5 PAINFUL Business Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Embarrassing story time.

A few years back, I got swept up in the excitement of delegating. It seemed like everywhere I turned, my mentors and business leaders I followed were saying, “DELEGATE! DELEGATE! DELEGATE!” So I did. I delegated everything I could possibly imagine, cutting some corners because my budget was tight aaaaand…guess what happened?

That year I worked HARDER, I spent MORE MONEY, and I made LESS PROFITS!?!?! What?! Wasn’t delegation supposed to be a magic pill that freed me up to live my best life (marg in hand) while raking in sweet, sweet cash?

Short answer: no.
I spent the year cleaning up messes and putting out fires created by delegating too quickly, not taking the time to find the right people, and fooling myself into thinking I could get champagne value on a beer budget.

That year, I learned a PAINFUL (and embarrassing) lesson about delegating tasks in my business: I only delegate the tasks that I myself have mastered in my business OR tasks I can afford for someone else to master for me. (And most task masters don’t live on Fiverr, guys. Just saying.)

This Facebook Live is all about PAINFUL lessons (like this one) that I learned the hard way. I am putting my guts on display, so you can hopefully learn from my mistakes OR, if you’ve made these mistakes yourself and feel as embarrassed as I do…know that you’re not alone in this!

One year’s expensive mistake is next year’s profitable lesson.


Links & Resources I Mention In This Episode

Rachael Kay Albers

Rachael Kay Albers is a creative director, business comedian, and brand strategist gone wild. She writes and performs about branding, pop culture, tech, and identity. When she’s not muckraking about marketing, Rachael runs RKA ink, a reinvention studio and branding agency for businesses that burn the rulebook. She's also on Instagram a lot.