When Running a Business Means Learning to Let Go made with Sesame

“I don't need to learn how to delegate. I just need to bloody do it.”

That was the admission from Taya, owner and operator of the Wicked Wolf in Long Beach, as she introduced herself to a room filled mostly with women business owners and professionals.

It brought a familiar challenge into the open. Running a business requires determination, long hours, and responsibility. But somewhere along the way, doing everything yourself can become part of the problem.

That was the conversation at BOSS, the Business Owner Sisterhood Social, where local entrepreneurs came together to share experiences and discover how much they had in common.

A Sisterhood Built Around Supporting Each Other

BOSS is part of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce's Women's Business Council activities. The monthly gathering is co-hosted by Taya and Natalie Wilson, owner of Zydeco Design.

Although the name emphasizes sisterhood, men are welcome too. The goal is to build a community where business owners can learn from one another.

“So I just thought that we shouldn't do it alone,” Taya explained.

The evening began with introductions, but with a twist. Everyone was asked to describe something they did exceptionally well and something they needed help improving.

The answers revealed a familiar pattern.

Some were excellent at connecting with customers but struggled with marketing. Others managed successful operations but found it difficult to balance their businesses and personal lives.

Delegation came up repeatedly.

Business owners from finance, hospitality, mental health, marketing, and education were facing many of the same challenges.

How do you keep a business growing without carrying every responsibility yourself?

Liz Lewine - “Being Busy Doesn't Automatically Mean We're Spending Our Time Where the Business Needs Us Most”

That question introduced the evening's guest speaker, Liz Lewine, founder of Liz Lewine Coaching, a career and life coach with more than 20 years of corporate recruiting and talent acquisition experience.

Her presentation focused on building a business around personal strengths and recognizing when doing everything yourself begins to interfere with growth.

She opened with a question.

How many people had ever told themselves it would be easier to do something on their own?

Hands went up around the room.

Business owners know their standards, understand their customers, and often believe they can complete a task faster than explaining it to someone else.

But Liz challenged that thinking.

Being busy, she explained, does not automatically mean spending time where the business needs you most.

She asked participants to identify tasks that had consumed their time during the previous week. Then she encouraged them to consider whether those responsibilities required their expertise.

Could something be simplified? Eliminated? Handed to someone else?

The exercise shifted the conversation from how much work everyone had to do toward how they were choosing to spend their time.

Making Delegation Work

Liz encouraged participants to make delegation more effective by establishing clear expectations, creating checklists, documenting procedures, and communicating regularly.

Drawing on her experience hiring and working with managers, she emphasized giving people clear instructions and opportunities to succeed.

She also discussed how micromanagement can undermine confidence and make it difficult for employees to take ownership of their work.

The goal wasn't to abandon responsibility. It was to develop a way of working that allowed others to contribute without requiring constant supervision.

Liz introduced the DISC behavioral framework, showing how different approaches to communication, decision-making, and responsibility can influence delegation.

Recognizing personal habits, she explained, can help business owners begin changing them.

Finding Strength in Someone Else's Experience

As the presentation moved toward its conclusion, Liz invited participants to work with someone nearby.

They discussed what their businesses needed more of, where they were spending too much time, and what made changing those habits difficult.

Around the room, the larger discussion became smaller conversations.

It was also an example of what BOSS hopes to accomplish.

Earlier, Taya explained that identifying personal strengths helps participants find one another.

Someone struggling with marketing might connect with a branding professional. Someone overwhelmed by operations might learn from another business owner who has developed effective systems.

And the person offering advice today might be the one seeking help tomorrow.

The intention is to build relationships that extend beyond the meeting, where mentorship and practical support become part of the community.

Building a Business Doesn't Have to Be a Solo Journey

There was something encouraging about watching experienced professionals openly discuss the things they had not yet mastered.

These were people who knew how to serve customers, manage businesses, and develop professional relationships. Yet many were still learning how to step away from responsibilities someone else could handle.

Liz's presentation offered practical ways to begin making those changes. The conversations demonstrated why having a supportive network matters.

For BOSS, that combination is central to its mission.

Sometimes the next step in growing a business is not learning how to do more.

It's learning that you don't have to do everything alone.

Connect With Liz Lewine

Liz Lewine is a career and life coach working with teens, young adults, and adults navigating career transitions. Through Liz Lewine Coaching, she offers individual coaching, workshops, and interview preparation.

Website: https://lizlewine.com/

Email: coachliz@lizlewine.com

Phone: (310) 254-7205

Instagram: @lizlewinecoaching

LinkedIn: @lizlewine