You’re not alone! 

It’s so easy as a female entrepreneur, juggling work, life, and family to drop into overwhelm with the sheer volume of tasks demanding our attention. 

For me, the only thing that supports me when that so-much-to-do feeling creeps… is to focus on prioritisation.

And by prioritisation I mean a really disciplined process of prioritisation that is realistic.. 

This allows me to identify just 3 things that need to happen that day and accept that if that is all that gets done.. The world is not going to end.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not easy and it takes some serious conversations with yourself including NOT justifying or accepting that in fact there are at least 10 big things that need to be done that day…

I’ve found – that when I get SUPER clear and then give myself permission to ONLY do the 3 big things, the important stuff always gets done but the overwhelm goes away.

But here’s the thing.

All of this can become heaps easier or actually harder when you have a team.

It can be EASIER – if you view the businesses priorities in a pool where the team rallies together to execute what is important.  The load is shared and the priorities get done. 

It can get HARDER – if your team members are working in silo only focusing on their own ‘patch’, not aware (or not caring) about other priorities.  This can lead to one person carrying the pressure (usually you, the boss!), a sense of imbalance, resentment and a total lack of ‘we’re in this together’.

So if you are feeling overwhelmed and thining sh*t it’s only February, here are some tips on how you can get your to-do list down to the Top 3 and feel like your whole team is rallying to get the important stuff done.

1. Review and Clarify your business goals.

Yes, it’s only February and you probably only set them in the last month or two but I’m still suggesting you review them.   Maybe they aren’t specific enough, maybe they are too unrealistic or maybe they are too vague or maybe you just haven’t finalised and decided them at all!? 

By referencing your goals, you should be able to easily look at your to-do list and see which tasks and projects are the “needle movers” for the business and therefore what needs to be prioritise. 

2. Bring your team together to discuss the business goals and direction and workload. 

You can’t keep your head in the sand and hope that the workload problem will pass without discussion.  If you want the team to share the load, SHOW them the load and look at ALL the priorities and tasks together. 

Everyone understanding the broader business goals and the relevant prioritisation of various tasks and projects and how they link to the bigger picture is essential. 

3. Break It Down into chunks. 

This  maybe something you work on alone or as a team.  Breaking the big projects and any tasks that feel ‘big’ into smaller chunks that feel manageable.

4. Review or Assign timeframes

Based on the number of people you have available and keeping the “max 3 big priorities each day” pace in mind.

And finally…. 

5. Learn to SAY NO. 

It’s far too tempting and far too easy to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way.

However, as the leader in your business – you need to prioritise 2 things. Being available to your team (so they can complete their big tasks) and you completing yours.  

This process above will also highlight if there are ACTIVITIES that are being scheduled that aren’t a priority and therefore as just being done ‘because’. 

Looking at this critically will help you lean up workload and take away some bloat from your team which is a total win win.

Remember:
Doing more doesn’t move the needle. 

Doing what matters. 

What do you think? Does pulling your massive to-do list right down to your “BIG 3” every day feel possible or totally crazy? 

If you’d like support, consider booking a free 45-minute Dream Team Discovery Call with Paula. You can talk about your business goals and how you can rally your team to support you to achieve your big goals. 

Book a time HERE

The post Prioritising Your Never Ending To Do List appeared first on Paula Maidens.

If you find yourself burning the midnight oil, feeling overwhelmed with tasks, and struggling to keep up with the demands of your business, you’re not alone. Many entrepreneurs face the same struggle, particularly when it comes to delegation.

The common reason many of my clients struggle with delegation is due to a lack of clear delegation strategies. It’s common to fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself, fearing that no one else can do it as well as they can or wanting to be liked and trying not to ‘seem mean’. 

However, this mindset not only leads to holding onto more work yourself, overwork and burnout which often also means your growth, profitability and scalability of your business is hindered.

So – what’s the solution?

Mastering the art of delegation!

Viewing this as a skill that you need to master knowing that it IS the secret to reclaiming your time, reducing stress, and allowing you AND your business to thrive. 

Here are 7 actionable steps to follow to support you to develop a clear delegation strategies:

1. Identify Your Zone Of Genius – Start by looking in the mirror and identifying the tasks that only you can do.  The jobs and tasks that truly fall within your unique skills, expertise, and vision for the business. These should be your top priority but it’s often that less important other tasks take up the time and your true genius or important tasks are de-prioritised. 
2. Assess Your Team’s Strengths – Look around at your existing team and assess their skills, strengths, knowledge and capacity. You’ll then be able to assign tasks based on their abilities and delegating responsibilities that align with their expertise and interests OR you’ll find you have a hiring gap.
3. Clearly Define Expectations – When delegating tasks, you need to be specific about what needs to be done, why it’s important, and when it needs to be completed. You will also need to consider what instructions, training or guidance they’ll need to be set up for success.
4. Establish Accountability – Set up systems to track progress, monitor deadlines, and ensure accountability. This will include regular check-ins and feedback sessions will help keep everyone on track and address any issues or concerns along the way.
5. Foster a Culture of Trust… and actually trust your team. Trust is the foundation of effective delegation and to be able to trust and empower your team you need to know their decision making authority and what responsibility they truly do (or don’t!) hold. Once this is clear, empower your team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Give them the autonomy and support they need to succeed.
6. Learn to Let Go – As a leader, it is challenging to relinquish control and trust others to handle important tasks. However, learning to let go and delegate with confidence is essential for your own well-being and the growth of your business.
7. Continuously Review and Adjust – Delegation is not a one-time task – it’s an ongoing process that requires continuous evaluation and refinement. Regularly assess your delegation strategies, learn from successes and failures, and make adjustments as needed.

Overwork is a common challenge for female entrepreneurs, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent state. 

By mastering the art of delegation, you can free up your time, reduce stress, and position your business for long-term success.

Learn More

Paula teaches the Art of Delegation in her self study course Fundamentals of Leadership. 

Listen to the Mastering Delegation podcast episode 115 of the Big Dreams Great Teams podcast. 

The post Mastering Delegation: 7 Steps to Breaking The Cycle of Overwork appeared first on Paula Maidens.

For some of the incredible clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with, balance is all about the hours they work – or don’t work, for that matter. 

It’s about:

Relishing those blissful Fridays off.

Clocking out in time for the school pick-up.

Thriving on a 20-hour workweek.

But for others, balance is more of a feeling:

It’s the joy of not having work constantly looming over your thoughts.

It’s the freedom to glance at your calendar and see pockets of time for family, hobbies, or just a bit of peace and quiet.

It’s that inner “calm” that comes from knowing you’re in control of your life.

Now, here’s where it gets exciting. When I work with my private clients in my 12-week coaching program, we make it a point to talk about and set an aspirational BALANCE goal. Even if that goal seems miles away, we use it as our guiding star, linking every decision, every hire, and every process to inch closer to turning that aspiration into a reality.

So, here’s the deal. If you’re reading this and you’re sensing that your life is a tad OUT of balance, if you’re itching to find that path toward living your aspirational life.  

When we dive into this journey together, here’s what’s in store:

We’ll uncover your one-of-a-kind leadership style and then roll up our sleeves to build (or tweak!) your dream team into a crew that has you doing a happy dance daily because they’re your backbone on the road to achieving your aspirational balance goal.

We’ll implement simple yet remarkably effective changes to your team structure, allowing you to step back while still driving outstanding performance and results.

And here’s the best part – before you know it, your once-aspirational idea of balance will become your new normal.

With only 90 days left in 2023, let’s make a plan to set you up for an aspirational 2024! Let’s have a chat. Book your no-obligation, FREE Dream Team Discovery Call about your unique situation, your business goals, and what it looks like to join forces and make incredible things happen. Find a time that suits you here.

The post Finding Your Balance: It’s More Attainable Than You Think appeared first on Paula Maidens.

Recently, three of my clients have been working towards taking uncontactable time out of their business and we’ve been working together on strategies and actions to make sure this is a success.

(And by success… I mean YOU relaxing and the BUSINESS thriving)

And as a CEO of a multi 6 or 7-figure business then at some stage in the near future YOU will face a similar point where you want (or need!) to take some **real** time out of your business, whether it’s for health or holiday or something else.

Here’s what you need to do to make stepping away, being truly uncontactable a roaring success for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS.

Start talking about it early (aka now!)

Give everyone involved time to think about what they’d like to know, learn, and be able to do with heaps of time for discussion and planning.

Review your normal ‘responsibilities’ over the time period you are likely to be away and bucket them into 

a) what *must* be done 

b) what *could* be done by someone else and 

c) what *can’t* be done by anyone else

Start training. 

Record processes and begin training for what you are handing over – the bonus about this is you may decide to never take it back!
For the items in the ‘can’t be done by anyone else’ bucket, formulate a plan to communicate a delay or consider bringing things forward.

Do not let your brain easily accept ‘I’ll just have to do this while I’m away’.
Keep looking for an alternative solution (there usually is one but it may require some digging and re-wiring of your normal thought patterns to find it).

Plan who the team can ‘go to’ while you are away.

This can look like formally appointing someone to step up while you are away or even just nominating certain people to be ‘go to’ people to be a sounding board when judgements need to be made.

Feel the fear and do it anyway! 

It’s 100% better to facing this for the first time in a planned way (rather than facing it via an emergency >> hello that time I had emergency surgery after a surfing accident and found myself dialing into meetings from my hospital bed..)

Remember a normal evolution of scaling your business is testing it’s ability to run without you.. So this is normal AND it needs to happen.

View it as an opportunity for everyone in the business to grow and elevate and you’ll all be better off for it, and you’ll be refreshed and rejuvenated when you return.

Want a hand to empower your team so you can step away and know your business is going to be 100% ok?

Jump on a Dream Team Discovery Call and let’s chat!

The post It’s time to take time OUT of your business appeared first on Paula Maidens.

If it’s been a while, this is a reminder for you to ask yourself:

>> Are you always racing against the clock?

>> Working backwards from deadlines and only getting the essentials done?

>> Do you struggle to get creative or brainstorming time let alone bounce around ideas as a team? 

>> Does your brain feel like it’s constantly in ‘thinking’ mode and your body on high alert?

If you’re nodding yes…then, you’re working WITHOUT SPACE in BUSY mode.

(And before you roll your eyes with a ‘but there’s nothing I can do about it…stay with me…)

You might THINK being busy is the REASON you feel like you have no space.

BUT there’s usually a lot more to it than that.

Working out the **true** reason why you don’t have space and feel so busy can actually be a little tricky to figure out.

Because the cold hard reality is… that YOU are the boss of your business.

You get to set the deadlines and the priorities

Which in turn means that you are choosing to be busy and choosing to operate without space.

I know, this realisation often doesn’t feel so good….

But, only YOU have the power to change it

So you need to work out WHY you won’t.

It’s frustrating, weird and confronting to feel so powerLESS, when you actually hold the power.

And when you are operating in #justkeepgoing mode 

You’ll automatically keep pushing 

When instead you need to be slowing to work out what needs to change

Because nothing changes, unless something changes.

So right now, as you read this, I encourage you to take half an hour to slow down.

To look at your week and your month ahead.

And look for what you can change and ways to create SPACE

Because although it’s not easy, it IS always possible.

There are a number of ways that I can support you to create more space in your business and in your life by helping you build your dream team. 

Book in a Dream Team Discovery Call with me here and let’s have a no obligation chat about your business and I’ll share my honest opinion about whether I can help you.  

The post How much space do you have? appeared first on Paula Maidens.

Abundance

We hear that word A LOT in the online business space.

But aside from the 6 or 7 (or 8!) figure biz, sold out programs, endless wait lists and perfect wardrobes with super slick REELS….

What do YOU really need to feel abundant?

Because all of the above is the shell. 

The outside visible layer.

I want to know what you need on the inside

What you need to start feeling 

And what you need to stop sacrificing.

As the boss of your business you are exactly that. 

THE BOSS.

So YOU get to design your definition of abundance

YOU get to set it up, shift it or burn it down if you need to, to make it feel ABUNDANT to YOU

Many of my clients come to me with one big goal

To get their TIME BACK

Because that feels like real abundance. 

(Without the sacrifices)

How is this possible? 

You need a freakin awesome team.

NOT just any assistant because your cousin’s neighbour referred them and

NOT just hiring someone “to get it done”, hoping they “get up to speed eventually”

I’m talking about a FULLY AWESOME TEAM that looks & feels like

Switched on people who give YOU energy

Idea givers, mistake finders & solution mavens 

Effortless & efficient communication that honours your boundaries

Tracked and analysed goals that are repeatedly exceeded by your team

(And the foundational one which is critical to enable all of the above to happen at all)

The unmistakable feeling of SUPPORT where you and your crew are IN. THIS. TOGETHER.

So, if your team isn’t feeling like this? (And your sense of abundance is coming at the expense of your time)

It’s not the end of the world.

Be savvy….take stock, clean up, have strategic conversations, implement communication tweaks that give you your time and space back. 

#trueabundance

Sounds like bliss?

If the thought of where to begin has you in a spin grab my free downloadable <5 Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs Make When Growing Teams> for quick easy guidance on what to change in your team to make it feel better ASAP

Or let’s chat about your biz and how I can help on a free discovery call and I can show you how my private coaching will make this feel easier – and truly abundant – inside & out – in no time.

The post How to feel real abundance in your business appeared first on Paula Maidens.

You’ve finally got yourself into the right flow (to and mental space to step into your CEO power and do what you know you need to do…when an email drops in from a team member with a problem. 

Maybe they want a pay rise, or something has happened in their personal life or they are giving you the heads up that they aren’t going to meet an important deadline… again.

I get it. You are soooo not alone. 

All my clients face this… and it is so draining.

I know you think you need to drop everything and deal with it right now.  

But, the solution is to STAY in your powerful CEO energy and NOT to let it sabotage your day while also acknowledging them and their challenge. 

Trust me, I know this feels hard – but it can be easier than it feels right now. 

When you have the right communication framework in place you will stop getting thrown by the ebbs and flows of your teams emotions and you’ll reclaim your headspace, your energy and your diary again

If this feels like a far away dream, I want you to know it’s totally possible for you. And this is exactly what I’m working on with two of my private clients right now. 

Because EVERYONE goes through this at some stage in their evolution of growing their business and building out their support team. 

Let’s chat! Book in a time for a Dream Team Discovery call and let’s discuss how we can transform your team into rockstars!

The post Is today the day you get back in control? appeared first on Paula Maidens.

Well this is a little bit exciting

This has been in my heart for a while and I’m so excited to let you know that my new podcast – Big Dreams Great Teams – is now live!

This podcast is going to be your go-to place for all things business, people and leadership

With a bunch of juicy no-BS episodes already recorded with hiring and leadership tips

Plus a few AMAZING interviews with successful entrepreneurs sharing with us the behind-the-scenes of their team… you definitely want to tune in!

The first two episodes have dropped –

Trailer – Introducing the Big Dreams Great Teams Podcast

This ep introduces why it’s been in my heart for a while and what you can expect to hear and learn and exactly who this podcast is for (hint – amazing entrepreneurs just like you!)

*listen now*

Ep 1 – 11 Leadership Lessons from 11 years in business

In this ep I share with you 11 nuggets of wisdom from my entrepreneurial journey, including starting 3 businesses and selling one with a full team intact! This is not to be missed for anyone in biz, no matter where you are in your journey!

*listen now*

I’m so thrilled to be finally sharing this with you all. Have a listen and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Happy listening!

Paula

The post BIG DREAMS GREAT TEAMS Podcast appeared first on Paula Maidens.

But when you are expanding your BUSINESS, you are expanding your SELF

And when you are expanding your SELF you need to look inwards to find the resistance

And face it head on

We ALL have established beliefs about what we think ‘needs’ to happen in our business

And many of those beliefs are so fixed

Because our history becomes our norm unless we challenge it to grow and improve

It’s up to you >> as the CEO to look around at your norm

And question where it can evolve and expand

Because your business can’t expand itself

YOU need to expand >> for your business to expand

For me, an old belief showed up recently >> “I can’t take a proper holiday with my family because I didn’t plan it well enough in advance”

4 days into the “working holiday” I decided to challenge that belief.

FROM I need to be more organised to take a holiday 

TO I’ve got amazing clients and an amazing team and everything doesn’t need to be perfectly organised for it to be OK

Guess what?

It was

I see so many established beliefs and routines holding so my clients back from having their business run in a way that feels great.

It’s typically past experiences that have turned into norms that are stopping the business (including the team) to expand to the next level.

So, where is this happening for you??

Do you think you have to prep on a Sunday to make sure your team know what to do by Monday AM?

Is it that you reschedule your team meetings {if you can’t make it} because you believe they can’t happen without you?

Have you decided someone isn’t ‘wired’ a certain way so you’ve stop asking/encouraging them to be what you need?

Do you believe there is “no way” you can explain {insert job} to someone {new/else} because it’s “too complicated”? 

Have you delayed hiring someone amazing for your team because you believe it’s not possible?

>> Every single one of my clients feels all these things at some stage. It’s totally normal. But here’s the thing.

It doesn’t need to stay that way

Dig around.

Challenge the belief.

I promise you’ll look back feeling proud of your new norm

Join me on my facebook group Savvy CEO Secrets for Entrepreneurs for more entrepreneur tips, live training & support.

The post Is it time to challenge your beliefs? appeared first on Paula Maidens.

It’s an interesting topic and one that certainly isn’t new. 

In 2014, I actually ventured over to the Philippines to participate in an ‘Offshoring Tour’. I learnt stacks about this evolving trend. We started in Manila and travelled up to Angeles city, the two main hubs of outsourcing action.  

I went over with the intention of exploring whether we could offshore the Marketing + Administration in my own HR consulting business, as well as becoming well educated on the topic for my clients. My husband came along with me. He owns a construction business and was interested to see if he could offshore a part of his quoting process.

Over 4 days, we visited a range of options. We met work-from-home workers, we visited work-from-someone’s-house workers, and we also visited a number of Business Process Outsourcing locations (a more formal structure where workers come to a central office). The options were as wide as the skills available.

Since then, I’ve had an “Offshore Assistant” for 5 years (thanks for the prompt, Facebook memories!) and I’ve worked through this process with hundreds of clients. I’m now uniquely positioned to be able to help entrepreneurs figure out if this solution is likely to work for them. 

The first thing I want to share is that it’s NOT right for everyone. 

When I’m looking at a business and having this discussion with the business owner – there are a few key things that help me determine the likelihood of success:

1. Do you know how to do ‘the thing’ yourself?  The most successful offshoring handovers happen when someone in the business knows how to do the task / activity to an efficient level.
2. Are you willing to move through a training period to hand this over? Do you have the willingness, capacity and patience to show, coach, give feedback and work through expected communication hiccups until that efficient level is achieved by the offshore worker? 
3. Are you able to measure success? Can you articulate and tangibly measure what a ‘bad job’ would be versus a ‘good job’? 
4. Are you able to ‘check’ the progress of this job before it goes live (particularly through the training period)? If not, what impact would a mistake have on your business?

If you are a small growing business, hiring an Offshore Virtual Assistant can be an excellent business decision. Often you’ve been doing many of the tasks yourself, and so it’s easy to answer ‘yes’ to most of the questions above. But sometimes someone onshore may suit you better, and often that comes down to your personality and the type of future business and team that feels right for you. 

When you are a more established business with a few team members already in place, you’ll need to consider team dynamics and who will take the lead in the training and hand over.  Again, offshoring can be an excellent business decision.

Getting clear about your hiring options is one of the first critical steps in recruitment success. Offshore, onshore, subcontractor, employee… there is a lot of flexibility available to you, which is exciting but can also be overwhelming.

I can’t reiterate enough how important it is to invest a bit of time upfront in planning your requirements before you start recruiting.  

And while it might sound simple, this all-important planning and strategising time is often rushed through or overlooked, when really it can be the key to your hiring success. 

Have any burning questions about hiring? Reach out on email hello[at]paulamaidens.com. I’d love to hear from you.

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