Stop Being the Bottleneck in Your Music School
About two years ago, I took on a full-time role with Ensemble Music Schools, focusing on outreach to music school owners. At the same time, I was still running my own business—a music licensing company I built from the ground up.
Suddenly, my time didn’t stretch far enough. I was forced to make a choice:
- Keep doing everything myself and risk burnout…
- Or learn to let go.
Letting go was hard. I had all the usual resistance:
- “If I don’t do it, it won’t be done right.”
- “It’s faster to do it myself than explain it.”
- “No one understands the business like I do.”
But that mindset? It was costing me far more than I realized.
The 80% Rule
A mentor once told me something that flipped a switch:
If someone can do it 80% as well as you, that’s good enough.
That realization changed everything. I stopped trying to be everywhere and do everything. Instead, I started building systems—delegating tasks and documenting processes.
Pilots Don’t Serve Drinks
Running a business is like flying a plane. Your job is to steer—navigate the storms and make the big calls.
But too many of us are flying the plane and handing out snacks and loading baggage. That’s not sustainable. Eventually, the plane crashes.
Delegation, Step by Step
Here’s how I got out of that trap:
- Record repeatable tasks: I use screen capture tools (like Snagit or Loom) to record tasks I do often—like invoicing or customer support.
- Narrate as you go: I explain what I’m doing while recording.
- Delegate the documentation: My assistant, Hanna, transcribes and summarizes the steps using ChatGPT. We store it in a shared spreadsheet organized by business function.
That simple shift saved me hours every single week.
Delegating the Thinking
Delegation isn’t just about doing. You can delegate the thinking, too.
Here’s an example: I heard about a new video editing tool on a podcast. Instead of going down a research rabbit hole, I sent Hanna a quick voice memo asking her to investigate and report back. She compared options, summarized the pros and cons, and even created a tutorial for the one we chose.
Suddenly, she’s not just my assistant. She’s my strategist.
Delegation Builds Momentum
Once you get the hang of it, you start thinking differently:
- You stop reacting.
- You start directing.
- You stop being the bottleneck.
- You become the architect.
And it frees up your best energy for the things only you can do—like building partnerships, innovating, or setting a bold new vision.
Bonus Tip: Delegate With AI
One quick win: Have your assistant upload your recent Instagram posts into ChatGPT and ask it to diagnose any drop in engagement. The more content it sees, the smarter its recommendations. This turns your assistant into your content strategist.
The Real Win
Delegation is more than just a time-saver. It’s a business transformer.
It creates:
- Clarity: You know what to let go of and what to keep.
- Freedom: You stop living in your inbox and start leading again.
- Scalability: Your business becomes trainable, repeatable, and self-sustaining.
So here’s your challenge:
- Pick one small, repeatable task.
- Record yourself doing it.
- Send it to someone you trust.
- Have them document it.
- Move on to something bigger.
Keep going until you’ve delegated your way to clarity.
Final Thought
Delegation isn’t about giving up control. It’s about taking control—of your time, your energy, and your impact.
You’re not the task-doer anymore.
You’re the pilot.
So get back in the cockpit—and let your business fly.
