You Can’t Do It All: Why People Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Business
This post is the last in a series about the REALIFE 7 P’s of Business™, a framework designed to help organizations grow with intention and resilience. Business leaders will find clarity, reduce overwhelm, and create sustainable, purpose-driven success. Those who lead nonprofits, ministries, or other organizations will find that these same principles help you stay faithful to your calling, steward your resources wisely, and expand your impact in a way that sustains both you and those you serve.
If you missed the intro to this framework and its benefits, you can find it here. By exploring each of the 7 P’s in depth—Purpose, Plan, Product, Particulars, Processes, Problems, and People—you’ll see how aligning these elements will help you lead with more clarity, ease, and effectiveness.
We’ve talked about Purpose and Plan. We’ve explored Particulars and Processes. We’ve covered Product and Problems. And now, we’ve arrived at the final P in the REALIFE 7 Ps of Business framework: People.
This one? It might just be the most powerful—and the most painful.
Because if there’s anything I’ve learned in 20+ years of leadership, it’s this: who you’re doing business with (or ministry, or nonprofit work) can make or break your ability to stay in it. The right people can energize and elevate your mission. The wrong ones? Well…they’ll wear you out and wear you down.
The Pain of Not Having the Right People
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything yourself, chances are this is the P that needs your attention.
When this piece is missing—or misaligned—here’s what tends to happen:
You feel isolated and overwhelmed. Like you’re carrying the whole thing on your back.
Your team (if you have one) struggles to follow through. Or maybe you don’t have a team, but you do have vendors, partners, or volunteers who aren’t aligned or aren’t pulling their weight.
There’s confusion. Miscommunication. A lack of trust or accountability.
You spend your time managing drama—or avoiding conflict altogether.
You start thinking, “This would be so much easier if I just did it myself.”
Any of that sound familiar?
It’s Not Just Staff—It’s Support
When I say “People,” I’m not just talking about employees. Especially if you’re a solopreneur, this is about support.
It’s about intentionally surrounding yourself with the right ecosystem of people. That might include:
A virtual assistant who takes care of tasks that drain your energy
An attorney or accountant who keeps you legit and legal
A coach or mentor who helps you see the big picture (and your blind spots)
A spiritual director or therapist who helps you tend your soul
Friends or family members who truly “get” what you’re doing
And perhaps most important—a peer community of other women business owners who walk the same road, face the same pressures, and want to see you win
(By the way, that’s part of what makes the REALIFE SHE-EO program so powerful. We don’t just talk strategy. We build sisterhood. We create a space where women champion each other. And that? It changes everything.)
What I Learned By Finally Asking for Help
Let me get personal for a second. I’m not someone who loves handing things off. (I know—I’m working on it.) But when I finally decided to hire a virtual assistant, even for just a few hours a week, it was a total game-changer.
But it took time and clarity. I had to create space to step back—to take some “balcony time,” as I call it—and really look at where my energy was going, what was draining me, and what I needed to let go of. It also took the courage to take a risk and hand off parts of this business that had felt so totally “mine.”
It was a risk worth taking… but over time, I realized that it wasn’t exactly right.
It took tweaking – and that’s OK. I had to lean in to trial and error – or as I prefer to think of it, experimentation, evaluation, adjustment.
My first VA solution was good – but not exactly what I needed. I again needed balcony time and some honest evaluation - of me, and what I really needed.
I had to ask myself hard questions about where I was headed (my Purpose), what I was building (my Plan), what I was offering (my Product), and what the numbers showed (my Particulars). I had to examine the day-to-day stuff I was managing (my Processes) and the friction points I kept bumping into (my Problems). Only then could I see what kind of People I needed to bring in.
(See? These 7 P’s really do all fit together.)
All of that reflection led me to someone new. She wasn’t the first—and she might not be the last. But she was the right person for right now. And that is making all the difference. I have the support I need to stay focused on the parts of my work that only I can do.
It’s been a challenging journey – but worth it. Good people always are.
And by the way—virtual assistants aren’t just for business owners. I know pastors and nonprofit leaders who’ve made the same move. Smart. So smart.
Hard Truth: Some People Just Aren’t Right for the Season You’re In
I also remember a tough season in ministry when I had to make the decision to let go of a few long-time volunteers. People I cared about. People who had been around for years.
They were faithful folks who had served for a long time—but their attitudes and energy just weren’t aligned with where we were heading. It was painful. I didn’t enjoy the conflict. I lost sleep.
But once we made the change?
It was like a breath of fresh air.
The new people who stepped into those roles brought new energy, new ideas, and a renewed sense of shared purpose. They were ready for the work we were actually called to do in that season—not the work we’d been doing out of habit.
Every single time I talk with someone who’s had to make that kind of shift—whether in a church, a nonprofit, or a business—they always say the same thing: “Why didn’t I do that sooner?”
Good People Need Good Leadership
If you do have a team—paid or volunteer—then here’s the truth: how you manage them matters.
Without clear expectations, defined roles, regular feedback, and honest communication, things fall apart. And often, we’re part of the problem:
We avoid difficult conversations.
We micromanage out of fear or perfectionism.
Or we abdicate leadership altogether and then feel resentful when things don’t get done the way we want.
Training, supporting, and developing your people isn’t optional. It’s your job. And when you do it well, it doesn’t just make your business or ministry better. It makes you better, too.
Time to Tend to This “P”? Here’s Where to Begin.
If the People part of your work feels off—or overwhelming—here are a few questions that might help you reflect and reset:
Who really “gets” me and what I’m trying to build right now?
Who drains my energy, and who fuels it?
What support do I wish I had right now? What’s stopping me from asking for it?
Am I trying to do it all alone?
What’s one small area I could delegate—or at least explore getting help with?
If I supervise others: Do they have what they need to succeed? Am I giving them clear expectations and meaningful support?
And here's one more, if you're brave enough to ask it:
Am I holding on to a person or partnership that’s no longer a good fit?
Answering these questions with honesty and curiosity is a great first step toward aligning your support system with your purpose.
Maybe It’s Not a New Strategy You Need—It’s Support.
I believe that who you surround yourself with shapes not just your business but your whole life.
So let me ask:
Do you have the right people in your corner?
Not just the people you’ve inherited… but the ones you’ve intentionally chosen because they’re aligned with where you’re going?
If not, it might be time to make some changes.
And if you’re ready for a community that’s not only aligned—but deeply invested in your growth—then I’d love to invite you to apply for the REALIFE SHE-EO program.
It’s more than coaching. It’s more than business strategy.
It’s connection. It’s support. It’s real life.
Apply now, and let’s talk about whether it’s the right fit for you in this season.
And if you want to take your first steps in applying the 7 Ps to your business right now, grab my free guide:
👉 Download “From Stress to Success: 7 Simple Strategies to Scale and Sustain Your Business”
About This Series
In this series, we delve deeper into the REALIFE 7 P’s of Business™ and how they can help you shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling aligned. Each part of the framework is designed to tackle a different aspect of your work, so you can create a business or ministry that’s sustainable and fulfilling.
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