5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Small Business

We've been there—starting a small business with high hopes and then hitting roadblocks we never saw coming.

Let's chat about those "I wish someone had told me that!" moments that can make or break your business journey.

In this episode, I'll be asking Kelly Rice, our Treefrog Director, about the hard-earned wisdom she's gathered along her journey. Kelly opens up about the realities that hit when you transition from dream to day-to-day operations.

From the importance of setting boundaries to the unexpected twists of managing growth, we're covering ground that's rarely discussed but universally experienced.

If you're standing at the crossroads of entrepreneurship or finding yourself nodding along with our struggles and successes, this episode is a must-listen.

Specifically, this episode highlights the following themes:

• The importance of setting boundaries early on
• Why work-life balance is non-negotiable for long-term success
• The realization that scaling up isn't the only path to achievement

Other Mentioned Links & Resources

Episode 136: How to Create a Personal Vision for Your Life & Business with Mark Dolfini:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/how-create-personal-vision-life-business

Episode 138: Boundary Blueprint: How to Set Boundaries for Small Business Success:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/tag/how-to-set-boundaries-for-small-business-success

Start Your Podcasting Journey with Honest Podcasts:
https://honestpodcasts.com

Read Company Of One by Paul Jarvis:
https://www.amazon.com/Company-One-Staying-Small-Business/dp/1328972356

Learn More About Treefrog’s Small Business Marketing Resources & Services:
https://www.treefrogmarketing.com

Receive 50% Off Your First Year of HoneyBook:
https://www.treefrogmarketing.com/honeybook-coupon-code

Join the Priority Pursuit Podcast Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/179106264013426

Follow or DM Treefrog Marketing on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/treefroggers

Follow or DM Kelly Rice on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/treefrogkelly

Follow or DM Victoria on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/victorialrayburn

Transcript

Kelly Rice [00:00:00]:
In my opinion, there are huge differences between being a boss and a leader on many levels. But when it comes to being in control and having all of the answers, that's where the line gets pretty thin pretty quickly. So being a boss means taking charge and telling people what to do. But being a leader is about guiding and inspiring and learning alongside your team. And as a small business owner, there are times that I have to be both. But I learned that being a leader is always more effective than being seen as a boss. Hey there. You're listening to the Priority Pursuit podcast, a podcast dedicated to helping small business owners and leaders define, maintain, and pursue both their personal and business priorities so they can build lives and businesses they love.

Victoria Rayburn [00:00:49]:
We're your hosts, Victoria Rayburn and Kelly Rice. And y'all, I already know this is going to be a good episode. You see, while Kelly and I typically co host the show, today, I get to interview Kelly. And I'm excited about this because Kelly has actually been my business mentor for about a decade. You see, when I started working at Treefrog Way back in 2015, photography was something that I did on the side. In fact, at the time, I was simply second shooting for someone else at night and on the weekends. And when I started thinking about going out on my own, Kelly was my biggest cheerleader. Even when I decided to leave Treefrog to pursue photography full time, Kelly was nothing but supportive.

Victoria Rayburn [00:01:33]:
Since the day I met her, Kelly has been there to answer all of my business related questions, point me back to Jesus, and be a sounding board, and just share her wisdom with me. I am so thankful for her mentorship and guidance. And today, y'all are going to experience that as well. Because in this episode, Kelly is sharing five things she wishes she would have known before starting Treefrog. Her small business.

Kelly Rice [00:01:57]:
And one of those would have been that year introduction, right? So thank you. That's one of the things I wish I would have known before starting today. But, you know, thank you for that introduction. But if you do know me, you know that compliments make me want to crawl in a hole and hide. But as much as I struggle with compliments, which I honestly think it's a Gen X thing, and we could do a whole episode on that in itself. I love seeing amazing people like victorious succeed. I strongly believe that God puts people in our path for a reason. Sometimes it's just for a season, other it's to teach us a lesson.

Kelly Rice [00:02:29]:
But always it should be seen as a blessing. So there's no reason to be anything but supportive and encouraging when you know that someone is set out to do something they love. So I'm so excited that you are so successful and even more excited that you are back with Treefrog. So. Oh, my goodness.

Victoria Rayburn [00:02:48]:
Now, we joke regularly that people leave and, like, they always come back. Like, yeah, members, they've left and they come back. So it's great. And, you know, Kelly, not to make you want to crawl deeper into a hole, but, you know, you are just the best and that you do, like, truly want small businesses to succeed and you just offer them so much support, the team, so much support. You know, before I make you any more uncomfortable, as a side note, this is why when I usually need to compliment Kelly or tell her students something, well, I just send it in the chat because, like, she can just ignore it. I send it through chat and gmail because she can ignore it if she just is overwhelmed. But before we get into the five things you wish you would have known before starting a small business, Kelly, let's go way back to the beginning because I don't think we've ever actually shared Treefrog's full story on the show, at least not in my memory. So with this in mind, would you mind explaining why did you start Treefrog and how has it evolved over its nearly 25 year history?

Kelly Rice [00:03:46]:
Well, it's a long story and it makes me feel old, but I'm happy to share. So, looking back, I know that starting Treefrog was God's plan, but being a full time business owner wasn't something that I had really planned for. But as we all know, life happens and it doesn't ever seem to go the way that you had envisioned it. So I grew up in a time where you went to college, you fought to get a great, you know, well paying job. You added to your four hundred one k, and then you were set for retirement. So that was the plan that I had in high school or whatever. So, in fact, in high school, I had an interest in the creative side of marketing and I began learning everything I could. I joined the newspaper and the yearbook to learn how to write and to be taught about layout and design because I'm old.

Kelly Rice [00:04:37]:
So, you know, digital layout and all of that was new back in the nineties when I was in high school, but, you know, we're just going to skip over that. But I also took multiple years of coding, which, again, was also new. So for all y'all coders out there, like, I learned a program in basic, but it actually made it a lot easier for me to learn how to logically think through problems and then eventually teach myself how to create websites. And again, an old system, Dreamweaver.

Victoria Rayburn [00:05:07]:
But after graduation on, it's not that old.

Kelly Rice [00:05:12]:
I'm like, like, most of the time, I feel like I am so close to being able to be everybody's mother.

Victoria Rayburn [00:05:18]:
That's not true age wise, in our office.

Kelly Rice [00:05:21]:
Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:05:22]:
She's like, okay, so when I bring.

Kelly Rice [00:05:24]:
Out things like Coreldraw and Dreamweaver and all of those, I'm like, wow, moving on. Okay. After graduation, you know, because you asked for, like, all the details. Right. So my plan was to get a degree in journalism and computer science, but after spending a year in college, I actually came home and I entered the workforce. And even though I didn't really have a lot of experience, I was able to land a few marketing and design roles for smaller companies. So. But looking back now, I think it was because I naturally knew how to bring clarity out of chaos, and those business owners saw that.

Kelly Rice [00:05:59]:
But I didn't until, you know, many years later, because I grew up, I in grew up on a farm, and we had family friends who were small business owners, and I knew how hard they worked, and it was difficult for me to watch them. Like, they're great people, and they were just throwing their hard earned money away by doing a little bit of everything when it came to marketing. And this is like, you know, years down the road when I had, you know, a little bit of marketing experience, and I'm like, what are these people doing? Right, because I was constantly being asked about marketing from our small business owner friends, I ended up becoming the strategic voice for them because they didn't have a marketing advocate who really they could afford, right. Because all of the bigger agencies that had strategy were, like, way out of their price range and who understood that putting the customer first was key. So what they had, unfortunately, was a bunch of salespeople trying to just sell them something and not really help them.

Victoria Rayburn [00:06:58]:
And then not because 25 years ago, too. So except for online courses and anything else where a small business can find any sort of help, really.

Kelly Rice [00:07:06]:
Right. So I was thankful to have success helping others with their marketing on and off for several years. And I was continually encouraged to do more by my clients because, you know, with word of mouth and all of those types of things, they're like, they just encouraged me to do more. But, you know, me, compliments crawling in a black hole and, like, I don't know what I'm doing. You know, this just works for you. Right? Again, Gen X thing. So. But I think it was April of 2000.

Kelly Rice [00:07:32]:
I officially established Treefrog as a side hustle because of all of their encouragement. I mean, I was 25, I was holding down a full time job. I was married to a contractor who worked tons of hours, and I was tending to our infant son. So why not just add one more thing to my already full plate as.

Victoria Rayburn [00:07:51]:
A 25 year old? Right? I mean, that sounds about right. You know, for whatever reason, it seems like most small business owners start their small businesses when their plates are already full, for whatever reason. I mean, we could probably do a whole podcast episode about that, right?

Kelly Rice [00:08:08]:
But I think it's the why not I'll figure it out mindset that makes small businesses, like, so great and so effective, right?

Victoria Rayburn [00:08:18]:
Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Kelly Rice [00:08:20]:
Okay.

Victoria Rayburn [00:08:20]:
But back to Treefrog, because we have a lot of stuff to cover today. So you started Treefrog as a side hustle, and then what happened next?

Kelly Rice [00:08:27]:
So, I think it was 2008, just by word of mouth, Treefrog grew more than I ever expected. So I sat my husband down and I told him that I would like to only have three full time jobs and not four. And after he looked at me like I was crazy, I explained that I wanted to quit my full time job and only be responsible for growing Treefrog, being a good wife and caring and managing for our three children. And the last one is really, really important to me because by this time, my husband was a full time firefighter. And due to his crazy 24 hours work schedule and then running a construction company on his days off, I was basically a married single parent. Now, don't get me wrong, my husband is a tremendous father. I just held most of the daily responsibilities, and there didn't ever seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything that I needed to get done. So in 2008, when our youngest was just a few months old, I kind of have this infant theme going on.

Kelly Rice [00:09:23]:
That's exactly what I did. I quit my full time job, and I began working what felt like a million hours a week, helping small businesses build and manage successful marketing systems. And for the record, before you jump all over me, we will talk about work life balance later on in this episode, because I learned the hard way that that is important, right?

Victoria Rayburn [00:09:42]:
Hence this whole podcast, right?

Kelly Rice [00:09:45]:
So, in just a few years, I was blessed to build an incredible team. And all of our hard work provided insights as to what small businesses really need to do when it comes to marketing. Because, again, we didn't want to be another service that just was selling small businesses something. We wanted to be a partner in their success. So through these insights and successes, Treefrog has transformed from a will do everything you need when it comes to marketing firm to one that strategically teaches and supports the four areas of marketing that are most important for small businesses to succeed, which include understanding your ideal audiences and creating clear messaging building a strong foundation with a strategically built, SEO optimized website, creating content and sales funnels that drive engagement and serve ideal clients well and then promoting your products and services and content through digital marketing channels like paid search to paid social media and email. And our regular listeners and clients know that these steps make up what we call and have developed the flywheel marketing method. So anyway, almost 25 years later, I'm thankful to be surrounded by people who have a heart for really helping others to succeed. And every day I get the joy of watching small businesses grow because they choose to be strategic with their marketing efforts and apply our four step marketing strategy.

Kelly Rice [00:11:08]:
Again, the flywheel marketing method that came out of, you know, 20 some years.

Victoria Rayburn [00:11:12]:
Of development, that really is such a blessing. And like you said, kelly, Treefrog has seemingly been God's plan all along. I mean, he has blessed us with the most amazing team and everything within the agency always seems to happen in God's perfect timing. I mean, we make plans and then God shows us though this way instead. Right, right.

Kelly Rice [00:11:34]:
Not that those lessons were learned the easy way either, but you're like, oh, okay, yeah, redirect.

Victoria Rayburn [00:11:41]:
Yeah. Yes.

Kelly Rice [00:11:43]:
Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:11:43]:
Small business owners, you know, they start businesses when they're busy and for some reason they also have to learn things the hard way. But I think we're going to probably get into that at some point. But that conversation, I would say for another day, probably a couple questions from now, but yeah, let's get back to the big question of this episode, you know? So if you could go back to the beginning, after almost 25 years, owning and operating a small business and serving other small businesses day in and day out, what would you do differently or what do you wish that you would have known?

Kelly Rice [00:12:17]:
Honestly, part of me feels like I wouldn't do anything differently because the road I took let us down the path that created a proven system that helps small businesses streamline their marketing efforts, use their resources wisely, and alter, ultimately grow their businesses. But I do have to say that there are some things that I wish I wouldn't have had insisted on learning the hard way.

Victoria Rayburn [00:12:40]:
Yeah, I mean, you know, we've literally just said small business owners, for some reason, they have to learn things the hard way, right? Oh, yeah, no, this is definitely inspiring idea. For later. And, you know, if you are listening right now and you don't have to learn things the hard way, congratulations. And maybe please use this episode and choose to do things a little bit easier. But anyway, let's stay focused. Kelly, what's the first thing that you wish you would have known before starting a small business?

Kelly Rice [00:13:06]:
First, you don't have to be in control or personally do everything to be successful. And if you know me, you're probably laughing right now, right? Because in my opinion, there are huge differences between being a boss and a leader on many levels. But when it comes to being in control and having all of the answers, that's where the line gets pretty thin pretty quickly when you're a small business owner, and it's a common misconception that to be on top of your game, you have to know everything and control every aspect of your business, its systems, its outputs. However, I found out the hard way that this approach often leads to a bottleneck in decision making, and it halted the growth and the development of our team. So being a boss means taking charge and telling people what to do. But being a leader is about guiding and inspiring and learning alongside your team. And as a small business owner, there are times that I have to be both. But I learned that being a leader is always more effective than being seen as a boss.

Kelly Rice [00:14:14]:
So, for example, I acted like a boss and I can, and I conditioned my team to always come to me when they needed a solution for something. But what happened was that I unwillingly made them doubt themselves, their abilities and their decision making skills. So now I am hyper aware about making sure my actions and my statements show how confident I am in their abilities to solve problems and provide the best outcomes for our clients. And when they do need a sounding board or help making a decision, we use what I call the one three ish one rule. So basically, before we connect with each other, they need to understand the one problem that needs to be solved have at least two solutions. Three is better. Hence the three ish, like this. Two or three solutions that they are considering, and then come prepared to discuss the one solution that they feel would work best.

Kelly Rice [00:15:10]:
So what this does, it helps them think through issues, it provides options for solutions, and more times than not, they already have a great solution in mind. By the time they get to me, they just need to talk it out. And if I'm being honest, their solutions are sometimes things I wouldn't have even thought about. And they're brilliant. So this rule single handedly moves me out of the boss zone and into the leader zone, which is much more beneficial for everyone. So again, learning that you don't have to be in control and you don't have to have all the answers is probably one of the biggest lessons I learned that gave me freedom and gave my team the freedom to really grow and develop.

Victoria Rayburn [00:15:59]:
I love just the practicality of that rule. I mean, you know, it's one thing to say you want to be a leader instead of a boss, but it's actually really hard to do.

Kelly Rice [00:16:09]:
I mean, I feel like so many.

Victoria Rayburn [00:16:12]:
People listening can understand that. And I know there's more about this you want to say, but, you know, you've told me multiple times, you know, it's hard. But delegation isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of being a strong leader. These are your words, so I'm gonna let you take it from there.

Kelly Rice [00:16:34]:
Well, maybe I haven't said it well enough if you can't regurgitate it, right?

Victoria Rayburn [00:16:37]:
I mean, I can, but I'm interviewing you. I'm not supposed to be talking that much today.

Kelly Rice [00:16:45]:
It's true. I did have to learn that delegation is not a sign of weakness. It's actually a sign of being a strong leader. So to be clear, just telling someone to do something in terms of delegating without giving them the information they need is being a terrible human. And it's not a leader. Right. Like a leader ensures that that person you're delegating tasked to is capable of taking on the role, first of all, and then that they have all of the resources and tools they need to succeed. So if you ever get a chance to connect with Mary, Treefrog's director of operations, she tells a great story about how asking for forgiveness, forgiveness from me was better than asking for permission because I was such a control freak.

Kelly Rice [00:17:32]:
So it's funny now, because it was true, Mary's intentions were pure, because she knew that I needed a push to allow her to work in her zone of genius, which helped me to begin to realize that trusting your team's abilities fosters an environment of mutual respect, of creativity and personal growth. It isn't a sign of weakness. And Treefrog wouldn't be where we are today without Mary's heartfelt help. Push for structure and delegation.

Victoria Rayburn [00:18:01]:
Right.

Kelly Rice [00:18:01]:
Like, if I'm really being honest. Yeah, yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:18:05]:
Maybe Mary will have to come on the show and tell that story.

Kelly Rice [00:18:07]:
Tell the story. Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:18:08]:
Really enjoyed witnessing it. But Kelly, I do love that you started here. And, you know, again, the practicality of the one three ish one rule just because I think, like we said, you know, it's struggle for so many small business owners. I mean, like you, most of us start small businesses, side hustles. And then, you know, we go full time and then we do things on our own, often for years before adding any help. And then by the time we have a team, we are so used to doing everything ourselves that it's hard to let things go or to trust anyone else to handle aspects of our businesses unconsciously. I think so many of us just think or tell ourselves a lie that, you know, I'm the reason that my business has made it this far and nobody cares as much as I do. So if I don't keep a hand at everything, things are going to fall apart.

Victoria Rayburn [00:18:58]:
But, you know, when you add people to your team with different or even better skill sets than yours who also care about your business's mission, you can better serve your customers and take your business further than you ever could, you.

Kelly Rice [00:19:10]:
Know, if you just been on your.

Victoria Rayburn [00:19:12]:
Own the whole time. And this sounds harsh, but you simply have to think less of yourself in order to allow that to happen. I mean, you aren't the only one who can do what you do. And chances are somebody else can do it even better. And nobody can organize a schedule. Mary, I thought I was an organized person, and now so many areas of my life, I just. I'm just like, I'm not doing this because it's not going to be to, like, Mary's standards. And sometimes Mary casually organizes other things for me, like a plan vacation.

Victoria Rayburn [00:19:37]:
Would you like me to plan your vacation? If you really want to.

Kelly Rice [00:19:41]:
Yes.

Victoria Rayburn [00:19:42]:
Anyway.

Kelly Rice [00:19:42]:
Yes, she. Yes. Yes. I am very thankful that she asked for forgiveness instead of permission. Now, for all of those husbands out there that might be listening, do not do this to your wives. Okay? It worked in my small business, but it not necessarily. Again, going back to, you know, marriage analogies, let's don't do that. Right? Yes.

Victoria Rayburn [00:20:05]:
Nice disclaimer. I like it.

Kelly Rice [00:20:07]:
But you're right. And I feel like, like part of this, I just like when you were talking about that, I feel like, you know, I want to be in a church service going, amen. Yes, you're right. Like, we totally do this, and we all know that we do this, but it's really, really hard not to. So I agree with you. We also, I guess we talk on the show a lot about how selling great products and services and offering great customer service can only take your business so far. And to grow, you need an effective marketing strategy which plays into the fact of it's the same thing in regards to having a team, right? Your business can only go so far when you would. You're the one that is insisting on being the boss rather than the leader.

Kelly Rice [00:20:56]:
I mean it. I am living proof of the bottleneck. So just like, again, like Victoria said in the beginning of this, if you are in a position not to learn these lessons the hard way, if that makes sense, pay attention, right?

Victoria Rayburn [00:21:10]:
If.

Kelly Rice [00:21:11]:
If you want.

Victoria Rayburn [00:21:12]:
Yes.

Kelly Rice [00:21:12]:
Right. Here's, here's your 8 seconds of, um, attention seeking stuff, right? If you want your business to grow and not personally be entirely consumed by it 24/7 you have to learn to be a leader and trust your team. Period. Exclamation mark. Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:21:32]:
Oh, man. Yeah. We could honestly stop this episode right here because that lesson in itself is a lot for most small business owners to come to groups with. But I know there are five lessons you want to share with me today, so let's move on to the next one.

Kelly Rice [00:21:50]:
Okay. So the next thing I wish I would have known was not to operate from a smallness mindset. And this one is big for me because for so long I doubted my abilities and fought imposter syndrome. And I know that a lot of business owners, especially those in the coaching and the leadership positions, they felt this way before. And my great friend Mark Dolphini, who is a strategic coach, called me out. Like, hands down, called me out. He said, you're the only one who doubts your abilities, and I'll never forget this. He said, everyone else around you only sees someone who is passionate about helping them succeed.

Kelly Rice [00:22:27]:
So stop limiting yourself and your team because it only reduces the amount of people that you can impact. And he was right. It often felt like I was, like, at this crossroads. Like fear was on one side, telling me to hesitate or to hold back on a new opportunity or hiring someone or firing someone. I was scared of making a mistake or negatively impacting someone's life. Then faith was on the other side, urging me to trust in the vision, to take calculated risks, and to believe in the abundance that comes from making thoughtful, confident decisions based on helping others. So I've been stuck in that mindset of scarcity where every decision felt like it could make or break us. And it reminds me of a time we hired a salesperson, because if I didn't hire him, he was going to become my competitor.

Kelly Rice [00:23:17]:
And even though my intuition told me that it wasn't the right fit or the months when I delayed letting staff go because they were good humans, they're just not right for the team. It was lessons learned the hard way that leading from a place of fear or a smallness doesn't just limit my growth, it stifles the very essence of potential, both for our business and for our, the amazing people that we work with. So if you've been in my shoes or you're literally currently walking in them, my challenge is for you to just stop. Just like my friend Mark did for me. I'm going to call you out. You are worthy, you are strong, and you are in a place that you're supposed to be. So shift from that scarcity mindset to one of faith and abundance. This is a lesson that I'm not sure could have been learned any other way, but I sure do wish it could have.

Kelly Rice [00:24:19]:
And I guess if you need somebody to call you out, like my friend Mark did to me, and you want him to help you transform your smallness into great. Into greatness, kind of like what he's done for so many other amazing business leaders, you can connect with him@markdolfini.com. And he's going to be really surprised when this episode airs that I threw his name in here. He really has impacted my life and my business so tremendously that if anybody's on that verge of I don't know how to break through my smallness, I highly recommend that you connect with someone like Mark that doesn't just make you feel good, but will call you out and then give you the strategies to move beyond what you need to do. Many small businesses don't have an effective marketing strategy, and because of this, they try one tactic after another without seeing results. This not only prevents consistent business growth, it makes managing marketing efforts more difficult than it should be. As a marketing agency for small businesses, we understand how frustrating it can be when hard work doesn't deliver the results that you want. Because of this, Treefrog has developed a proven four step marketing system that will help any small business grow.

Kelly Rice [00:25:32]:
On our website, you can also schedule a 30 minutes discovery call to discuss working with Treefrog to build a marketing strategy that will allow your small business to finally see the growth you've been working so hard to achieve.

Natalie Franke  [00:25:43]:
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Victoria Rayburn [00:26:28]:
And if you'd like to hear some of Marc's, you know, wisdom right now, you can go back and listen to episode 136, how to create a personal vision for your life and business with Mark Dolfini. And that's episode 136. You can find it.

Kelly Rice [00:26:44]:
We'll link to it in the show.

Victoria Rayburn [00:26:44]:
Notes, and then you can also find it wherever you listen to podcasts. But this episode was actually a super convicting one for me, and, well, I wish I would have started working with Mark about nine years ago because I think his insights and wisdom would have helped me avoid several of the lessons I've had to learn the hard way. So, yeah, if you don't want to learn lessons the hard way, maybe start working with Mark from the day you start business. But we highly recommend working with Mark.

Kelly Rice [00:27:08]:
Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:27:09]:
Anyway, Kelly, before we this whole episode turns into an episode about how great Mark is. Kelly, let's move on to the third thing you wish you would have known before starting a small business.

Kelly Rice [00:27:20]:
Okay. The next thing I wish I would have known was that bigger doesn't always mean better. And I recently read the book company of one by Paul Jarvis, and it was a recommendation from my friend Travis, who owns Honest podcast. And a side note, if you're thinking about starting a branded podcast, check out Honestpodcast.com. Travis and his team have put together some great free resources, and they actually produce this podcast. And we've had wonderful experiences with him. So not only does he do a great job with podcast stuff, he is the one that recommended this book along with, you know, I think all of us small business owners just connect and we're like, oh, hey, what about this? Or what about this? Or do you feel this way and all of that? We're like our own. We're our own support group in itself.

Kelly Rice [00:28:08]:
So I'm thankful that Travis was like, hey, I just read this book, and I think it would be great one for you to read because, you know, it felt like the authority was saying everything that I had learned over the past 20 plus years, and especially about how staying small on purpose presented so much more opportunity to grow a business, develop and support staff, and find a stronger work life balance. So I felt like his words were so, I felt them so deeply because every small business owner is taught or, you know, we usually think that scaling up and expanding are the ultimate indicators of success. But in reality, we all, like all of us have gone through this, know that it, that's not true for all. It is for some, but it's, it's definitely not true for all. And I know this because in 2016, I tried the growing exponentially route by hiring a salesperson and increasing staff. Because I thought, just like the industry tells us, the number of clients and increased staff would allow Treefrog to help more small businesses, you know, we would grow, we'd be able to do all these things, we would expand, all of that. But what I learned was that this approach to growth was 1000 million billion bazillion percent wrong for us. First, you can't really sell what Treefrog offers because what we do isn't a product or a commodity.

Kelly Rice [00:29:31]:
It's a mindset in a system that a small business has to be ready to move towards. And we didn't hire well. So the growth that we experienced ended up costing us more time and money and sanity than it was worth. But I think the biggest loss we experienced as a company by thinking bigger was better was the fact that we lost the ability to really get to know our clients. We had to be so focused on cranking out deliverables and trying to make the wrong type of clients for Treefrog happy that we missed the entire reason for starting the business in the first place, which was helping people succeed. So in fact, I was unhappy. My family time was taken over by work that needed to be done and my key staff were so tired and burnt out that they didn't feel like they had a purpose and really didn't enjoy coming to work anymore. And I am so thankful that they were strong enough to come to me with their concerns.

Kelly Rice [00:30:31]:
And together we created a plan to downsize, if you will, and get back to focusing on helping small businesses succeed versus cranking out deliverables. So learning that bigger isn't always better is a mindset that I wish I would have been presented before we had to learn it the hard way. And I'm thankful for authors like Paul Jarvis who are now bringing this type of mindset to mainstream thinking. Yes.

Victoria Rayburn [00:30:56]:
So I know this book was impactful for you because I think you've mentioned it every day since over the past few weeks. So it's definitely on my to be read list and we will be sure to include a link to company of one in the show notes. And, you know, Kelly, I think you're right. Bigger doesn't always mean better. I think so many of us start small businesses. You attempt to have more freedom, and there is a very fine line between building a team and systems that allow you to have that freedom while being profitable and building something that's just too big and demands all of your time. It's just like the fine line, really specific sweet spot. And, you know, once again, we could do an entire episode on this lesson, too.

Victoria Rayburn [00:31:41]:
But for the sake of keeping this one a reasonable length, let's move on to the next lesson you want to talk about. Okay.

Kelly Rice [00:31:47]:
So because of my own experience, I literally could talk about why bigger isn't always better for a very long time. So if y'all are interested, we can do that. Just let me know. Like, if I would love to bring Mary on here and talk about all the systems and all of the. The forgiveness stuff, you know, opposed to permission stuff that. That she implemented that completely transformed our business. So let us know if that's something that you guys would be interested in. But the next thing that I wish I would have known is that boundaries are a must.

Kelly Rice [00:32:19]:
And to be honest, this one is so much easier said than done, because for most of us, we think that going the extra mile for clients is going to be seen as a bonus, not set an expectation. Well, I did anyway, and good golly, was I wrong. So, for instance, when a client used to ask for a small favor outside of their agreed terms, I wouldn't say no because I wanted to keep them happy. And I thought surely they wouldn't be asking if it wasn't a marketing emergency. Right. Marketing emergency. Ask me about emergencies, because I came from a world of hospice, and I don't necessarily believe that there's marketing emergency. Um, but I digress.

Kelly Rice [00:33:02]:
Right. Um, but I think this type of being asked for things that are outside of the scope or kind of in a rush project is a dance that many of us know all too well, where the line between accommodating and overextending becomes blurred, and it sends us, in our teams, into literal chaos. And I've been there. I caught in this cycle of saying yes to everything because I was fearing that setting limits might push clients away. But here's the thing. Boundaries aren't just nice to have. They're essential for maintaining a healthy work life balance and ensuring mutual respect in client relationships. So I learned the hard way that without clear boundaries, it's not just your personal time that suffers your overall service quality and mental health can take a hit, too, especially for your staff when you start bringing rush projects to them on a consistent basis.

Kelly Rice [00:33:59]:
And I see Victoria shaking her head because she was around for this, like, when this happened. Right? So. But it's about finding the sweet spot where you can deliver exceptional value without compromising your own needs and well being. So this is why we've created a clear communication structure explaining exactly what's included in our partnerships and what is not. Now, if something comes up that is outside of the contract, we also create responses that give clients solution options, such as pricing the request out as a separate rush project or working on it in the following month's tasks, like, in place of something. So it's not that we constantly are having to tell people no. We try to give clients the best experience they have, but we also know that there are some things that could wait or they can actually be put in as a separate request. And we do this to safeguard the boundaries of our partnership, and we want the client to remain in control of their decision.

Kelly Rice [00:35:06]:
So that's why we give them opportunities for them to make the decision of how they want to, how they want to move forward with this additional thing that's maybe outside the normal boundaries. Oh, and the biggest thing that I did is I stopped giving my cell phone number to all of the clients, which was huge. Right?

Victoria Rayburn [00:35:24]:
Like, yeah, your cell phone used to be very scary.

Kelly Rice [00:35:26]:
Oh, my goodness. Yes. But I want you guys to remember that if your office is closed on Fridays, it's okay to say no to a meeting that a client wants to schedule on a Friday. In fact, clients often respect you more for setting boundaries. It shows that you value your work, your time, and your people, and you set the stage for the professional relationship that is built on respect. So think of it as not just, like, setting boundaries for yourself and your staff, but also teaching your clients on how to treat you. And trust me, when you start respecting your own boundaries, you'll find clients who will do the same, leading to more fulfilling and less stressful work relationships. And I know one of these boundaries that we set is, at the end of the year, we give all of our staff two weeks off.

Kelly Rice [00:36:15]:
So we've conditioned our clients of saying, hey, this is really important to us. And we've had some clients in the past that just don't agree with that. That's okay, because it's not their rule. It's not their boundary. It's something that we know that is really important for us as creatives and in our family. So, again, setting your boundaries and then sticking to them in a kind and professional way is something that I wish I would have learned before, you know, the 1130 midnight texts that I got all of the time. Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:36:51]:
Oh, yes, absolutely. And, y'all, you know, if you are setting boundaries and you have clients who are not respecting them and they're being difficult, then they are not respectful enough to continue to be your clients. So in case anybody needs to hear that it's okay to let them go, I promise you there is somebody out there who will be more respectful and be a better fit. But, y'all, before we do move on, I just want to take a moment to, you know, commend Kelly on how much boundary work she had done over the last decade. I mean, when I met her, she was taking client meetings and calls, literally, at all hours of the day and nights. We would get to a morning staff meeting, and she'd be like, oh, yeah, you know, 11:00 last night, this client called me like, what in the world? And, you know, I just did not think the world no. Was in her vocabulary. And quite frankly, she was exhausted because, you know, also, I mean, you know, ten years ago, Kelly, like, your kids were really little at this time, too, so you were going on all cylinders, and.

Kelly Rice [00:37:45]:
Yes.

Victoria Rayburn [00:37:45]:
So, way to go. You've really reined this in.

Kelly Rice [00:37:47]:
Thank you. And I have to agree that I absolutely was exhausted, but so was the rest of my team, because, you know, like, all the things that would happen after business hours, I would just be able to dump on them, you know, in that next morning meeting. So we are constantly, you know, I was putting out fires, and I had my hands and everything because I was the point of contact for so many of our clients. And none of us had the capacity to operate in our zones of genius, which, at least for me, is so much of why I battled imposter syndrome. And honestly, had I just set boundaries in the first place, I probably wouldn't have had to learn so many of these lessons the hard way. I mean, that's facts, y'all. Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:38:29]:
Yes.

Kelly Rice [00:38:29]:
Yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:38:30]:
And that's exactly why boundaries are so important and why we talk about them so ever loving often on this podcast. Now, y'all, we've done several episodes on how to set boundaries and how to get your clients to respect them. But if you need help setting boundaries, I want to encourage you to go back and listen to episode 183, which is called Boundary Blueprint, how to set boundaries for small business success. Because in this episode, we've already mentioned Mary and how great she is. But Mary breaks down how to set boundaries for both yourself and for your team in a way that still serves your customers well, which obviously is super important. Kelly, while you're speaking, you know nothing but wisdom today. Let's get into the last lesson that you want to share with us today.

Kelly Rice [00:39:18]:
Okay, so you asked for five lessons and I think I gave you nine. So it was hard to pick just five, right? Yeah, yeah.

Victoria Rayburn [00:39:28]:
She sent me this list and it was great. But I'm like, well, this could be two episodes. Like, pick five.

Kelly Rice [00:39:34]:
But I think my initial short list, I mean, even though I had nine, like, I think they would have been valuable because, good Lord, like, I have black eyes from all of those lessons learned. But this episode, you're right, it would have taken for hours. So we had to try. We, we cut it down to the most important five lessons. But anyway, something else I wish I would have realized sooner was that you have to have systems to achieve any sort of work life balance. So I grew up on a farm where my dad showed me how to work hard and taught me the value of time and money. And I remember when I was about twelve and getting ready to go out and pick up rocks in the field and I asked my dad why he paid other kids to come and pick up rocks, but I didn't get paid, thankfully. He just calmly replied and said, you get food on the table, you get a roof over your head, you get clothes on your back, that's your payment.

Kelly Rice [00:40:27]:
So not that my twelve year old brain agreed with him then, but later in life I clearly understood what he meant. All small business families sacrifice and have to work hard and really harder than most. And because of how I was raised, I thought work life balance meant, you know, as a farmer, you're eating dinner in the field with your kids at 08:00 p.m., or, you know, as a mom or a dad, you're going to a baseball game for one of your kids while standing at the fence, you know, talking on a sales call or sitting on the couch, you know, working while you're watching tv with your husband, right? Like, these are all the things that, that we do as small business owners thinking that, hey, well, I'm here, right? Basically, I thought work life balance was working while being with my family. And I know that many of you listening can probably also relate to this. So as my good friend Mark Delfini would say, I'm calling you out, like, you need to stop this. Right? However, when I was in the midst of building Treefrog. My husband would tell me that I needed to balance work and life better. First of all, that was a pot calling the kettle black.

Kelly Rice [00:41:43]:
But even though he didn't abide by those rules yet, he was right. And I missed how my working all of the time affected our personal relationship. And he was just trying to tell me that he and the kids needed my presence. He wasn't trying to be harsh. And for the record, he now realizes that working hard is how he provides for our family and understands that we need him around more, too. So we're all learning here in our old age, right? But a side note, I think most people assume that when both partners own and operate small businesses, kind of like my husband and I do, it makes marriage and running your business even easier. But I can tell you firsthand that this is really the case. For the sake of our family, my husband and I have had to have countless come to Jesus moments about our schedules and priorities.

Kelly Rice [00:42:33]:
That's the beauty of having a partner that understands the chaos you're living in and loves you enough to have hard conversations that create change. So, side note, if you work with your partner, it's hard. But having those come to Jesus meetings said in love will be very, very, very beneficial. But anyway. Okay. I've learned that I felt the pressure to deliver to clients, believing that pushing through like these rush projects or these last minute demands was just part of the hustle. But here's what I learned. Making a habit of this not only burns out your team, but it can also erode trust and morale.

Kelly Rice [00:43:20]:
That's why setting boundaries for your clients is so important. And as business owners, we think about work life boundaries for our team, but disregard the fact that. That we need them, too. I used to be a yes person. Yes, we can help with that. Yes, we can meet this crazy, ridiculous timeline. Yes, we can do that thing you're asking that we've never done before. You know, like you said, Victoria, no wasn't really in my vocabulary, especially if saying yes only required a little bit more work on my end.

Kelly Rice [00:43:49]:
But basically, I tried to protect my staff's work life balance by doing those extra things myself. And it wasn't a wise choice at all, because this was literally the hardest lesson, I think, that I've had to learn over the past 25 years because my dad was my example of someone with a good work ethic. I thought that if I wasn't going a thousand miles a minute, I was being lazy. He worked so hard that I made the mistake of thinking that if you don't work all of the time. You were lazy. But my team has helped me understand that I'm a better person, a better leader, and a better strategist. When I spend my time away from work and when I'm sitting in a softball game or a baseball game working on my computer, I'm not giving my kids my attention, and that isn't fair to them. So now I try to stay in my zone of genius as a strategist so I don't take on too much.

Kelly Rice [00:44:48]:
I communicate proper expectation to clients, and I allow myself to be present with my family and friends when I'm not working. Am I perfect? No, not even close. But I am making a conscious effort, and I hope that you will, too. So, again, I'm not sure this lesson could have been learned any other way but the hard way. But the earlier this is learned as a small business owner, the better person and leader you will become. A promise, right? Yes.

Victoria Rayburn [00:45:19]:
And I would love to think that that is a lesson that doesn't have to be learned the hard way. But I know that, at least in my experience and yours, things had to get rough before they could get better. But again, y'all, if you are just starting your small business, please, please, oh, learn from. Learn from our mistakes. Tally's words today, really, personally, really to art. Because if you can create boundaries and systems from the beginning and you can just adjust your mindset, I can almost promise you that your business, your customers, your relationships, and your mental health will be better because of it. But anyway, Kelly, thank you so much for being willing to do this episode. As someone who has had the privilege of watching you grow tremendously over the last decade, I have loved getting to have this conversation with you, and I have no doubt that our listeners have also benefited from your wisdom.

Victoria Rayburn [00:46:14]:
On that note, Kelly, I do have one last question for you, and that is, if someone listening is, you know, in the very beginning stages of starting a business, or if they've been in business for a while and they feel like they just need a fresh start, what advice would you give them? Or what are the first few things you would encourage them to do?

Kelly Rice [00:46:33]:
This is a great question. So I think, first, evaluate what your zone of genius is. And by that, I mean, what do you love to do in your business? For me, I love strategy because. Because I can see clarity out of chaos where others don't. However, I can also write. I can design websites. I can create logos and more. But I get the most joy out of working with clients and developing strategy.

Kelly Rice [00:46:57]:
So I want to encourage people to find their zone of genius and then outsource or hire the other things that need to be done. So first and foremost.

Victoria Rayburn [00:47:06]:
Yeah, right quick, though. I mean, I do just want to know, like, Kelly is one of the few people who can handle every aspect of marketing. I tell her this all the time, like, and we say, you know, typically, like, you can't just hire one marketing professional. They can't do all the things. Kelly can do all the things. And that is why it was so ever loving. Hard to rein her in. But, Kelly, I'm glad that, you know, you have limited down to equal your, all of these areas are really your zone of genius.

Victoria Rayburn [00:47:28]:
But I'm glad you picked one and I'm glad it brings you joy, and I'm glad you're staying in that lane.

Kelly Rice [00:47:31]:
Thank you. Yes. You know, and again, I know we keep going back to Mark Delphini, but he was, it was several years ago. It's like you just have random conversations with Mark and then you leave. Like, great, now I gotta rethink everything that I'm doing because, you know, he, he pulled this out of me and he was like, why are you doing these things? If you clearly light up, would you do ABC? And I was like, you're right. Like, right? Yeah. So again, go back if you guys need. If you guys need a slap in the face, like, a reality wake up call.

Kelly Rice [00:48:02]:
And he does it very kindly. He's just like, calls you out. It's amazing, especially for people like me, who are very direct. So we like direct things. We don't need the fluff in our lives. We don't need to tell people how great we are, which is probably why I don't like compliments. Right, but that's what you need, okay? Stay in your zone of genius. Find it, figure out what it is, and then hire everything else out that needs to be done.

Kelly Rice [00:48:26]:
Or at least connect with people or build your teams for. With people that have, I don't know, greater insights or that's their zone of genius. Right? Like, you might be able to do accounting, but if you hate accounting, hire an accountant, right?

Victoria Rayburn [00:48:43]:
Like, and these people will enjoy it more, and therefore, you know, they'll make your systems better because they actually enjoy being in it. They're not going to do it as fast as they can so they can wash their hands clean of it.

Kelly Rice [00:48:53]:
Right.

Victoria Rayburn [00:48:54]:
You know, is what I do when I have to handle anything accounting related.

Kelly Rice [00:48:59]:
We're not even going to get into that. Hey, maybe we should have our accountant on the show so that she can talk about all the accounting stuff, because, good lord, I don't know, hardly any business owners that are like, I love accounting, so. Okay, I digress. Sorry. You asked me, like, a few things. So the second thing, that if you're just starting out, I would utilize the flywheel marketing method. And I know it's ours, and I know that sounds self serving, but it will help you identify your best audience and simplify your marketing. And literally, as a small business, those are the two things that you struggle with the most, because you got this giant plate, and it's heaping with all these things that you need to do.

Kelly Rice [00:49:38]:
And then you're like, oh, by the way, you need to do all these things for marketing. Right? So one of the most common frustrations with small businesses is that they don't have enough time to do everything. So by only working in your zone of genius and understanding how to grow your business, you hopefully won't have to worry about operating in a smallness mindset. And you can build a good work life balance, which, again, if you listen to me, those things are important. I mean, Victoria learned these things the hard way, too.

Victoria Rayburn [00:50:09]:
So I guess the third thing that.

Kelly Rice [00:50:11]:
I would say would be, honestly, take what we've talked about today to heart. Because as an old, wise woman, I want to help you avoid the pitfalls that I had to encounter. Because being a small business owner is hard enough. You shouldn't have to learn all of the lessons the hard way, too, right? Oh, okay. Wise.

Victoria Rayburn [00:50:31]:
Yes. Old. Not at all. You started a business as a baby. You were very, very young. But yes, y'all, please, please take these lessons to heart. And on that note, and since we are 50 minutes and Kelly still had four more things that she wanted to share, which we can discuss at a later date, thank you so much for tuning into another episode of the Priority Pursuit podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, we hope you'll take a moment to share it with your small business friends to leave us review on Apple Podcasts, and that you'll join us next week for even more marketing boundary and priority driven tactics you can use to build a life and small business that you love.