236. How to Stop Doing Everything in Your Business

In this episode, Adrienne Dorison and Emily Doyle reflect on their recent coaching session with Beth Carter, The Badass Bookkeeper. Beth shared how she struggles to step out of the doing in her business — even with a team of 10 and a seven-figure business.

Adrienne and Emily dive deeper into the root of this challenge, unpacking the Four D’s (Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing) and how understanding them can help business owners break free from the day-to-day grind.

Here’s what we cover:
✅ The Four D’s – Why knowing the difference between Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing is key to business growth
✅ Why deciding for your team isn’t delegation (and how to fix it)
✅ How to empower your team to make decisions without you
✅ Why short-term profitability can limit long-term scalability
✅ How to balance stepping in during emergencies versus taking on too much

Plus, Adrienne and Emily share strategies to help business owners invest in their teams, strengthen employee retention, and increase long-term profitability.

Let’s get into it! 🔥

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. Master the Four D’s – Understanding the difference between Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing is key to growing your business. You should be aiming to spend more time in Designing and Delegating as the CEO.

2. Deciding vs. Delegating – If your team constantly needs your input to move forward, you’re still deciding — not delegating. The goal is to empower them to handle it independently.

3. Invest in Your Team – Investing in team training and development strengthens relationships and improves retention — reducing lost productivity from turnover.

4. Hiring Timing is Crucial – Hiring too late causes burnout and lost revenue, but hiring too early drains profitability. Finding the balance is key.

5. Short-Term Profit vs. Long-Term Growth – Focusing only on short-term profitability limits scalability. Shifting into design and delegation mode is essential for long-term success.

Chapters:

00:01 – Introduction – Recap of Beth Carter’s coaching session and why getting out of the doing is so difficult
01:25 – The Four D’s Explained – Doing, Deciding, Delegating, and Designing – and how they apply to business growth
02:39 – The Problem with Deciding – Why answering questions for your team isn’t the same as empowering them
04:46 – Strategic Delegation – How to shift from deciding to delegating
07:44 – Why Design Time Matters – How high-level planning and strategy drive long-term business growth
08:18 – Investing in Your Team – How training and mentorship reduce turnover and increase efficiency
09:54 – Why You Might Not Be the Best Mentor – When to seek external training or support for your team
12:30 – When to Step In vs. Let Go – How to balance short-term help with long-term autonomy
15:40 – Hiring at the Right Time – Why hiring too late is more dangerous than hiring too early
16:24 – Next Steps and Takeaways – How business owners can apply these strategies to their business

Relevant Links:

🔗 Clockwork Book – Read the Clockwork book for a deeper dive into the Four D’s.
🔗 COO Training Program – Learn how to train your team to handle operations independently.

 Listen to Beth's Episode
Adrienne’s IG
RLC IG