There seems to be an epidemic in the OBM community where business owners onboard them and then ghost them or expect them to figure out the path to success. 

Newsflash: Hiring an OBM is not a permission slip to peace out your biz. It’s not a mark of “I made it.” 

You STILL have to show up as a CEO. You STILL have to make decisions. You STILL have to invest in doing what only you can do (aka your craft). 

Your OBM is there as a partner, team player, not the coach, nor the team, itself. With an OBM onboard, you now have the ability to have a “partner” in your biz and continue to grow and expand your ideas with someone who is all-in on your biz, just like you. They are an added strategic voice, but not the ultimate decision maker. 

The Driver

Think of it this way, when you hire an OBM, you’re essentially hiring a driver. 

And when you hire a driver, you can’t just get in the car and go. You have to tell the driver where you want to go (i.e. your business goals), give the driver directions (i.e. what you’re launching, who will benefit from it, and what the results will be), and check in with the driver to make sure there’s enough gas to get there without stopping, and the road is clear, etc. (i.e. team meetings to assess and adjust).

Your driver gives you the luxury of time to not focus on getting from point a to point b to point c. They allow you the ability to sit in the back and get 7x more work than you would alone. And the work you’re able to get done while your driver is driving is the work that only you can do in your business.

But this is not about productivity. This is expansion.

And expansion can’t happen if you don’t give your driver directions, they could end up “lost” along the way. 

Ultimately, you have to step more into the CEO mindset. 

Give the direction and vision to the OBM to work. Let them, then, come back to you, along the way, for feedback and approvals. This way, you’re working together as a team...not your OBM doing everything while you simply check out. 

Commit. 

Commit to still showing up. Commit to sharing goals. Commit to the path to success. Together. 

Don’t force the load on your OBM and expect them to be driven and motivated to do BOTH your job and theirs. 

Give your driver their directions and let them go do their thing...while you go do yours.

What IS your job? Strategy. Figuring out what your people need. Discovering what you best bring to your clients. Becoming the best at what you do. Being the face of your business. Meeting people. Every. Single. Day.

Connect. 

See eye-to-eye on the vision. Share the passion for making it happen. Inspire each other to carry out your roles together. 

Because as a team, there’s nothing more important than the shared vision of success and the road to get there (see what I did there with the driver analogy??). 

Check-in daily for immediate to-dos. And weekly to set the course heading for your journey for the week ahead, as well as to assess how the journey’s gone so far. 

You Are the CEO

In the end, you are STELLAR at what you do, which is why you hire an OBM to do the things that you are not as proficient at. And, together, the two of you can make an unstoppable team that skyrockets to success, if you’re both focused on doing those things you do best. 

Now, go forth and accept your role as CEO, make the decisions, and do your share of the work to see your business explode.

Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

Click here to book a free call to talk more about your business goals and to see if hiring an OBM is the right fit for you.