Happy Friday, all!
This week on the podcast, I had a conversation that felt especially personal. I invited my operations manager, Jesica Berger, onto the show to talk about what it really takes to hire your first employee and the emotional reality behind building a team.
So many entrepreneurs talk about hiring like it’s a checklist: create the role, post the job, onboard the person. But the truth? Hiring your first employee is deeply vulnerable.
You’re inviting someone into the parts of your business that have lived entirely inside your head. Your systems. Your bottlenecks. Your insecurities. Your vision.
Jesica and I worked together years ago before reconnecting professionally, and one thing that became very clear during our conversation is this: trust matters more than perfection.
When she joined the business, we didn’t have every process figured out. We’re still figuring things out. What made the transition work wasn’t having all the answers. It was creating space for honest communication, feedback, and adjustment along the way.
One of the biggest lessons from this experience has been realizing that growth almost always comes with discomfort. Jesica talked about grieving the confidence she had built over 16 years in her previous role while simultaneously feeling excited to learn something new. I think many entrepreneurs experience the same thing as they grow their businesses. We want expansion, but expansion often asks us to become beginners again.
Another takeaway that really stayed with me is how important visibility is when building a team. If everything lives only in your brain, your business can’t truly grow beyond you. Bringing someone in forces you to clarify systems, expectations, and priorities. It can be humbling, but it can also be transformational.
And finally, when uncertainty starts spiraling, I keep coming back to two simple questions:
- How is it going right now?
- Is there something that needs to change today?
Not six months from now. Not worst-case-scenario thinking. Just today.
Sometimes, sustainable growth is less about predicting the future and more about staying present long enough to build it intentionally.
Questions of the Week
- Where in your business are you holding onto control because of fear rather than necessity?
- What would become possible if you allowed more support, collaboration, or visibility into your work?
- What is one “next right step” you can take this week instead of trying to solve the entire future?
Tool of the Week
The Mission Driven Business Podcast: “What It Really Takes to Hire Your First Employee”
If you’re navigating growth, delegation, or the possibility of hiring support, this episode is for you. You can also find the full video on YouTube.
Jesica and I share an honest conversation about trust, communication, leadership, and the realities of building a team before you feel fully ready. Sometimes the best tool is simply hearing that you’re not the only one figuring it out as you go.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Best,
Brian