The Hidden Cost Of “I’ll Just Do It Myself,” with Terry Pham

Entrepreneurs are brilliant at solving everyone else’s problems, but often get stuck in their own because they won’t fully leverage support. In this episode, Shannon Waller and Terry Pham discuss the five biggest delegation roadblocks, how to build a true strategic partnership with your executive assistant, and why letting go is the fastest way to 10x your impact. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: A truly great executive assistant (EA) is a strategic partner with a “heart of hospitality” whose strengths complement your own, anticipating your needs and future points of friction so you can stay in your Unique Ability®. Terry’s five delegation roadblocks show up in almost every entrepreneurial business. “It takes too much time so I’ll just do it myself” is usually a bad math problem where five-minute tasks, repeated all year, slowly add up to days of lost focus. “No one can do this like me” is only true for activities in your Unique Ability; everything else should be delegated so you can spend your best hours on the thinking, relationships, and creativity that actually grow the business. “I didn’t know I could delegate this” is common for rugged individualists who’ve built unconscious competence and simply stopped seeing tasks that could be handed off. “I actually enjoy doing it” often hides a procrastination strategy where you choose familiar, low-stakes tasks like emails, meetings, and quick fixes over the strategic, uncomfortable work only you can do. “I don’t believe I deserve support” is usually about ego or false humility and can stop entrepreneurs from fully using an EA even after they’ve hired one. Reframing support around impact, contribution, and your company’s bigger future makes it easier to receive help without getting stuck in self-judgment. Monthly “stop, start, continue” conversations in both directions, plus daily SSS feedback (short, soon, specific), clear up unspoken expectations, improve teamwork and performance, and keep frustration from building up under the surface. The courage to fully delegate is often triggered when you commit to a bigger goal that simply cannot be reached if you keep doing everything yourself. Entrepreneurs who aren’t willing to grow, let go of control, or treat people respectfully are not ready for an EA and will burn through support quickly. If you treat an EA as a cost instead of an investment, you’ll miss the massive multiplication in time, energy, and opportunity they can create for you. The best EA relationships are built on mutual respect, shared values, and a genuine desire to protect each other’s Unique Ability and well-being. Resources: Superpowers Setting the Table by Danny Meyer Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Unique Ability® How To Sell Transformation Using This One Question The D.O.S. Conversation® by Dan Sullivan The Kolbe A™ Index Superpowered by Shannon Waller, Steven Neuner, and Ryan Cassin The Eisenhower Matrix The 4 C’s Formula by Dan Sullivan Frequency Assessment