Inspections Over Coffee inspector listening to E-Myth Revisited audiobook, reflecting on the difference between owning a job and building a business.

Week 29 – The Post I Almost Didn’t Write

This week, I almost skipped the blog entirely:

Not because I didn’t care. Not because I didn’t have time. But because I didn’t feel like I had something clean to say. I wasn’t sure if I was making progress—or just circling. The truth is, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to run a business… versus just doing a job.

It hit me mid-drive, audiobook playing in my ear—The E-Myth Revisited. Curt had mentioned it, and I figured I’d give it a shot. Fifteen minutes in, I was pausing every five seconds to process a truth bomb. The core idea? Just because you’re good at the work doesn’t mean you know how to run the business that delivers it. Oof.

Owning a job vs. building a business:

Right now, I’m a good inspector. I do the work. I answer the phone. I meet Realtors. I give good reports. But am I building something that can function without me? Something I could sell one day? Something that grows beyond my calendar capacity?

If I’m honest? Not yet. But that’s starting to change.

The mental shift I’m wrestling with:

With a franchise like Inspections Over Coffee, a lot of the “work on the business” stuff is already built. Systems. Templates. Tools. Messaging. I’m not guessing. But that doesn’t mean I’ve implemented all of it with intention. It doesn’t mean I’ve personalized it, scaled it, or handed it off.

My version of working on the business right now? It’s showing up at inspections I’m not doing. It’s training the way I want future inspectors to observe and communicate. It’s leading coffee meetings and real estate presentations, so I can build brand equity that outlives me.

The conversation with Curt that snapped me back into motion:

He asked me, “If you stopped inspecting today, what parts of your business would keep running?” My answer? Not enough. So now, I’m starting to identify what needs to run *without me*. That’s real CEO thinking. And honestly, it’s intimidating—but exciting too.

What I’m going to focus on next:

Pick one system per week. Implement it. Not just turn it on—make it *mine*. Maybe it’s a training checklist. Maybe it’s the new agent welcome kit. Maybe it’s a sales script for admin help. But if I do this right, I’ll end this year with a business—not just a calendar full of work.

Why I wrote this post anyway:

Because growth isn’t just milestones and revenue jumps. It’s questions. It’s discomfort. It’s the quiet moments in your car where you realize you’ve been building the wrong muscle. This blog is about the real story, and this week? This is what was real.

→ Next up: Week 30: I Tried Delegating and Totally Fumbled It

← Catch how I learned to adapt to all types of Realtors: Week 28: Three Types of Realtors (and How I Learned to Talk to All of Them)

Learn more about launching your own home inspection franchise.