Okay, I'll admit it. I'm overwhelmed. Not the "I have a lot on my plate" kind of overwhelmed. I'm talking about the kind where you wake up already thinking about everything you didn't finish yesterday, your weekends have somehow become regular workdays, and you're fairly certain your laptop has spent more time with you than your husband. FYI, I'm not exaggerating about that last part.
It's been a tough season at KR Squared, and here's the interesting thing. Business is good. We're growing, our clients are wonderful, and we're doing work we genuinely love. So what's the problem?
Life.
Over the past several months, our team has faced a steady stream of challenges outside the office. Aging parents with health issues, family emergencies, and circumstances that required people to be exactly where they needed to be… with their families.
However, we're a small agency, so when one person is out, we feel it. When several people are out at the same time. well, let's just say things get interesting. There was no operational failure, and no terrible management decision that brought us here. Just one of those seasons when life decides to throw everything at everyone at the same time.
My own husband had two surgeries this summer. I spent most of the time sitting beside his hospital bed with my laptop open, answering emails and trying to keep my head above water.
I think I've worked through nearly every weekend for the past two months. No real mental breaks. Just push, push, push, and somewhere along the way, I realized something.
I can't keep pushing at this pace.
Now, before this starts sounding like a pity party, let me be clear. That's not why I'm writing this. We've all been there. Maybe you're there right now. Sometimes, no matter how organized or optimistic you are, life wins the scheduling battle.
The good news? I think we’ll come out the other side at the end of the month. Some of the circumstances that stretched our team so thin are beginning to resolve. As I start to see a little light at the end of the tunnel, I've been thinking about what this season has taught me. After all, if I'm going to go through something this exhausting, I'd at least like to get a few good lessons out of it.
First, Hope Is Not a Staffing Strategy.
We're a small team, and one of the things I love most about KR Squared is how much everyone genuinely cares about each other. But I've learned that being a close-knit team doesn't mean we can ignore the math.
When you have a small staff, vacations need to be thoughtfully spread throughout the year. Not because people shouldn't take time off. Quite the opposite. Everyone needs that time, and after this season, I might be the biggest advocate for it.
But when planned numerous vacations overlap and an unexpected family emergency happens, suddenly you're asking the remaining team to do the work of twice as many people.
That's not sustainable.
So we're going to be more intentional about scheduling, cross-training, and making sure critical responsibilities aren't dependent on one person being available. Yep, sometimes the best way to support your team is to plan for the days when they can't be there.
Second, Being Overwhelmed Is Not an Excuse for Mediocracy
Oh, this one might ruffle a few feathers, but I believe it wholeheartedly. When you're stretched thin, exhausted, and working harder than you ever thought possible, it's tempting to explain away disappointing results.
"The algorithm changed."
"Instagram must have done a cleanup."
"The magazine didn't print the way we expected."
And sometimes those things really do happen. But before we point to circumstances outside our control, we need to ask a much harder question. Did we actually do our best work?
Think about it, there is a big difference between working incredibly hard and doing incredibly good work. And trust me, when you're working yourself to the bone, the last thing you want to hear is an excuse.
I have very little patience for them on a normal day. After two months of working weekends? Let's just say my tolerance has not improved, to put it mildly.
But here's the bigger lesson. When the team is stretched thin, you need to bring in the right support. Not just an extra set of hands, but someone who is genuinely an expert in the work you need done.
There's a big difference between delegating a task and delegating it to someone who can deliver at the level your clients expect.
Our clients don't hire KR Squared because we work hard. They hire us because they expect great work, and being busy doesn't change that responsibility.
Third, Being the Leader Doesn't Mean You Have to Be the Backup Plan for Everything.
This one's uncomfortable to admit. When you're the owner of a business, you feel an enormous responsibility to your employees, your clients, and the reputation you've spent years building. So when something needs to get done, you do it. Someone is out? You cover. A deadline is approaching? You jump in. Something falls through the cracks? You catch it.
And while there's absolutely a time and place for rolling up your sleeves, I've realized there's a problem when the owner becomes the permanent safety net. Eventually, the safety net gets pretty worn out.
Good leadership isn't about proving you can carry everything. It's about building a business where everything doesn't have to be carried by you. That means having people you trust, systems that work, and the willingness to ask for help before you're completely out of gas.
I'm still learning this one. Clearly.
And Finally, Sometimes You Need to Take Your Own Advice.
I spend a lot of time telling our clients that good marketing requires perspective. You need to step away from the noise to see the bigger picture. Funny how easy that advice is to give and how difficult it is to follow.
This season has exposed some things we need to do differently, and I'm grateful for that. Not necessarily for the emotional exhaustion that came with it, but for the lessons.
And if there's one thing I'm taking away from all of this, it's that resilience is admirable, but it shouldn't be your business model. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd really like my weekends back.
