.480 --> 00:39:37.840
become limitations to their own companies. And so here are

543
00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:44.599
three strategies for overcoming the competence comfort zone. First, practice

544
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:51.000
competence bracketing explicitly acknowledging when you're entering a development zone

545
00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:56.599
where your performance will temporary temporarily decline. This mental framework

546
00:39:57.239 --> 00:40:00.880
help separate your sense of identity and over all competence

547
00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:06.239
from your performance in this specific area. So a manufacturing

548
00:40:06.280 --> 00:40:09.840
business owner created a literal sign on this office door

549
00:40:09.880 --> 00:40:16.119
that read Systems Development Zone temporary and competence in progress

550
00:40:16.280 --> 00:40:20.559
was the remainder of the sign, and as a reminder

551
00:40:20.800 --> 00:40:24.400
when he was working on unfamiliar operational improvements, that's what

552
00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:28.360
reminded him of that, and the simple practice helped him

553
00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:34.719
approach the work with more patient, learning oriented mindset. And second,

554
00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:40.639
he creates create a competence scaffolding, so support structures that

555
00:40:40.679 --> 00:40:44.599
build that bridge the gap between your current capabilities and

556
00:40:44.639 --> 00:40:47.519
your development goals. And these might include working with coaches

557
00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:52.480
or consultants, using templates or frameworks, or breaking complex skills

558
00:40:52.840 --> 00:40:57.119
into manageable components. And we see this one all the time.

559
00:40:58.039 --> 00:41:01.679
A retail store owner who struggle with financial analysis created

560
00:41:01.719 --> 00:41:06.519
scaffolding by first learning to review just three key metrics

561
00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:11.480
with her with her accountants, gradually adding complexity as her

562
00:41:11.519 --> 00:41:17.599
confidence grew, and this incremental approach eventually to developing sophisticated

563
00:41:17.639 --> 00:41:24.119
financial forecasting skills. That changed and improved their business planning. Third,

564
00:41:24.760 --> 00:41:30.079
build competence partnerships. These are relationships with others who complement

565
00:41:30.119 --> 00:41:33.360
your skills and can support your development. They might be

566
00:41:33.400 --> 00:41:37.159
team members, they could be advisors, or peer relationships with

567
00:41:37.239 --> 00:41:41.800
other business owners. As I mentioned earlier, a technology consultant

568
00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:45.039
formed a peer relationship with another business owner who excelled

569
00:41:45.159 --> 00:41:48.280
in market in marketing skills that he was trying to develop,

570
00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:51.599
and their regular exchanges allowed him to learn in a

571
00:41:51.599 --> 00:41:56.880
supportive environment while contributing his own technical expertise to his

572
00:41:57.000 --> 00:42:03.079
partner's business challenges. And the fundamental mindset shift is from

573
00:42:03.639 --> 00:42:08.239
seeing competence as a fixed state to understanding it as

574
00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:12.800
an expanding territory. See, each time you push through that

575
00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:17.000
this comfort of developing new capabilities, you not only acquire

576
00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:21.920
specific skills, but you also strengthen your overall capacity to

577
00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:25.360
learn and adapt, perhaps the most valuable competence of all

578
00:42:25.480 --> 00:42:29.280
for business owners in today's rapidly changing environment. You know

579
00:42:29.320 --> 00:42:35.440
that it's change in itself isn't comfortable, but change is

580
00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:41.599
required for business growth, and so change makes so business

581
00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:48.320
growth makes change, and that's uncomfortable. Any compliments, chooky.

582
00:42:48.760 --> 00:42:55.440
Yes, we do really energized by our Business Complements segment today, So, Michael,

583
00:42:55.440 --> 00:42:59.039
in today's Business Complements segment, we are continuing our series

584
00:42:59.119 --> 00:43:02.760
of highlighting business owners and the great clients and customers

585
00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:08.360
that they serve. So look compliments to MJ. Ryan, who

586
00:43:08.440 --> 00:43:14.039
gave a business review to Mighty Dog Roofing Metro West Boston.

587
00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:20.079
Michael embraced this review from MJ. Here's what MJ noted.

588
00:43:20.639 --> 00:43:25.480
We were extremely happy with the services provided by Mighty

589
00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:30.039
Dog Roofing. The bid for the project was very competitive

590
00:43:30.519 --> 00:43:35.159
and we had no issues or delays with scheduling. In fact,

591
00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:39.400
the crew from Mighty Dog Roofing Metro West Boston arrived

592
00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:45.440
on time and were extremely diligent with protecting our lawn,

593
00:43:46.079 --> 00:43:50.280
our bushes, and the sides of the house from debris.

594
00:43:51.320 --> 00:43:56.559
The crew was very courteous and completed the roof project

595
00:43:56.719 --> 00:44:01.719
in one day twenty four hours. They cleaned everything up

596
00:44:02.199 --> 00:44:06.920
and our roof looks great. How's that for a business review? Michael,

597
00:44:08.320 --> 00:44:09.360
absolutely looking up.

598
00:44:09.480 --> 00:44:12.039
Should we cannot get them like that?

599
00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:15.639
Amen to that. I'll please note that Anthony and Amy

600
00:44:15.719 --> 00:44:19.920
Munchak are the local owners and operators of Mightydog Roofing

601
00:44:20.119 --> 00:44:24.079
Metro West Boston and they are making real progress and

602
00:44:24.119 --> 00:44:28.079
becoming the best and most well known roofing company in

603
00:44:28.119 --> 00:44:33.360
the area. For more information, please visit mightydog roofing dot com,

604
00:44:33.400 --> 00:44:38.119
Forward Slash, Metro West Dash Boston Dash M back over

605
00:44:38.199 --> 00:44:39.079
to you, Michael.

606
00:44:39.320 --> 00:44:42.760
Thank you, Hicky. So as we wrap up today's exploration

607
00:44:42.880 --> 00:44:46.000
of the change paradox, let's let me summarize the key

608
00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:49.840
insights that we covered. So we identified three major barriers

609
00:44:49.880 --> 00:44:53.480
that keep business owners trapped in patterns that no longer serve.

610
00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:58.119
First was the identity anchor we are sense of self

611
00:44:58.199 --> 00:45:02.599
becomes interwined with specific roles in our business, making change

612
00:45:02.599 --> 00:45:07.199
feel threatening to our very identity, and we discuss strategies

613
00:45:07.199 --> 00:45:11.800
for identity expansion, finding role models who have successively evolved,

614
00:45:11.840 --> 00:45:15.599
and creating affirming rituals that support new ways of working.

615
00:45:16.440 --> 00:45:21.199
Second is the control illusion, the false belief that personally

616
00:45:21.480 --> 00:45:27.320
controlling everything creates security when it actually creates vulnerability. Those

617
00:45:27.360 --> 00:45:32.599
single points of failure and scalability limits. We exploit control audits,

618
00:45:33.039 --> 00:45:39.639
progressive delegation, and control alternatives that maintain standards without requirement

619
00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:46.719
requiring constant owner involvement. Third, the competence comfort zone, the

620
00:45:46.760 --> 00:45:53.079
tendency to avoid unfamiliar activities that trigger temporary feelings of incompetence,

621
00:45:53.119 --> 00:45:57.960
even those activities, even when those activities are essential for

622
00:45:58.079 --> 00:46:04.039
business growth. We discuss competence, bracketing, scaffolding, and partnerships as

623
00:46:04.039 --> 00:46:10.679
strategies for pushing beyond established capabilities. The thread connecting these

624
00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:14.760
insights is that resistance to change is rarely about knowledge

625
00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:18.039
or understanding. Most business owners already know what they should

626
00:46:18.079 --> 00:46:23.039
be doing differently, The challenge lies in navigating the emotional

627
00:46:23.119 --> 00:46:31.039
and psychological terrain of change itself, and this perspective it

628
00:46:31.159 --> 00:46:34.440
changes how, it changes how we approach business the businesses

629
00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:39.199
the businesses improvement. Instead of just focusing on strategies and tactics,

630
00:46:39.480 --> 00:46:42.519
we must attend to the inner journey of the business owner,

631
00:46:42.800 --> 00:46:48.519
creating the psychological safety and support that enables meaningful evolution.

632
00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:54.199
What I hope you take away from today's discussion is

633
00:46:54.239 --> 00:46:57.599
a more compassionate understanding of your own resistance to change.

634
00:46:57.639 --> 00:47:00.719
It's not it's not a signing of weakness or lack

635
00:47:00.760 --> 00:47:05.039
of commitment. It's a natural human response that every successful

636
00:47:05.079 --> 00:47:09.039
business owner must learn to work with rather than against.

637
00:47:10.039 --> 00:47:14.360
And the most powerful shifts happen when we recognize that

638
00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:18.920
change isn't about doing different things. It's about becoming a

639
00:47:18.960 --> 00:47:23.719
different kind of business owner, one who leads more and

640
00:47:23.880 --> 00:47:29.960
that's less, one who builds systems rather than just completing tasks,

641
00:47:30.760 --> 00:47:36.360
and one who develops people rather than just directing them.

642
00:47:36.519 --> 00:47:41.039
The evolution isn't easy, but it's the pathway that everything

643
00:47:41.079 --> 00:47:47.440
you started your business for in the first place, financial security, time, freedom,

644
00:47:47.559 --> 00:47:51.920
and the deep satisfaction of building something meaningful that doesn't

645
00:47:51.960 --> 00:47:57.639
depend entirely on your personal effort. The businesses that thrive

646
00:47:57.719 --> 00:48:01.000
long term aren't those with the cleverest strategies or the

647
00:48:01.079 --> 00:48:06.239
hardest working owners. They're the ones whose owners have developed

648
00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:12.000
the capacity to evolve alongside their growing enterprises, expanding their identities,

649
00:48:12.480 --> 00:48:20.960
releasing unnecessary control, and continuously developing new capabilities. Remember, the

650
00:48:21.079 --> 00:48:24.840
greatest leverage point in your business is it a strategy

651
00:48:24.960 --> 00:48:32.639
or tactic. It's your relationship with change itself. To get

652
00:48:32.639 --> 00:48:35.480
a copy of the book Powerful Business Strategy, simply go

653
00:48:35.519 --> 00:48:40.599
to our website www dot NEXTSTEPCFO dot net. It's totally

654
00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:44.440
complimentary and until next Monday at noon Eastern time. For

655
00:48:44.559 --> 00:48:48.599
Chucky Obio, my name is Michael Barberrita and remember, don't

656
00:48:48.679 --> 00:48:52.000
keep doing what your competition is doing.

657
00:48:53.760 --> 00:48:56.800
You have been listening to powerful business strategies, finding out

658
00:48:56.840 --> 00:49:00.519
that everything you ever learned about growing your business is long.

659
00:49:00.800 --> 00:49:04.000
Tune in next week and every week at noon Eastern

660
00:49:04.039 --> 00:49:07.519
time on W four CY Radio with your host Michael

661
00:49:07.559 --> 00:49:12.199
Barbarita of NeXTSTEP CFO and moderator chugy Ovio