The "Who" Not "How" Mentality

Building a business by hiring the right people

Four years into entrepreneurship, I can confidently say that one of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve made is learning to ask who, not how.

Like many founders, I started out believing that I had to do everything myself. Every email, every website update, every single detail of my business—I thought that if I didn’t personally handle it, it wouldn’t be done correctly. I poured hours into trying to master skills that weren’t in my wheelhouse, convinced that my success depended on my ability to figure it all out.

But that belief system has limits. As my business grew, I quickly realized that my time was being spent on things that weren’t moving the needle. Worse, I was exhausted and constantly pulled away from the work that I was actually good at.

That’s when I learned about the Who Not How mentality. The idea comes from a book by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and it completely changed the way I approach growth. Instead of asking, How do I do this? I started asking, Who is the best person to take this on? That shift allowed me to focus on what I do best while bringing in the right people to handle the rest.

The first step in embracing this mentality was getting clear on what only I could do. There are parts of my business that simply can’t be outsourced because they are tied directly to my vision, voice, and presence. Creating video content, for example, is something that is core to my brand. My audience connects with me, so filming Reels, stories, and long-form videos isn’t something I can hand off. Similarly, defining the mission and direction of my business is something that has to come from me. 

Once I got clear on what only I could do, the next step was taking a hard look at how I was spending my time. Was I focused on these core areas, or was I getting bogged down in work that someone else could do, possibly even better than I could? More importantly, was I spending too much energy on tasks that drained me creatively? Tip: to dive deeper on how your time is being spent, try this Energy Audit exercise from my business coach, Amy.

Before I adopted this mindset, I wasted an incredible amount of time trying to manage every aspect of my business. I thought I was being resourceful, but in reality, I was slowing my own growth. There were countless things I attempted to do myself that I had no business doing. I tried to build my own website, which led to hours of frustration and a final product that never quite looked the way I wanted. I attempted to keep track of everything on my own—schedules, emails, business operations—only to realize that I was constantly behind and missing important details. I even insisted on writing and photographing for my blog, despite the fact that it took me twice as long as it would have taken a professional.

At some point, I had to acknowledge that just because I could do something didn’t mean I should be doing it.

Everything changed when I started bringing in the right people. The first—and most significant—shift happened when Kyle became my business partner. I didn’t officially “hire” him, but I did ask for his help so often that it eventually became a full-time role. He now runs the operational side of our business, handling finance, marketing, HR, and everything else that keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes. I truly cannot imagine running this business without him.

From there, I started building a team. I hired a Head of Content and SEO to manage my blog and ensure that my content strategy was optimized for growth. Bringing on a manager and agent allowed me to step away from negotiations and brand partnerships so I could focus on creating. I also started working with a copywriter who could bring my blog posts and emails to life while keeping my brand voice consistent. Hiring an assistant to support both personal and work tasks–things like grocery shopping, filming, doing the dishes, and editing–unlocked so much more time for me to focus on growing my business instead of getting bogged down in the day-to-day.

One of the best decisions I made was hiring a photographer for my blog. I used to spend so much time trying to get the perfect shot, and while I love capturing moments, it was taking up valuable energy that could have been spent elsewhere. Now, I can trust that my blog has high-quality visuals without me needing to be behind the camera.

Other key hires included a Pinterest manager, a recipe tester to help refine and perfect my creations, and a creative team to handle everything from branding colors and logos to graphic design. I even invested in a business coach—someone who could help me make strategic decisions and navigate the challenges of scaling.

Earlier this week I wrote a post for paid subscribers detailing exactly how much I pay my team and what it really costs to build and maintain my business. If you become a paying subscriber, you can unlock the post and get all of the details!

If there’s one thing I wish I had learned earlier, it’s that you don’t have to do everything yourself. In fact, trying to do it all is the fastest way to burn out and limit your own growth.

The Who Not How mentality isn’t just about hiring a team. It’s about recognizing where your time and energy are best spent. It’s about focusing on what only you can do and finding the right people to support everything else.

If you’re constantly feeling stretched thin, I encourage you to take a step back and ask yourself some hard questions. Where are you spending time on tasks that someone else could do better? What is draining your energy and keeping you from your most important work? Are there areas where hiring support could actually help you grow faster?

For me, embracing this mindset was one of the most important steps in scaling my business. It allowed me to move from a place of constant overwhelm to a place of clarity and growth.

If you’ve been holding onto everything yourself, consider this your permission to let go. Start small, trust the process, and watch how freeing up your energy transforms not just your business, but your creativity, confidence, and overall momentum.