The Financial Coach Academy® Podcast

103. 7 Steps to Effectively Train Your Assistant and Focus on Coaching Clients

Kelsa Dickey Episode 103

You know that sneaky trap called the “excellence zone”? It’s those tasks you're pretty good at, maybe even enjoy a little? For me, it was organizing client financials into spreadsheets and setting up systems. The trap is that because you're good at it, it's easy to keep doing it yourself. Even when it’s time to let it go.

But every minute you spend there is a minute you're not spending in your true zone of genius. That’s the sweet spot where you’re making the impact you wanted to make when you first went into business.

This week, I'm sharing what happens in these two zones after you hire your first team member. And it might not be what you think. I learned the hard way that trying to train my first hire while maintaining my full client load was like trying to build a house while also running a marathon. Something's got to give.

I'll walk you through our practical seven-step training process that takes more time up front but means you're catching fewer errors on the back end and putting out a lot fewer fires later. You'll learn why blocking off 20% of your client hours during training is actually an investment in an amazing new team member, not a loss of time or revenue.

Some of our biggest leaps forward at Fiscal Fitness, my own coaching practice, happened after I learned to let go and trust my team. Now imagine if all your time was spent just coaching clients. How would that feel? That is possible for you, and I'll show you how to get there step by step.

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Key Takeaways:

  • Hiring your first support person might actually be harder than launching your business because you're learning a completely new skill set while still running everything.
  • Your “excellence zone” is a sneaky trap. Those tasks you're good at keep you from your true zone of genius where your business actually grows.
  • Create a “rainy day project” for your new hire. They need productive work when waiting for your input, not just idle time.
  • Before bringing someone on, set up a growth fund. Small savings now will cushion the temporary revenue dip later.
  • Scheduled check-ins work better than constant availability. Try 9 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m. meetings instead of answering questions all day.
  • Let them teach it back to you. When they demonstrate what they've learned, you'll see what they've truly absorbed.
  • Trust unlocks growth. Some of your biggest business leaps will happen only after you learn to let go and truly trust your team.


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