Question: How do you take time off, get married, or go on your honeymoon/vacation when you’re an entrepreneur and business owner?
The oversimplified answer: You get a team.
But let’s be real, more often than not as an entrepreneur taking any sort of time off or time to focus on your personal life can seem like a distant dream. There are constant demands and responsibilities that can make it difficult to fully step away. I know this is how I used to feel.
The reality is that as much as we love our business and craft (and truly no one will ever be more passionate than we are in our own business), it’s essential to prioritize breaks and our personal lives.
You’re allowed a vacation.
You’re allowed time off to do whatever.
You’re allowed to plan your own wedding and get married!
Truthfully, as an entrepreneur and business owner, your greatest tool will be learning to delegate. Since we’re so passionate about our businesses, we often want to do it all or hold tight because WE have the vision. But having a team and setting them up to be able to run the business without you is a game-changer - not only for the ability to take time off but also for growing your business.
When I got engaged in early 2022 I realized I needed a plan to be able to focus on planning my wedding, go on my honeymoon, and perhaps just take some time to recharge in between, all without halting my business. My answer, and the best way to achieve this, was setting up my team for success early before I even needed to step away.
I believe that you attract what you put out and it just so happens that my team came together without much of a struggle on my end. The ADB team is made up of strong, resilient, and dedicated women who are all looking for ways to make an impact with their own craft. I think who better to employ than individuals who are already passionate about what they do and want to lend their talents and expertise to you!
Once I had my team, my next step was to get them equipped to run things without me.
I think it is incredibly important to start by ensuring the team is clear on their roles and responsibilities. Each of my team members know what tasks belong to them and are dedicated to their own roster of clients. This clarity ensures that everyone can manage their own tasks efficiently, and minimizes the risk of confusion or miscommunication in my absence.
The next thing was to establish one main way to communicate, assign tasks, and keep everything on track. In our business, we use Asana. Asana is a project management tool that allows the ABD team to communicate with each other and their respective clients, receive tasks, and manage projects and timelines. Using Asana allows us to collaborate on projects and stay sharp on timelines without confusion.
Establishing goals and deadlines, and sharing important dates with all team members allows everyone to be on the same page, and provides a sense of purpose and direction even when I’m not around.
Finally, setting up a team for success is all about trusting the process and trusting the capabilities of the team.
I truly love my team, we support each other, and we empower each other.
They know I have their back and I know they have mine. I think when you have everything else set in place, trust in your team is the final and most important thing you need to fully unplug.
Now that I’ve shared how I built the ABD team and shared my appreciation for them, I think it's time to introduce them to you!
ANOUSHKA
Project & Operations Manager
Anoushka during the pandemic working as a wholesale manager opened up her second venture; a company dedicated to small scale businesses, offering admin and project management services for creatives to turn their dreams into reality. Anoushka has had 15 years of prior customer service and administrative experience under her belt. At ABD, she's our 2nd POI. She assists with Onboarding, Off-boarding, Invoicing and ensuring our team is moving as one unit.
EMILY
Graphic Designer & Web Designer
Emily was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. She attended Dawson College, then moved to Toronto and graduated from OCAD University. With a degree in Graphic Design and a background in visual arts, she took the leap and founded a creative studio back in 2019. She now assists with several design projects here at ABD as a designer! Her passion is deeply attributed to helping like-minded female entrepreneurs and thrives on handcrafting magic for business owners that know they are destined for more.
VERA
Social Media Management, Copy Writing & Photography
Vera is a personal brand and lifestyle photographer by day in her own craft. She has a passion for helping entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations thrive in the digital world. With almost a decade of experience in the marketing space, she is able to lend her creativity and experience to produce captivating, authentic, and engaging content across multiple platforms.
NATALIE
Social Media | Content Creator
Natalie, is a recent graduate of the Multimedia Design and Development program at Humber College here in Ontario. Beginning her entrepreneurial journey at just 19, she established her own small business, specializing in custom art designs on footwear. With a passion for content creation and media, Natalie plays a key role at ABD, focusing on innovative social media marketing strategies, capturing and editing our client's Social Media Content.
And there you have it !
All this is to say that when you take the path of entrepreneurship and become a small business owner, you can still find ways to focus on your personal life, take time off, get married, and vacation, you just need to build a solid foundation of processes and systems and have a kickass team to lean on.
So our present and future clients can rest assured that whether I’m on the clock or not, the ABD team is as available and dedicated to supporting you as I am.
Xo, Alessya
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