What Is “trying to do it all” Costing You?

A few months back, I found myself at a local women’s empowerment event…the room was jam packed with our area’s many, many business women. I went for the inspiration, the camaraderie, the networking, so I sat and listened intently to different women as they took to the stage to share their own personal stories of business success, triumph, failure, and learnings. While the whole day in itself was worthwhile and impactful, there was one talk in particular that has stuck with me. It occurred when a very well known local business owner had her turn to share with the room about her unique entrepreneurial journey.

As she reflected upon her many years in business and some of the phases she has moved through, she stepped into a moment of vulnerability (YES, exactly what I came for!), and shared about a not-so-perfect time in ownership. She referred to that era as one where she was operating as a one (wo)man band. She said it was simply how she knew how to work…after all, it had taken A LOT for her to get to that point, and so “doing it all” was what she was accustomed to. But that way of operating, as comfortable and maybe empowering as it seemed to her at the time, was something that resulted in great loss for her when the majority of her team walked out on her…at the same time. I died a little inside for her thinking about how that must have felt in that moment and the many moments after, realizing that people simply wanted to leave a particular environment…her environment. It must have been so hard. I was SO impressed that she was sharing this story with us…one that I am willing to bet she struggled with for a long time. How special that she was opening up to a room packed full of strangers. How generous to share that lesson with all of us, many entrepreneurs ourselves.

I can’t tell you how many times I have thought about that impactful story…one that I can personally relate to AND I see so many other people treading dangerously around themselves.

Here’s the thing…entrepreneurs are some of the hardest working, grittiest, scrappiest, never-give-up kind of people out there. You have to be! It takes a unique kind of individual to consciously decide to start and run a business all alone. To create something from nothing, to decide about every little aspect around it, to grow it, to adapt when things aren’t just right, to stay grounded and humbled, yet excited and inspired. To celebrate, alone. To pick yourself up, alone. To find motivation every single day when there is no one above you, expecting things from you. If you know, you know.

For many of us, being a one (wo)man band is really our only option when we are first getting started. We have our sights so set on the deliverable…the offering or product or service that we feel particularly passionate about, so much so that we decide to start business around it. With luck, investment, strategy, and brand recognition hopefully comes the opportunity to grow our businesses internally, but even when we do…are we still “trying to do it all”?

There are highlight reels (literally) that can make business ownership look ethereal, delightful, fun, and even “cute”. If we aren’t careful, we can be tricked into thinking that starting and growing a business is actually easy. When I was running my floral design business, I cannot tell you how many people used to say to me things like, “oh my god! That must be the best job! It must be so relaxing.” The vision they had probably looked something like me, in a perfectly styled, naturally lit studio, humming along to classical music while I danced around beautiful blooms. And while the flowers themselves were always so pretty, that job was the furthest thing from relaxation that I have ever experienced in my life. Rather, it was scary. And stressful. I lost sleep, and I absolutely showed up as not the best version of myself…to my family, to the people trying to help me run the business, and to myself. WHY?

Because I was a one woman band, you guys. I was trying to do it all.

I started the business out of creativity and excitement, and then I (unknowingly) tried to do it all, and I got miserable. If there was a team, they might’ve walked out on me too. In fact, I am pretty sure that there are some freelancers who if they saw me now, might walk (quickly) in the opposite direction.

Now, as a creative brand strategist, I see the signs of “trying to do it all” all the time. I talk to business owners who say they want to grow their business, but they’re just too busy. They say the want to market their new offering online, but they just need the headspace first. They know they need to start email marketing, because they have heard such great things about it, but they just can’t find the time. They want to create new packages, start their own line of products, run a course, rebrand, do their website over BUT, BUT, BUT…

…oh my goodness, I feel so deeply for them. It’s overwhelming, and it’s hard. BUT, I know there is another way. There are so many people out there who can and want to help you grow your business. Whether it’s bringing on a team member to help with the parts of the business that you don’t actually love or outsourcing some aspects that take you away from doing what you do best (the thing you started this whole business upon in the first place!), there is so much space and power available to you. The truth is, we don’t always have the band with or the head space, and if we aren’t careful, we might never be able to grow our one (wo)man bands to thriving ensembles where everyone has a job that they can do really well.

Yes, we love branding and gorgeous visuals and smooth-running websites, but more so, we love helping business owners to see the strategies for operations, systems, and growth, because when all of that is working, brands are truly defined, which allows them to thrive. This is the work we feel so deeply passionate about…if we can help, PLEASE let us know. Seriously, it’s easy to have a chat.

If you happen to find yourself nodding along here, feeling seen, or maybe even a little called out (in the best way), know this — you are not alone. So many passionate, talented business owners are stuck in the cycle of “doing it all,” not because they want to, but because it’s how they’ve survived.

But survival mode isn’t where your creativity thrives. Growth happens when you have the space to breathe, to strategize, and to actually enjoy what you’ve built. That’s where we come in.

At Golden Creative Group, we partner with business owners who are ready to move from running everything to leading something bigger. We help define and refine brands, create thoughtful strategies, and design marketing that doesn’t just look good — it works. Whether it’s clarifying your brand message, elevating your visual identity, or developing a growth plan that feels aligned (not overwhelming), our goal is simple: to help you build a business that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

If you’re ready to trade burnout for balance, and busy for better, we’d love to chat.
👉 Let’s build your ensemble — and make your brand sing.