Week 12 – Do I Clone Myself or Just Cry in My Truck?

The moment the solo hustle hit capacity:

This week I found myself on the phone with a client, replying to a Realtor text, and mentally prepping for a presentation—*all at the same time*. And that was between two inspections. I had three coffee meetings on the calendar, a happy hour to attend, and still needed to write two follow-up emails. Oh, and the phone rang again. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

That’s when it hit me: I’m the bottleneck now. The work is coming in. The marketing is working. But I’m the one standing in the way of the next level—because there’s only one of me. And I’m starting to wonder if it’s time to bring someone else in.

The internal tug-of-war about growing a team:

Part of me loves the control. Every word, every email, every inspection is 100% mine. I know the quality. I know the tone. I know the voice. And right now, I trust myself.

But I also know that’s not sustainable. I can’t be everywhere. I can’t answer the phone while I’m under a crawlspace. And I *definitely* can’t grow if I’m the only one doing every job, every time. Something has to give—either my sanity or my solo status.

What I’m considering for that first hire (and what’s stopping me):

I’m not looking to hire a full-time inspector (yet). But maybe an admin? A virtual assistant? Someone to handle call-backs and scheduling? Or maybe a part-time marketing assistant to manage my follow-ups and social posts?

The hard part is knowing where to let go first. And being okay with not doing it all. I haven’t fully wrapped my head around the financials yet—but emotionally? I’m already at capacity. I need to build in some help before I burn out completely.

What I’m learning about scale (and trust):

Scaling isn’t just about volume. It’s about designing systems and assigning roles. Right now, I *am* the system. That has to change. Curt’s talked about this a lot—how the goal isn’t to stay busy, it’s to build something sustainable. “You can have a full calendar or a scalable business. Choose wisely.” That one hit me hard.

He also reminded me: first hires aren’t about perfection. They’re about freeing up your time to do what only *you* can do. And right now, only I can sell the brand, connect with agents, and deliver the inspection experience. Everything else? That’s fair game for delegation.

What I’m doing next to get clarity:

This week, I’m tracking everything I do—all the calls, emails, meetings, drive time, admin work. I want to see where my time is really going. If I can identify the 5–10 hours that are non-client facing but essential, I can start figuring out what a support role could look like.

I’m also reaching out to another franchisee who hired early to ask what they learned. No need to reinvent the wheel here.

What I’ll keep doing (even in the chaos):

Keep building relationships. Even if I’m underwater, those coffees and happy hours are gold. They’re planting seeds I’ll harvest for months. But I need help managing the back end of the garden. And that’s the next chapter.

→ Next up: Week 13: “We’ve Got Mold” — First Big Scary Discovery on Site

← Catch last week’s coffee shop hustle here: Week 11: Building My Realtor Relationships One Coffee at a Time

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