Build the team that gives you your life back 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what 2025 taught me. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to get clearer about what mattered most to me, not just in business, but in life. And I made some choices because of it. 

I started painting watercolors again. We welcomed two miniature Schnauzers into our lives—Coco and Emma, they’re 11 on the 1-10 scale, which is to say chaos incarnate, especially Emma, my goodness! I traveled with people I love. Mark and I went offroading in West Virginia and Tennessee with good friends who have become like family, and those bonding times reminded me why I do this work in the first place. 

Here’s what I learned: reaching my professional goals gets easier when I’m clear about my personal ones. 

The Problem Nobody Talks About 

A lot of business owners tell me they don’t have time for the things that matter. They’re stuck in the day-to-day. They can’t travel. They can’t be present with the people they care about. They’re not creating. They’re not resting. 

I get it. That was me for a long time. 

The challenging part is what business owners tell themselves about this situation. They believe it’s temporary. They think that once the business is running smoothly, once they hit a certain revenue number, once they have time, then they’ll live. But that day never comes. Because without a deliberate strategy, the business just keeps expanding to fill whatever time and energy you throw at it. 

I spent years thinking if I just worked harder, if I just put in more hours, if I just did it all myself, the business would reward me. But the opposite happened. The harder I pushed, the more I was drowning in work. 

The Real Work Begins When You Stop Doing It All 

The turning point came when I asked myself a hard question: What would be the very best version of my life and work for this time next year? Not just my business. My life. 

That question changed everything. 

Because once you know what you actually want, you realize you can’t get there alone. Not because you’re weak. Not because you’re not smart enough or capable enough. But because there are only so many hours in a day, and if you’re doing everything yourself, you’re limiting your impact, and your joy. 

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: 70% of entrepreneurs say that poor work-life balance directly affects their mental health. More than that, 65% of workers feel their jobs negatively impact personal relationships. Those aren’t failures. Those are wake-up calls. 

The business owners I know who have the best lives aren’t the ones who are martyrs to their companies. They’re the ones who built teams. 

When you have the right people in the right seats in your organization, something remarkable happens. You can actually have professional goals and a personal life. Not one or the other. Both. 

How Delegation Becomes Freedom 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Delegation is hard. It’s easier to do it yourself. And sure, in the short term, that’s true. But here’s what I’ve learned: entrepreneurs who delegate tasks regularly experience 30% less burnout. Thirty percent. That’s significant. 

Delegation isn’t about abandoning responsibility. It’s about multiplying your impact. When you delegate well, you’re not losing control. You’re gaining capacity. You’re creating space for the strategic work that only you can do. And you’re creating opportunities for other people to grow into their potential. 

For example, when my VP of Operations went on maternity leave earlier this year, I didn’t panic. I had already invested in building a team around her. We hired a Virtual Employee who could step into parts of her role. We redesigned workflows. By the time she left, there was a plan in place. And when she comes back, she’ll come back to a different role, one where she can think strategically instead of being buried in the weeds. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t made the decision to build deliberately. 

Your business shouldn’t require your constant presence to function. If it does, you don’t have a business. You have a job. And you’re likely underpaid for it. 

The Math Actually Works 

I hear business owners talk about the cost of hiring. And sure, there’s a real expense. But they often forget to calculate the real cost of not delegating. They forget about the opportunities they’re missing because they’re too busy handling tasks that someone else could do. They forget about the deals they’re not closing because they’re drowning in administrative work. 

When you’re clear about your personal goals, like I was at the start of this year, the business case for building a team becomes obvious. Those extra hours you reclaim? That’s not luxury. That’s strategy. That’s where the best decisions get made. That’s where you remember why you started the business in the first place. 

77% of employees consider work-life balance critical to job satisfaction. The same is true for business owners. And here’s the thing: the more balanced you are, the better decisions you make. The more present you are with your team. The more energy you have for growth. 

Start With Clarity 

If you’re feeling that pull to change something about your life and work this year, I’d encourage you to start where I did. Get clear on what you actually want. Not what you think you should want. Not what some business guru told you to want. What you genuinely want for your life and your business. 

Then ask yourself: What am I doing today that someone else could do? What tasks are keeping me from the work that matters? What would change if I had five more hours a week? 

The answers to those questions are your roadmap. Because once you know what’s possible, it becomes harder to ignore it. When chaos feels overwhelming, whether it’s life chaos or business chaos, getting intentional about priorities transforms everything. 

Once you identify what to delegate, the next step is shifting your mindset. Many business owners resist delegation because they believe it’s easier to do it themselves. That resistance is real, and it’s worth understanding. Examining why you hold on to every task is the first step toward genuine change. 

After you’ve made the decision to delegate, you need a real strategy. It’s not just about handing tasks off randomly. Strategic delegation requires structure with clear workflows, expectations, and support systems. Building a strong team isn’t a luxury for business owners who’ve “made it.” It’s the foundation for making it in the first place. 

The businesses that thrive aren’t the ones where the owner is doing everything. They’re the ones where the owner is empowered to focus on what only they can do. Your business should give you your life back. Not shrink it. Many of our clients found their breakthrough when they finally understood how reclaiming family time starts with the right support structure in place. That’s where they finally started living the life they built their business to support. 

Ready to build a business that doesn’t demand your life? Discover how strategic delegation and the right team can reclaim your time and transform your business. 

Click here to schedule a free consultation with our team and explore how remote staffing solutions can give you your life back. 

About the Author 

Anne Lackey is the Co-Founder of HireSmart Virtual Employees & HireSmart Cares. In the past two decades, she & her husband, Mark, have started 7 successful businesses. She started as a real estate investor in 2001 and a Broker/Owner in 2005. She started in corporate, working in various HR and Sales roles, and officially left her last corporate position in 2009. She is a 4-time best-selling author, staffing coach, recruiter, trainer & consultant. She has coached hundreds of small business owners to scale and grow. HireSmart Cares helps equip young leaders in the US & the Philippines to understand business and entrepreneurship. She donates her time and provides funding for grants to be used for technology, business start-up costs, work tools & equipment as well as scholarships.