246. Fear-Based Decisions Cost Your Business Too Much

The CEO Help Desk from Run Like Clockwork

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After coaching Lisa Whitehouse on her team and scaling challenges, Adrienne and Emily are back to debrief the conversation — and get honest about how fear, beliefs, and untested assumptions shape our most critical business decisions.

If you’ve ever delayed a hire, undercharged for your work, or jumped back into client delivery because “it’s just easier,” this debrief is a must-listen.

Here’s what we cover: ✅ Why journaling and mindset work alone won’t help you scale ✅ The numbers that make hiring decisions feel safer ✅ How to calculate your onboarding runway + caseload breakeven ✅ The belief that “I must work hard to make money” — and why it lingers ✅ Building a business that doesn’t need you (and why that’s hard)

Adrienne and Emily share what Lisa’s episode revealed about the unspoken rules so many founders still follow — and why building a self-sufficient team starts with building a belief system that supports growth.

👉 If you want to stop getting pulled back into the work and start leading with clarity, this is your episode.

Top 5 Takeaways:

Beliefs Drive Behavior – If your subconscious says growth = danger, no strategy will override it. Track Onboarding Timelines – Knowing when a hire becomes profitable gives you confidence to scale. Budget for Training – Create a team training account, just like you would for marketing or software. DIY Is a Trap – Re-inserting yourself into the work feels helpful… until it kills momentum. Leadership Starts with Choice – You can run a solo business or build a team — just don’t complain about the trade-offs.

Chapters

00:56 – Adrienne’s take: mindset as the true bottleneck 02:10 – Emily’s POV: mindset without numbers won’t cut it 04:20 – How long does it take a new hire to become profitable? 07:15 – Why you must budget for the training runway 10:02 – “Scrappy” doesn’t scale: why scrappiness isn’t strategy 12:58 – Adrienne’s own growth edge: wanting things done yesterday 16:33 – Trade-offs: fast results vs. long-term freedom 20:20 – Resentment happens when you say yes to too much 23:00 – Letting go isn’t just tactical—it’s emotional 27:50 – Choosing your hard: reframe vs. repeat Want to be a guest on the podcast? Just fill in this form now!

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