Business Builders (Pt.44) Stop Fixing Everything Yourself: The Leadership Shift That Unlocks Scale Artwork

The Small Business School Podcast

Ready to leave the small business struggle behind? The “School for Small Business” podcast supports small business owners in scaling a business that is profitable, purposeful, and doesn’t leave you burnt out. No matter whether you run your business online or you own a brick-and-mortar, you can expect our world class experts to support you with mindset, tactics, and everything in between so you can have the business you dreamed of. Based on our lived experience, we know that small business CAN be easy and we are here to show you how.The “School for Small Business” is hosted by Staci Millard, a CPA by trade with over 15 years of experience seeing the behind the scenes of thousands of small businesses. After growing and selling her first 7 figure business, Staci has been on the ground running - mentoring small businesses and working to increase success rates. Staci strongly believes you don’t need to have gone to business school to be successful so you can expect nothing but simple, impactful advice. Tune in each Tuesday for a new 30 minute or less episode of nothing but valuable advice to help you grow your small business. We are so excited for you to be on this journey with us!

All Episodes

The Small Business School Podcast

Business Builders (Pt.44) Stop Fixing Everything Yourself: The Leadership Shift That Unlocks Scale

December 02, 2025 • Staci Millard • Episode 358

In this episode of the Business Builder Series, Staci explores the mindset shift every founder must make in order to scale: letting go of the “hero” role. She reveals why jumping in to fix every problem feels productive, but ultimately turns you into the bottleneck that slows your business down. Staci walks through how to empower your team to think, make decisions, and take ownership, so your business can grow beyond your capacity. This short episode is packed with practical mindset shifts, leadership tools, and a simple homework assignment that will transform how you lead your team.

Key topics covered:

How the “hero habit” gives founders a dopamine hit while secretly sabotaging growth
The surprising reason being the go-to person can stunt your team’s confidence and capability
Why answering questions quickly keeps you reactive instead of strategic
How shifting from “fixer” to “coach” unlocks speed, trust, and team autonomy
Staci’s favourite leadership questions that train your team to think—not just do
The culture transformation that happens when ownership becomes expected
The “monkey on your back” analogy and how to stop taking on everyone else’s problems
How to know when a recurring issue needs a system, and when it doesn’t
Why letting your team try (and sometimes fail) once saves you countless hours forever
The mindset shift from control to trust that separates solopreneurs from true leader

Challenge:

When someone brings you a problem, do NOT solve it.
Ask a follow-up question instead — guide them, don’t fix it for them.
Make a list of the top three things you’re still manually fixing.
Choose one of those three and create a system for it.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.

To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.

Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!